Faith & Encouragement
From John Preston, Australia: I am 65 and only found out about JESUS 12 years ago. Prior to that, my security was in all the material things I had, but their all gone, and I now live quite a simple life.
I have a fairly simple ministry but very effective. Nobody ever told me about JESUS and being raised a catholic I thought I had a Gold Pass straight through to Heaven !!!!!...... I met JESUS in a hotel which I frequented....... My life was never the same. Thank GOD.
From that day on (mornings) I sit out the front of coffee shops and read my Bible in full view of the public and leave the rest to GOD, and without fail HE always puts some one in my path. Apart from that, most people see my Bible and I know that many seeds are going out. I give/loan DVD's and give away little easy to read books about JESUS.
It really is quite extraordinary how THE LORD puts people with me, but on top of that it's the number of people that walk past me and see the Bible......many people stop and ask me what is the book I 'm reading.!!!!!
I don't know what it's like in Norway but here in Australia my observations are that very few Christians actually go to the people and tell them about JESUS. We seem to expect the people to come to us. I see a massive responsibility to get to the children and give them a basic grounding in Christianity. That’s why I wanted your books.
My little minstry is called "Mustard Seeds"
This testimony reminded me of some of the most painful times in my own life – when the nearness of Jesus was most precious to me. In those times of darkness the sweetness of His presence was all the more wonderful. It’s a little like looking at the night-time sky when we’re far from city lights. The stars shine all the more brightly.
Anonymous: Once , recently, i was wondering to myself and to God, if my trials and difficult /painful circumstances cease, what will happen to my close relationship with Jesus? Will i still grow and abide? i'm so used to it now (living in my trials) that i almost cannot imagine life if all became easy, trials gone, circumstances 'fixed'.... I almost hope they do not change, cuz Jesus finally has me where he wanted to get me ( up to now).
Just another thing to trust Him about.
From Joyce: [RE: Trusting God's Guidance] God said he would take care of "His" people - and He really does when we learn to hear His voice."
From Kim Stager: [RE: Argumentative or Contending?] I agree whole heartily with the theme of this article. And that the biblical Scriptures quoted from I and II Timothy are some of the best revelation concerning how to contend for the faith and how to avoid foolish argumentation in the name of God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Foolish argumentation that oftentimes is more useful to the Devil than to the cause of Christ. I suspect we can all be guilty of this from time to time when not in the Spirit and seeking Him and the things of the Spirit in all God's work He employs us in.
The only point I would make is, however, that we not take this point to its logical extreme. I believe this was addressed in the closing Scripture of this article, II Timothy 2:24-25. For if we seek, are led and worked through by the Spirit of God in our encounters, we can for a long time contend in Godly fashion to the benefit of those in hearing. Even if not for the person or persons we are directly engaged in ministering to. I have experienced this many times. And I believe the Bible confirms this, especially in the encounters of Jesus in the Gospels. Please, do not misunderstand me; I do not engage such people in argumentation. I, by the Spirit--I pray--direct myself to teaching, explaining, and presenting the gospel of Christ all the while. For God's word always returns to this Truth of Jesus in all Scripture we engage people in.
My concern today is that in some prominent circles, engaging anyone who is contentious at all is frowned upon. But I believe Scripture allows for some of all types of encounters as pointed out in biblical quotes of Scripture concerning Jesus Himself. As well as many others in the Old Testament concerning the prophets and in the New Testament concerning the apostles and disciples. Even when such encounters resulted in grave persecution and death.
I believe if we are led by the Spirit, we will in fact be apart of God's work in the world in a multitude of scenarios. Some of which might be misinterpreted today as they have been in the past and in biblical Scripture by many. For some of God's work is messy and by human logic and reasoning can be seen as contrary to God's word in the short run. But in the long view such encounters will be seen aright. So let us not take this good article's theme too far and make born again Christians timid in their witness by the Spirit. Let us instead, by the Spirit, discern aright what God is doing in the lives of those who seem to be going about the work of God in a fashion that seems to result in worldly strife; however much I agree with the gist of this article.
For I agree much apologetics is misdirected, as this article contends. I agree. Too often legitimacy is given to the world's arguments against God by taking on false arguments instead of handling them as Jesus did. Which is pointed out by this article. I agree; we need to address ourselves to the Truth which presents by the false argument and not agrue from the argument presented by the blasphemer designed to win the battle of the intellect. For God's word is powerful and the Holy Spirit is the One at work adding to the Church by our witness and the blood of the Lamb. It is not for us to "convince" people of the rightness of God's word. It is right, and God but needs our bodies to work through for His glory--not ours.
