Month: July 2015

I Do Not Know!

28 “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” ~ John 5:28-29

Have you ever looked at your child and truly have no clue what they’re thinking? Have you ever looked at a co-worker and thought, “This person has totally lost their mind!” Have you ever wondered what makes people do the things that they do? In today’s special blog posting I wanted to put forward an idea that is not new but rather very straightforward and more logical than we would like to admit. That simple idea is that none of us have any clue of what’s going to happen in our future or what happens after we die. And that idea scares the hell out of everyone of us! Sin is such a major part of our lives and we hear almost on a daily basis from so called men and women of faith which sins will get us condemned forever. I was thinking not to long ago how thinking about sin is equal to walking in a mind field, take the wrong step and bam you are gone forever! Shortly after I had that thought I heard on the radio ministers talking about after life, and how some people have had “life after death” experiences then wrote about them, only to later admit after selling thousands of books and making hundreds of thousands of dollars that they made it all up. In that I know those authors may have been influenced by money but even still is money worth risking your immortal soul? “What are they thinking if death is not the end of life?” John tells us very plainly that those of us who have lived good honest lives even though dead will come to life once more to God and eternal happiness, but those who have done evil will come back to a life of judgement. If this is true then we must also assume logically speaking that when we die we are dead, or asleep as Jesus puts it, and only until we are all called do we live again at some future date. For the critics why believe in this crazy idea of judgement or even life after death or salvation of the soul anyway? I mean doesn’t that make a person live under a gloomy cloud always knowing that sin is real but is the punish also real? Death in a way is a punishment for sin isn’t it? Or is death just a natural process of life as scientists like to tell us? What should we believe in this age of technology and modern day miracles anyway? What I would like to assert on these points is history. We should believe in the resurrection of Christ as an example of our own impending resurrection, because John himself faced death for his faith in the risen Christ by being boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. But yet through his faith was he delivered, only to later be sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. It was here that John has visions of what life was like after death, and what the ultimate judgments of sin where within the Book of Revelations. Being set free John then became the Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. John was the only apostle saved from martyrdom. John was once a fisherman catching fish, and was transformed into a fisher of men! I use John as the example because it was John who told us what to expect after we die and he got his information directly from our Lord Jesus Christ who was risen on the third day.

28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” ~ Matthew 10:28

“Because the Bible says so doesn’t make it real!” How often have you heard this? I would be rich if I received a penny every time someone said this to me. The idea that John would be willing to die for his faith in Christ allows me to make that jump in faith that indeed there is life after death and because I tried all my life to do good, I will be resurrected to life and not judgement. But, I can not prove it true and that very fact is what faith is all about. Matthew’s testimony is also very appealing because it assures us that no man no matter how powerful or cruel can not take away or kill our life force, or our immortal soul. The cloud of impending gloom and doom of judgement should be lifted with this assurance, because again Matthew, like John got his information directly from the risen Christ Jesus. Matthew also goes one step further however and gives a purpose of there being a Hell, which is to destroy both resurrected body and soul. I think what also makes these scriptures relevant in our age of technology is that no matter how smart we get as a species we will never unlock all the mysteries of God. Thus, I would argue in the light of this truth it is easy to understand why all the disciples of Christ never once denounced their faith in Jesus even when it was obviously leading them to martyrdom. In fact they all did exactly what Jesus had also done years before. Faith was the core to their strength and unity and it was based on truth because a lie about the resurrection would eventually fall apart and be discounted, yet the truth has span two thousand years and is still a matter of faith for millions.

13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” ~

I tell you now my brothers and sisters that the time has not come and we have a sliver within the eternal calendar of God to get our lives right before God. We who are alive have a responsibility to build the best model of faith for our young, to be the greatest generation leaving behind a better place than what we found it. We are called to leave behind the negative attitudes of our ancestors, walk away from their petty differences and prejudices and instead live as one race with God and rejoice in His splendor for He is our creator and our Lord of Lords, King of Kings. We do these things without doubt as we have all the teachings before us to have ample faith in God, and it is assured over and over that live does not end after death, but what I and you shall find I will admit I do not know, but yet I still believe and so should you. Never again wonder about what others do, think, or feel as there is a reason that is a mystery kept from us as God Himself has kept some things as a mystery known only to Him.

