The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1D [Ideas Series, #4]

1 Thessalonians 1:9

"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;"

As stated previously, the word repentance is used to express the spiritual transition from sin to God.

Do not mistake penitence for repentance. They are NOT the same. Penitence signifies pain, grief, distress, rather than a change of thought and purpose. Thus Latin Christianity  has been corrupted (the Catholic Church being the main perpetrator) by erroneous thought of presenting grief over sin rather than abandonment of sin as the primary idea.

Repentance is that change of a sinner's mind which leads him to turn from his evil ways and live under the grace that Christ provides for all who believe in Him (Rom. 8:1-10). The change wrought in repentance is so deep and radical as to affect the whole spiritual nature and to involve the entire personality. The intellect must function, the emotions must be aroused, and the will must act. Each person needs to understand sin as unutterably grievous; recognize the divine law as perfect; and acknowledge that he himself comes short or falling below the requirements of a holy God due to sin (Job 42:5,6; Psalms 51:3; Romans 3:20, 23).

There may be a knowledge of sin without turning from it as an awful thing which dishonors God and ruins man. The change of view may lead only to a dread of punishment and not to the hatred and abandonment of sin (Exodus 9:27; Numbers 22:34; Joshua 7:20; 1 Samuel 15:24; Matthew 27:4).

There is a type of grief that issues in repentance and another which plunges into remorse. There is a godly sorrow and also a sorrow of the world. The former brings life; the latter, death (Matthew 27:3; Luke 18:23; 2 Corinthians 7:9,10). There must be a consciousness of sin in its effect on man and in its relation to God before there can be a hearty turning away from unrighteousness. The feeling naturally accompanying repentance implies a conviction of personal sin and sinfulness and an earnest appeal to God to forgive according to His mercy (Psalms 51:1,2,10-14).

The whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. What a picture! Mercy is a matter of the heart; that is, God's heart. It can be said that the heart of the Lord is mercy.

An Illustration

Suppose you go home, and you find that while you have been at work, your child has gone to your private drawer and stolen $5 of your money. You go to him and say: "Did you take that money?" "Yes, I took that money," he replies. When you hear him saying this without any apparent regret you won't forgive him. You want to get at his conscience; you know it would do no good to forgive him unless he confesses his wrong.

Suppose he won't do it. "Yes," he says, "I stole your money, but I don't think I've done wrong." The mother cannot, the father cannot forgive him, unless he sees he has done wrong, and wants forgiveness.

Reader, can't you see you're in the same predictament as that little child? Yes, you are! Are you troubled by that thought? Sinner, why don't you repent?

A test: Is it your sin that stands between you  and Christ?

It isn't, really. It's your own will. That's what stands between the sinner and forgiveness. Christ will take all your iniquities away if you will let Him. But, you've got to humble yourself before the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, and admit you're a sinner and ask for pardon. Men are so proud that they won't acknowledge and confess before God.

Don't you see on the face of it, if your boy won't repent you cannot forgive him, and how is God going to forgive a sinner if he doesn't repent? If God allowed an unrepentant sinner into His Kingdom, there would be war in Heaven. You cannot live in a house with a boy who steals everything he can lay his hands on. You would have to banish him from your house, right?

 

A Consideration of the Local Incarceration Rate

Facts about Washington State Offenders in Confinement

Number of Prison Facilities ..................................................................................12
Number of Work Releases Facilities..................................................................16

Total Offenders in Confinement ..................................................................17,838
Offenders in prison ..........................................91.9%.................16,391
Offenders in work release................................. 3.8%....................... 679
Offenders in out-of-state rented beds ............ 0.0%............................ 0
Offenders in in-state rented beds.................... 4.3%....................... 768

Prison and Work Release Operational Capacity ..................................16,837
Total operational capacity in prisons ........................................16,158
Operational capacity in work release capacity .............................. 679

Percent of Population to Operational Capacity
Total Prison Confinement Percent of Operational Capacity.................. 101.1%
Work Release Percent of Capacity ............................................................. 100.0%

Gender
Male.....................................................................................................................92.6%
Female .................................................................................................................. 7.4%

Race
White ...................................................................................................................71.6%
Black....................................................................................................................18.8%
American Indian .................................................................................................. 4.3%
Asian...................................................................................................................... 3.7%
Unknown/Other................................................................................................... 1.6%

Hispanic Origin.....................................................................................................11.6%