May God continue to bless the ministry of "Discernment Group". And all Godly ministries in America and the world today. For we need more ministers of Christ as apostasy grows. As deception waxes worse. May we all speak the Truth in love by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
From Christian brother in Christ: “This is a such encouraging scripture.... so hopeful and beautiful. Thank you Lord so much.... I can't believe still HE decided to share HIS LOVE and HIS TRUTH with me. I am so grateful. And I am so thankful for the Sookie Duncan testimony and God's touch in her life. Again thank you Lord.... I still don't really have a home church anymore and so sometimes I feel like this is my little church in a way.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled
and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while,
if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.” 1 Peter 1:3-6
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
To hear the melody, click on http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/i/gisthyf.htm
From Monique Desir: I wrote a poem. I was wondering if you would like to publish it. I have published with you before. It was a short article about Sailor Moon.
I have been going through a lot lately. A lot of spiritual growth. Here is a poem about it. It is called "The Gardener". Please share it with other Christians who are probably going through the narrow walk too. Let me know what you think.The Gardener
I am a bush of thistles, thorns, and a slumbering bud.
Day by day
Cleansing rains and soil have mingled during the night. The gardener
comes dressed in righteous white His face shines brightly.
Day by day
He prunes away my fears
He prunes away my mortal hopes
And wipes away my tears.
Day by day
He gives me rest between each pruning so that the next I am able to cope.
Yes, pruning hurts. But he tells me there is no other way, For it is
necessary that I be prepared on His Great, Terrible Day.
Finally, he prunes away my bitterness, anger and pride Until I am
stripped down to a single rose, His beautiful, worthy Bride.
From T. Johnson: Keep up the good work of informing and encouraging the saints in these ever darkening days. As the final
great apostasy (2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Matthew 24:9-12) rapidly approaches, quickly consuming the remaining and once solid parts of the Church that used to be impenetrable, because they actually stood on the authority of God's Word, yet no longer do, we must continue to inform and encourage as you are doing. Yet, I believe there is one more area to seriously consider as we face this battle.
Part of the seeker friendly message has been to heavily marginalize the holiness of God, particularly as it relates to sin and salvation. True biblical salvation is being lost and the fields are ripe with tares being given false assurance through the new relativistic, post-modern gospel. I sincerely believe
we must counter this with the biblical call and challenge to test ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) to see if we are really in Jesus Christ or just one of
the many who call Him Lord, but He does not know (Matthew 7:13-23; 25:1-12).
I've written "Do We Truly Understand What Biblical Salvation Is?" to address the Scriptural definition of salvation and the current state of the Church. I
think you will find it quite interesting and hopefully you will see that it can be used as a spiritual plumb-line/standard to revive what is left of the
Church and be further used to awaken a dying culture.Thank you, Terry. I posted your important message on this page: Do We Truly Understand What Biblical Salvation Is?
From Joelle: I am still reading through your comments pages, especially the ones involving the occult, role-playing games and popular entertainment. I am noticing another trend I wanted to mention.
Most people who react unfavorably to your message (and favorably to the occult) keep referring to their sense of imagination. In particular, the concept of encouraging a child's imagination, even well into teen or adult years, is very consistent.
I did a concordance search once of the word "imagination" (in the KJV). Do you want to know what the Bible says? Virtually every verse referred to "the evil imaginations of the heart" and it related to man following his heart against God. I believe there were only two verses, in Psalms, that referred to imagination as a good thing, and then ONLY because the imagination was turned toward God.
Now, God gave us a brain and the ability to imagine, so I don't believe the Bible is saying that it is intinsically evil. However, it seems to be a gift very easily and craftily decieved by the devil (he tempted Adam and Eve to imagine being like gods, and before Eve ate the fruit she "saw that it was good for making one wise" - imagination again.) So it seems to me that despite the incredibly high value placed on the imagination by the world today, unless it is carefully watched, your imagination will lead you quite quickly and unwittingly away from God.
The New Testament epistles often warn about guarding the mind and testing everything that goes into it to see if it is from God. We are to live soberly, not drunkenly (I don't think that applies to just alcohol). God isn't trying to limit our fun - He's warning us that there's a particularly weak spot in our brains that we have to guard. Don't parents guard a newborn's head so that the "soft spot" in their skull doesn't cause injury or death to their baby? Are we going to call God crazy for telling us not only what to protect, but how? To throw all caution aside in favor of encouraging one's imagination is not just rebellious against God - it's spiritually suicidal.
