Christianity

ARE YOU A BELIEVER OR A CHALLENGER?

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ARE YOU A BELIEVER OR A CHALLENGER?

Is Jesus Christ’s resurrection a fact in history or a hoax? Christianity’s foundation is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Is our belief a verifiable fact from history? If someone were to ask you to prove that Jesus Christ lives or did live, could you prove that He did or does live now without quoting Scripture? Are you grounded enough in your belief to prove His existence? I pose these questions as to cause awareness as we draw closer to end times, people are going to scoff at our beliefs as Christians as some already do. The people that may be a challenger don’t believe in the Bible, so we have to be able to defend our convictions.

Many people have tried to disprove Christ’s resurrection, only to become believers. Then there are those who refuse to research history and examine the evidence because then they have to admit they are wrong. Challengers seem to take the easy way out and just argue that Jesus is just a figment of our imagination. They argue because they would have to become a believer and submit to His Lordship.

If you were to look at the tombs of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, and Lenin, you will find that they all occupied. The tomb of Jesus Christ is empty. Not only is this stated in the Scriptures but is a historical fact. There are many historical facts that prove Christ is alive and that the Bible is true. Personally, I don’t believe that anyone can challenge Christ’s existence or the truth of the Bible because History proves it.

One other way it is proven is by passing it down from generation to generation verbally just as your family history is passed down the same way. There were witnesses to the facts and their testimonies are passed down to us today.

I leave you with a Scripture verse in Revelation 1:18 (NKJ) I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Brokenness

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Brokenness

Have you experienced a brokenness in your Christian walk? Are you committed enough to Jesus to ask Him for a broken spirit and contrite heart? If you are sincere, I assure you that Jesus will accommodate you.

Definition: In the positive spiritual sense, brokenness is the condition of being completely subdued and humbled before the Lord, and as a result, completely yielded to and dependent upon Him also.

In mid-1970’s I was listening to a cassette tape on the subject of brokenness. At the conclusion of the tape, the speaker issued an invitation to ask the Lord for brokenness. I was compelled to ask and immediately I was in an uncontrollable sobbing stage. I was traveling at the time and I had to pull over to the side of the road and I felt I lost control of myself. This continued for several minutes. This was a time of a dramatic transformation in my life as I was drawn to the Lord as I have never been before.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite [repentant, regretful] spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

 Hosea 10:12b [God compares our hearts to a garden, and for a garden to bear fruit the ground has to be broken up so that it is able to receive water.] Break up your fallow [uncultivated, unseeded] ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.

Psalm 32:9a [Unyielded people need to be more forcibly guided or restrained:] Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle.

The above verses are a few of many references to brokenness. It is better that a person surrenders voluntarily than to have God lead you in desert for 40 years in order to get your attention.

I have come to learn that God breaks us in order that we will become what He wants us to be and not what we think we should be. This could mean we take up our cross and follow Him. I assure you that He will be with you during that time and bless you like you have never been blessed.

THE BIBLE’S FORMULA FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.

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THE BIBLE’S FORMULA FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE.

I don’t have all the answers regarding this subject. I will say that I have some and I want to share them so that they may help others who are struggling. My wife and I have been married 56 years and 4 months. There have been many bumps in our journey together. Through the grace of God, we have overcome them and are continuing to learn more as we go on down our pathway of life. Will it be smooth sailing? Probably not. One of the main things we have learned is that Satan hates God’s creation of families and does all he can to destroy them. As I point out some verses from God’s Word, you must work hard to put them in place. God gave us the instructions just as you get instructions for putting things together. Just as you are expected to read and follow the instructions for your finished product, you are expected to follow God’s instruction for a successful marriage. God has put into place all that you are to follow, it is now up to you. Don’t give up!

Here are few suggestions in order to enjoy a happy life together. Before I refer you to Scripture, I want to say that when you marry the love of your life, there is a life changing factor that must come into play. That is, everything is no longer about me. Everything is now about my other half. You must change your way of thinking and concentrate on the other half. Is this not what Jesus has done for His bride to be? He is our example. We must believe in and trust the one we love.

The responsibility for a successful marriage lies more on the husband than the wife.

