Mon, Apr 27th - 12:49PM

You Promised...Me

  For the last 30 years or so I’ve kept a written list of biblical promises that God has promised TO ME.  I can't tell you how important that list has been to me, and I strongly recommend that each Christian keeps such a list.  I can't stress enough how important it is.

  And by keeping a list of personal promises, I do not mean buying a published “Promise Book” and selecting a few palatable verses.  In fact, I strongly recommend against it.  I do mean that as you read the bible you keep alert for promises or statements that hit you personally right between the eyes.  Those are the verses that ought to be noted as possibles, pending confirmation.  And once they make the list, their use is imperative.  

  These are the words God has spoken to you as an individual, and they are a part of your new life as much as your heartbeat, and many days you will need them as much.

  In our times of darkness, some of which are satanic attacks in the guise of “moods”, the storms that sweep over us and bring guilt in their wake, the doubts that violently ambush us without mercy – in all of these, take out your list and read it back to God.  “But God – You promised me….(read it to Him)”. 

  I have never been so far down and buried that reading my list didn’t at least begin to pull me back out.  I can't begin to testify how powerful, timely and necessary this has become to me over the years – and I know what I’m talking about.

  I also know that reading a generic list or someone else’s simply doesn’t work as well, if at all, and the lack of effectiveness can even give rise to guilt and doubt.  In those dark times when I can't see past my nose and my prayers are bouncing off the ceilings, only the words God has spoken to me will suffice.  I may even be grateful for your words spoken to me in fervent ministry, but only “my” words will work every time. 

  God made each of us as individuals to suit Himself, and He speaks to each of us differently.  His love, His words and His life are given to individuals, one at a time.

  For years I was bogged down with discovering God’s “calling” for my life.  I never seemed to make any substantial progress in my quest, and my lack of progress against this mystery made me feel that my life wasn’t worth very much.  Then I would consider the love of Christ, and I would see-saw back, to begin the quest again.  Times without number, my list of God’s words dug me out of my ditches and set me on my feet again. 

  Finally, I came to realize that my quest should not be directed towards a specific calling, but rather to the God who called my name.  His calling was when I heard Him call my name.  Any specific calling(s) will come at His pleasure.

  I re-read my list today and the peace that pervaded the room was palpable.  I’m fully convinced that my God has spoken to me, and because of that fact, will speak to me again.  It’s like a welcome rest on a long, difficult hike.  But soon, the rest will be over and my hike will resume.  Predictably, I’ll forget the rest stops as I toil uphill – until God speaks again and tells me: “Read the list”.

  Make your own list and keep it near.  It is as Jesus said to the devil, “Man [in particular, this man] shall live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

John

Sun, Apr 26th - 6:03PM

Why So Long?

Thu, Apr 23rd - 2:24PM

This Present Darkness

Wed, Apr 15th - 2:12PM

Monasticism - or Not?

  A friend of mine is a very firm believer in staying away from politics.  He says (rightly, probably) that both of our parties are corrupt to the core – power does that, and he subscribes to simply staying out of the way.

  I believed like that for most of my life, and I veered away from political discussions religiously – until recently.  I think I began to re-evaluate my position on politics when I began to take my faith seriously. 

  One would think this an oxymoron, politics and faith, but I don’t believe so.  I am not a republican or a democrat.  In my opinion, both share the same power-grabbing sentiments to some degree, however, my God didn’t put me in the middle of the U.S.A. at this time in history for me to retreat into Monasticism.  I am here for a reason, and I know I have been called by my God to be alive, and more importantly – to be participating in life, at this time.

  My faith is my politics, and I will vote for whomever I think will further the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in my state and my country.  Too many people today – otherwise good people – have politics as their religion and their faith as their “philosophy.”

  God, the Lord of the Universe, is NOT a philosopher.  Jesus Christ, whatever you may think of Him – was not resurrected (and He was) to foment a new philosophy.  And with His resurrection, He not only verified everything He said and was said about Him, but He was given the authority to create new life in those who professed Him.  Now, wouldn’t you rather have new life than another philosophy?  Since we all are going to die eventually, wouldn’t you rather swap your old life for a new one that will continue to exist into Eternity? 

  I really don’t see much of a viable choice between the two, but since we really do have free will, I know many will either choose to stand pat in their condition, or fail to choose at all (same thing, by the way).

  Having said all this, I think it’s important to realize that eventually, probably sooner than later in this country at this time, centralized government will begin a power grab for the lives (and total allegiance) of it’s citizens.  Either facet will brook no opposing opinions.  Since the state has the ability to create the definition of “enemy”, those who do not subscribe to the state and instead, cling to their religion, will be eliminated.  We are potentially living again in Germany, c-1935. 

  Sounds incredible, doesn’t it, and I’m not smoking anything!  But wouldn’t the economic history we’ve experienced in the last 90 days or so have seemed far-fetched just 300 days ago?  If I had predicted the prevalent government spending 300 days ago, people would have laughed at my prediction – but it’s not funny anymore, is it?

  I don’t pretend to know what part, if any, God wants me to play in today’s world, but I’m totally committed to one thing: I will serve God with all my resources, and if it includes some form of political participation – it’s His call – and I’m listening.

  Only God is God.  Not you, not me, definitely not government – only God is God.  And as His Word is settled in Heaven and earth – so is His call. 

  What’s He saying to you?

Fri, Apr 3rd - 10:47AM

Revealings Revealed

 In the bible book of Romans, chapter 8, verse 19, it says, ‘For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.’

  For years, movie plots have copied this theme, and it is common to see movies with  rich, young men pretending to be poor, until they are finally “revealed” as the owner’s son, or the owner himself.  Heads finally roll, and justice is done and we are happy.  Everyone gets their just reward, finally; long overdue, we proclaim.