The real world doesn't need better imaginations; it needs a loving God that will provide for you no matter how stressed, bored, or confused you get. It scares me to see so many people happily enjoying their way to destruction as I once did. Too many "progressive, open-minded" people are falling for the oldest lie in the Book.
Jeff W.: Regarding the recent comments on patriotism. He states there is nothing in scripture that condones it. I guess I would agree with that, but I am inclined to say, there is nothing in scripture that necessarily condemns it or forbids it either. His example was, "can you imagine Christ or his followers pledging allegiance to the Roman Empire?" I would not see that happening as he suggest, but the Roman Empire was not the "nation" they were truly citizens of, but instead it was much like the coming global empire we are now being asked to be loyal to, while we are also being asked by the same people to become disloyal to America.
What I could see and believe did happen, was a loyalty and pledging, if you will, of the Jewish people to their nation. When David was King, was there not a loyalty to his empire and to his peoples, by his peoples? I am not pushing American patriotism per se, as I agree with you that America is changing rapidly and becoming a very anti Christian yet somewhat pro globalist nation.... at least at the top of leadership it is for sure. But, I don't think American Christians need to necessarily feel guilty about being patriotic to what the perceive as the America they love and hold dear, even if it is indeed vanishing as we speak. I believe there is a version of American culture that has a lot of Judeo Christian culture intertwined with it that is something to try to hold onto. As we march toward globalism, of course we will lose that pretty much altogether, but being loyal to that and holding that dear is not, in my view a bad thing.
From a Christian brother: Berit, the article you posted yesterday about the firing of the Allstate agent really hits home for me. I am in the insurance business myself as an agent. He got into trouble for something he did on his own time. I have and do from time to time witness to clients that I feel there is an opening to do so (of course I sense that the Holy Spirit is asking me to....although I am never positive of that as some say they are.)
Mainly what I do is I give the client my version of the 4 spiritual laws (I will add it to this email if you care to see it...you might want to use it too for someone sometime or make your own version of it). I have thought to myself that the time could come, when one of those clients decides to make an issue of that and I get into some kind of difficulty over it. I don't worry that much about it, as I know the Lord is with me and he will help me and see me through whatever according to HIS will. But still seeing that article is very telling.
From George: I personally believe that there is absolutely nothing in New Testament scripture that condones patriotism. Can you imagine Jesus and the disciples pledging allegiance to the Roman flag? ...
Nobody except God can guarantee inalienable rights. The only real freedom anyone can have is in Jesus Christ.I agree with you that the inalienable rights God gives His children -- those who are joined to Him through the cross and follow His ways -- are eternal rights, not "human rights" as defined by the world system. Our "rights" are based on the life of Jesus which He shares with us, and they don't bypass the call us to "suffer with Him" as well as believe in Him. In fact, the two go together:
"...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
The rights (or rather blessings) we can count on include all the privileges of being part of His family and “fellow-heirs” with Him. He doesn't promise us the right to wealth, earthly success, or comforts. Instead He called us to suffer with Him -- and many of His beloved ones have joyfully followed Him through hunger, stoning, persecution, torture and death.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
As for nations, He warned His people in Old Testament days that if they forgot Him, ignored His ways and followed “other gods,” they would surely be destroyed. 1 Cor. 10 reminds us that America would face a similar end if we continue on the path we’re now one. See Total transformation and America's Spiritual Slide.
From L H.: I just read Homeland Security and Brainwashing in America. Words fail me. I think of my children. They won't fit in because they have been taught the biblical worldview from birth and have had a traditional western civ/facts/knowledge/thinking (analysis and discernment) Christian education. They are exposed to very little media (mom picks it!).
"I have been telling them a little of the transformation the country and world is going through and how it is going from the old model of the world to the new model -global governance (eventually), and earth based/pagan spirituality. ( I think they need or will need to understand why it looks and sounds so different out there in the world- different from what we believe.) They will need to understand who they are and where they stand- as children, servants and followers of Christ, and not the new world system.
Yes, dear friend, they will face challenges we can hardly grasp at this time. But you are showing them the only Way to real and lasting victory. You are alerting them to the "signs of the times" and teaching them the truths they need in order to stay firm in Him and follow His path. You shield them from the distracting and destructive lures of our culture, and help them to fix their hearts on Jesus instead of the world.