Genesis 2:24 (NIV)

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Proverbs 5:18 (NKJV)

18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 (NIV)

9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

I must comment on these verses as the first part of verse 25 says something that I believe men need to understand about the way God created us. It says that men are to love their wives. Nowhere does it say that woman is to love their husband. Men need to understand that if he loves his wife in a Godly fashion, the wife will automatically respond to that love. In other words, since Jesus loves you, you respond to His love. This is a factor that I believe is missing in some marriages. The next reference is also important.

1 Peter 3:7 (NIV)

7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

1 Corinthians 7:5 (NIV)

5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

I bring this to your attention since this seems to be one of the major problems in marriages. This is in regards to your sexual relations.

Now I know that many people will refer to Romans 7:2, Ephesians 5:22and 1 Peter 3:1 in order to contradict what I have said. If you study these Scriptures you will see that submission does not mean that you are to rule their lives. Also, I want to point out that we do not live under the old law but under the grace of God in case you refer to the Old Testament.  Put in perspective what Jesus is saying to His Bride of which the saved belong. Does He rule your life if you don’t want Him to? God did not create woman for man to rule over them. He created them equal.

Will there still be problems? Yes, that is life due to Satan and his destructive ways since the Garden of Eden. Resist the Devil in the name of Jesus and by the power of His blood and he will flee from you. You only have this one physical life here on earth. Make it a wonderful life as that is what Jesus wants.

ARE YOU THANKFUL?

deanstuyvesant ,

ARE YOU THANKFUL?

Do you give thanks to God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit on a daily basis?  Do you realize that your very existence and all you possess belong to God? After all He created everyone and everything. I know that there are some people out there that do not believe in God. All I can say, I’m sorry that you are so misinformed and at some time in the future you are going to be confronted with the truth.

At the present time we are all living under the grace and love of God. I want you to think about what if His grace and love were removed from our presence. I believe that if those two were removed, that is part of what Hell is going to be. Just think about it. Separation from God is going to be Hell.

Some others are going to say, what about all the bad things that happen in the world or to me or someone I know. Bad things do not come from God. We need to give credit due to the one who is responsible, Satan.  Also, God gave us freedom to choose our way in life. Because of selfish reasons or greed, we all make bad choices. Then it is someone else’s fault or we blame God for our mistakes.

We cannot overlook the fact that when we fail to give God thanks for everything He has given us, we lose out on His blessings. Let us look at a few Bible verses regarding giving God thanks.

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way–in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

That is just a few of the many verses on why we should give thanks to God for all things. If people humble themselves and realize that God wants us to thank Him for all things, we will receive His many blessings. I might add that you should thank Him before you even receive an answer. This is a part of the power of prayer. We should especially be thankful for our salvation in Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and shed His blood for our sins. Thanking God is a choice. In most cases, when we receive something from someone, we usually thank them. Should it be any different with the One who provides all things?  Praise and thank you God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. Amen

MARIJUANA

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Marijuana

Should marijuana become legal? As a former police officer and narcotic agent and a born again Christian, I am taking an opposing position. First, as a police officer, I personally saw what devastation marijuana caused in the lives of so many. I witnessed an autopsy performed on a male subject who was a chronic marijuana smoker. He choked to death from marijuana residue built up in his esophagus. Marijuana joints are not filtered, so you get the full impact from inhaling. People will defend marijuana in so many ways and I saw what affect it has on people.  It will eventually lead to other drugs, health and psychological problems. I could go on. Whether it is the law of the land or God’s law it is illegal in most cases. I know that some states are trying to legalize marijuana and some have. The federal laws still prohibit possession of marijuana.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

I am aware of the position some individuals have taken regarding using marijuana for medical purposes. No doubt, if you get stoned, you won’t feel much pain just as if you drink enough alcohol you won’t feel much pain either. I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and I did not choose either one for my cure. I choose the healing hand of Jesus Christ and I have been cancer free for seven years. You can refer to my blog: ‘Faith vs. Cancer”.

Second, I know what the Bible says about the subject even though it does not mention marijuana per se. Of course, it doesn’t name cocaine, heroin, cigarettes, or any of those other drugs specifically by name either. To be fair, the Bible doesn’t mention many modern sins specifically by name, as these names were created long after the Bible was written.

