The LuxMob Info Tags

During the last few years, I have witnessed first-hand the
increasing anti-religion movement upon which the United States
was originally founded. With items such as removing prayer from
schools to banning the public display of the Nativity Scene, and
let’s not forget the person who wanted to sue congress for
mentioning God in the Pledge of Allegiance, it would seem that
quite a few Americans have developed a sour taste to the notion
of a celestial god. Granted, my encounters of such behavior are
more frequent since I currently reside in one of the most
liberal states of America, nevertheless, the truth remains that
religion seems to not be as important as it once was. The key
word here is ’seems’.

In August 2005, Newsweek Magazine published a survey that noted
519 million people believe in THE higher power. While “THE” is
subjective to each individual, it falls within the many American
melting pot religions that turn to divinity for comfort. Also
noteworthy is a recent news story. One church managed to drudge
its way past celebrity gossip, wartime casualties and disastrous
weather forecasts right smack into the media spotlight. Looks
like religion really does still exist since this particular
church, Lakewood Church, out of Houston Texas just became what
is called a “mega-church”. This title belongs to only a few in
the United States, and to be deserving of such a label takes
massive accomplishment. In this case, having a physical weekly
congregation of approximately 30,000 people and claiming NBA’s
Houston Rockets former coliseum as its new home. Further, if the
number of parishioners is impressive to you, let it be known
that preacher Joel Osteen inspires even more people across the
country with his televised Sunday morning ministry, which can be
found in competitive timeslots to your local Sunday morning
service as well as late night hours throughout the week. But
what does this mean to the health industry?

In 2005 after a two-year study on participants attending a
weekly religious service, research indicated that a spiritual
enthusiast actually experiences above-average health. This
reduction in illness includes physical ailments as well as
mental afflictions, such as depression. And even more
interesting is that the mortality rate is lowered over measured
periods of time, with one panel’s research showing a 25% lower
rate of death in those attending a weekly religious service.

While some once-skeptical medical professors now support the
notion that belief in God is associated to health benefits,
other researchers excuse the better health as simply a less
risky lifestyle of those who follow the faith. For instance,
someone striving to be a good Christian may lower there alcohol
consumption. In this case, it is possibly the lowered alcohol
consumption that actually decreases the chance of illness.
Another example would be a person intent upon living a
moralistic lifestyle based on religious beliefs may have a lower
involvement in casual sex encounters, thereby lowering the
chance of contracting disease. And finally, the practice of
prayer and meditation lowers the incidence of stress. The
latter, a well known factor in many heart disease pre-cursor
conditions.

While the proof of a divine higher being will remain a mystery
all the days of our life, quite a few professionals agree that
there are definite positive benefits associated with being a
believer. Number one, we cannot control our lives nor everyone
in them, no matter how hard we try. When the chips are down in
these instances, what better way to turn the reigns over to
another source and alleviate a moment or two of inner turmoil
and angst. Number two, it is highly likely that the majority of
people who attend church really do want and strive to be good
people, no matter what their human tendencies may default to,
post service. And finally, if and when we do arrive at that
celestial set of white pearly gates, we will have walked the
walk of faith and will promptly gain entrance with our
well-merited one way golden ticket.

Like many progressive Christians, I have had a hard time figuring out how to incorporate the Easter story into my personal faith experience. Part of the reason for that is that I’ve always struggled with the traditional notion of the blood atonement of the cross, and of an innocent man being sacrificed for our sins, all orchestrated by his Heavenly Father. In addition, I have been troubled by the insistence of some Christians that the only way the story has any value is to take it literally, in terms of a physical resuscitation of Jesus.

Let me be clear that I respect folks who believe that way, and find a literal resurrection a valid theology for their own faith. That is fine. But when they insist on making it the essential foundation of the Christian faith experience not only for themselves, but also for all believers, that’s when I have a problem. Because that’s just not something to which I can ascribe. But the downside is that because of that insistence, the story never really had an impact on me, even back when I was a more traditional Christian.

In recent years, however, I have been able to find new meaning in Easter for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that I am now able to experience the story in the best meaning of the word “myth” - that is, in the original meaning of the word, which is that a myth is “a story about the way things never were but always are” - or, one I like even better - “a myth is something that never happened yet happens all the time.” Journeying with the two travelers on the Emmaus Road (from Luke 24:13-31) helped me get to where I am today.