Their Father in heaven knows exactly what they will need for every spiritual battle ahead, and He will surely lead them -- and you -- as you trust in Him. I so appreciate your heart and desire to give your children the very best. May He continue to richly bless your family with His love and wisdom.
"I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will Trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3
From Ralph Cabrera:
Your web-site has
given me a lot of food for thought -- basically
evaluating my choices of entertainment sources and
in particular, the choice to be entertained. I'm
currently reading "Tozer on Worship and
Entertainment" which is addressing my belief that
entertainment is a basic need (which it is not).
I recently read your article on the Matrix movie
trilogy and the reader responses. I admit that I was
also obsessed with that series as well. Upon
examining my movie choices over the years, I seem to
always gravitate towards science fiction/fantasy
that were usually humanistic
(self-reliance/self-as-saviour) and occultic
(Godless worldview, unholy spiritual elements).
Even my secular reading was like that since high
school. It didn't perturb me what the author's
personal beliefs/world view was, nor did it seem
important that their beliefs and worldview permeated
their works, thus influencing me in subtle, if not
overt, ways. Some of my once-favorite
authors: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert
Heinlein, Tolkien, just to name a few. In the
mystery/spy thriller category, I would read any
Robert Ludlum I could find -- recent movies were
made of his Jason Bourne spy stories.
Single individual male saves the world from the
plots of crazed secret society members. Throw in sex
and violence for excitement. Ian Fleming's James
Bond novels/movies were also attractive to me for
the same reasons. I would add to that Clive
Cussler's novels that have the same theme -- one man
who manages to survive all types of tight spots in
the process of saving the world while living an
immoral (sex outside of marriage) lifestyle (with
which the world really doesn't see any problem).
I don't know if you're familiar with James
Patterson's novels, but a few of them have been made
into movies, namely "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss
the Girls". His novels typically center around a
forensic psychology expert who has the talent of
getting into the mind of psychotic killers, trying
to out-wit them and prevent them from continuing
their atrocities. Talk about being desensitized to
evil for the sake of entertainment! After a steady
diet of these stories, nothing seems to shock me,
but worse yet, the normal response of sorrow,
sympathy, or empathy towards real circumstances of
others has been lost along the way.
I also made the choice to read Dan Brown's novel
"The DaVinci Code" recently
-- another poor choice. I was curious to see what
the hype was all about.
It was well written and sucked me into the
conspiracy/secret society plotline. Then I was hit
with the heresies-posing-as-truth (very much like
"Hath God Said?" line of the serpent). I am thankful
to God that I wasn't convinced, but it sure made me
think about things for a while. Fortunately, someone
in my family gave me a book called "Truth and
Fiction in The DaVinci Code" which pointed out the
numerous historical flaws and liberties in the book.
I didn't mention it beforehand, but through the
advice of a close friend, since Christmas of last
year, I've given up movies and works of fiction for
six months. They were such a stumbling block and had
become like an addiction ("just one more movie or
book and I'll stop"). They were also causing me to
make poor decisions as to what I allowed my children
to watch
(we have five boys who are 8 yrs, 6 yrs, 3 yrs, 2
yrs, and 5 months old).
Coming full circle to the opening topic of this
e-mail, I'm very thankful to God for His perfect
timing. He is using your web-site to help me
evaluate my world-view and how the parts of it that
don't line up with God's Word are bearing rotten
fruit when it comes to choosing entertainment over
things of God, and having chosen entertainment,
choosing ungodly material over Godly (if there is
such a thing as Godly entertainment -- seems like a
contradiction of terms).
Lastly, I wanted to share a series of questions I am
starting to apply both to what I read/watch and let
my sons read/watch. They come from a home-schooling
father who teaches them to his children as they
expand their reading material.
1. Is there any mention of God? If so, how does the
author characterize Him? If not explicitly
mentioned, what can you deduce about God? How does
God of the book compare to the truth found in the
Bible? The answers to these questions tells us what
the author believes. It may be possible to confirm
the author's beliefs through other research.
2. What is the role of man in the book? How does he
relate to God? How does he relate to other human
beings? What morals (or lack thereof) are presented
in the book? What does that tell you about his
relationship to God? To whom does man turn to in
times of trouble?
From
Ralph Cabrera: I thought I should relate what's currently going
on in this process of revival that God is working in me.
One thing I have realized in hindsight is that cutting out all movies and
secular books was only the first step. I was counselled by my pastor that I
should now replace the movies and secular books with Godly sources. I remembered
there was a passage about cleaning house spiritually, but not having anything
guarding the house (I found it in Matthew 12:43-45). The evil spirit that was
cast out returned with seven more worse than himself.
