Separation and Isolation: a Revelation

I believe there are times in our lives when God removes
us from the routine of life, and separates us from others,
so that he can spend some time with us. Without God “taking
this time” with us, we would drift through our lives
preoccupied and distracted by life, never pursuing the
destiny and purpose He created us for. Because these places
of separation are often uncomfortable, we resist them and
conclude that God must be punishing us, when in reality He
is preparing us through separation.

It is in these dry places, where no one else can help us
(including ourselves), that we discover that God is our source,
our healer and protector. We discover that our true source is not our
jobs, families, education or money – but God alone! This
level of revelation cannot be gained unless we have spent
some quality time with God. Oftentimes, if we don’t
voluntarily “make this time” for God, He will involuntarily
“take this time” for Himself.

Separation Is Often an Indication of Designation
If it seems like everyone and everything that you’ve always
looked to for support is gone–it is not a coincidence but rather
divine providence. It may be an indication that God is readying
you for a transition in your life. Ask Abraham, the one whom
God separated from his family to give him and his descendants
a “Promised Land”. Ask Joseph, the one who was forcibly removed
from his father’s house (of which he was the least of 12
brothers) so that he could become the second most powerful
man in the world. Ask Moses, the one whom God separated from
Egypt and prepared in the desert for 40 years to deliver His
people from slavery.

Ask David, the youngest son of Jesse,
the one whom King Saul removed from his father’s house and
placed in the palace where he could observe firsthand what
it meant to be king. Finally, ask the apostle Paul, the one
whom God separated from the Pharisaical order so that he could
become a leader and pillar in the Kingdom of God. Separation
is indication of God’s designation of those He is calling.

Separation Is a Sign of Preparation
God is preparing and positioning you to discover something
about Himself that He cannot reveal to you while you are
surrounded by others. He needs to separate you from the people
and things that you have placed in positions that belong to Him.
They would only distract you from hearing and seeing the things
He wants to show you. During this time of separation and
seclusion, we also discover things about ourselves that we
otherwise would have never known.

There is no one to impress or save face with when we are alone.
God has the ability to show us who we really are so that He can
begin the process of molding us into who He’s called us to be.
God will remove our support and separate us from the things that
we’ve become familiar with in order that He might reveal to us
something much greater–Himself.

In Deuteronomy 8:2-3, we read that God purposefully lead His
people into the wilderness for the purpose of proving Himself
to them. God used this place of isolation to develop their
confidence in Him as their God. They did not labor for their
living, they simply believed God and received their living.
There was no Wal-Mart in the wilderness, therefore they had
to trust God for their food, clothing and care. God proved
to them that He was their one and only “true Source”. They
would have never received this revelation, without this time
of separation and sanctification with God.

The Wrath Of God Is Hell

Do you know what will happen after you die?

Have you been fooled into believing you are safe by an evangelist? Did you say a short prayer sometime ago but live for the world? If you are not certain where you stand with God if something happened to you tonight please read Repent First and The Four Step Program

Crossfire: Cross Focus

Most of us are aware of the show that was broadcast as far back as I can remember, called Crossfire. Similar to today’s “Hannity & Colmes“, there were two hosts with opposing views on contemporary issues of the times. It came to mind as I contemplated a view published by a Christian ministry regarding Arthur Blessitt and his forty year journey carrying the Cross around the world. They claimed in their article he was led by Satan, “Parading around, making a spectacle of himself, to draw attention to himself, using the symbol of what man did to the Lord.”