“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight…” (Luke 24:13-31)

For me, this story is a perfect example of something that never happened yet happens all the time. In fact, biblical scholars suggest that the story might be a dream sequence or spiritual vision because archeologists have found no evidence of a town called Emmaus anywhere near Jerusalem during the time of Jesus’ death. And when I began to view the story through the lens of a spiritual vision, it quickly became my favorite of the many resurrection stories. Why? Because I can relate to the experience of the Emmaus Road travelers quite well since the death of my father three and a half years ago. And my personal experience dealing with that is the other reason I am able to embrace the Easter message.

My father was an undeniably strong presence in my life - I was one of the lucky ones who enjoyed a close relationship with my father throughout most of my life. We had our issues, as any father and daughter do, but overall we had a very good relationship, and he was an extremely important person to me. In fact, because he was my father, he was, in many ways, larger than life. Since he died, his compelling presence has continued to exert itself. And in some ways, his presence and influence are even stronger now than before his death. Not a day goes when I don’t think of him and miss him, remember something he said or did, and try to honor his memory. My husband and I will often sit at dinner and tell stories about him, laughing about the funny things he said, missing him dearly while at the same time rejoicing that he was part of our lives. And even though he is gone, he remains a strong influence on me, and continues to impact me on a daily basis.

As wonderful a man as my father was, he was no Jesus. Yet because of the powerful influence he had on me, I continue to experience my father as a living reality even after his death, much as Jesus’ followers experienced him after his death, but even more powerfully so. Ultimately it is the same for us as well. For the power of the Emmaus Road story is that it reminds us that the Risen Christ still journeys with us, whether we realize it or not, and continues to come to us again and again. For we all meet Jesus in some way or another, in other people on different roads, but very often we, like the disciples, don’t recognize him.

The main thing I have learned is that there is much more spiritual sustenance available from the concept of resurrection if one goes beyond a literal belief in physical resuscitation. One form of that sustenance can be found whenever we experience a personal transformation in the course of our own life cycles. In the gospels and much of the rest of New Testament, death and resurrection, dying and rising, were used again and again as metaphors for the process of spiritual transformation. Resurrection was not viewed as a literal concept by first century Christians, but as a metaphor for that process of dying to an old way of being, and being born into a new one. So it is possible for a person to become an entirely new creature, undergoing a spiritual transformation from one identity to another in the same physical body. And some of those who will share during the service will be talking about that nuance of resurrection.

Another form of spiritual power found in resurrection is the continuing presence of important people in our lives after their death. Jesus is a continuing presence in my life, just as he was for his original followers and generations of Christians ever since. This has become especially clear to me as I’ve experienced that phenomenon in the wake of my own father’s death, which has obviously been the catalyst for my new way of thinking about the Easter story.

Susan Ryder is a progressive Christian pastor, and an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ - which is a site for Writers.

A Wise Preacher

Because the preacher was wise, he taught the people knowledge; yea,
he gave good heed, and sought out, and set “in order” many proverbs. Eccles. 12:9

Let all things be done decently and “in order”. 1 Cor. 14:40

When passages are explained or even quoted “in order”,
as per our understanding (in our own language),
their original intent cannot be missed.

(example to follow)

~ To the Suffering Church ~

Turn Down the Oven

1 Corinthians 12:18, 22-26

Just because one’s comely parts have ‘no need’ does not mean those, whose service seems less comely, do not have purpose, too. In fact, when one’s gift shines above another, that was God’s doing, not ours.

Those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are NECESSARY … not only for reasons yet to be understood, but because, also, God hath tempered the body!

When Jesus warned that forbidding others ‘trying to grow in service for Him’ would cause suffering (Matthew 19:14), fruit inspections were not a given option.

When one member suffers, the oven temperature goes up; wherein, all members are made to suffer … because the degree of being tempered has to make up for another’s lack in being able to fulfill what God has called them to do.

God tempered the body so there would be no schism, but that members would finally realize ‘having the same care, one for another,’ is not negotiable. We’re to have the same care for the custodian as the preacher, the same respect for the follower as the leader, the same love for the sinner as our most cherished friend.

Therefore, those members of the body whose service we think to be less honourable ~ upon these we bestow more abundant honour. And, once we do so, we will begin to discover one shouldn’t have thought more highly of themselves than they ought (Romans 12:3). But also, ministries will begin to flourish wherein all members will rejoice!

~ * ~

Is not this the fast that I have chosen?
to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6

Until then, we mourn for The Suffering Church.

© 2005 by Joyce C. Lock
http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/
This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes.

About the Author

Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist. In addition, she founded and maintains the email ministries “Heavenly Inspirations” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and “Share a Smile” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other.