My church is currently reading the Bible using a one-year reading program. I
committed to have that be the first thing that I read in the morning. That makes
anything else I thought I'd want to read seem really undesirable (secular
newspapers and magazines, for example). I've started to do some of the reading
out loud for my children and they're eating it up, Praise God!
I used the illustration of Daniel and
his friends as a way of helping my sons obey God in their choices and remind
them that their Dad must do that, too. (Daniel and his friends chose fresh
vegetables and fruits instead of the fine food of the king and turned out
healthier and smarter than their fellows).
For other reading material, I recently finished reading "The Genesis Record"
and am over halfway through "The Revelation Record", both by Henry
Morris.
I'm also reading "The Exemplary Husband"
that some men of our church are reading. We're meeting once a week to review the
accompanying questions in the study guide. My pastor gave me a copy of "Tozer on
Worship and Entertainment" that I've been reading as well.
My music choices have also begun to be affected. While I once listened to a
broad spectrum of music that included the secular (I would defend traditional
and contemporary instrumental jazz particularly), I have had to narrow it down
to classical music, psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (borrowing the Biblical
phrase). I'm not so keen on listening to most Christian music on the radio to
the point of turning it off and driving to work in silence (perhaps so God can
speak to me?).
Although I'm reading quite a lot still, it hasn't become an escape or a way of
avoiding family/responsibility. I think it's because I become filled/satisfied
with my daily bread from God.
Find more encouraging comments by Ralph Cabrera here: When an Obsession Is an Idol
From Charlene:
You Heavenly Father for all You are and all you've done for me. I thank You for all the blessings in my life; for life, health, family, friends that I have a job, and that I am able to provide for my family. Thank you for giving to me and giving to me so freely. I am so thankful for all You are. Thank You for Your Word. Thank you for watching over Your Word to perform it in my life.From Rose: Warmest greetings to you in our Lord Jesus. I would like to share a poem with you that my mother had tucked in an envelope for me about 33 years ago and then forgot about it. She found it a few months ago and I just translated it from German. It has lost its poetic quality but I found the message very encouraging, especially as I was going through the pain of being separated from our precious church family. It had no title so I call it :
"The Pilgrim's Cross"
The battle is hot, the burden is heavy.
Quietly he reflected on the way he had come;
And as he thought and as he pondered,
He saw himself as a pilgrim from land to land,
But the sun burned hotly and the cross pressed heavily, |
Then he thought,
"My cross is too long and heavy;
Then he thought of the cross on his back.
Along came a pilgrim who also carried a cross,
With a cry he woke up. |
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."I couldn't help thinking of 2 Cor. 4:17:
From Jeff: This [referring to Scripture below] is a great scripture to consider when people get caught up in the prosperity gospel spell that the Binney Hinns of the world proclaim. Seems to me when you read the totality of what Paul has to say, the over riding message is exactly the opposite of what the prosperity and so called faith healers put out continually. God Bless.
"...a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'
"Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Though Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul!
To hear the melody, click on http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm
"...a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'
"Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Though Satan should buffet, tho' trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, it is well with my soul!
To hear the melody, click on http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm
From
Ender: After a long hiatus, I've been crossing to your site again and the
attacks have increased. Even by Christians. I don't question anyone's faith
from the outset, but when someone claims to know Jesus and doesn't show it,
could it be a cause for questioning if there was really any change?
I am now 19 years old and am preparing to enter college in the fall. I have
been through a lot of things this past year. I won't go into detail but what
I can say is that I fell away from God and our Lord. Yes, me. Goes to show
that nobody is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. The only One
who saved me from death was our Lord Jesus Christ. He never gave up on me
even when I felt like throwing in the towel on life.
So how can I show my appreciation for God saving my life? I can't. The only
thing I can do is give Him my life, as insignificant as it is. I am only a
speck of dust in the grand scheme of God's design. And despite the fact that
I am insignificant, Jesus died for my sin, so how should I live? By learning
to become holy as He is holy. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect, but knowing
that Jesus has forgiven me and that I have hope in Him alone, I strive to
become more like Him. And you know something? The world is becoming less
interesting, little by little each day. Yes, I still face temptation and I'm
still human, but what matters is that "Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). I
can't do it alone, but with Christ and in Christ I CAN.