  We are living very close to the end of the end times, and the “Revealings” are beginning to happen.  Sad to say, most people don’t seem to care very much or take much notice.  We in the states have historically said that if the current political climate isn't to our liking, we can vote for a change in another four years, and until this year that might have made sense, but not any more.  Without too much foresight, it’s easy to see that we don’t have four years of sovereignty left, and I predict that in another four years our governmental system will no longer work in our favor – it is already set on an unchangeable course.  We have absolutely no guarantee that our system of checks and balances could be long gone.

  The current “revealings” are filling the world’s stages with the men Satan has prepared for world dominion, and we are going to have tough times, especially for God’s people, before God reveals His own, as in Romans 8:19. 

  Obama, who rose to prominence through the old American electoral system, is now stepping out of his closet and actively campaigning on the global stage.  Believe it, his campaign never stopped, and America is only his stepping stone. 

  My task, as I understand it, is to present this knowledge in such a way as to energize God’s true church, and undercut, if possible, the stability of the “Christian status quo” mindset American Christians have allowed to exist for too long. 

  The time for business as usual in the Church is OVER; gone for good (thank God), and it is now time for real (as opposed to many) Christians to pursue God with urgency and indeed, desperation – for we too, are running out of time.

  As Satan’s “chosen” take the stage around the world, real Christians should realize Satan’s chosen will no longer tolerate Christianity, because we will quickly be “revealed” as the enemy to Globalism.  Shortly, the “gloves will come off.”

  Read John 15:18, 19, where it says, ‘If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world (will) hates you.’

  For too long many of the churches around America have been country clubs.  Their time is OVER also, because their memberships are all composed of individuals calling themselves Christians, and they will shortly have to acknowledge they are ‘of the world’ or of Christ’s true Church.  Very quickly, this will result in life-changing decisions across America – after all, it’s not an easy decision to make because we finally have begun to enter a time that poses real life consequences for true Christians.  And sadly, I’m positive we all will be shocked at the results of this sifting.

  So here’s my point: Satan is revealing his chosen ones right now – God hasn’t done so yet, and before He does, His real Church will emerge into some form of tribulation (testing) that will finally delineate the real from the fake Christians.

  If you’re like many “believers” you have a big decision to make – right now.  Bear in mind that ‘even the demons believe’ – you were called to “follow”.  If you’re serious about Jesus Christ in your life, as He was indeed serious about yours, get the Christian version of status quo thinking out of your heads and demand your country clubs get serious too – or find one that does.

  Remember the Jews of Europe in the 1930’s and 40’s?  In America, we could see the sad erosion of their civil rights for many years, and we now know how that culminated.  While this was heating up for the Jews, we in America seemed a lot more interested in our corner drugstores.  Isn't it the same now?

  Is that on the verge of happening for Christians in America and worldwide? – I think so.  And yes, it can happen again, and it can happen here.  We have turned our backs on God for too long – it’s now beginning to be our turn. 

  As the good old USA slides into God’s judgment, as should be obvious, it’s time to get really very serious about our faith – is it in God, or man?

  Make your choice while you still can. 

  As a preacher I knew once said, “It’s important to have the right enemies.”

John

Thu, Apr 2nd - 10:29AM

I Believed

  You came to me when I was a child, and you seemed so wise, and I believed you when you told me you would steer me through life with your wisdom.

  I believed you when you told me I didn’t measure up, and helped me to see ways around the obstacles.  You were so clever!

  I believed you when you showed me time after time, that by comparison to others, I had no gifts, no talent and was too timid to believe in myself, but you gave me a personality I could live with.  I became used to my limp.

  I believed you when you told me I couldn’t dance, play the piano, do mathematics or learn languages, but how good of you to tell me none of those things were important.

  I believed you when you told me, and showed me by comparison to others, that I had no ability to do anything from sheer good-heartedness, but I also believed you when you told me that good-heartedness was weakness in a tough world.

  I believed you when you showed me that my real gifts were anger and destruction.

  I believed you when you told me I’d never be happy because I was undeserving, but I also believed you when you said not all people deserve to be happy.

  I believed you when you told me I’d be lonely and miserable all my life.

  I believed you when you showed me just how basically unworthy I was.

  I believed you when you told me that suicide would be a viable solution if problems got too out-of-hand.

  I believed you when you told me I was too fearful and frightened of life in general.

  And most of all, I believed you when you told me I was unworthy of love – especially the love of God.

  But finally, I saw how everything you gave me required a sacrifice.  You gave me things, but made me worship them; you gave me relationships, but I had to let them dominate me. 

  You gave me love, but you took mine and replaced it with hate, especially hatred of myself.

  In fact, you told me you were giving me life, but you gave me death and used up my years. 

  YOU LIED!!

  Now I know that God loves me – every day, all the time, and without remorse.

   I know now that if I had been the only person alive on planet earth, Jesus would still have come and died in my place – because of God’s love.

  And now I am awash in a personality vacuum as I try to untie the thousands of knotted cords of lies that have defined my personality all my life – because I believed.

  I have a New Friend now.  He tells me He will untie the cords – but only if I let Him.  I want to live a new life, untied, but will I let Him untie me?  It’s a daily decision, and not easily made. 

  Each lie that falls off reveals ten more underneath, and sometimes I’m tempted to look the other way and believe the lies again, but as each falls off, the ones underneath break more easily – but only as long as I want to be untied FOR HIM.

  My New Friend says He will restore my lost years, but I don’t understand how it can be done…..but,

  I believe.  Will you?