Average Age............................................................................................................. 37.8

Citizenship
United States .....................................................................................................94.7%
Mexico................................................................................................................... 2.7%
Other...................................................................................................................... 2.6%

Length of Sentence
Less than Two Years ........................................................................................15.7%
Two to Five Years ..............................................................................................23.9%
Five to Ten Years...............................................................................................20.4%
Over Ten Years ..................................................................................................24.8%
Life with the possibility of Parole or Release………. ...………………………...11.6%
Life without Release........................................................................................... 3.6%

Avg. Length of Stay for Offenders Released in the past year........ 23.8 mo


As you can see, most of the offenders are very young men, for the most part. The majority of them (12,308 persons to be exact) serve 2-10 years. Does it break your heart that these men and women might leave the prison without knowing who Jesus Christ is? They're in there no doubt for their wrong doing. But, have you stopped to consider that Jesus died for them, too? Did anyone visit them or write them or mailed them a Gospel tract? If they received Christ as their Lord & Saviour in prison, do you wonder whether or not they'll be discipled by someone in their community once they are released so that they stay on the straight and narrow? Do you think someone out there cares about them? And, how many of them did not get connected to a local New Testament, Bible-believing church once released?

The worst kind of bondage is sin. There is no prison worse than it because it goes with you anywhere you go. To be sure, nothing can be done to liberate you from sin than the blood of Jesus Christ (John 1:29, 36; Heb. 9:22).

Suppose the Governor of Washington finds a great number of criminals in prison, and he goes and says: "I feel bad for those prisoners. They cannot stay in jail any longer." Suppose some murders have been committed, and he says: "I am tender hearted, I can't punish those men." and he opens the prison door and lets them all out. How long would that governor be in his position? Wouldn't your blood boil and you'd be calling out for justice? Men would be the first to raise their voice against that governor. These men would clamor, "These murders must be punished or society will be imperiled; life will not be safe!"

And what about God's justice? Do you think He wants justice for men's sins? Oh, indeed He does!

Yet people believe that God will ignore men's sins. Just glance up Calvary's way. The Judge of the world did not look away at all. Reader, He hates sin, but loves you (Jn. 3:16). It is a hard way that Jesus Christ took for your sins, Friend. Don't go on under that delusion that you can keep on sinning (Num. 32:23). You can't. It is a lie of the devil. I tell you, the Word of God is true, and it tells us "Except a man repent" there is not one ray of hope held out for you.

Now let me say this: You are in a position to be reconciled to God right now. You are not in a position to deny this reconciliation a week, a day, an hour. God tells you now. In five minutes, for all you and I know, you may be in eternity.  Life is but a mist. So now God calls you to repent, and all your sins will be taken from you. May God help you to turn and live.

I Want to Turn From Sin and Live Right!

Sources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; Oxford English Dictionary; Strong's Dictionary; WA State Dept. of Corrections Statistic and Report - Quarterly Fact Card (March 31,2012)

All Right or All Wrong

Hebrews 9:22

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

D.L. Moody tells the story of a conversation he had with a minster about the topic of ---preaching. Here's how Preacher Moody tells it:

I remember when in the old country a young man came to me—a minister—and said he wanted to talk with me.

He said to me: "Mr. Moody, you are either all right and I am all wrong, or else I am right, and you are all wrong."

"Well, sir," said I, "You have the advantage of me. You have heard me preach, and know what doctrines I hold, whereas I have not heard you, and don't know what you preach."

"Well," said he, "the difference between your preaching and mine is that you make out that salvation is got by Christ's death, and I make out that it is attained by His life."

"Now, what do you do with the passages bearing upon the death?" and I quoted the passages, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission," and "He Himself bore our own sins by His own body on the tree," and asked him what he did with them, for instance.

"Never preach them at all."

I quoted a number of passages more, and he gave me the same answer. "Well, what do you preach?" I finally asked.

"Moral essays," he replied.

Said I, "Did you ever know anybody to be saved by that kind of thing, did you ever convert anybody by them?"

"I never aimed at that kind of conversion; I meant to get men to heaven by culture—by refinement."

"Well," said I, "if I didn't preach those texts, and only preached culture, the whole thing would be a sham."

"And it is a sham to me," was his reply.

I tell you the moment a man breaks away from this doctrine of blood, religion becomes a sham, because the whole teaching of this book is of one story, and this is, that Christ came into the world and died for our sins.