So when I go through the comments and see all the attacks from unbelievers,
it only reminds me of what Jesus said about the world's hostility. The Word
says, "Do not love the world, nor the things that are in it--for if anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). So it
can seem discouraging, but I know that they don't love the truth--like Jesus
said.
And for other Christians as well--why this hatred of holiness? Aren't we
supposed to be different from the world? Aren't we supposed to stand out,
despite the hostility? I don't know where God is leading me, but if it's to
serve in ministry, I want to show people how to live holy lives. But if only
God wills it.
Nevertheless I have to go, but I will leave you with something that I think
about every day: I can't wait to meet Christ face to face!
Until that day comes, may the grace of our Lord be with you.
It’s wonderful to hear to know how God is leading and encouraging you -- and keeping you close to Himself. He is so faithful! I thank Him for continuing to speak to your heart and giving you such a wonderful hope in Christ! I don’t hear of that often in young people any more. Sadly, the emphasis seems on having fun in the world rather truly walking with Jesus and sharing His suffering.
From
Alison: [RE:
"Are You Criticizing God? (I was)"]
I have a habit of doing this, and reading these articles
helps to put me back in my place, i.e. as the created thing which by
definition cannot be more powerful than the Creator. As a
writer/artist/musician/hobbyist/etc. I can relate to the concept of the Potter
being obviously more powerful than the clay pot He has created. I think human
creativity is part of being made in the image of God (I could be wrong), and
any kind of artist or builder ought to be able to understand that the Creator
is above the created.
http://www.libertytothecaptives.net/criticize.html and
http://www.txdirect.net/~tgarner/rator5.htm
It's significant that I find these messages without specifically looking for them, e.g., I found the Liberty to the Captives site looking for (I think) stuff about Harry Potter, of course. Obviously that is supernatural guidance.
Thank you, Alison, for following His guidance, and for sharing the links with us!
From Roger L: I agree with you whole heartily on your interpretation of the Word. It's LITERAL! I also agree with you on your interpretation of Star Wars and I can think of many other movies. The Bible is clear about our minds and thought processes. They must be renewed (Rom 12:2), and part of the process is bringing every THOUGHT captive unto Christ Jesus and tearing down "vain imaginations" that exalt itself above the knowledge of God (Corinthians 10:5).
As born again believers, bought with
the blood of Christ, we commune with the Holy Spirit and use our mind and the
Word of God to interpret his will. Now if I see a good movie and loose myself
in the show, I am actually identifying with someone else's mind and sharing
the emotions of that person. Jesus said if you look at a woman and lust after
her in your heart (mind) then you already have committed adultery (MT 5:28).
How many Christians have committed murders, blasphemies, adulteries and
numerous other abominations by plugging their conscience and subconscious
minds into these movies, games, books, cards and other imagination driven
entertainments?
I've noticed a lot of people who say they are Christian have been pretty harsh
on you. I wonder if they realize when Jesus sets up his kingdom that there
won't be any Hollywood. If Christ would give them a physical visitation, would
they feel comfortable taking Him to go see Star Wars or the Matrix, where a
man is portrayed as a type of Christ? I'm surprised their conscience doesn't
prick them during these shows to do an investigation and see how it stands up
to the Word of Almighty God. I'm of the belief that EVERYTHING stands or falls
on the Bible. It is the supreme authority and the literal interpretation
should be the first interpretation.
I was surprised to see your comments on the Left Behind series. I haven't read
nor do I have a desire too, but I appreciate your insights and I will do a
further study into it.
You are a watchman and you are sounding the alarm, continue with your work and
I pray the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you and your family!
Thank you, Roger.
From
Fabienne:
Yesterday was Sunday. In the morning we went to church as usual. In the
evening we went to a Christian fellowship dinner. In both places we found the
latest HP book. Of course it was everywhere else as well, but what was it
doing in places where people were meeting together in the name of the Lord God
Almighty??
Too many of the young people (and quite a few of their parents) see nothing
wrong in the HP or other similar books. They also see nothing wrong in occult
computer games or reality games where friends pretend to shoot each other to
death...
"It's just for fun," they say, "What's the harm in having a bit of fun?" The
trouble is -- and most of them aren't even aware of it -- it isn't "a bit" of
fun, but becomes an obsession and/or addiction, and soon they see the things
of the Lord as boring or even irrelevant.
Actually, is "fun" a Biblical concept?
No, it isn't Fabienne. God has something better for us, doesn't He? He gives us deep and lasting joy, not the short-lived "fun" the world so craves these days. See