Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Do we fall in the sin of Hypocrisy?

Mat 23:23-24 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (24) Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

     The other day I was listening to a program that was talking about obeying the law and paying our taxes.  They said that obeying the government because is God's way.  I was also listening to Christians who were talking about SB1070 the new immigration law and stating that the law is the law and if we are Christians we should obey the law because that is what God wants. 
     This morning I was listening to a program on the same station that was asking Christians to donate money so that we can send Bibles to China and distribute it to the underground church. There were even testimonies of God helping Christians smuggling bibles into China.
     This is when the wheels began to turn in my head and let me say it was a burn out.  Have we become just like the Pharisees who say that we should obey THEM AND ONLY THEM but when it comes to doing what is right we ignore it.  How can Christians say that illegals are breaking the law and those who support them are wrong, while in the same breath say that smuggling bibles in China is right.  So is it OK to disobey other governments and break their laws and call that good as long as we do not break our laws.  Even calling those who do sinners and wrong.  Jesus would say to those who think like that, "HYPOCRITES." 
     The fact is mercy and grace belong in all governments, whether America or China.  Laws that disobey God should be and must be broken.  Christian Americans, sadly said, are not taking into consideration all the Americans who are here illegally because they were brought here while they were young.  Americans are failing to consider these issues and are throwing the baby with the bath water.  These are people who are neglecting mercy because they want to pay the tithe, cummins and mint.  Now those who hop the boarder and cause mahiem need to be sent back.  China that prohibits bibles and the Chrisitan from worship must also be dealt with properly.  Christians should at all cost,  even meaning death or imprisonment, can not but preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
     So folks let us not get caught up with the sin of the Pharisees and become Hypocrites but be right and administer grace and justice to all.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Does God get Angry when we Doubt?????

Have You Read This Story!!

John 11:33-38


(33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

(34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

(35) Jesus wept.

(36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

(37) And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

(38) Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

I was looking up the word Groaning and found it to be fascinating.  The word groaning means:

embrimaomai

em-brim-ah'-om-ahee
To snort with anger; to have indignation on, to blame, to sigh with chagrin, to sternly enjoin.

What was Jesus so angry about?  Lets look....
When the jews were weeping and people were weeping Jesus Groaned.
When people said, "Hey culdn't this man have keep Lazarus Alive." Jesus Groaned.

We come to the conclusion that Jesus groans in reference to doubt and unbelief.  God is not please with doubt.  He is angered with people who have no faith and trust in Him.  People who decide to live with no hope.  Some will even say that God was angry at sin and death.  That death has caused people the grief, pain and doubt.  No matter how you see Jesus was not at all happy to the circumstance that occurred.  Since I believe this was all the plan of Jesus in reference to death the only conclusion we can come to is that Jesus was angry at the people.  Their attitude and behaviour during troubling times. 

Makes me wonder how I should be when I go through trouble and trials.  James through the Spirit says it this way,
James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

May God forgive us when we doubt Him through times of dispair and challenges.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

TRINITY PART 2 - PLEASE READ PART 1 first!

