Know Velocity

Value: The story of the Fall Everything was just fine for Stanley in the Garden of Eden. He was a harmless little snake and just like all the other animal children, he just wanted to play with the mongoose and the lambs and the turtles and the mice. See in the Garden of Eden, none of the animals were enemies so they all played together all day long. That is how it will be in heaven too. Stanley loved foot races with the Cheetah. Oh, I forgot to mention that snakes had legs and feet in the Garden of Eden too. Well, everything was peaceful and fun and loving in the garden until one day, all of a sudden, the garden became very dark. The animals scurried about to try to figure out what was going wrong. “What is it?” Stanley pleaded with his best friend Morris the Mongoose. “Something is wrong with the Garden.” Morris cried out. “But we should find Adam. He will know what to do.” Stanley said trying to calm his friend. “That’s just the problem.” Morris yelled as they ran. “Adam and Eve caused the trouble.” They joined the throng of animals all rushing to the center of the garden, the great tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Suddenly they stopped as the ridge that surrounded the center of the garden where God always walked and played with his humans was filled with animals. There stood God, majestic and awesome as always. Before him stood Adam and on her knees behind Adam was Eve and she was weeping, something nobody had ever seen before since there never was any sorrow in the perfect garden. Then off a ways was a very strange beast. It was a snake but not a sweet snake like Stanley and his brothers and cousins. This snake was huge, swelled up like he was full of bad things and he was hissing and snorting like he had been angry since the dawn of time. “Do you know him Stanley?” Doris the Dove said landing on Stanley’s head.

Source: Noetic Science

Filed at 10:59 pm under A Life Of Religion, Counseling
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Missional living is definitely a popular saying that is anywhere you look these days. The fact that we have to title bodies of Christ, missional, has forever been a tiny bit odd to me. I mean, shouldnt all church buildings be missional in their very character? it should be expected from a church, at its very base, yearn to introduce their culture and neighborhood with the message of Jesus as a missionary would in a another country? Isnt what the church buildings is instructed to do in the sending out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19? Our own local area requires this type of church. Austin church is slowly moving to what Christ instructed in the Gospels.

The messiah gives the command in Acts 1:8 saying, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 justifies this concept as, right before Jesus Christ rises to Heaven, He points the disciples on a story that would begin right in their individual community. He begins with their area of Jerusalem, and then broadens the call to the many parts of the creation.

As Christians, we are not called to isolation, but to be missional followers of Jesus who are aggressively going out and going to areas right where they are with the gospel. We have seen this throughout history: God urges Abraham on a mission to exit his place of origin and his people and go to the town that God would show him (Gen. 12:1), God sends Moses on a story to rescue an enslaved people and lead them to joy (Exodus 3:8-10), God urges Jesus on a story to globe to bring back all things to Himself through the cross (Colossians 1:20). And now God is sending us on a story to engage areas, cities, tribes, and even nations with the gospel(Matt. 28:19 Mark 6:7 Luke 10:1 John 20:21 Acts 1:8). If we dont respond to this encouragement and continue to display the bodies of Christ like a private country club ” requesting that people fix their performance, pay their fees, and come to our building God will continue His journey without us.

Filed at 12:06 am under A Life Of Religion
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2nd Samuel Chapters 11 – 19

All Scripture references taken from the “Good News Bible.”

King David may have been a man who passionately loved God, but his family life often was in shambles. A study of his life reveals that, among his children, there was immorality, fratricide, treason and even the rape of a brother against a sister.

The rebellious treason of David’s son, Absolom, against his father resulted in the temporary overthrow of David from his throne and his son declaring himself king of Israel. Fearing for his life at the hand of Absolom, the king fled Jerusalem, while the generals of his armies, the brothers, Joab and Abishai, led the troops still loyal to the king against Absolom and his rebels.

Absolom was an exceptionally handsome young man with very long hair. The battle went bad for the rebels and, as Absolom was fleeing astride a mule, his flowing hair caught in the branches of a tree. The mule sped on, leaving the young rebel helplessly hanging by his hair. One of David’s men saw what happened.

“Sir,” he reported to Joab, “I saw Absolom hanging in an oak tree.”

“Why didn’t you kill him on the spot? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt.”

“Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I wouldn’t lift a finger against the king’s son. We all heard the king command you . . . ‘For my sake, don’t harm the young man, Absolom.’ But if I had disobeyed the king, and killed Absolom, the king would have heard about it . . . and you would not have defended me.”

Then ten of Joab’s men went and killed Absolom. Hearing of his son’s death, despite Joab’s protests, David mourned and wept for his son. He afterward sent a message to the chief priests in Jerusalem, asking, “Why should you be the last to help bring back the king to his palace? You are my relatives [brethren - KJV], my own flesh and blood; why should you be the last to bring me back?” (2nd Samuel 19:11-12)

According to the above Bible passages, David had fled Jerusalem to avoid being assassinated by his son Absolom, who coveted the throne. Crossing the Jordan River, David waited there until a report came of Absolom’s defeat. He dispatched a message to some of his subjects who had remained unharmed in Jerusalem. The message was directed to the leaders of the tribe of Judah – David’s own tribe – his own relatives, which in essence asked, “Why haven’t you expressed a desire for my return? Why haven’t you brought me back to be your king? I’m waiting for you to bring me back.”