Amen,

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God Bless America?

9 “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” ~ Titus 3:9

Political Candidates in America today love to say when it benefits them the most these three words, “GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Most of them do not attend church regularly on Sundays, and most of them supported voting out the Ten Commandments from public government buildings. But where they shot themselves in the foot is taking religion out of the public school system and stopping the flag solute. According to Titus of the old testament all of these issues where fools errands! Yet if you look hard enough as our politicians preach their message in this years run-up to the Presidency you will not hear anything about God except when it benefits them! I urge everyone to look at each candidates record while they served in public office, look hard at what they voted for or against, and compare that to the Bible, how did they represent our Lord and Savor, how did they protect the rights we fought and died for when creating this great nation in the first place? Ask yourselves if their views on such issues as abortion, gay rights, immigration, helping third world nations, war, the homeless within our own country, veterans benefits, education, ill trained police, racism and racial profiling, economics, and / or protecting our religious beliefs in America today is in line with your beliefs. Ask will they stand up when the time comes to fix these problems and address these social issues which are completely against our God? Will any of them stop their foolish talk, their controversial opinions, cease and subsist the stupid quarrels about the laws they have passed and / or are trying to pass, and admit that these activities are fools errands!

17 “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” ~ 1 Peter 2:17

Think for a moment on how controversial this was when Peter said it. “Honor the emperor.” Honor a man who forced many christians underground and who killed thousands of christians and for a few well-known ones were made into martyrs through this gruesome process?  For them to stand up for the issue of the day was also in line with defending God, preaching the gospel as Jesus instructed them and us to do. For us the idea of “Honor the emperor” is a command to honor our leaders,  pray for them and ask God to give them the wisdom to make decisions that affect us all in a meaningful way. My criticism is strictly based within defending God, defending the Bible, and defending what our founders fathers fought for because again they all where religious men who honored everyone, they loved their brothers and in doing so they all where God-fearing people. That generation that sparked a revolution did so within their righteous indignation and we all could use some of their spunk, focus, and drive. God is the master, the creator, the alpha and omega, He alone protects us and is the source of all wisdom. With that said Peter was also saying in a very indirect way to “Honor your God the Holy Father which resides in Heaven!”  That statement back then as now is controversial; it is an idea that if preached allowed could get some arrested, imprisoned, beaten, and even killed over. But ironically our politicians and presidential hopefuls can spread a line of craps for as far as the eyes can see, some of which becomes policy and which harms millions and no one gets into trouble for it, none of them get arrested, convicted, jailed, beaten, or even killed over it! In fact few of them ever really give too much thought to what they say because ninety-nine percent of it is after all just how the “game of politics” is played. No one has to agree anymore, and in this standoff millions of people lose their jobs and even lose their houses. Few if any of them can really say they have protected Gods Children, protected the country, protected the sanctity of marriage, and protected our economic standing in the world by fighting for these things in the trenches. For many of them who shall remain nameless in this post but I will explore their past in future postings, can not tell the American people that they have any experience in defending God’s people because they are to focused on defending their own self-interest. Now is that someone you want running Gods nation?  To be honest; I thought I would never say this let alone write this, but I agree with Donald Trump on only one of his comments and I am a Democrat. Politicians aren’t going to make our country great again, “Politicians are never going to solve all the problems we have. They’re too deep-seeded.” ~ Donald Trump April 2015, WMD.  Donald Trump also recently stated that, “He argued ‘the greatest social program is a job,’ vowing to be ‘the greatest jobs president that God ever created.’” ~ JUNE 16, 2015, BY , again this statement is one example of  how potential presidential hopefuls use God in their sentences when it benefits them the most, again another promise to get the votes that is coming from a person who does not need a job!”