*

And that, my dear Reader, in a nutshell, is all you need to know. Christ prophesied (Old Testament), Christ crucified & risen (New Testament) and Christ glorified (Revelation). Read the entire Bible and you too will understand that it speaks of Jesus. Indeed, Christ Himself said as much in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

On what do you stand today, your own works or the redemptive act at Calvary? If you stand on your own works, be mindful that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23) and you are hellbound.  I Choose Calvary!

A Christian Walk Unfeigned

Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

To kick off this post, I'd like to quote a famous prolific writer, preacher & pastor in 19th Century England by the name of John Charles Ryle [1816-1900] -

“Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, and the way to read the Bible is actually to read it. It is not meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it; that will not advance you one step. You must positively read. There is no royal road in this matter, any more than in the matter of prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you must persuade somebody else to read to you. But one way or another, through eyes or ears, the words of Scripture must actually pass before your mind.”

~ J.C. Ryle

The verses noted from Romans 12 contain a body-mind connection. Consider the commitment and steps necessary in developing a godly lifestyle. Paul was urgently warning believers not to be conformed to the world. If we're leaning toward compromise in our Christian walk, then the greatest danger today is an ungodly testimony. But, it doesn't stop there. Like tracking dog dung we've stepped on and soiling our house; likewise a worldly Christian drags in his worldly ways into the church and contaminates everyone he comes in contact.

Here's how it works: Through ungodly relationships and the impact of media, we're being influenced by people who are not following God's ways. Our society tells us to put self first, take what we want, protect our rights, and promote our own interests above others' interests.

In contrast, Jesus said that our heavenly Father will provide what we truly need (Phil. 4:19), we are to deny self and follow Him (Luke 9:23), and the humble - not the proud - shall receive honor (James 4:10). Conformity to the world's ideals will lead us away from God.

At the same time, Paul urges us to:

1. Present our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is a reasonable thing to do considering what the Lord did for you and me at Calvary. We are also to make our sacrifice holy & acceptable unto the Lord. How is that done? Romans 6:12-13 states, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Confer with I Cor. 6:19-20. Of interest is the word present, which denotes the action of bringing and presenting an animal or other sacrifice before an altar (which is an Old Testament picture). It implies that the action was a free and voluntary offering. The act of freely devoting ourselves to God is one of the most loving acts that we will ever perform. And, it happens on a daily basis.

2. Pursue godly transformation of our minds using God's word as compass and ballast. It means to set our thoughts on things above (Col. 3:2) and to focus on what is true, right, pure, and admirable (Phil. 4:8). Adopting a Christian worldview will lead to Christlike actions. It requires making adjustments in how we view life until our thoughts line up with Scripture. We must also protect our minds with Biblical truth and surround ourselves with mature believers who can warn us when we start to stray.

Make no mistake, Friend, you cannot even begin on this Christian walk without first settling your old account of sin (Rom. 6:23; Jn. 3:1-7; Rom. 10-9-10).

Please understand that believers are exhorted to offer a sacrifice that will be acceptable to God; that is, such a one as He had just specified, one that was living and holy. No sacrifice should be made which is not acceptable to God. Don't even try.

The offerings of the pagan; the pilgrimages of the Muslims; the self-inflicted penalties of the Roman Catholics, are all uncommanded by God and Scripture. They are not and cannot be acceptable to Him. Those services that will be acceptable to God are those only which He appoints. People are not to invent services; or to make crosses; or to seek persecutions and trials; or to provoke opposition; or to withdraw themselves from society and live in isolated, austere surroundings. They are to do just what God requires of them, and according to Scripture. Nothing else will be acceptable to God. And this fact, that what we do is acceptable to God, is the highest recompense we can have. It matters little what people think of us, if God approves what we do. To please Him should be our highest aim; the fact that we do please Him is our highest reward.

Ask yourself these questions, Friend:

Am I focusing on what is important to the Lord?
Am I making a conscious effort to adhere to Biblical truth?
Am I demonstrating a pattern of godly transformation?
Am I presenting my body a living sacrifice according to God's word?

If you answered No to any of these questions then why not get right with God on this account, submit to His will (James 4:7-10) and see the outflow of His power through your obedience (Jn. 15:1-10). Let God's Holy Spirit empower you to make the changes necessary to be more like Christ.

