Wednesday 30 January 2013

Agreeing to Disagree

Just so you know I HATE the phrase "Let's agree to disagree". I think it is hostile and arrogant. I do think it wise to walk away from an argument, and not hate the other person for disagreeing with me (which is also hostile and arrogant). I've heard the saying often, which tells you that I get into some controversial discussions which have the potential of becoming quite heated...and yes there are those who have been put off (sometimes permanently) by my stance on a topic, such as with the pre-trib / post-trib debate, or the "once saved always saved" position vs. the "you can lose your salvation" stance.

Then there are those who admit that either side could be mistaken, or at least partially mistaken. That's fair. I have been wrong plenty of times (oh no! say it ain't so!!!) and prior to coming to realize that I was wrong I was very sure of my rightness.

I had even at one time firmly believed that others who did not share my stance on the tribulation and rapture timing were either:

1. unsaved
2. going to fall away from their faith
or
3. were false teachers promoting a false doctrine.

And I still think this way about this and other topics, however I would not cut a person off for this, because I understood that God in His mercy was even able to graciously save the Apostle Paul when he was in the height of his ignorance and was even outright persecuting the church. What I am guilty of having done (and it is still something I struggle with) is continuing on in the conversation/argument not letting go of it and not letting the other person have "the final word" on the topic. I feel it is my duty to make sure that person is not going to continue on in their mistaken beliefs....sigh. This is still a tough one for me, I'll tell you straight out.

So reading DebbieLynne's blog today she stated:

"and (in my human pride) I'd like to turn the tide. Ah, but that pride is actually opposed to God, deceiving me into supposing that I'd be a better savior than He is! Such a realization makes me tremble with shame!"

YES!!! That's exactly the point (although prior to seeing DebbieLynne's confession, I had missed that point!). When I think that I can change others minds and turn people from their wicked or mistaken ways, I'm trying to take God's place in that person's life. Wow, big mistake! The idea of such arrogance makes me cringe.

Much better to do what Jesus tells us in His book, which is to look to His leading, to speak the words He gives us through His Spirit, and then whether it's accepted or rejected, to trust the Lord that His words won't return to Him void...He will accomplish what HE WILLS (which might run contrary to what I will) and He will do it at the time He appoints for it (His timetable runs alot longer than mine, and He is also alot more patient and longsuffering than I am, thank you LORD!!!)

Thank you Lord for gently teaching me about patience...again.

 2 Timothy 2:24-26  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;   And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 

James 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 







 Ok, I admit that I do think this sometimes (and realize that kind of thinking is just wrong as the Lord convicts me of it), but when I see that which I do look back at me in the face of another person (such as the one in the picture above), it is very unappealing indeed. But I also know that I'll probably continue to make mistakes, in this, and in other areas as well. Thankfully the Lord is merciful and longsuffering, and He can use my meager offerings to make something out of not much.

It's good also to remember the words of Jesus when I think that I'm the only one with all the right answers:

Mat 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 

I think I need to find my way back to the end of the line.

Friday 25 January 2013

Beelzebub


The above linked article shows a few clips where flies keep coming to the big "O".

 Is it a sign? I mean this is January, and definitely not "fly season", this latest picture was taken as he was announcing two new members of his second administration.


Beelzebub


 Ba‘al Zəbûb is variously understood to mean "lord of the flies"[3][4][5][6] or "lord of the (heavenly) dwelling".[7][8][9] Originally the name of a Philistine god,[10] Ba'al, meaning "Lord" in Ugaritic, was used in conjunction with a descriptive name of a specific god. Jewish scholars have interpreted the title of "Lord of Flies" as the Hebrew way of calling Ba'al a pile of dung and comparing Ba'al followers to flies.[11][12]
 
Interesting that Obama attracts flies like he does, even in the winter.


As a side note, the National Cathedral is as of a couple of weeks ago, now performing "gay weddings" and Obama had a Lesbian included in the "inauguration festivities":

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/nancy-wilson-gay-pastor-presidential-inauguration_n_2521037.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

Saturday 19 January 2013

The Evil We See... and God's Love

Yesterday morning, just before waking I had this dream:

There are terrible creatures, hideous, somewhat reptile-like, somewhat human-like. They are destroying everything and everyone in their path. The people they encounter are torn apart, or squeezed to death, blood is everywhere. One looks right at me as I am looking at this terrible horrible scene. He rushes to me but I have a force field in front of me. He hits it really hard, and I can see a large crack in the shield but it remains firmly in place before me. He loses interest in me and continues killing and destroying in other directions, as I look passively on. I recognize that I am looking at all of this and have no feelings about it at all. I see death and mayhem and blood everywhere, and have no compassion, or sorrow. I see that even though I am not doing the killing, that I am no better than the demons that are doing the ruthless slaughter. I just like them, feel no love for those being senselessly slaughtered. I am cold and heartless....and then I awaken, and think about what I just dreamed...


