February 24, 2012

I was reading in Revelation about the power and majesty of God, and of Jesus Christ, God the Son. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was the only one worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because he was slain, and with his blood he purchased men for God. And he made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and we will reign with Christ on the earth. For the Lamb, who was slain, is worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

This song, “Praise the ‘I AM’,” is also a song of praise to Jesus Christ, my Savior, who is my gracious Redeemer, who, by his grace, pardoned me, forgave my sin and he set me free! Now, I am His servant and witness.

Praise the “I AM!”

An Original Work / February 24, 2012

Jesus, my Savior, full of compassion,
Glorious in power, mighty in strength;
Gracious Redeemer, mighty deliv’rer,
My heart adores Him. Praise to His name!
Perfect salvation my Lord provided
When He died for my sins on a tree;
Crucified my sins; conquered in vict’ry,
When He arose, so I could be free!

I am so thankful for His forgiveness;
Grateful that He chose to pardon me,
Giving me new life full in His Spirit,
So I can serve Him; His servant be!
Walking in daily fellowship with Him,
Obeying Him whate’er He commands;
Forsaking my sins, living in freedom,
I will endure with Him to the end!

He gives me peace and calm reassurance
In times of sorrow, or in distress.
His grace is sure, and oh, how sufficient
To meet me in my need for sweet rest.
Oh, how I love You, Jesus, my Savior.
My heart longs for You where’er I am.
Your word is precious; speaks to my spirit;
Brings comfort, healing. Praise the “I AM!”

Login to view embedded media

A spirit can be a demonic spirit or it can be the Holy Spirit or the spirit of human beings. In this case, I believe it is speaking of the human spirit, which is the human soul, life, heart, inner self, nature, temperament, attitude, and/or character. It is the essence of who we are as individuals, i.e. what we are made of, and what we are about. It is who we are when no one else is looking and no matter who we are with. And it is what we believe, in truth, and it is what we practice, in truth. For it is the REAL us.

Now there are many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ who do not believe in Jesus in truth and in righteousness. They give lip service to the Lord, but by their actions they deny him. They still live for self and for self-pleasure, and they are still lord of their own lives, determining their own course. And they are still making sin their practice, and not godliness and righteousness and moral purity and honesty and faithfulness to God. And some of them are pastors of church congregations, leading the people.

So, we are not to take everyone at face value and just assume that they are who they say they are, for then we might be ripe for being deceived. Especially in our day and age, liars and deceivers and those who trick and manipulate others to get what they want are everywhere – in the governments, in the media, and within the gatherings of the church, etc. So we must be those who test the spirits to see whether they are from God, and we do this by comparing their words and actions to the Scriptures.

Now, when this says that “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,” we have to compare that to the teachings in the Scriptures which talk about “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and the servants of Satan who disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. For there are a whole lot of people who are confessing Jesus Christ with their lips but whose actions are far from him. They put on a show of righteousness, but while they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, lying, tricking, manipulating, and deceiving others to believe their lies.

So, we can’t always go by what people profess, for what they do shows what they really believe. And many profess faith in Jesus Christ for the sole purpose to deceive others, sadly so. But we can go by what they talk about and what they teach and how they present the message of the gospel and by what is important to them and by what they talk about the most. And we should then compare that to the Scriptures to see whether or not their words and actions and lifestyles agree with what God requires of us.

Now, not one of us is going to be absolutely perfect in everything that we do and say, so we must be very careful that we don’t make quick judgments and that we don’t judge people by one or two incidents in which they might not have been having their best day. But we can observe patterns of behaviors and of messages given and we can test those against what the Scriptures teach, and they will give us a pretty good indication as to whether or not this is someone who is to be trusted. But please read the Scriptures in context! For many lies come from Scriptures taught outside of context.

And this is not written to encourage us to just go around judging everyone. But we do need to pay close attention to what we hear and read and think we see, for liars and lies abound, and much is being photoshopped and altered and manipulated today to appear the opposite of what it really is. So we do need to be those who exercise godly wisdom and discernment. But be careful that you don’t judge others falsely by your own selves or by your culture or by your own religious practices, for that is false judging.

Now, if what you are teaching is faithful to the Scriptures, as taught in their appropriate context, then others who are genuine followers of Christ should have no argument with what you are teaching. But we all must make certain, to the best of our understanding, that what we are teaching or sharing with others, with regard to the Scriptures, is really what the Scriptures teach, and not something we might have been taught erroneously. So we should even be testing our own teachings.

[Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; Romans 16:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Login to view embedded media

These kinds of incidents unfortunately aren't rare, though they tend to come in waves, according to whatever is happening in national politics.

But it doesn't surprise me. Haters gonna hate.