But first, you must be born again! Are you willing to take that first step? It's the only way, Reader (Jn. 14:6)! The Plan of Salvation

Giving Your Love Away

Matthew 22:39

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Our Savior’s teaching, while it is practical, is also always evangelical. He calls believers away from being content with the mere decencies of life and the routine of outward religion, and challenges them to seek after the highest degree of holiness—indeed, after that excellence of character which only His Grace can give. Loving our neighbor is not a condition of salvation, but as a fruit of it. Thus, we give our love away in service.

Jesus’ instruction is also new because it raises the standard. Loving others as ourselves means following the pattern He set for us, and putting the needs of others above our own. That is, loving ALL others, not just friends & family, but everyone. Talk about taking it to a new level of Christian living!

Thing about it in these terms, which Christ taught through the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) -

1. THE WORLD IS FULL OF AFFLICTION. This story is just one among thousands of modern stories that you chance upon, glance or gloss over as you scan the newswpaper, news websites or on television. These are unfortunate occurrences. The happen on short jaunts to the grocery store or on long treks. Life can be lost on the road. We are never secure from trouble—it meets us around the family hearth, walks into our work place and follows us on the road. Again, the daily news attest to this reality.

In the case of the assault victim in the parable, the thieves confronted him and demanded his money, and that when he made some little resistance they wounded him, stripped him and left him half dead. How could he be blamed? It was to him a pure misfortune. Believe me, there is a great deal of sorrow in the world. Some of it is caused by our own doings; other instances, it arrives just because it is part & parcel of living.

The man in the parable was quite helpless. He could do nothing for himself. There he lay dying. Those huge, gaping wounds must've been draining his life away as he bled from his injuries. He probably couldn't even groan, let alone speak, to call out for help. He couldn't even dress his own wounds, much less arise and seek shelter. He was bleeding to death among the pitiless rocks on the descent to Jericho and his was left there for the buzzards and crows to feed upon unless some one came to his help.

But who, pray tell?

2. THERE ARE MANY WHO NEVER RELIEVE AFFLICTION. Our Savior tells us of two, who at least,who passed by on the other side and I suppose He might have prolonged the parable so as to have mentioned 2 dozen or more souls who just walked on by if Christ had chosen to do so.

Note that 2 religious men - a priest & a Levite - pass by the suffering man on the opposite side of the road. Notice that these two men were on the same road going in the same general direction. If the  one couldn't offer aid then certainly 2 could've rendered assistance. Think about that for a minute, Reader! When you're not able to help someone in need, look around because there might be a fellow believer passing by who can help make the difference.

Friend, to know to do good and not do it is a sin (James 4:17). What a tragedy of eternal proportions! Here you have an opportunity to glorify God and instead you become a turtle, tuck your holy head inside your shell and walk on by, doing nothing. Can I ask you something, Reader? Do you even bother to pray for these lost souls? Do you even do that?

We are to relieve real distress irrespective of creed, as the Samaritan did. Let this thought settle in your mind for a little bit. The Samaritan, whom the Jews considered dogs, crossed the invisible line of cultural differences and help the Jew.

Wait!  How do I know that the poor victim was a Jew. In verse 30, he's referenced as traveling from Jerusalem (where the Holy Temple was) to Jericho (probably home). The priest and Levite also both traveled down from that same route. However, the Samaritan journeyed. You see, the Samaritans did not worship in Jerusalem. They were nature lovers, so to speak, and erected altars out in the mountain sides. Even Christ told the woman at the well that the Samaritans did not know what they worshipped (John 4:5-26)

Thus, the Jews were great haters of the Samaritans and, no doubt, this Samaritan might have thought, “If I were in that man’s shoes and he in mine, he would not help me. He would pass me by and say, ‘It is a Samaritan dog, let him be accursed and die like a dog.’” The Jews were accustomed to curse the Samaritans, but it did not occur to the good man to remember what the Jew would have said. He saw him bleeding and he bound up his wounds.

Our Savior has not given us, for a golden rule, “Do unto others as others do to you,” but “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Samaritan went by that rule in spirit and though he knew of the enmity in the Jewish mind, he felt that he should help, that he can help and that he must help. What motivated him to do such a thing? There must've been something that moved his heart to show compassion on another human being. And so, he went straight away to his relief.

Listen, Believer, the poorest of the poor can help the poor. Even those who feel distress, themselves, may manifest a generous Christian spirit and give of themselves what little they have. Because a little bit in your hands is more than sufficient in the hands of the Almighty God. Do so as you have the opportunity.