The any moment doctrine is probably the heart and soul of the
rapture. Most followers of the rapture believe Christ could
return at any moment. The bible clearly teaches us against this.
We can read about what we should look for before we can expect
the return of Christ in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.

2 Thessalonians 2

1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither
by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the
day of Christ is at hand.

3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of
sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

If you can read then it is crystal clear in verse 3 that we will
not gather back to Christ until two things happen. The falling
away- apostasia (deflection from the truth; apostasy) and the
man of sin the son of perdition must be revealed first.
Perdition means to perish and only one entity has been sentenced
to death at this time. This would be Satan and you can read
where God sentenced him to death in Eze. 28:13-19. Anyone who
tells you the falling away is the rapture has not researched the
words in the Greek language and they are misleading you. This is
irrefutable proof that Christ will not return at any moment.
Satan has not been revealed to us and the falling away has not
reached it’s full.

4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Here we read about what the man of sin will be doing when he
appears on earth. Do you see this happening today? This is why
so many times in the bible we are told to watch. If the rapture
were true we would have nothing to watch for. Here we can
clearly see that we do have something to watch for before we can
expect Christ to return. Who will you believe a preacher or God?
Now we will look at the verses that are used to support the any
moment rapture scenario.

1 Thessalonians 4 13-17

13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope.

14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

If we wish to understand the bible we have to stay with the
subject. The subject here is those which are asleep. The dead in
other words. In verse 14 we learn that we shouldn’t worry about
those who are asleep because God will bring them with Him.

15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep.

We are still talking about the dead. Those of us who are alive
and remain here on earth unto the coming of the Lord will not
precede those who have already passed on into the next life. We
will not precede them because they are already with God. Notice
it says we which are alive and remain. Paul did not qualify this
statement which means everyone who is alive and remains. In 1
Cor. 15:51 we read that we shall not all sleep but we shall all
be changed. This is important so keep this in mind.

16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first:

We are still discussing the dead. Verses 16-17 will give us the
order in which we gather back to Christ.

17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Now we see those which are alive and remain will gather back to
the Lord after those who have already passed on. Verse 17 is
describing the order in which this happens. It is not describing
how to the extent that he wanted this to be our authority on the
matter. What did Paul say he wanted to talk to us about in this
chapter? In verse 13 he says those which are asleep not our
gathering back to Christ. You will read about our gathering back
to Christ in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.

In order to fully understand these verses we must determine
which trump is the trump of God. 1 Corinthians 15:52 is a
parallel verse to 16-17 and it will help us to do that.

52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Remember we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed. So
if either of these verses are describing the rapture then that
would mean we all would be leaving the earth. We know this
cannot be true. Everyone agrees there will be people on the
earth during the tribulation. The key here is the last trump.
This clarifies which trump we are talking about. If we go to
Revelation and read chapters 8-11 we will find there are 7
trumps.

I know some will try and confuse this by saying “There are many
references to trumpets in the bible, and there is no clear
association- no direct statement stating that the trumpet
referred to by Paul is the same as written about by John.” This
may be so but the word last is an identifier and in the Greek it
means the furthest one out or final. So by that reasoning this
is at the very least the seventh trump. In addition they also
say “Paul wrote the letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians
long before John penned Revelation. So how could Paul make an
association with a truth that was not yet revealed by God?

This is a desperate attempt to discredit a scripture they cannot
reconcile with their doctrine. Who is the author of the bible?
Is it Paul or John or Isaiah. No, the author of the bible is
God, these were just men that God used to pen the books. 2
Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is given by the inspiration
of God. So maybe Paul couldn’t make the association with what
was to be written in Revelation but do you really believe that
God himself didn’t have the foresight to know this would be an
important prophecy? If that was the case could we rely on any of
the prophecies in the bible? After all Revelation means to
uncover or reveal. Suggesting that some things were hidden or
covered before the book was written. Now you will see why they
put up such a fuss over the seventh trump.

15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices
in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for
ever and ever.

This is what we have been reading about in Corinthians and
Thessalonians. We have not been reading about some rapture
“secret” or otherwise. All those things we read about happen at
the last trump. Jesus returns to reign on the earth at the last
trump not to rapture us away and come back again. The last trump
is the final one, meaning the tribulation is over and the
millennium is about to begin. If you read through the trumps
this is very easy to determine. 1 Thessalonians was written to
comfort us and let us know our loved ones are coming back and we
will see them again. In verse 18 Paul says comfort one another
with these words. They are very comforting, God loves us and
doesn’t leave us without knowledge. The question is will you
listen to Him?