In the same manner in which Jesus laid down his life for us, we are to lay down our lives, not only for other believers in Christ, but also for the people of the world. So, how do we do this? First of all we must, by faith in Jesus Christ, be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily, and follow (obey) him.

[Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14]

Then we are to walk (in conduct, in purpose, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh. Sin must no longer be what we practice, but now righteousness and obedience to our Lord are to be what we practice. And now we should be sharing the message of the gospel of our salvation with other people, and we should be engaged in encouraging and edifying and exhorting one another who are in the faith in our walks of faith in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord.

[Rom 8:1-14; Gal 5:16-21; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]

All of this involves us surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ to do his will and to serve his purposes for us and to show love to our fellow humans. We can no longer be selfish and self-centered, in practice. Now we must be God-focused and have our eyes, minds, and hearts set on obeying the Lord and to doing his will, even if it gets us hated and rejected and cast off by others, even others who profess the name of Jesus, because our walks of faith in the Lord are an offense to them. And this is how we lay down our lives.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Now our ministry to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the people of the world, is not just on a spiritual level, but it is on a physical level, too. We are to care about one another’s needs (spiritual and physical), but the physical needs should be legitimate needs and not just wants, and there should be good reason to believe that they are not able to provide for their own needs in their current situation. For the Scriptures teach that we are not to feed those who are idle and who are not willing to work (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). So this calls for much wisdom and discernment.

For sadly we have many people in this world, and even within the gatherings of what are called “churches,” who take advantage of others and who lie and manipulate and scam others to get from them what they want. And then we cannot meet everyone’s needs unless we are the wealthiest of people that there are, and even they can’t meet everyone’s needs. So, again, we must be wise and discerning and pray to the Lord regarding what needs he would have us meet, and in what ways, and regarding how much we should give. But definitely we are not to love in word only, but also in actions.

Now we can know that our faith is genuine by how we love God and other humans in action and not just in words. Now words may be part of those actions, such as what I do each day in writing out my devotions and sharing them with the people of the world and with other believers in Christ, but we aren’t supposed to just mouth words of love but then live the opposite. And we can know that our faith is genuine because we keep (obey, put into practice) our Lord’s commandments (New Covenant), and because we do what pleases the Lord, according to his word, and not by our own thinking.

Love Must Be Genuine

An Original Work / October 22, 2013
Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.
Hate what’s evil; cling to good.
Love each other with affection.
Show respect for ev’ryone.
Never lack in your zeal.
Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.
In affliction, patient be.
Keep on praying; share with others.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute.
Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.
Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.
Live in harmony with others.
Live at peace with ev’ryone.
Repay not to someone
With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;
Leave it to the wrath of God.
If your enemy is thirsty,
Give to him something to drink.
Do what’s right for mankind.
Evil: overcome with good.

Login to view embedded media

tonychanyt said:

NIV, Matthew 5:


i.e., the righteousness of Christ


with the righteousness of Christ.


i.e., because of Christ


If you thirst for Christ, you will be filled with Christ.
If you die for Christ, you will inherit Christ's kingdom.

Click to expand...

This, of the beatitudes, is one of my favorites —the thirst for Christ is maybe my deepest set need. To see my God as he is, to be with him, to know him, to be what he created me for, to be with him and to love him without fault. To see his satisfaction and joy.

But the interplay between this, and his words to the woman at the well —whoever drinks of the water that he gives, will never thirst again!, and yet I feel the need for him all the more, the more I drink of the living water! I love this.

Certainly no other water can satisfy. "Whom have I in Heaven but you? And being with you, I desire nothing on earth."

essentialsaltes said:

TXSE Chairman and CEO James Lee said the Dallas-headquartered group has raised $120 million with the support of more than two dozen investors.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the endeavor earlier, saying the exchange is billing itself as a “more-CEO friendly” alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq in the face of rising regulation and a “disaffection with increasing compliance costs.”

The Dallas Morning News reported TXSE will target companies in the “southeastern quadrant of the U.S.” In an interview with the newspaper, Lee thanked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his support and leadership.

--

The Stock Exchange of Northern Aggression?

Click to expand...

Setting up the financial infrastructure needed for a fledgling nation?

Yes some have studied Scripture and know how to utilize it to meet their goals.

BobRyan said:

Rand Paul: 15 Agencies Knew About Gain-of-Function Virus Research at Wuhan Institute, Kept Silent

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) appeared on

redstate.com

So instead of leading the whistle blowing - 15 agencies "kept silent" as Trump pointed to Wuhan as the source for COVID 19 - and was being slammed by the opposing political party for daring to point it out, daring to let the American public know what they all knew to be true.

Another "Gotcha" program coming to light? More chickens coming home to roost.

Click to expand...