Read the last part of verse 34, "...and took care of him."

Admire that little sentence, because in it you see what little he had, he gave. Once he had taken care of the poor soul then he sought the inn keeper to "take care of him.” What you do yourself, you may exhort other people to do.

3. WE HAVE A HIGHER EXAMPLE - JESUS CHRIST. Jesus saw our own sin-racked bodies and the condition of our heart (Jer. 17:9) and had compassion on us. God gave us His Son so that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

I had asked earlier who, pray tell, will help?

Reader, it's you. It has to be you. You cannot wait another day. Reach out, Believer, to a dark and dying world. Someone needs to hear about Jesus Christ today.

Seek, then, to be true followers of your Lord by practical deeds of kindness and if you have been backward in your thinking about whom to approach, draw a needful reproach from the Master. Don't with-hold blessings from those who are different from you. Take the initiative by praying for grace to cross the racial, ethnic, cultural, political, socio-economic, etc. barriers. The biggest gap of all - the sin chasm which Christ bridged for you at Calvary - has been closed. So, these other gaps are nothing in comparison for the Lord.

The goal in loving is not to evoke the response you want from another person, but to do what the Lord commands you do. Your willingness to love must never depend upon another person’s ability to give love back to you.

Your challenge as a Christian is to love others even if they don’t love you back. So, you are never without someone to love. Reciprocity is not required for this kind of love. The only thing that is required is your willingness, your desire, and your commitment to open up and give others the love of Christ that dwells in you.

There's someone out there right now as you read this post who needs to know that somebody loves them unconditionally. Christ loves you that way. I'm sure that brings a comfort to your heart, doesn't it? Isn't it time you took that next step of faith to reach out to someone who needs that same comfort? Yes, it's time.

Finally, if you're not saved, Friend, you are missing out on the greatest love known to human kind. Make that decision today and know that Jesus Christ loves you. The proof is at the Cross!

Jesus Paid It All For Me Because He Loves Me!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Loving God With All You've Got

Matthew 22:36-38

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

Jesus answered not a disciple who was seeking a deeper truth about understanding what God required of people, but responded to a lawyer who set a trap to tempt Christ. This is the crux of the matter and the kernel of truth: One must love God unreservedly and entirely with the heart, which is the seat of the understanding; the soul, which is the center of will and personality; and, the might, which represents the strength of all the vital corporal powers, both mental & physical. Thus, God wants us to love Him with all that we've got in us (Deut. 6:4-5).

Consider these expressions:

"That was a half hearted effort" means lacking spirit or interest.

"His heart's not in it" means uninterested in something.

A divided heart has torn loyalties. It is pulled in many directions. The Lord wants all of your heart and not most of it, some of it, 89% of it, or a majority of it. He desires ALL of it. The whole stream of our affections, strength, understanding and will must run toward Him.

But, why?

The answer is quite simple: Because that's how God loves us (John 3:16;Rom. 5:8; I John 4:9). He doesn't do anything half way. God does all things well (Mark 7:37).

Here's a secret, of sorts, if you want to know what happens when you love God with all that you've got:

1. By loving God through Jesus Christ, both will come to dwell inside of you through the Holy Spirit (John 14:21, 23; 15:26).

2. Because you're indwelt by the Spirit, you have been set free from sin (John 8:32; Rom. 8:2).

3. There is liberty as a result of the Holy Spirit's indwelling! (II Cor. 3:17)

And it's only a secret because people choose not to know God's word. It's not like He's intentionally hiding His truth from us; on the contrary, we're running from it and by extension from Him, which regretably leaves us loveless; that is, incapable of loving and being loved.

If you're like that lawyer who's looking for a legal loophole then, Friend, you're going about life the wrong way. If, on the other hand, you are sincerely desiring to find a deeper truth, then look no further than this commandment to understand, worship and know God as He is: God IS love.

Read the Scriptures, follow the logic of God's love and trust in His truth. It is important for you to understand who you are (i.e., a sinner) in light of who God is (i.e., holy) and marvel at the wonder of His great mercy at Calvary.

Make no mistake, you are saved by the grace of God and NOTHING ELSE (Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9).

So, if you choose to love God through Jesus Christ with all that you've got then these promises that Christ made to His disciples are the same promises you can take hold of today IF you accept Him as your Lord & Saviour.

Otherwise, you won't possess the joy of the Christ's Spirit inside of you, especially during the dark trials and valleys you're going to encounter in this life. Faith in Christ, dear Reader, and nothing else is the victory (I John 5:4)!