This article courtesy of The Rapture Rebuttal
www.rapturerebuttal.com

According to the official Christian theology, as well as common
acceptance among believers, Satan is the number one enemy of God
and man. Right from the beginning, the Bible tells us how the
devil, disguised as a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve, causing
them to disobey God, i.e. to sin - a sin that brought death to
mankind! The story of the so-called “Original Sin” and the
consequent “Fall of Man” is well known. (I have dealt with it in
a separate article posted in this site)

However, there are accounts in the Bible that present the Devil
as a “son” and “servant” of God! Apparently, Satan has been
allocated certain tasks concerning humans, and he is to be …
respected for the work he is doing.

Let us examine some relevant scriptures.

Here is a story where Satan appears to be one of the “sons of
God”, who regularly presents himself before the Lord giving
report about what is happening on the earth. One of the tasks of
Satan seems to be the trial of righteous men, like Job, in order
to test their faith. Before doing this, Satan needs permission
from God. He cannot decide on his own whom to try and how far to
go in testing.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The
Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered
the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking
up and down on it.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you
considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the
earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away
from evil?’ Then Satan answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for
nothing? Have you not put a hedge around him and his household
and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands,
so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But
stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will
surely curse you to your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan,
‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only upon himself do
not put forth your hand.’ So Satan went forth from the presence
of the Lord.” (Job 1: 6-12)

In the above account of the Old Testament, God appears to have
given Satan permission to strike everything Job had, save his
own life. And, as we know from the rest of the story, Satan did
exactly this. But in spite of the calamities that befell upon
Job, he didn’t lose faith in God, nor did he curse the Lord, as
Satan anticipated.

Here is another account from the New Testament:

“Yet in like manner these filthy dreamers defile the flesh,
despise authority, and blaspheme celestial beings. But when the
archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the
body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation
against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you’.” (Jude: 8-9)

Once again the Scripture verifies that Satan (the devil) is a
celestial being who has authority given to him by God. As such,
he must be respected by men and not be slandered! Not even
Michael, the archangel, dared to accuse him, when they were
contending about the body of Moses. Regarding the ground of the
dispute, the scriptures don’t give us other details. It is up to
the reader, who knows the life of Moses, to guess why the great
prophet stood on the borderline between Michael’s jurisdiction
and that of Satan.

>From the New Testament we also know that even Jesus had to be
tempted by the Devil! However, it was the Spirit, i.e. God
himself, who led Jesus into the wilderness. As in the case of
Job and every other saint, God gave permission to the Devil to
put Jesus to trial regarding his identity and his mission. Here
is the relevant verse:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil.” (Matt. 4: 1) How did Satan tempt Jesus in
the wilderness? In what areas of his personality concentrated
his fiery darts? Let us see:

“And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he
was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are
the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’
But he answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’.”
(Matt. 4: 2-4)

Satan proceeded very methodically and wisely into his task.
First he tempted Jesus on his physical need. Jesus, after forty
days’ fast, was desperately hungry. Would he use his miraculous
powers to fill his stomach? This is a test which every man and
woman of God undergoes and where most fail. But Jesus did not!
Of course, filling the stomach has an allegorical meaning here:
it refers to pursuing material riches, something to which most
of the miracle workers succumb.

“Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the
pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of
God, throw yourself down; for it is written: He will command his
angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus
answered him, ‘It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God
to the test’.” (Matt. 4: 5-7)

In his second temptation, Satan enticed Jesus to put God, and
indeed the Scriptures, to the test. Could God save Jesus from
death if he deliberately exposed himself to danger? But Jesus
answered back to Satan with another scripture! We are not to put
the Lord to the test. Indeed, God is able and willing to save
his servants from dangers - according to their faith - but not
from intentionally created ones, in order to test the Almighty!
We are the ones to be tested, not God.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he
said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you fall down and
worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For
it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God and him only
shall you serve.’ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels
came and ministered to him.” (Matt. 4: 8-11)

In spite of his first two failures, the Devil did not give up.
He had kept a last ace up his sleeve. Being the prince of the
material world, he offered its “kingdoms” to Jesus, i.e. fame,
glory and power, if he only worshipped him. But Jesus did not
bow down before Satan. He was not interested to be a temporary
worldly Messiah, ruling over the kingdoms of the earth. He had
chosen to be an eternal spiritual King instead. His kingdom
wasn’t of this world but it was spiritual and, as such, it was
invisible. Yet its splendor could not compare with that of all
the worldly kingdoms together. Jesus was sure about what he
wanted. He longed to be “one with the Father”, who is Spirit,
and thus become the light of the world.

