Tag: society

No longer slouching…

An interesting and sobering article posted this past Friday on the Time’s website. While I do not equate so-called orthodox Christianity with anything resembling Roman Catholicism, I do agree with the gist of the article. In my opinion we are now finally officially Sodom and Gomorrah and this is not the place where Bible believing Christians will be welcomed. I have posted in the past about the meticulous plans to warp this country as well as posts on the very real reality that we are involved in a spiritual war that is far more devastating than Isis, Taliban, Nazis and  whomever else you can throw into the mix. Those organizations are puppets for the grand evil master-mind who has but one goal: the eternal destruction of every human soul he can get his grip on. Flight of fantasy on my part? Ladies and gentlemen I can not articulate just how bad and real it is NOR how much WORSE it is going to get here and throughout the world.

If you are identified by the world as a Christian you need to consider somethings about your life going forward. Bullseyes are being zeroed in. This is not melodramatics. Do you really stand on your convictions and beliefs? Whatever the cost?

“Why in the world are you linking gloom and doom to the USA’s Supreme Court equating homosexuals getting same-sex marriage Constitutional protection of a right?” Simple because blatant sin is being officially approved as “good”, “normal”, even “righteous”. That is completely contrary to the word of God and I and many others try to live our lives aligned and obedient to God’s word. No we are not perfect but we also don’t give up.

By the way, it was not an accident that the homosexual movement branded themselves with the rainbow. The rainbow was the first sign God gave to the human race when He promised Noah that He would never again destroy the earth with water. It is a sign for remembrance of the covenant God made with Noah and all future descendants of the human race. Trust me, it was no accident.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 
(Isaiah 5:20-21)

One more further word of warning; do you remember what God says living in Sodom & Gomorrah did Lot?

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)
(2 Peter 2:4-8)

icubudLeave a comment

Encouragement

Over the last 25 years of my life I have had three virtual pastors. Virtual in that I have never sat down with each and been in discussion with them. I have not been in the church’s in which they were pastors but through their ministries they have helped me TREMENDOUSLY as I try to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. One of those individuals is Dr. Charles Stanley. I can’t imagine a kinder individual in the world and someone also who is in sync with the heart of God. This morning I received an email of a new post for the month of May and after reading it I felt that many of you would appreciate it as well. I have quite a few “followers” that are not Christian but I think the HEART of what he is saying you too will appreciate and benefit from. So here it goes…
Have you ever wondered what kind of person God wants you to be? Although our talents, personalities, abilities, and backgrounds may differ, the Scriptures reveal some basic traits the Lord desires for all of us. Every one of us is called to develop a heart for encouraging others (1 Thessalonians 5:11). To encourage someone is simply to let them know they’re not alone, to go to their side and walk with them on their journey. The Christian life is not one of isolation and independence but of relationship and interconnection. Although some of us are more outgoing than others, we can each express encouragement in our own unique ways. We may have no idea what an impact our gracious words, sound advice, or acts of kindness may have on another person.
To encourage someone is simply to let them know they’re not alone.
When I was in first grade, I overheard my teacher comment to someone else, “I like Charles.” She probably never knew I heard her remark, let alone how much it meant to me, but I still remember the way I felt at that moment and the encouragement it gave me during a lonely period in my life. Another person who impacted me was my Sunday school teacher. Even after I’d begun attending a different church, whenever he saw me delivering newspapers, he’d pull his car over and talk with me for a while. Then he’d buy a paper from me for about twice the price even though he had one delivered to his home. We didn’t discuss anything important, but it made me feel significant that he cared enough to go out of his way to talk to me. We probably all have similar memories of people who either deliberately or unknowingly encouraged us.
One of the prime examples of an encourager in Scripture is Barnabas. His name means “son of encouragement,” and that’s exactly what he was. He’s first mentioned because of his eagerness to help the believers in Jerusalem. After selling a piece of property, he gave the money to the apostles so they could distribute it to whoever was in need (Acts 4:36-37). On another occasion, he brought Saul, a former persecutor of believers, into the church, assuring them that he was now a Christian (Acts 9:26-27). Barnabas could never have known the importance of this one act of kindness. Eventually, the infamous Saul would become the great apostle Paul who encouraged countless others as he traveled around the world planting churches.
God wants to use each of us at various times and in different ways to encourage others.
God wants to use each of us at various times and in different ways to encourage others. This means we must be alert to people the Lord brings across our path and make ourselves available, even when it’s inconvenient or we feel as if we have nothing to offer. If we ask the Lord, He’ll give us the wisdom to know what to say or do as we come alongside others.
To become an encourager, we must first give others our time and our undivided attention (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20). Face-to-face meetings are the most effective, but we can also reach out through phone calls, emails, letters, or even text messages. However, I’ve often seen people sitting together in silence at a restaurant with their heads bent over their phones. That’s not the time for texting. When we’re with people, we need to give them our full attention and listen mindfully. How else will we know what’s in their hearts and how to support them?
Second, we can encourage others by helping to meet their needs (2 Corinthians 1:5-7). This might come in the form of comforting those who hurt, affirming those who struggle with low self-esteem, spending time with the lonely, or simply meeting someone’s practical needs. For example, if I didn’t have a few staff members who come to my rescue every so often, my computer would be a disaster.
Third, Christians are called to build each other up spiritually (Romans 1:11-12). When people are struggling to trust the Lord in hard times, they need someone to remind them of God’s constant presence, unfailing promises, or unlimited power in their situation. Sometimes it’s helpful to point out an applicable verse of Scripture that gives God’s perspective, instructions, or comfort. Another aspect of spiritual encouragement is warning someone who’s headed down the wrong path and offering loving correction.
Finally, encouragement is a motivator (Hebrews 10:24-25). I remember a number of times when my mother supported me after I didn’t do very well in a particular subject at school. She never shamed or condemned me for a bad grade but simply encouraged me to do my best. Her advice has stayed with me all these years, motivating me to give my best effort in whatever I do.
If you, too, have been encouraged by your mother, why not let her know how much she has impacted your life and how thankful you are for her love and devotion? Then follow her example, much like Paul followed in Barnabas’ footsteps, and become a son or daughter of encouragement in your family, workplace, and church. The Lord will richly bless both you and those you encourage. You never know what a difference your gracious words or actions might make in someone’s life.
Prayerfully yours,
Charles F. Stanley