I Need A Victory Today!

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

The Loquacious Fools

Psalm 14:1

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

The word fool stems from the Latin, which means bellows, bag. In other words, a bag of air that fans the flames. Quite a portrait! Biblically speaking, a fool refers to a person lacking in judgment or prudence in matters of God (Prov. 26:7; Isa. 32:6).


George Bernard Shaw, the essayist and playwright, said this about atheists, "Nobody talks so constantly about God as those who insist that there is no God."

People who don't believe in God work overtime to prove and demonstrate to others that God doesn't exist. It's like this: If they can convince others that God isn't real and gather as many people to concur with their atheistic belief then the strength in numbers proves that God is non-existent, as if by taking a vote disannuls God's existence.

Consider this anecdote: An atheist told a Christian, "If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now."

Nothing happened.

"You see," he concluded. "There is no God."

The Christian replied, "You've only proved that He is a merciful God."

And so it is, that many believe that inaction by God demonstrates His non-existence. Not so, it's just that His ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8-9) and that He doesn't any one to perish (II Pet. 3:9).

Another argument is that a loving God cannot exist in the presence of evil, thereby automatically disproving the existence of God. However, that is a wrong line of reasoning. After all, the knowledge of good and evil was present in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8-17). But, hold on to that thought.

Instead, let's look at a list of infamous people who are considered evil:

1. Adolph Hitler - The dictator of Nazi Germany and approved the Final Solution, which meant the wholesale slaughter of & extermination of 6 million Jews.

2. Adolph Eichmann - He played his part in the Nazi extermination of Jews during World War II. He is quoted as saying, "The death of five million Jews on my conscience gives me extraordinary satisfaction."

3. Pol Pot - He was the Khmer political leader whose totalitarian regime (1975-79) imposed severe hardships on the people of Cambodia. His radical communist government forced the mass evacuations of cities, killed or displaced millions of people, and left a legacy of disease and starvation. Under his leadership, his government caused the deaths of at least one million people from forced labor, starvation, disease, torture, or execution.

4. Mao Tse-tung - His government killed somewhere between 20 and 67 million (estimates vary) of his countrymen, including the elderly and intellectuals.

5. Idi Amin - He was the military officer and president (1971-79) of Uganda. Amin also took tribalism, a long- standing problem in Uganda, to its extreme by allegedly ordering the persecution of Acholi, Lango, and other tribes. Reports indicate torture and murder of 100,000 to 300,000 Ugandans during Amin's presidency. In 1972, he began to expel Asians from Uganda. God, he said, had directed him to do this. Over the years, Ugandans would disappear in the thousands, their mutilated bodies washing up on the shores of Lake Victoria. Amin would boast of being a "reluctant" cannibal - human flesh, he said, was too salty. He once ordered that the decapitation of political prisoners be broadcast on TV, specifying that the victims "must wear white to make it easy to see the blood". One of Amin's guards, Abraham Sule, said: "[Amin] put his bayonet in the pot containing human blood and licked the stuff as it ran down the bayonet. Amin told us: 'When you lick the blood of your victim, you will not see nightmares.' He then did it."

6. Joseph Stalin - During the quarter of a century preceding his death in 1953, the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin probably exercised greater political power than any other figure in history. In the 1930s, by his orders, millions of peasants were either killed or permitted to starve to death. Stalin brought about the deaths of more than 20 million of his own people while holding the Soviet Union in an iron grip for 29 years. Stalin succeeded his hero Lenin in 1924. From then on, he induced widespread famines to enforce farm collectives, and eliminated perceived enemies through massive purges.

Perhaps, Reader, you knew some of this historical information. Maybe you didn't. But, let me ask you this: Are you evil just because you know about the evil that these men and their governments committed? Does this knowledge make you evil? If you're honest, your answer is, No.

And yet, people try to pin this logic & judgment against God. He knows about evil because God is all knowing; yet, that knowledge doesn't make Him evil. Thus, at the Garden, He knew about these things, but it does implicate Him in the evil doings of others.