The article went on to say, the Cross is the symbol of Christ’s death. When he was risen, and lives, we continue to worship a tree, a piece of wood. Their was much more rambling, but, you get the point. Apparently, many believers share this point of view. While I found their argument intriguing and compelled to give them the benefit of the doubt, there is one huge mistake in the basis for their point of view. Man did not kill Jesus.
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Jesus knew His fate, all along the way. He did it willingly, and no man had a choice in the matter. Praise Jesus. Everything that Jesus experienced was written, and could not be stopped, even if there was a Roman equivalent to Perry Mason at the time. That “tree” is the symbol of His willing sacrifice, just to give us the gift of salvation. We humans have a hard time remembering exactly what Jesus went through, for our sake only. We cannot conceive of His Passion, in the midst of our selfishness.
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I have tried to get my sister to watch Mel Gibson’s, “The Passion of the Christ“, again. She has seen it once, and according to her, that is enough. To watch it again, “would just be morbid”, is a common opinion. We have a thousand excuses when it comes to rationalizing our neglect of the attention God so rightly deserves. The Bible says we are to ‘pray without ceasing’. We get caught up in the worldly things and events and think that since we are busy, we are excused from any direct, consistent involvement with the Lord. We don’t even think about Him for days, sometimes. We think about Him right away, though, when a setback, or tragedy arrives to disrupt our fleshly lives.
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When we become Christians, we are saying to God we are dying to that fleshly, or worldly life, and committing to seek His Will. How many times have we gotten caught up in a project, maybe at work or around the house, and completely forgot a previously scheduled errand. Maybe it was something we promised to do for our boss, or spouse. We genuinely intended to carry out the task with all our heart, but, their reaction is as though we never intended to do it at all. Aren’t we lucky to have such a wonderful, awesome Lord, which whom, has the just and merciful nature, such as He does. Rather than a Draconian god, who would punish us for a mishap, a mistake; we have a loving, merciful, all knowing Father, that sees in our heart, and judges us righteously.
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We cannot begin to conceive of His Holiness, and Goodness. We tend to do things we are aware are not agreeable to Him, or know right out, He hates. He hates all sin, big or small, but, we rationalize it, anyway. No!… we definitely need something to remind us of just how far He was willing to go for us, and what we owe Him. The Cross is the symbol of His sacrifice, and a reminder of our responsibility to stay on the narrow path, as a Christian.
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To ignore the importance of the Cross, would be just as silly as denying the privilege of sharing Communion with Jesus. They are both the gifts of being Christians. The Cross is the constant reminder of how dirty we are, and what it took to wash us clean. His blood was shed on the Cross, so we would have the opportunity to one day share His kingdom, which there will be no end.
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This world, which we cherish so much we are willing to deny Him, will end someday. To receive His forgiveness, and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, all that is expected of us is to repent, and honor His sacrifice. We are not worshiping a tree when we pray in front of the Cross. We are not paying homage to wood when we lay our iniquities at the foot of the Cross. We are acknowledging the greatness of a supreme Being that would do something so wonderful for someone who is so undeserving. It is only through His Goodness that we are given the opportunity to deserve it.
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We must realize, every time we ignore the Cross, and turn away from our Saviour, we are spitting on Him, and His graciousness. It is only through His Grace, we are able to turn away from the temptations of today, and partake in a supernatural relationship with Him, through faith in the Cross. There should be more emphasis placed on the Cross. We are letting a relative few heathens dictate where we can place a Cross, as it offends them. Why would a simple tree, or piece of wood, offend anyone? It is not a “green” issue. It is not a violation of nature that stirs some to violence and rebellion. It is what the Cross stands for. If only it stirred so much passion in the believer.
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Christians typically take the Cross for granted, as they have rationalized its importance. Just as the typical agnostic refrains from admitting the reality of it, as they would have to turn away from the lifestyle they so cherish, we are not truly committed. We are real quick to profess our love for Jesus, but, when it comes to turning away from those things we know are offensive to God, we choose to ignore. We figure, if we play stupid today, and get away with ‘this thing’, we will do extra atonement tomorrow. That would be great, if, our Lord was as stupid as we are.
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If you focused more on the Cross, or Jesus, you might be rocked back to reality. You cannot fool God. You are not hiding anything. You are only fooling yourself, and pleasing Satan. The atheist has more of a chance to get to Heaven, as he may truly wake up, before it is too late, repent, and accept Christ as his Saviour. The common professed Christian will be blindsided when the end comes and he was walking in iniquity, believing he was saved, as he said a prayer a few years ago.
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It is amazing how much angry mail I receive, for trying to pull people out of their fantasy world of believing Jesus went through what no man would, so we could live in iniquity without feeling guilty. It is even more amazing, many preachers(?) are preaching that very message. At least, they will be keeping you company. I can understand the atheist wanting to rid the world of the Cross and what it stands for, but, a Christian? There are many people who say they are Christian, and they will no more see heaven than a ravenous wolf. That is Biblical. Satan believes in Jesus, and knows He is Lord. Do you really believe Satan has a chance in… well, you get the point.
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Wearing a cross for decoration around the neck is disgraceful, unless you are ready to respond in a godly manner and display what it stands for, through your actions as a Christian. As far as I am concerned, whether intended, or not, wearing a cross as decoration, unless specifically intended to portray a discipleship, is blasphemy. One should be very careful in making that decision. It brings to mind the horrific feeling which comes over me when I see a piece of the American flag being used as a pocket patch. Or, what of the common hoodlum who wears battle fatigues. The military uniform stands for many men and women that gave their lives for our freedom.
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In the same manner, the Cross stands for the One that came down from Heaven, so we could be freed from our sin. We all remember how everyone rallied behind our flag, post 9/11. You would be hard-pressed to find a car which had no flag on the antennae, or sticker of a flag in the window. Now, we barely remember the feelings which drove us to such unity that dominated our lives. We should be even more driven to such unity, as Christians, to rally around OUR Cross. We should show non-believers the same unity and strength as Christians, as we showed the rest of the world our strength as Americans.
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Another major terrorist attack is presumed likely, in America. The return of our Lord is definite. Are you ready? A tragedy could befall you tonight. Are you sure where you stand? Are you that sure you are saved, because a confused evangelist says you are. Be sure. This is the most important thing you have to worry about. Make sure you have truly repented of your sin, and give your heart to the Lord. Then, you don’t need to worry about the affairs of the world, or the economy, or anything else. Where you stand with the Lord is the only thing you need to consider. If you are on the narrow path that leads through the narrow gate to His kingdom, it matters not what happens to you in this short life.
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Why would an atheist take the chance there is no god, out of their ignorance. If their genius proves to be misled, they are damned to an eternity in hell. If, by their standards, we are wrong as Christians, with all the proof needed, what have we lost? The atheists choose to ignore all the solid evidence, written hundreds of years before Christ, telling of His coming. There is no hope for them if they don’t receive the truth in time. The more common Christian, however, is worse off, as they are now informed of the truth, and expected to know better. Please, secure your salvation by investigating the truth, which is the Word of God.
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Do not take my word, or anybody’s word, when it comes to your salvation. Examine yourself immediately, and know for sure, with all your heart and soul, you will be with your Lord, should you not have the time left you fantasize.