34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” ~ Proverbs 14:34

To define the most harmful sin in America today is that of  gay marriage and most of our politicians though they oppose it in private applaud it in public.  Their sin is to stand by and watch as a sinful act is happening, and those who live the life of a gay person their sin equals that of an abomination against God in the highest order. Sin does not beget good but rather the opposite, sin begets sin until stopped! Therefore, there is no righteousness within homosexuality, there is nothing honorable in this life style that people enter into out of a personal choice. Yet these people would like God’s people to ignore the sin and embrace their culture of continuous sinning while looking away with a blind eye; within that forcing Gods people into sin also. The web of sin demeans humanity which the devil hates with all his unrighteous being and tricks us into hating ourselves, tricking our morality into impure acts against God, and in this humanity has no more respect for itself and thus we being the long decline into tearing ourselves apart. Lies is the devils practice that which brought many great nations into ruin. We only have to look back into history to see the politics of  Egypt, Israel, Greece, Roman, the Soviet Union, Germany, and so many other countries in the ancient past and within the last seventy-five years which all have fallen from some sort of perversion within the hearts and minds of the people, sin that was allowed to flourish unchecked and without question by the leaders whose sole focus was to gain power and popularity. For our own politicians there is a stark reminder of how fragile righteousness is and how it can lift up a people into a super power, and how quick sin can; be it personal or on a national level, bring that nation to ruin. To not stand up and address modern-day sin in our political system, in our religious organizations, and in or modern culture is tantamount to ignoring it for profit, and in the eyes of God there is no greater sin even if that sin is an abomination in the highest order because to some degree it takes national buy in from everyone. When this happens we can see the corrosion on our national and social programs such as education, jobs, and the denigration of our american nuclear families which leads to higher crime and imprisonment of our nations youth. To ignore social issues is a sin simply put and I personally do not see any 1%er defending Gods people from any of these problems by fighting in the trenches with us rather they secretly work against us as they make all the profits then boast that they are richer than snot! I ask you all my brothers and sisters how this is a prerequisite to the presidency?

13 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” ~ Luke 16:13

Politics in America today is about money, our politicians use money from donations and if they are wealthy enough their own money to fund their campaigns. Long dead is the poor man and his aspirations to become President unless he has the right connections, with the wealthiest of Americans, and spouts all the right things that will get him or her elected. This is the political game as fueled by political capital. Ironically everyone loves an underdog, but no one loves a liar, yet capitol hill is filled with them. Long dead is wisdom for there is nothing which has come out of our government lately (past 15 years) that resembles wisdom. I mentioned above how no one has to agree anymore, but yet to not agree constantly is viewed to be strong. I remember the day when disagreeing with purpose was honorable but only if it led to some sort of resolution. But now to disagree to make money is the popular thing, I just want to remind every one of the past Government shut down, the fanaticism of some in the conservative party who pushed this country into a lower credit rating all while keeping their jobs, their pay, their positions, and who are now running for President on a record of moral depravity that stretches all the way to hell and back! Again we cannot elect morally bankrupt leaders no more than you would want a morally bankrupt teacher, priest, social worker, judge, or even a police offer.  To do so is tantamount to looking the other way when there is someone directly in front of you who is in need of your help but because it’s not a popular thing to do you continue to ignore their pleas. There is real repercussions to our votes and to vote without wisdom is unacceptable as each vote needs to held as sacredly as those who fought and died to create this nation. In fact we need to look at this right to vote as a holy duty and we all need to pray very hard in asking God to guide us when we contemplate on who to vote for. No one can serve two masters and if this is your creed then God will be what is in your heart because honestly God is who you honor in all your actions.

Amen

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THE PILGRIM SHEPARD

A very honored friend and Catholic Priest; Father Thomas Welbers is going on another Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Below is the general announcement that he published on his blog; The Pilgrim Shepard.

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Meet Fr. Tom!

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