Failing for a third time, the devil left Jesus. He had no
permission from God to go any further. Then the angels of God
took charge and ministered to Jesus! Happy is the servant of God
who, after passing all the tests, stands and is ministered to by
the angels of God.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
(Matt.6: 13)

Here is a verse from the ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. We are instructed
to ask God not to lead us into temptation! Once again it is
verified by scriptures that it is God himself and not Satan who
leads us into temptation. Satan cannot do anything against us
unless he takes permission from God. It is comforting to be
aware of this. So we don’t have to fear Satan, for he is under
God’s restrictions.

“I am the Lord and there is no other; I form the light, and
create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I the Lord do
all these things.” (Isa. 45: 6b-7)

This verse, and other similar ones in the Scriptures, is for
many Bible students a stumbling block. How could the Holy God be
also the creator of evil? Yet this makes more sense than
believing that there are two creators in the Universe, i.e. God,
who creates only good, and Satan who creates only evil. Besides,
can there be anything outside God? He is inherent in all
Creation by His Spirit, and everything that exists is under the
control of God’s Sovereign Laws!

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Behold, the
devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be
tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful
unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Rev. 2: 10)

Here we see the spirit of Christ informing the believers in
advance about Satan’s plan. Some Christians from the Church of
Smyrna would be put into prison in order to be tested. Christ
wanted to warn and encourage those people to stand fast in their
faith so that they could win the crown of eternal life.

“In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you
are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:
26-27)

In this verse we have another aspect of how a trial comes
about. Paul says that we, ourselves, open up the way to the
“devil” when we give him a “foothold” by our thoughts, words or
actions. Let the student of the spiritual kingdom be aware of
this.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.” (Eph. 6: 11)

Paul warns us to always wear the full armor of God that we may
stand the snares of the devil in the day of temptation. He is
talking, of course, about a spiritual armor, the details of
which we shall see in the chapter of Prayer.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he
will flee from you.” (Jam. 4: 7)

All we have to do is to submit totally to God while resisting
the devil (the flesh with its cravings). Then Satan will flee
from us. This is comforting! We don’t have to worry about the
devil and his devices.

“Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he
hardens the heart of whomever he wills. You will say to me then,
‘ Why does God still blame us? For who can resist his will?’ But
who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed
say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does
not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of
clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
(Rom. 9: 18-21)

In the above we have a very hard Scripture. It is difficult for
the believer to accept that God himself, and not the devil,
hardens the heart of whomever he wills. Could Paul, who
elsewhere has admitted that ‘We know in part’, be wrong in this
scripture? Are, then, some people made for common use while
others are made for noble purposes? Of course there are many
things we see in the world that we cannot explain. However, who
of us can judge God? It is enough to judge ourselves and see
when and where have we been responsible for creating evil inside
us and around us.

As for our attitude towards God, instead of complaining or
accusing Him for the evil, it will do us good to stand in
humility and awe before the Almighty, acclaiming: ‘Praise You
Lord, for surely You have made everything in wisdom’!

I know a good Christian lady who cuts hair for a living. That’s her occupation. That’s how she makes a living. She is very good at it. Why is it that when Christians come to her shop they expect a “discount” just because they go to the same Church that she attends? There are some who refer to this practice as a “believer discount”.

Now I am not opposed to finding discounts and deals, but not at someone else’s expense. If someone decides that they want to give me a haircut at no charge, or half price, out of love, then that’s fine. But to just expect that Christian businesses are supposed to give discounts to all the “brothers and sisters” is not love. It’s actually an indication of a poverty mind set. I’ll explain that later.

For me to think that my Christian brothers and sisters are obligated to give me a cheaper price is selfish and it takes money away from them. Suppose you couldn’t find a Christian for the service or product you needed? What would you do? You would end up paying someone the price they charged.

I know some Christians who are very good at doing car repairs and some of them even do it as a business. And hardly a week or two goes by that another Christian asks them for help in fixing their car, expecting to pay little or nothing for services rendered. That is very selfish and, again, an indication of a poverty mentality.