You might have gotten more discussion if the article you're citing wasn't behind a paywall. I'm not subscribing to a right-wing news site for one story. Nor would I subscribe to a left-wing site for the same reason.

Diamond7 said:

Sexual Dimorphism.

Click to expand...

Sexual dimorphism refers to the differences in physical characteristics between males and females of the same species. These differences can include size, shape, coloration, and other traits. In many species, sexual dimorphism is more pronounced, such as in peacocks (where males have elaborate tail feathers) or lions (where males have manes). It’s fascinating how evolution has shaped these variations!

Mr. M said:

24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished,

Click to expand...

Interesting that people claim Moses did not write a book and He was a oral tradition before his books were written.

Michie said:

Most Americans back Harrison Butker expressing his beliefs: Rasmussen

A majority of Americans approve of Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker expressing his religious and moral beliefs during a recent graduation speech at a Catholic school

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

I think his tone doesn't reflect well on his religious faith. It is uncharitable. You can be thankful for your religious values, spouse and children without trying to condemn other peoples mode of life. He isn't seeking respectful dialogue, more like crusading. It was particularly ugly and pharisaical to criticize President Biden's expression of Catholicism.

lass

Kokavkrystallos said:

"For more than 25 years, the church building in Gorgan has stood empty and dormant, a relic to a former time when, even in the early days of the Islamic Republic, it had seemed possible, for a short while, for Christians – even converts – to meet inside a church building. "

Click to expand...

This is sad. We got to get more Iranians into churches again.

Tuur said:

Yes. I thought that was clear. I really don't think I should quote Wilde on this board, but I really like what he said about it. I'd disagree with what they said, but they'd have the right to say it.

Trying to play selective speech is a seductive trap. It's easy to think "Oh, but you wouldn't want them to say that, would you?" and then cede your own right of free speech lest someone say what you find offensive. It's not as attractive to say "Are you willing to never proclaim the name of Jesus Christ if nobody can say what you consider offensive?" but it's the same question. So many Christians have seemed willing to cede free speech on the grounds of the first question, never realizing it also means the second.

Click to expand...

This isn't merely about offending people. It's violating the rights of others in imposing religious preaching at a secular, non-religious event, where a people from a variety of faiths, or none, must be accomodated and respected.

Violating the rights of others is never moral, no matter what the justification.

sccs said:

From a Biblical perspective, what makes a church a church? In addition to the worshipping of God, the assembly of the peoples and the equipping of the saints through faithful preaching of the Word, many also include the observing of the sacraments or ordinances, namely baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Why is the observation of these two sacraments/ordinances considered necessary for a church? If there was a house church that did not observe these sacraments, would they not be considered a church?

Conversely, is it possible to observe these sacraments outside of the context of a local church assembly? For example, at a wedding, during a family devotional, at a youth conference?

Click to expand...

`For where 2 or 3 are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.` (Matt. 18: 20)

Christ the Head and His Body of which we are members.

Man`s organizations that put on public meetings are of man. They can have some benefit but the actual `Church` the Body of Christ, (Eph. 1: 22 & 23) are the believers as they gather by the Holy Spirit in daily life. (Eph. 4: 15 & 16)

Michie said:

Well he admitted he broke an agreement with the school. He should never made an agreement if he did not intend to follow it.

Click to expand...

I guess.

Chrystal-J said:

If he had said "Pride month is great", he would of gotten an award.

Click to expand...

Exactly.

Larniavc said:

So why are the GOP not impeaching Mr Biden?

Click to expand...

Maybe they're just really nice guys and don't want to hurt Joe Biden by making the evidence public.

Tuur said:

The topic title brought to mind a passage in Daniel. It's not anything new and apparently not unusual.

I wish there was a religious revival in the US, another Great Awakening. Unfortunately, I've all but lost hope.

Click to expand...

It will probably not happen, until Christ returns. But remember, we are citizens of Heaven as Christians, so in a few decades when our bodies fail us, we will be up there with Jesus, and no longer have to deal with dark forces.

tonychanyt said:

Thanks for your comments. I edited the OP. Take another look. Thanks

Click to expand...

Now... You earned this.... It is HARD to surrender to Scriptural implications, when one is a committed Theologian and goes an entire direction on a matter then have to one-line and change directions!

Let it be known, that Tonychanyt places scripture above all things UNDER Jesus Christ, who is his First Love and Passion! This is a man who handles scripture with HONESTY!

I, a very specifically difficult person to get these words out of towards a Theologian mean every word of this! I hereby recognize that Tony is Humble with scripture... and Though we are all fallible... and ONLY Jesus Christ and God Breathed by the Holy Spirit of Christ scripture itself is ironclad... it is inspiring to see a fellow Theologian allow scripture to interpret scripture!