icubudLeave a comment

If you wish to unfriend/unlike/disconnect me, so be it.

I am disgusted with my country. I dread the next election.

I see what is going on in the world and here in this country and it either angers me or depresses me. Depends on the stableness of my being that particular day. I can’t understand why people would vote for someone who had no practical experience, no convictions, and was so overtly arrogant. Yes, to make it clear, I am refering to the chief empty suit, Barak Hussein Obama. Why would someone in their right mind vote for such a person? Honestly, I can’t get my head around it. And then add to such the fact that the same person will be voting again in the next election and the one after that etc for on average another thirty years. Our country is screwed up and honestly has no hope. The people of such bent outnumber me and mine. Plus your votes are easily bought by government handouts so the numbers continue to get bigger against me and mine.

icubudLeave a comment

The collaboration of Obama and Shiite Muslims

To look around the world and know that for about two years my country is not going to do what is right is heart-breaking, frustrating and irritating.

To see the chief empty suit bowing over backwards to an evil regime that is leading Iran is infuriating. To understand that a lot of the unrest is being funded by Iran and that they are doing whatever they can to get a better grip in the Middle East is also infuriating. They know fully that in the USA we have no executive branch leadership and that he and his team are blind and complicit to what is actually going on in the Middle East. Six years ago the people were rising up in Iran looking for allies to revolt against their government and chief empty suit did nothing. In Syria the people raised up against their government and chief empty suit did nothing. In Egypt the chief empty suit sided with the Muslim Brotherhood.

I suspect that the chief empty suit knows that his lineage is of Shiite Muslim heritage. I also suspect that he is himself is of this persuasion and most certainly of their ideology. This would indeed explain much as to what he has been doing the past six years and what his agenda will be in the remainder of his presidency.

Iran will not stop until Israel is no longer and the Middle East is fully under the control of the ayatollah. All words and actions are to bring these two goals success. Lie, murder, conspire etc. Do WHATEVER you need to do to accomplish the objectives.