Here’s a startling thought: pay your Christian brother or sister more than they normally charge! Now that’s a concept that has love written all over it. Why would you do that? First of all it is indeed a blessing to have a Christian provide a service or a product. If they operate their business with integrity and love, that love will have an impact on my life. Secondly, by believing God’s promises of abundance you can go over and beyond and give more to the person who is providing you the service or product. That increases their prosperity. But, if you have a poverty mentality, you are always looking for someone to charge you less for everything and expecting any Christian to give you a discount. Why not believe God’s promises of prosperity, receive His abundance, and then share that abundance with others?

Now I would rather pay a Christian for a product or service, but there is another side to this coin. Just because I am a Christian does that mean I have to find another Christian to provide my products and services? Suppose I know a Christian who could get the job done, but not with the quality I require? Am I obligated to hire a Christian anyway and then have inferior work done? Some say that would be the “Christian thing to do.” I say, “No.”

If I hire you to fix my car I am expecting you to know what you are doing and to do it right the first time. If that doesn’t happen then I have wasted the money God gave me to steward, not to mention the time that I have lost. Perhaps the “Christian thing to do” would be to be honest and tell someone that their work is not the quality that it could be. Instead of feeling obligated to hire them, why not give them some money so that they can get the training they need so they can do quality work? Feeling sorry for someone and then having them do a job that they or someone else will need to re-do it is not helping my brother or sister.

As a final thought, why shouldn’t Christian businesses be the best businesses on the face of the earth? That takes a lot more than just having a Christian sounding name. It means quality work. It means integrity and honesty. It means operating biblical principles of giving more value. Having a Christian business reflects back on our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, whether we own a business or are simply employed by someone, the “Christian thing to do” is to work heartily, ethically, and honestly with the love of God. Our light should so shine that everybody, Christians and non-Christians alike want our products and services.

Michael A. Verdicchio is the author and producer of “Inspirational Pep Talks”, available at http://www.inspirationalpeptalks.com He is also the author of the book, “Healing From God is Available”. He has produced other motivation and inspirational items, including the audio CD, Healing Words, available at http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com.

Most of the problems we encounter later in our lives stem from
things that began when we were very young. Mistakes and
misconceptions that were fertilized and encouraged to grow, can
often cause us great harm as we age. Often, if seems like a
small thing at first, even innocent. For example, teaching
children about the tooth fairy or Easter Bunny may seem fun and
harmless, but there will come a day when that child wants and
needs real answers. No sane adult still believes in the tooth
fairy or Santa Clause, so that means at some point in their
lives they were introduced to the evidence of reality. There was
a moment that they discovered for themselves that it had all
been “pretend.” For a while, they may have felt like that victim
of everyone’s joke. All the adults (including their parents) had
known and was involved in encouraging them to believe a lie.

In some skewered way of thinking, we might chalk this up as a
real “life lesson.” While Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny tend
to go away quickly, there are some things that will take much
longer. Allowing children to learn and accept the Evolutionary
Theory from a very small age is a well documented mistake. The
“fend for yourself” mentality of the teaching can shape and mold
young minds far more than we realize. While liberal scientists
like to promote the theory as basically proven fact, and force
our attention away from the obvious flaws and holes, we are
often fooled into believing that this teaching will go no
farther than the classroom.

History has proven that to be utterly false. Many might not
realize that Adolph Hitler studied and fully accepted Darwin’s
theory of evolution as a young painter. This adamant belief in
“survival of the fittest” is what he cited as his entire
justification of a perfect race. Hitler believed he was merely
fulfilling the ultimate will of evolution, doing his part to
assure the perfectly evolved race would come about more quickly.

It never ceases to amaze me at the “Christian” parents and
teachers that seem totally willing to allow this poison to enter
young minds. With some vague argument like “separation of church
and state” or a line like “let them make up their own minds,”
the heart and soul of our children are simply turned over to the
wiles of the Devil.

Remember, the Serpent is more subtle than any beast of the
field. In the garden, in the beginning of it all, his very first
attempt to destroy our relationship with God was to deceive Eve
into doubting God’s word. “Now the serpent was more subtle than
any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said
unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every
tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Eve was quick to jump at the
seed of doubt offered to her, in order to obtain what her eyes
had seen and desired. We are no different today.

In order to appear modern and “up to date,” we jump at
scientific jargoon that encourages us to doubt the very Word of
God. We try and become “progressive” Christians, mixing
evolution and Creation. We reason in ourselves that, “maybe it
didn’t happen the way I have always thought and been taught. I
still believe in God and no matter how it happened, we really
know God did it.”