Neither you nor I are off the hook, though, when it comes to being evil. If anything, we are evil simply because God says so. In Romans 3:10, He states, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" And, in Romans 3:23, there's further insight about our nature, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

Don't be fooled by the arguments that God doesn't exist because of the presence of evil. It's all useless, worthless chatter that others use to confuse you in order to get you to agree with them. If you read the Bible through, from Genesis to Revelation, you will understand how sin was introduced into this world and how it is resolved at Calvary (John 3:16; Gal. 3:13; I Jn. 1:7). You will also realize that Jesus Christ is coming back to settle all acounts (Rev. 19:11-16).

Psalm 14:2-3 makes this conclusion about man: "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Don't be a fool. Get right with God while there's still time to repent and place your trust in God's word.

The evangelist got it right when he said in Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

Don't neglect your great salvation! Get right with God, now! I Want to Get Right With God Right Now.

For Jesus shed His precious blood
rich blessings to bestow;
plunge now into the crimson flood
that washes bright as snow.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

Yes, Jesus is the truth the way
that leads you into rest;
believe in Him without delay,
and you are fully blest.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

List of Evil Persons courtesy of The Scales of Good & Evil by Cliff Pickover

The Sweetest Possession

II Corintians 6:16

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

What a sweet title: “My people!”

What a cheering revelation: “Their God!”

How much of meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is speciality. The whole world is God's; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens is the Lord's, and he reigneth among the children of men; but of those whom he hath chosen, whom he hath purchased to himself, he saith what he saith not of others—“My people.”

To wit, Deuteronomy 10:14 states, "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is."

In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner the “Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” All the nations upon earth are his; the whole world is in his power; yet are his people, his chosen, more especially his possession; for he has done more for them than others; he has bought them with his blood (Heb. 9:22, 28); he has brought them nigh to himself; he has set his great heart upon them; he has loved them with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3; Jn. 3:16), a love which many waters cannot quench, and which the revolutions of time shall never suffice in the least degree to diminish.

Dear friends, can you, by faith, see yourselves in that number? Can you look up to heaven and say, “My Lord and my God: mine by that sweet relationship which entitles me to call thee Father; mine by that hallowed fellowship which I delight to hold with thee when thou art pleased to manifest thyself unto me as thou dost not unto the world?” Canst thou read the Holy Book, and find there the indentures of thy salvation? Canst thou read thy title writ in precious blood? Canst thou, by humble faith, lay hold of Jesus’ garments, and say, “My Christ”? If thou canst, then God saith of thee, and of others like thee, “My people;” for, if God be your God, and Christ your Christ, the Lord has a special, peculiar favour to you; you are the object of his choice, accepted in his beloved Son.

And, if God be for you who then, Reader, can be against you (Rom. 8:31)?

All these things - and more - has the Creator of the universe afforded and lavished on you, IF you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord & Saviour. Otherwise, you are at a lamentable loss, not just for now, but for all of eternity. Don't throw away the sweetest possession of all as if it were trash.

Don't discard the great salvation that the Lord Jesus purchased for you at Calvary! I Want Jesus As My Own!

Now I've giv'n to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

from C. H. Spurgeon's Morning Devotion

The Excusers & The Accuser

Luke 14:16-20

"Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."

No sooner does anyone begin to preach the Gospel than men and women begin “to make excuses.” It is an old, old story. There is not an unsaved person here but has got some excuse. If I were to go to each of you and ask why you do not accept God’s invitation to the Gospel feast - after reading post after post about the majesty of His love and the miracle of His mercy - you would have an excuse ready on the end of your tongue; and if you had not one ready, the devil would be there to help you to make one. And if the excuse could be answered he is ready to make new ones. He has had six thousand years’ experience, and he is very good at it; he can give you as many as you want.

Do you know the origin of excuses? You will find it away back in Eden. Read all about it in Genesis 3.

When Adam had sinned, he tried to excuse himself. “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Not only did Adam blame the woman, but he also had the chutzpah to try and lay the blame on God. Talk about biting the Hand that feeds you!

And, little ol' Eve tried to lay it on the serpent; and down to the present time, men and women, with one consent, begin to make excuses.

Finally, the old serpent has no one to blame, so he accuses. He accuses the elect (that is, the believers) all day and night (Rev. 12:10).

Here's the thing: On that Great Day, YOU - and no one else - will stand before God and give an account for your life (Rom 14:12). At the Great White Throne, the unsaved will stand before the Righteous Judge (Rev. 20:11-15)  and face the wrath appointed to the unbelievers (John 3:36).

Where will you stand on that Day, Reader? As one of the saved? Or, on the precipice of eternal damnation?

The choice is yours to make today. On that Great Day, there will be no excuses. None.