In order for someone to understand the Trinity we must understand who God is.  God is Spirit.  He is not human or such but Rather Spirit.  God who is Spirit created the earth, the galaxies and so forth.  He is and was ONE always.  There was not 2 nor three but 1 God.  The one God in creating all things became the Father.  We call Him Father God or God the Father.  Now God the Father is still the SPIRIT.  This God who is Spirit dwelt in and around man.  The Prophets spoke by the Holy Spirit.  All that statement means is God who is Spirit is HOLY hence, Holy Spirit.  Not 2 spirits but 1 spirit who is HOLY.  This Holy Spirit is Father in Creation.  Some people will say at this point we have a Binity.  Some people well even go so far to say that Jesus the Son of God existed at this point.  Which I believe is a gross error in doctrine.  They may even resort to saying in Genesis 1 when God says WE is proof of the trinity.  That is wrong.  The Host of Heaven is the angels and they are spirit, so the WE is God talking to the angels and making a declaration rather than a cojoing.  OK we'll move on.  As for the BINITY that is wrong also.  God is still one and He is Spirit, there is not 2 spirits up there but one.  Now we come to the time when this 1 God comes to the world in flesh form.  He is born a babe in a manager and even thou the flesh is humanity the Spirit is in this child.  As the Flesh matures the same Spirit dwells in this man named Jesus.  The difference between Jesus and the Prophets is that Jesus has the Spirit UNHINDERED.  Meaning not a part of God but the Fullness of God.  You see you and I have a part of God in us by the Holy Spirit but Jesus was God, the HOLY SPIRIT in the Flesh.  When the flesh died the Spirit did not.  So when Jesus rose from the Dead, the flesh rose from the dead by the HOLY SPIRIT.  As for the Flesh it was transformed into something else.  So now we believe in God the Father, The Son and the Comforter.  These three are 1 and I will go so far to say 1 HOLY SPIRIT.  The HOLY SPIRIT IN CREATION AS FATHER, THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE FLESH AS SON, and THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MAN AS INTERCESSOR AND COMFORTER.  THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS GIVEN US A NAME and this NAME IS JESUS.  THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES.  GOT QUESTIONS?  Let me know.  Got another biblical view let me know.  I pray this help you understand the trinity in pure biblical sense.  THE LORD GOD IS ONE!!    


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Do you believe in the Trinity? PART 1

     Today I was listening to a commercial by David Jeremiah probably one of my favorite preachers.  In this short message he stated that we need to come to the committee of 3 that we have, Us, the father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.  As much as i love to hear Pastor Jeremiah there are somethings I can accept and there are somethings I can not. 
     The trinity has always been a tricky subject among Christians.  People usually avoid it by saying, "Oh just believe it is too hard to explain."  Then they move on to other things.  Some people has even made teh Trinity a matter of Salvation.  If you don't believe in the trinity you are not a Christian or you are not saved.  I guess these are no different to me than those who believe this about baptism or honoring the sabbath by worshipping on Saturday.  It always makes me wonder why anyone would place the belief of another doctrine to the doctrine of Salvation.  I mean the only reason Mormons, Jehovah Witness and other cults are what we say they are is not because of all the stuff they believe but rather it is what they add to salvation.  Anyone who adds anythign to salvation like their belief of Sabbath, Baptism or Trinity is just as guilty as they are.  Tell me how this sounds, For god so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, and Baptism and Trinity, and Sabbath, or _________ shall be saved."  Not really good huh?  Yes, there are certain doctrines that are heretical but that is because they take away from the Diety of Jesus.  But not explaining or believing the trinity the way you believe it is not one of them.  Just for the record I believe in the Trinity.  God who is our Father and Jesus Christ who is God in the Flesh, and comforter who is God in the Spirit.  TO BE CONTINUED......

Monday, May 17, 2010

Latest on Feeding The Homeless In Phoenix

Here is the latest update on the Ministry at United Methodist Church feeding the needy on their property.  It is heard that the city is in settlement with the United Methodist Church over feeding the homeless on their property.  The settlement to say the least tells the United Methodist Church to go ahead and feed the homeless and the needy but do it behind close doors.  That's right and get this the United Methodist Church is ready to sign.  The Bishop of the United Methodist Church is ready to sign this big compromise.  What are they thinking?!?!  Is this the habit of the UMC?  Get a little resistance and just roll over and die?  The Bishop of UMC and its advisors will be irresponsible for agreeing on this matter.  In the Bible John and Peter were told not to speak in the Name of Jesus openly.  Instead they refused to listen and said we can not but help preach the truth.  They walked away with lashes because they refused to do what God had told them to do.  They walked away praising God!  Let me say, the apostles are rolling in their grave, at this roll over and die attitude of the Bishop of UMC.  Christians need to know what their rights are and what God has called them to do.  This is a Christian Nation not a secular one.  We have got to stop giving ground to those who want to trample on our Christian Rights.  If the Bishop is listening or if anyone from UMC is listening, I pray to God that you tell the City that we as Christians will not allow you to hide us and push our ministries underground just to satisfy you.  Further this settlement does nothing for the neighborhood.  It only states that you can continue doing what you are doing but do it inside where no one can see you do it.  I know that much of our stuff is made in China but that does not mean we should become the Chinese Government.