Why Do We Need God?

Shake It Off

“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you
go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.”
Matthew 10:14

As Jesus began to prepare His disciples for their calling as
leaders in the Church, He decided they needed to go out on
their own and learn to do what they had previously seen Him
do. For soon Jesus would no longer be physically with them
and they needed to know how to operate in His absence. So He
gathered the disciples together and instructed them to go
out into the surrounding cities to preach and demonstrate
the Kingdom of God. At the very end of His instructions,
Jesus tells his disciples to do something, that is not as
spectacular as His other instructions, but is essential to
their having success in what they have been assigned to do.
This essential piece of wisdom that Jesus shared with his
disciples has just as much application and revelation for
us today, as it did when He originally spoke these words
over 2000 years ago.

Jesus first instructs His disciples to take no money for
their journey, preach the Kingdom of Heaven, heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and when
it is all said and done – know when to “shake the dust off”.

Jesus said that their ability to shake off criticism, rejection,
opposition and other people’s opinion of them was just as
important as their preaching the gospel, healing the sick,
raising the dead, cleansing lepers and casting out demons.
Jesus knew that their ability to overcome persecution and
rejection was critical to their ability to succeed at what He
told them to do. If they succumbed to criticism and rejection,
there would be no preaching, healing, raising or cleansing
because they would quit and abandon what they were sent to do.

We too must learn to shake off the dust that others cast upon
us to stop us and move forward in life. There are times in life
when we will have to go at it alone! If you never learn to
shake off what life and others will place upon you, you will
find yourself bound and unable to move forward in life because
you’re carrying things and burdens that God never intended
for you to carry.

Not only must we learn to shake off the dirt that others place
upon us, but we must also learn to shake off the dirt that
we’ve accumulated and held onto over the years. There are
things in our pasts that have clung to us to remind us of what
we used to be. This dirt may be failures, words that have
wounded us or mistakes we’ve made that we are trying to make
up for that hinder us in moving forward into our assignments
and callings. Many of the disciples had less than desirable
pasts that they had to shake off and move forward despite
their history. There was Matthew the tax collector who had
to shake of the guilt, shame and condemnation of his past
occupation in order to move forward in the ministry that
Christ had given him. If Matthew had not learned to shake
off what he knew about himself, and what others were saying
about him, he would not have been able to minister with the
conviction and power necessary for him to do what Christ
instructed him to do. The enemy will use other people’s
attitudes and opinions to try to cause you to doubt yourself
and forfeit what God has for you.