What comes to mind first of all, is that this is truly happening in the realm of the spirit. Demons are seeking whom they can destroy, and they are having a field day, wreaking havoc on this fallen world. God protects His own, and the devil cannot touch them (me included)...but because I am not being hurt, I can be cold and unfeeling about the people who are being hurt, and destroyed, by the devil's very ill behaviour. Even though I could clearly see the perilousness of the situation, the disgusting, violent, and senseless destruction, I have no sense of pity or horror, UNTIL I think it is tainting me by making me look bad (just as evil as the demons) to not have the correct pity towards the afflicted. And this is true about me. I do not have enough of a sense of urgency for the lost and dying. I do not make use of what I know about Jesus to try to help those in the devil's clutches. God selects whomsoever He will, but He chooses to use His elect to reach others. But many of His elect are like me. We see the sin, the evil, and if it doesn't touch us directly...
 we can choose to watch....
or choose to look away....

...but how often do we choose in God's strength and through prayer, to intervene?

Zec 4:6  Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7  Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"
Zec 4:8  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Zec 4:9  "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
Zec 4:10  For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth."





I know that in my own strength and by my own ability I cannot accomplish anything worth anything in eternity...and then it is only (usually) to bring glory to myself for my heroic deeds. But in Christ I can do anything


Php 4:10  I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
Php 4:11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
Php 4:12  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
Php 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Php 4:14  Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble

Perhaps it is partly because of "the spirit of the age" that I have become numbed to the horrors of what is going on today. I can simply turn off the television and then go on about my own business, and as long as I feel good about myself, everything is good. The rest of the world can "go to hell in a hand-basket" but if it doesn't touch me, why worry about it? It's going to happen anyway, right? Or should I still wrestle in the spirit about it, and pray for understanding, and strength and compassion to at least attempt to do some small thing for the Lord that might be used by Him to save a lost soul? Can I look on what is happening with compassion, angst, the love of Christ, instead of looking away so I can be "at peace"? So I can feel good about myself? What did Jesus do? If I do not feel for the lost, am I just as cold and unfeeling as the demons that are ripping the unsaved to shreds? Yes, I believe that I am just that cold and unfeeling, at times, and only by God's grace and His help is there any hope for me to reach his lost ones through me in this decaying and tormented world.


Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Friday 11 January 2013

Mass Murder Pills?

"Everybody" is talking about Alex Jones "rant" to Piers Morgan.... whether you like Alex Jones or hate him, it did have the benefit of looking deeper into the subject of guns and gun control. There was a little something that Alex managed to get in that has gotten little press before now...the connection between psychotropic drugs that are being prescribed to MANY AMERICANS today, and the rising violence that we see on the nightly news.

The Bible warned about witchcraft:

 Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies...

I linked that word to the Blue Letter Bible explanation for it.


These are terrible times, and there is so much truth being suppressed and it is indeed killing people:

 Hos 4:1  Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
Hos 4:2  By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
Hos 4:3  Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
Hos 4:4  Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
Hos 4:5  Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.
Hos 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Hos 4:7  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.
Hos 4:8  They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
Hos 4:9  And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
Hos 4:10  For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.
Hos 4:11  Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.
Hos 4:12  My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.
Hos 4:13  They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.
Hos 4:14  I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.

This nation is reaping what it has sown...in pride, in arrogance, in self sufficiency, it boasts against the most high God and says "I will..." do whatever they want to do, and now we are seeing the fruit of it.

Keep oil in your lamps and your wicks trimmed, let your light shine brightly as in a very dark place. The truth needs to be known and held forth. The truth will set men free.

Wednesday 9 January 2013

For A Mess of Pottage?



Genesis 25:29-34 


Matthew 4:1-10


The theme pops in on me at odd moments....not that I have an urge to sell my soul or anything (actually I'm counting on the grace of God on this one, because left up to myself I have a feeling I'd blow it...because when it comes down to the truth of the matter, I cannot do anything right without Jesus' help). Anyway, we've all heard about this, haven't we?



 Matthew 16:26

I was talking with my boss at work today, and we got on the topics of what we see in this world today, and on discernment and the lack of it today, and the MOB (and some other related and equally disturbing topics), and it brought me back to thinking on that theme. Is it possible to "sell your soul to the devil"? I personally believe it is possible to do so, and that many have done so.



Today I heard that our nation will begin performing gay marriage ceremonies at the national cathedral in Washington D.C. I am hearing the death knell of our nation loud and clear. It has clearly sold it's soul to the devil. :(

Monday 7 January 2013

Yesterday Morning



Dream:

I am very high up and have to cross a huge chasm by holding on to gymnastic rings and stepping onto swings that are swinging back and forth through the air. The first step is pretty easy. I gain confidence (in my own ability) and step onto the second swing as it comes towards me. So far, so good. The next swing seems to elude me. It's going a little faster than the previous ones. I cannot seem to get the timing on it. It slips past me as I try to get my feet in position. I notice that the way the seat is connected to the cords it is suspended from looks "iffy" (some baling wire of some sort is holding these steps to their suspension cords). My arms are getting tired. I realize that I'm dreaming and to escape this torture all I have to do is wake up...so I awaken...


I tell my husband about the dream, and he says "Too much Cirque du Soleil for you!" Well, yes, we saw the Cirque du Soleil movie just a few nights before (and enjoyed it very much!), so I'm sure that was a part of the reason for dreaming this dream....but when I first awoke, it had me thinking about faith, and about stepping out in faith in this life...and about trusting in my own ability and strength...and where were those rings and swings connected??? What or Who was supporting my walk through the air??? Was it "nothing"? Or was it SomeOne?