So, Friend, what's holding you back? After all, you're being invited to a Feast of all feasts! The admission has been paid already. All you have to do is RSVP.

Read what Jesus Christ did for you at Calvary: I Want to Get Right With God Today!

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—
Pardon for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—
Coming for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Beyond the Pale

Proverbs 22:28
"Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."

In the olden days, "Beyond the pale" was an expression (albeit archaic by today's standards, which are ironically beyond the pale) used to describe a certain action that denoted disapproval. I never understood the connection between the described action and the word pale. I reasoned that it had to do something with the blood draining from a person's face out of shock of another person's negative behavior or speech.

Not so.

I've come to learn that the word pale has nothing to do with a deficiency in blood or absence of color. Instead it comes from the Latin word palus, which means, a stake (also the name of the wooden post that Roman soldiers used to represent an opponent during fighting practice).

Pale is an old name for a pointed piece of wood driven into the ground that demarcates a barrier when it is made of such stakes. Pole is from the same root source. Impale is pretty self explanatory, right?

So, the figurative meaning as it applies to the expression Beyond the pale indicates going beyond an area of defense, a safeguard, a barrier. Thus, the ultimate meaning is for a person to to go beyond the acceptable or reasonable. In other words, a person going beyond the normal custom.

I want to point out that there's a BIG difference between going beyond the markers of acceptable behavior, conduct, speech, etc. and moving the markers altogether.

And herein is our problem.

The Bible clearly points out that boundaries are set by our fathers; in this case, men of wisdom who held knowlege, reverence and fear of God. There are fewer and fewer of these men. When men become godless, the family follows. And, whichever way the family goes, so goes society.

If you take the time to read the entire Bible, you will see clearly that God set boundaries from the get go. Let's read Gen. 2:17 for further demonstration of setting limits:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Boundaries are placed there for our protection. There's wisdom in the landmarks. Yet, people question them, thinking it a noble cause to question the markers placed by God.

For example, consider these moved landmarks:

There was a time when murdering babies was morally and legally reprehensible and indefensible. Not so any longer. The U.S. Supreme Court (courtesy of the Warren Burger Court) moved the landmark. In fact, it was a "landmark" ruling.

There was a time when marriage was between one man and one woman for life. Not so any longer thanks to divorce, cohabitation, sodomy, fornication and so forth.

There was a time when every department store was closed on Sunday out of observance of the Lord's Day. Not so any longer thanks to an impatient life-style which demands modern day "conveniences" to be readily available at a whim's notice.

There was a time when blood-borne diseases were limited & isolated. Not so with AIDS and HIV, which is a man made disease that resulted from moving the landmark.

There was a time when television and Hollywood censored themselves. Nowadays, there is no blur between the boob tube and the carnal world at large.

There was a time when children respected their parents, especially their father. But, now there is a prejudice against all that is paternal.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. Everything, it seems, is beyond the pale. Even Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal lamented America's predictament in her op-ed piece, "America's Crisis of Character".

In other words, this Nation is beyond the pale.

I am not advocating for a return to simpler days, Reader. I'm advocating and seeking your prayers for a return to Jesus Christ. This great Nation needs to humble itself before its God.

Don't you see that the greatest landmark - yes, it's a beacon, too - is the Cross? Death ends there and life begins. But, only for those who surrender to Jesus (Rom 10:9-10).

The world at large doesn't blink any longer when it comes to going beyond the pale. And that's because the world keeps moving the landmark ever so farther from God that people don't notice that they're marching slowly toward the cliff. Death awaits those who travel this wide, wide path (Matt. 7:13-14).

Don't be one of them. Don't stay on the ungodly path of the world. Choose the straight and narrow way. As it says in Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

Choose Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for He is the way, the truth and the life. I Choose Christ!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;
There's just something about that name!
Master, Saviour, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain;

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all heaven and earth proclaim;
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name!

If I Were the Devil, Pt. 2

Romans 1:20-22

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools"

I came across the video on Paul Harvey's famous commentary made in 1965. It is a supplement to the commentary I had briefly written about in a post on February 19, 2012. Here's the original link: If I Were the Devil.

Consider the words and the images as you reflect on the state of America TODAY. Pray for this great Nation Under God. The enemy has been steadily at work at removing God from the public and private spheres of life. Refuse to be moved from God's truth and stand firm on God's Word!

I want to stand up for Jesus! Click Here

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,
And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.