What is it that you’ve allowed to lay dormant because of
rejection, opposition or someone’s opinion of you? Has someone
said something to you that has caused you to doubt yourself,
your ability, purpose or future? If so, do what Jesus told
His disciples to do – “shake it off” and keep moving!

Repent First

“Regret” is a plain sense of sorrow for offensive or immoral behavior. “Penitence” is a sincere admission of transgression with an implication that the penitent intends to undertake moral improvement. “Contrition” is an absolute relinquishment of self to complete and perfect penitence for misdeeds. “Compunction” is a simple pang of conscience for a contemplated action of questionable morality. To “REPENT” is a deep commitment to turn away from our sin (or that which offends God).
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We must REPENT and give control of our life to God. This is God’s Blessing to us, by His Grace, to exercises our gift of “freewill” to choose Him, REPENT, and follow Jesus’ path. Glory to the Lamb of God! In His infinite mercy and inconceivable love, He forgives us and blesses us, even when we do not deserve it.
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Today’s evangelists are doing a great disservice to their listeners by preaching a watered down version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their words serve only Satan, as their followers fall away from Grace and God’s Blessings He intended for us. We cannot be seeking, or doing, God’s Will for us as we live for the world. We fool ourselves into believing that we must get by in the world, or give into desires of the flesh, and God does not hold it against us.
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We live in ‘secret sin’, or what we consider ‘little sins’, which aren’t hurting anyone. If it offends God, who is Holy without compromise, it hurts us and our relationship with Him. We can’t possibly receive that which He has intended for us. We may feel like everything is fine, and we are getting away with our desires, for now, but, we are heading for disaster. Many live in adultery, or with hate for one another, and say they are “Blessed by God”. They are so confused.
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Many people are walking around calling themselves Christians, and believing they are, but, live far out of the Will of the Father (Mat 7:21). They live in iniquity, which they never gave up from the time they said a little prayer, sometime ago, and tagged themselves “Christian”. God hates all sin, large or small. The watered down Gospel we receive does not depict the true God’s Holy and Just nature. Evangelists would have us believe that attempting ‘good works’ by walking in righteousness is not what God expects from us. The truth is, ‘good works’ will not alone get us to Heaven, but, is completely expected of us, by God’s commands.
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I encourage you to read The Four Step Program if you are seeking knowledge regarding salvation, and what it takes. It really is very simple, but, it is acquired in steps, not just one simple act of reciting a prayer and saying we believe it. I say to you, out of love, you are only fooling yourself and gain nothing if you have not truly turned your life over to the Lord. If life went on as usual for you, and you do nothing to resist temptations, and live in sin, you were never really saved at all.
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The first step in accepting God’s greatest gift of salvation, is to admit we are a sinner. Then we must repent, or turn away from that which offends God (sin). We do not become sinless Saints. We are still human, and expected to slip. We are convicted by the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we have offended God, and we immediately repent, and ask forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive us. We do not continue with the sin, until we are satisfied, knowing it is wrong, but, we will seek forgiveness afterward.
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Our own President claims to be a Christian, but, supports killing God’s creations. What a horrible message to the people he leads, that you can be a Christian and choose any ridiculous thing in life regardless it offends God in the most heinous ways. These types of Christians have no idea what the Bible says, or believe it. This is what a Christian is. A follower of Jesus’ Gospel, and God’s commands. We cannot call ourselves Christian and do evil. It is mixing water with oil…it doesn’t!
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The Blood of Jesus does not mix with sin, it covers it, washes it clean. The very first thing to be accomplished in order for us to be washed clean by the blood, is to repent, and stay away from sin as much as possible. If we are aware that what we are doing is wrong, God always provides a way out of temptation. We cannot use the excuse, “The devil made me do it”. We have been given intelligence to know right from wrong. We have been given the Holy Spirit, if we truly accepted Christ, and if we seek His assistance, He will assist us out of temptation, always.
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God does not force us to turn away from sin, or the world. He gave us freewill, to choose for ourselves. This is what our salvation is dependant upon. Our choosing to walk in the other direction, away from the world and fleshly desires, is exactly what a Christian makes. We are also expected to read His Word, and serve Him, by speaking of His ‘goodness’ to others.
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The Lord’s Word is clear, and inerrant. If we do not believe that, then we are not “Christians”. We have compromised the commands of the Gospel, to suit our desires. Hence so many religions which are supposedly based on the Holy Bible. Everyone wants to interpret God’s Word to suit their own needs and desires. It is not a smorgasbord, where we pick and choose what we like for today. Just like man’s law, or civil law, we cannot decide we don’t like the way it sounds, so we don’t have to obey it, as it was written by men.
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God’s law was written by men, by the will of God, and the accounts of Jesus’ life. Man’s law was written by men, by the will of the people, mostly inspired by God’s law. We cannot choose to ignore man’s law. God’s desire for a relationship with us, is based on our faith, and depends on our exercising our freewill to choose Him. However, we must take the narrow path, that leads to the narrow gate, into His Kingdom.
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Evangelists not only lie, but, take snippets out of context, to support their Warm and Fuzzy Sermons. They count on appealling to those, especially whom, refuse to get into the Word on their own. They sell books, many books, appealing to those, especially whom, refuse to repent, but, do not want to realize they are so far away from God. We cannot blame the evangelist as we are standing in Judgement.