But that is not true. The Holy Bible very clearly states the
process of Creation. We even know the order in which the animals
and mankind was created. There is no reason to guess or doubt.
Either we believe God at His word, or we don’t. If we don’t,
then the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cover our sins for the
Scripture states that, “whosoever BELIEVETH in him, shall not
perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) To believe is an
absolute necessity. There is no way to half believe in Jesus
Christ. Either we do or we don’t: simple as that.

We do not have to be rich or poor to enter Heaven. We do not
have to be able to read and write. It is not important whether
our friends and peers consider us well read or intelligent. The
only ultimately important requirement is that we believe on
Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins and take Him at His
word.

“Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and
vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with thee. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:20-21)

Growing up is hard even in your spiritual life. When we talk to Christians about God, it is important to make an effort to find out where they are spiritually before judging them or making an assumption of what they already know about God.

Some Christians are at the point in their “Walk” that they need to move past the elementary teachings of righteousness. If we concentrate only on the basic foundations of truth, we can stagnate which may prevent us from growing up and learning about the deeper truths of the word. A word about this topic can be found in Hebrews.

Scripture Reference taken from the NIV:
HEB 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. [8] Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him [10] and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

HEB 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. [12] In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! [13] Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(HEB 6:1) Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, [2] instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [3] And God permitting, we will do so.

HEB 6:4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, [5] who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, [6] if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Renae Patterson is a wife and mother of three girls (One of which has already gone to be with the Lord) and one son. When she is not taking care of the little ones, she’s busy editing for the online magazine Christian Woman Daily.Com located at http://www.christianwomandaily.com.

Those who knew me when I wore a young parson’s suit and tie would willingly attest to the fact that I reigned as the “flip-flop” king, and to be honest, I was rather happy in this position with no desire to resign. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.”

If that is true, I have a more than ample mind.

For some reason, certain persons (and you know who you are) are fanatics when it comes to consistency. I don’t want to be guilty of dropping names, heaven knows I’ve dropped everything else, but one such person, who shall remain nameless, lives in my house.

In my past, I’ve been an advocate of the advantages of inconsistency and offered my opinion on the subject at irregular intervals.

For an example, I’ve always believed “variety is the spice of life.” What would this world be without such diversity?

I think I have God on my side in this. Look at His creations. The genuine proof, in my mind, that God created the heavens and the earth is in this variety of the species.

God did not just create “a bird.” God created hundreds of varieties of birds of every color imaginable, as well as other things.

Whatever God has created, He has done so with an infinite number of variations on the subject. Certainly, God believes in variety.

Another advantage of inconsistency is it keeps friends and family off-guard and guessing. If I would do the same thing over and over, my friends and family would come to a certain level of expectation from me.

What a bore.

However, if I am constantly flip-flopping, nobody knows exactly what I’m going to do next. And for my money (if I had any) I go for the zing of flip-flopping.

I would not say this to just anyone, but, the chief benefit to flip-flopping is less strain on the tiny grey cells. I don’t have to remember everything.

Although flip-flopping has many desirable advantages, the biggest disadvantage to my inconsistency is the Mistress of the Parsonage. Some people, as I’ve mentioned, take a low view of flip-flopping.

Her view, as it turned out, was the lowest. I would soon find out just how low.

Recently I treated the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage to an early morning repast at the Slurp ‘N Burp Café. That is just the kind of guy I am.

In retrospect, it was a bad idea. I thought my life was going great. I thought nothing could really be improved in my life, but the husband is always the last to know certain things.

Women, especially wives, have a sixth sense about these things, whereas men, particularly husbands, haven’t a clue. Women are usually referred to as the “fairer sex,” but, and I speak with authority, they do not play fair.

Everything came to a head (my head, that is) when I started ordering my breakfast. I could not decide on what I wanted for breakfast. At first, it was eggs, then pancakes, then oatmeal. All of the selections looked delicious and I just couldn’t make up my mind.

I finally settled on eggs but could not decide how I wanted them. With so many ways to fix eggs, it is hard to make a decision on scrambled, fried or soft-boiled. They all sounded scrumptious at the time.

I settled on scrambled eggs but called the waitress back five times to change my order. In hindsight, I see my problem but; then I was held hostage to my changeability, which quickly turned into a liability.

As the waitress left the table for the fifth time, I was about to recall her when my eyes happened to catch my wife’s eyes. I was startled to see fiery daggers dance from her eyes in — yes, you guessed it — my direction.

The most staggering element were the words spattering from her mouth. To say I was shocked is like saying a skunk has aroma issues.