All Love in Jesus Christ to you, my Bother and Friend in Him, who Tabernacles within you!

essentialsaltes said:

Here's another relevant metaphor:

Tragedy of the commons​

The tragedy of the commons is a metaphoric label for a concept that is widely discussed, and criticised, in economics, ecology and other sciences. According to the concept, should a number of people enjoy unfettered access to a finite, valuable resource such as a pasture, they will tend to over-use it, and may end up destroying its value altogether. Even if some users exercised voluntary restraint, the other users would merely supplant them, the predictable result being a tragedy for all.

Click to expand...

A Homeowner Mutiny in Florida Is Leaving the State More Vulnerable to Hurricanes​

The town’s only protection from the Gulf of Mexico’s increasingly erratic stormsis a pristine beach that draws millions of tourists every year — but that beach is disappearing fast. A series of storms, culminating in last fall’s Hurricane Idalia, have eroded most of the sand that protects Redington Shores and the towns around it, leaving residents just one big wave away from water overtaking their homes.

This standoff highlights growing tensions between the federal government and homeowners in coastal areas that are threatened by climate change. As sea levels have risen and strong storms have caused greater damage than ever before, the costs of protecting and insuring beach fronts in Florida and other states have increased rapidly.

The Corps put the easement policy in place decades ago to ensure that it didn’t spend public money to restore private beaches, but the agency didn’t begin enforcing the rule in earnest until after Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

In the years since, the agency has warned Pinellas County and other local governments that they won’t get any more sand unless they get easements from all the property owners on their beaches. The Corps says it first raised the issue with Pinellas back in 2017, but tensions started rising last year after Idalia eroded the area’s beaches to a dangerous degree, creating a desperate need for new protective sand.

Pinellas County officials tried their best to obtain these easements, even going from door to door and pleading with residents to “sign for sand.” Nevertheless, around half of the 461 property owners along the barrier island have refused to grant them.

Owners’ reasons for refusing easements are numerous, but most cite a fear that granting public access to the sand behind their property will encourage tourists to venture up on their dunes or sit on the sea walls behind their homes. Sure, they can’t stop tourists and beachgoers from using the beach that sits between the erosion line and the water [which is already free for the public to access] — but they don’t want them coming any closer.

“For a lot of people, the privacy is more important to them than the risk of destruction,”

tonychanyt said:

It depends on the individual.

Titus 2:


1 Peter 5:


Strong's Greek: 3525. νήφω (néphó) — 6 Occurrences

HELPS Word-studies:


1 Thessalonians 5:


When one is no longer sober-minded and has lost control, then he is drunk.

How do we judge that?

The line is not clear-cut. There are some grey areas.

Some Jews wrongfully accused Jesus of being a drunkard, Matthew 11:


We should not be too quick to accuse someone of being drunk or intoxicated.

John 2:


We don't want to be party poopers on special occasions Jesus was there, and he graciously provided even more wine to continue the merrymaking.

Were people at that wedding drunk?

No. That's another picture.

Proverbs 23 paints a more serious situation:


That is a habitual drunkard losing his mind and his feelings.

1 Corinthians 6:


A person who practices being drunk as his lifestyle will not end well.

Similar reasoning can be applied to psychedelic drugs.

Can a high dose of psychedelics open doorways to the demonic?

Yes.

Click to expand...

It depends on where you wake up?

I kid, I kid...

Michie said:

Most Americans back Harrison Butker expressing his beliefs: Rasmussen

A majority of Americans approve of Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker expressing his religious and moral beliefs during a recent graduation speech at a Catholic school

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

So, if a majority of Americans support Harrison Butker for preaching Christianity, then no one should judge this football player.

essentialsaltes said:

The question is not about pro-life opinions, but the promotion of "abortion pill reversal"

The only clinical trial conducted to evaluate APR had to be halted due to concerns about patient safety. Major medical associations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have cautioned that APR is not backed by science and does not meet clinical standards.

Heartbeat and the 11 crisis pregnancy centers named in Attorney General James’ lawsuit aggressively advertise APR on their websites, social media, and other promotional materials using false and misleading claims that lead patients to think that APR is a proven and safe treatment with minimal risks, despite the lack of reliable scientific evidence

These false and misleading statements constitute persistent fraud and illegality under Executive Law 63(12) and deceptive business and false advertising practices in violation of sections 349 and 350 of the General Business Law.

Click to expand...

This is true. In fact, Healthline, a medical magazine, says that APR is impossible. While I do not support abortion (unless emergency where mother and fetus are at high risk), we must also be wary about experimental APR pills. In other words, if one regrets taking an abortion pill (such as mifepristone and misopristol), it is irreversible. Also, just for one to know, abortion pills are different from Plan B pills.