As In The Days Of Noah

In the last days, as described in Matthew 24, perilous times will come… those times are here – now. There will be scoffers, but, one day every tongue will confess He is God, and every knee will bow.

Redeeming The Time

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but
as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what
the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

 

One of the most precious gifts God has given mankind is—
time.  A major characteristic of time is that you will
never have more of it than you have right now. With each
breath you take, you are that much closer to taking your
last breath. We all reach a point in life where we realize
that we’ve lived more life than we have left.  The older
we become the more careful we are of what and with whom we
spend our time on.  We begin to realize that we truly do
 not have time to waste!

Some of you may look over your shoulder at your past and
smile with satisfaction at how you used the time that you’ve
given, while others may reflect on their past and wish that
they had the ability to do some things all over again.  However,
what is done is done.  We must do the best we can with the time
we have left.

What do you do when you now have the wisdom to do a thing
right, but you don’t have the time to do it all over again?
What do you do when opportunities, like water, have slipped
through your fingers and the doors that were open are now shut?
You may be asking: “Is there any way to regain what I’ve lost
over the years?”  The truth is, you will never be able to
reclaim the time lost – but you may be able to “redeem” the
time you have left!

The Bible instructs us to “redeem the time”.  If we are
instructed to redeem the time, the next question that must be
asked is: “How do we go about redeeming our time?” The answer
actually lies within the word redeem.  The word redeem in the
Greek is “Exagorazo”. It is a compound word made up of the
preposition “ek” which means “to come out of” or “from”, and
the verb “Agorazo” which means “to put to work in the
marketplace”.  The marketplace is simply a system of exchange.
The way to redeem your time is to exchange the system in which
you are investing your time.

Many Believers, although born again by faith, still operate by
a system dominated by the flesh. Anything that is not logical
or probable they shy away from because they fear not being in
control of the situation.  They are operating under a system
of works, which can only pay them a wage, which correspondingly
controls their worth.  This is the reason a person can work
hard all their life and discover that the time they spent
working was wasted because it could not give them what they
earnestly desire – freedom and fulfillment.

God’s system, or the Kingdom of God, is one of redemption that
is founded on faith.  Our productivity and worth is not based
on our abilities or efforts, but our faith and obedience to
God’s Word.  Everything we receive in this system is a gift.
Jesus said, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all things will be added onto us
(Matthew 6:33).  God does what we can’t do by our believing
(in faith) that He can do it!

In the Bible, Abraham tried to have a son, under the system
of flesh (or his own abilities and efforts) for almost 100
years without success. God gave Him in a moment, by faith,
what he could not produce by his flesh over a lifetime. God
redeemed Abraham’s time because Abraham switched systems.  He
received by faith what he could not produce by in his flesh.

Like Abraham, God has allowed some of you to live long enough
to know that your system doesn’t work. God can fix in a moment
what has been broken for years.  It all depends on the system
that you are investing your time and efforts in.  It’s not to
late!  Switch today and redeem your time!

The Man In The Hole

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The Anti-American President

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