“Either,” she snarled, “you flip or you flop.” She took a deep breath and continued, “This flip-flopping has got to stop, and stop now.”

I do not know the difference between a flip and a flop. Is a flip, for example, worse than a flop? Moreover, is it possible to flip and not flop?

To this day, I have no idea of what she meant, but at the time, I could see she was in no mood to explain and I was not in a frame of mind to hear her explanation. After all, I am a gentleman and I love life — especially my own.

Then she gave me that womanly grimace, conveying the idea that she really meant what she said and furthermore, she could back it up with actions. I don’t know what those “actions” were, and believe me, I can live the rest of my life without that wee bit of knowledge, thank you.

Later that day I reflected on this incident and reached for my Bible. Several verses suggested themselves to me.

“For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6 KJV.)

And the New Testament verse that says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV.)

As I meditated on these two verses, my heart warmed with gratitude that Jesus did not flip-flop when it came to my redemption.

About the Author

Rev. James L. Snyder is an award winning author and popular columnist living with his wife in Ocala, FL.

During the dark ages the scriptures were chained to pedestals in the major cathedrals of the world. The common people could not read the bible and even the clergy were limited to reading it only where it stood. Those days have been eliminated by the courageous efforts of clergy and reformers like Luther, Calvin, Tyndale and a host of others who in some cases gave their lives in the effort. We now enjoy the fruit of their labors throughout most of the free world. Not only are all the versions of the bible available here in America but one publisher has begun offering the bible bound and covered in your choice of designer colors!

Yet for all of this profusion of bibles one of the flimsiest excuses for not reading or trusting the bible is still being used everywhere throughout the land. Who has not heard someone say, “The bible is open to interpretation and that’s why it can’t be trusted”?

If honestly examined, this excuse will be found to be just another one of those “common wisdom of the day” utterances that has no more truth in it than water in the desert. It is grown out of ignorance, watered by indifference and harvested in laziness. It is used glibly but has dire consequences; in fact it could cost a person their entire future.

The first rule of interpretation says that no one has the right to interpret the scripture in a merely personal or private way. …Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. I Peter 1:20 If the bible is not open to private interpretation then it must only be open to public interpretation. That is the key. The universal bible believing church the world over has an interpretation that qualifies this fact, the minor doctrinal differences and the trend toward liberalism notwithstanding. Whether Pentecostal, Evangelical, Baptist, Methodist or any other major historical denomination the bible is interpreted the same. Jesus death and resurrection is the key to salvation and his teachings are the key to our best behavior. When people stray very far from this kind of interpretation of the bible they are bordering on heresy, cultism or something worse.

Another great rule of sound biblical interpretation is to let the bible interpret itself. Let the whole bible reflect on any part of it in particular. You will rarely ever go wrong by applying this rule. This of course implies that you would have to study the whole bible. That alone would just about eliminate any problem with bible interpretation you will ever encounter.

An old preacher from Vermont once told me of a basic rule of interpretation he had learned while attending Bible College. I have never forgotten it and I’ve never failed to use it. He said, “If the scripture makes plain sense, seek no other sense”. Being complicated is not a prerequisite to being a bible student so don’t bury your self in hidden meanings and obscurities, just get on with what is known and apparent.

Finally take a lesson from the smallest child. Ask them what Jesus meant when he said we should love each other, or that we should forgive others. They know what these things mean even when those who hide behind the idea that the bible is riddled with too many interpretations don’t. Some passages are simple but that does not mean they aren’t profound. Other passages are more complex but can be clearly understood by the simplest approach, much like that of a child. The child like approach to scriptural interpretation is the shortest route to understanding; in fact it is also the shortest route to salvation itself. Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Mark 10:15

We must cease to view the bible as some deep manual of religion only to be known by the initiated or specially trained. Someone once said that the bible and more so, the New Testament is a letter from God the Father to his children. Who would think a letter from your father was meant to create confusion. It would speak of his love, his intentions, his plan and his final return home. It would give instructions and details on what to do until he returns. No one would throw a letter from their father in a corner and say I don’t understand any of that so I’ll just do what I want to until he returns home and take it up with him then.

The words of the bible never create confusion. In fact it is the dismissing of these words that creates confusion. If we hide behind the worn out cliché about “it is all open to interpretation” we will find ourselves with no where to hide in the final day. Jesus said the very opposite about his words, He said they would illuminate our lives and bring peace to us not confusion. In fact they would produce life itself within us…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:33

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is,
http://americanprophet.org