The following verses come from the Bible and we should give them our utmost attention. As sure as the sun will rise in the morning you will have to give an account for disregarding them.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:18)

Think about it: If being drunk from wine is a sin (clearly indicated above), and grapes are natural fruits, then wouldn’t smoking pot also be a sin, since it alters your state of mind? The answer is yes

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Sorcerers in the past used herbal and odd concoctions to induce drug highs. In fact, the word used in the Bible for “sorcery” is pharmakeia, which is where we get our modern word “pharmacy.”

Here are some great reasons to never smoke pot in your life:

It is illegal. It is unhealthy. It’s addictive. It will ruin your life. It’s expensive. Drug tests. It leads to other drugs. It can kill you.

Smoking pot is clearly against the will of God, and it is a sinful behavior.

Marijuana is an illegal, unhealthy, and dangerous drug.

Some people try to throw out excuses to say smoking marijuana isn’t a sin, or that it is healthy and natural. That is a flat-out lie

Marijuana is ruining people’s lives. If a friend tries to get you to smoke pot, they are not your friend. They will get you arrested, you could lose your job, and may even cause your death.

You can’t cheat the laws of God.

Today is the day of salvation. You can receive forgiveness for your sins right now by repenting and turning to Jesus Christ. God will forgive you of all of your sins if you repent and place your faith in Christ as your Savior.

DISCIPLINING CHILDREN

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DISCIPLINING CHILDREN

What does the Bible say about the subject? I believe that God knows more about discipline that all of us put together. He is the original author. Some of us may think we know more.

The Bible teaches that physical discipline is appropriate, beneficial, and necessary. I want to make it clear that I am not talking about child abuse of which I do not condone.

When children left to themselves they will do what all people left to themselves in a fallen world will do.  They’ll make bad decisions that produce pain and turmoil in their lives and in the lives of others.

Discipline is evidence of love.

Some claim that physical discipline such as spanking is the only method the Bible supports. Others insist that “time-outs” and other punishments that do not involve physical discipline are far more effective.

Here are a few of the verses that refer to discipline in the Bible. It is a few of many.

Proverbs 22:6 Solomon said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”

Proverbs 13:24; 23:13 The proverbial “rod” must be applied to prevent bad attitudes and acts from becoming habits.

Hebrews 12:11 (NKJV) 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Proverbs 15:32 (NKJV) 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

Discipline brings hope, life, peace and character to a child because it drives out foolish notions such as “The world revolves around me. I am the most important and I must have my way. No one else matters.” A lack of discipline wrongly teaches children that there are no consequences to their choices.

I look at the difference between my generation (1930’s) and today’s generation and I sadly see disrespect for others. During the time I mentioned, our society has gone downhill for what I believe is a lack of discipline and it has gotten worse as each generation passed by. All you have to do is read or watch the news.

I’m not saying that all children and young people belong in the above group. There are parents that still hold fast to discipline and you can see the difference. The major problem is that disciplined children have to contend with undisciplined children in many ways.

God gave us His instructions on discipline as outlined in the Bible. If we fail to heed His advice, then we must answer for our neglect. According to what I have read and understand, we will receive His discipline and then we will then know our misunderstanding of discipline. I don’t believe we will get a time out or other punishment in lieu of a spanking.

I would like to know what you think. May the Lord bless those that follow God’s Word.

PROMISES

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PROMISES

The Bible is full of promises that God has made to those that have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. When you bring Jesus into your life, everything that belongs to Him, belongs to you. Whether you believe that God owns everything and I mean everything, I want to assure you He does.

One person says that there are 3573 promises in the Bible. Another says there are over 7000 promises and another person says that every verse is a promise. Whatever may be the case, how many promises are you claiming for yourself as one who belongs to Jesus Christ. I won’t attempt to cover all the promises. I just want to point out a few in order to show you what you are missing.

Romans 10:9King James Version (KJV) 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Luke 11:9-10New International Version (NIV) 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 12:22 King James Version (KJV) 22 And he said unto his disciples, therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Matthew 6:31-34New King James Version (NKJV) 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

Philippians 4:13New King James Version (NKJV) 13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.

The promises of God only come through Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can make all promises a reality. If you fail to believe God’s Word, the devil will steal God’s provisions from you. The only promise satan will provide is eternity in hell with him and his followers. Amen to God’s glory.