Here in the USA we the people are complicit because:
1. he was an elected official (not by me!!!)
2. we have not rose up and removed him from office

Why is their not an American Spring? I suspect as long as people continue to have their bandwidth and TV/entertainment there will not be a insurrection. We ARE allowing ourselves to be amused to death.  Disagree? Why isn’t Hillary being prosecuted? Why is Hillary even considered the Democratic presidential candidate (before the fact) and has been virtually tapped already as the next president?

We are in deep trouble people.

 

 

icubudLeave a comment

Things HAVE GOT to change here!!!

For the past six months I have thought about writing just about every day but then when I consider the content which is usually driven by the news events of the day I end before starting – in frustration. Many of the problems in the USA is direct result of policies and laws based on a erred philosophy of some sort (see for example: liberal political philosophy and their many agendas to reshape our country in their immoral and self-indulgent minds). America – the people – are getting what they deserve and it will get MUCH worse. The individuals, who should have been alert, sober and effective in safeguarding a more moral and servant-leadership way of life, went MIA.

Do you realize the preceding 116 words sums up the whole situation? And in this, the liberal IS being sober, alert and safeguarding against a more moral, conservative attempt to correct matters. This has been and will continue to be a very real battle of philosophies, politics, mentalities, and spiritual warfare in high places. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12] Again, matters are going to get MUCH worse here in the USA.

Then to look across the rest of the world and honestly there is no wonder why things are playing out in so many different ways but all with the same effect of masses being fed up with their governments or other countries. No wonder because all of these countries long ago kicked God out of their way of life. So – it is no wonder.

I am sure the reality of ISIS is because of Obama’s policies, “bent” and lack of true leadership. I know he and his posse point at Bush and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Obama’s bent. This cancer (ISIS) would be aggressively dealt with in the very beginning by wise true leadership. You can disagree with me, which is fine. A man who does not believe in an exceptional America and has aggressively tried to remove and hinder ways for the exceptionalism to impact correctly our country and the world does not have the moral and ethical right to judge against our nation. The truth is he should not be our president but the majority of the voting population of our country have went the way of gimmicks, coolness, fads and desperate need of popularity. Join the gang. Period. Drink the Kool-Aid, everyone else is.

We have got to change things here. If you are a parent, you of all people should be doing everything you can to put the garbage back in the garbage cans and take the garbage to corner to be removed from impacting your home, neighborhood, subdivision, city (get the point?).

We HAVE GOT to change things here.

icubudLeave a comment

So I guess the word “soap box” is appropriate here

I am apprehensive looking ahead to the next presidential election here in the USA.
The worthy candidates that the media will shine a light on seem to be nil. The predicament is because of the state of our society. We (nation/society) have lost our way. Sure there are some “good” people out there but we have allowed the political infrastructure to require people of a different type. Until we address some deep root level cancer in our society we will continue to degenerate.

That said, we are also missing genuine completely sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ Christian leaders and Christians. Ladies and gentlemen we are in a mess. We have allowed the depravity of sin to eat away at the church and by the church is do not mean Rome. Rome (Vatican City actually) is a whole different but closely associated matter. No, what I mean is the church of people such as DL Moody, RA Torrey, WA Criswell, Gipsy Smith, Francis Schaeffer, Billy Sunday, J Frank Norris, Talmedge, etc. That state of the church is essence – gone. Its power certainly is. So is its witness. We – Christians – Jesus said were to be salt and what will one do when the salt has lost its savor? Look around for the answer. Lights, no longer so the darkness permeates just about every nick and corner of living and that includes into the local churches. All that to say, we – Christians – are responsible for the sad state of our society. I think about this just about every day and I can’t think what to do but to “say” something. I know that I am nobody special or a person to look up to etc. but I know what is going on and why and I just have to say something. I am guilty of being part of the problem and I know it and have confessed it and ask God to forgive me for my part. That is all I can do, well that and “say” something to my very small circle/sphere of possible influence and living. If you are a Christian please seek God’s forgiveness and then His strength and wisdom as to what you can do to hopefully be part of the change that is desperately needed.

icubudLeave a comment