PASS THIS AROUND ----

CALL or Email THE BISHOP AND TELL HER "SAY NO!!"

Bishop Minerva G CarcaƱo

Address 1550 East Meadowbrook Avenue


Phoenix, AZ 85014-4040

Phone: 602 266-6956

Toll Free Phone: 800 229-8622 extension 209

Fax: 602 266-5343 extension 209

Email: bishopmc@desertsw.org

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

IF YOU HAVE YOUTH YOU NEED TO READ THIS...

OK HERE IS THE STUDY:
We have a problem in America


•70-75% of Christian youth leave the church after high school (see survey data at Barna and USA Today).

•Most Christian students are not equipped to resist rabidly anti-Christian college professors who are intent on converting their students to atheism.

•College professors are five times more likely to identify themselves as atheists than the general public.

•More than half of all college professors view evangelical Christian students unfavorably (see article

at Free Republic).

•The “new atheists” — Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens — are writing books and are growing in popularity.
 
     When I read this I do not doubt it.  I remember being a Youth Pastor and remember youth in my classes who were 16-18 years old.  I would do my best to teach the youth the fundamental doctrines of Christianity but I also had 13-16 year olds there also.  So I could not get too deep into the study.  The sermons had to be Dumbed Down.  This is the problem.  Our Youth are not receiving biblical training in youth Groups.  Further the parents who attend only once a week are damaging their children more than they know.  While we hold secular education high we take biblical education as a fall back.  Our children are abondoning the faith and turning away from God.  Their marriages and so forth are not as fruitful and they fail being a Christian.  
 
THE SOLUTION:
 
1)  I believe that once a child reaches 12-13 years old they should join the Adults.  This has always been the factor is was not until modern Christiandumb did we keep our youth in baby classes.  12-13 years old get to know the meat. 
 
2)  Parents need to take Christian Education as  a priority.  Church or classes once a week is not sufficient.  Would you send you children to school once a week? 
 
CONCLUSION,
 
If you want to buck the system, the only way is to follow the system of God.  Serve the Lord with all your heart, strength and mind.  NOT YOUR LEFTOVERS.  Ultimately the only person who pays for neglecting the youth is the parents.
 
Proverbs 17:25


(25) A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to his mother.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Franklin Graham Uninvited????

     If you are involved in the Christian new you would know by now that Franklin Graham was uninvited to attend the Pentagon for the National Day of Prayer.  He was uninvited because he stated that the muslims and Christians do not serve the same God.  The Muslims believe that there God has no son and we do.  So it must be two different God's (PARAPHRASED).  With that statement Franklin Graham was univited.  It makes me wonder if this is what he also believe this of the Jews?  Here is what we have here:

ABOUT JESUS:

SON -                                                   Muslims: NO      Jews: NO
CHRIST -                                             Muslims:  YES    Jews:  NO
PROPHET -                                         Muslims:  YES    Jews:  NO - False Prophet
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION   -     Mulsims:  YES     Jews:  NO
TEACHER OF GOD -                         Muslims:  YES     Jews:  NO

     I agree with Franklin Graham that the God that the Muslims believe in is not the same God as the Christians.  I will even go further than that and say that the God the Jews believe in is definetly not the same God as the Christians.  Between Muslim and Jews outside of Muhammed, the Muslims have the closes view points about Jesus than the Jews.
     It is sad that many who believe what Franklin Graham believes in with the same breath say, the Jews are our brothers and we believe in the same God.  I guess Hypocrisy and integration can run deep.