There are some lukewarm believers who have permitted Absoloms to ascend to the thrones of their hearts. These Absoloms cause their hearts to rebel against Jesus Christ, He who is the rightful King. To such a believer, through the voice of the Holy Spirit, Christ asks, “When are you going to bring me back? I’m waiting to once again return as King of your heart and life. Are you going to be the last to bring me back?”

Yes, you are a Christian. Yes Jesus Christ is your Savior. Yes, you love Him. But you nonetheless are holding something back from Him. You have not made Him your King. So, is it any wonder that the voice of the Holy Spirit reminds you that Jesus Christ desires to be welcomed back as King? He’s waiting for you to dedicate yourself completely to Him.

Some time back, this writer read an unusually interesting article titled, “The Home of Forgotten Kings.” It explained how kings who had been overthrown fled to a certain place for refuge to await the possibility that they might one day be invited to return to power. To this end, their overriding concern was the political developments of their former kingdoms.

Jesus Christ also waits in the hope that those who spiritually have sent Him to The Home of Forgotten Kings, will soon call for Him to return. What will determine such a return is the spiritual condition of one’s heart.

The Old Testament records that, initially, God’s perfect plan for the nation of Israel was that He was to be their king, but instead Israel wanted a human king. “We want to be like other nations. Give us a king!” So God did so, but not before He warned them of the dire consequences of their choice. Just as God had warned, Israel experienced the distressing consequences. After winning a war against a determined enemy, Saul, Israel’s first king, disobeyed God’s command that all of the captured enemy booty was to be destroyed. Israel was to claim nothing of it for itself. Saul also disobeyed the order to not offer sacrifices himself, but to wait until the prophet Samuel came to do so. He was a headstrong king, who always attempted to excuse his sinful actions. Though there were several good kings in the history of Israel, many more were depraved apostates who took to worshiping pagan gods. They had sent God to The Home of Forgotten Kings, and ultimately were conquered by the very nations whose false idol gods they had adopted.

Webster’s definition of a king is: “A person who is a hereditary sovereign.” Such a person rules by right of birth. Jesus Christ, the heavenly Lord, is such a sovereign who rules by right of birth; He is a King by birthright.

There is a story of a seminary professor who shocked his students by declaring, “I’m in God’s second best will!”

He went on to explain that, when he was only a young preacher, God called him as a foreign missionary to a certain nation. But he had just received a good job and he rebelled against the call. Eventually, that particular nation closed its doors to more missionaries.

“I refused to go, and so now I’m in God’s second best will,” he sadly repeated.

What had happened to the professor? He had sent Christ to The Home of Forgotten Kings. He had forgotten that Jesus Christ was his King by birthright. The results may not always be so drastic, but to dethrone Christ from our hearts for even a short while is a dangerous thing to do.

John Wesley used to tell of how united his parents were an almost everything, until one day a division occurred in Britain. Some wanted Prince Charles to rule; others were in favor of the Prince of Orange. Wesley’s parents were on opposite sides of the issue. One day the senior Wesley was going to London on church business and he noticed his wife was not preparing to go with him.

“Why are you not preparing to travel to London with me?”

“Because I do not think Prince Charles should be king,” his wife replied.

Hearing this, her husband responded, “Then we cannot live together; we must sleep in different beds. If we have two kings, we must have two beds.” He left and did not return until Prince Charles was on the throne.

Drastic? Of course, but the John Wesley’s story reveals the intense loyalty some persons have to an earthly ruler. They are willing to leave home, family and friends out of loyalty to earthly rulers of their choice. This being so, how much more loyal should believers be to Christ, the Ruler of the eternal ages? Our king has not asked us leave our families without means of support, as the senior Wesley did with his. However, He has asked that we propagate His saving mission and soon return as King over all.

The former emperors of China and Japan had men who were their exact doubles. At banquets and social affairs, in order to protect their lords, these doubles would often take their places. To accomplish this duty, they underwent rigorous training to perfectly imitate the emperor. So honored did they consider themselves at being chosen for the potentially dangerous task, that the danger meant nothing to them. They would have gladly sacrificed their lives for their emperor.

Believers have a king whom they must imitate. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Be imitators of me, as I am an imitator of Christ.” A hymnist has written: “King of my life I crown Thee now. Thine shall the glory be. Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow, lead me to Calvary.” [Hymn: Lead Me to Calvary, by Jennie Evelyn Hussy; 1874 - 1958: and William J. Kirkpatrict, 1838 - 1921].

Earthly kings are crowned with incredible pomp and pageant in a palace or a cathedral. Our king is crowned as King of our lives at the foot of the cross – at Calvary. His hands are nail scarred, as are His feet. His side is spear-gashed and His brow imprinted where thorns pressed His head. Such is the crucified and risen King we take as our own at the foot of the cross.

Some time ago, a navy ship was sailing the high seas, when it received an S.O.S call from a sinking ship. Speeding to the distressed ship, the navy ship found men floundering in the ocean. Assuming command of a section of the rescue team, the chaplain ordered, “Throw everything that will float overboard to these men!”

His men did so, and one sailor tossed overboard the chaplain’s portable wooden altar that had a cross attached to its top. As it floated with the cross clearly visible above the waves, the sailor shouted to the floundering men, “Cling to the cross! Cling to the cross and be saved!”

Yes, that is the call to all who have not sent for the King of kings to return to their hearts from the home of forgotten kings.

Cling to the cross; Cling to the cross and be saved!
-30-

© Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
Josprel@verizon.net

Filed at 9:14 am under A Life Of Religion
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The statement has been made that the Bible is so full of conflicting assertions and contradictions that it is impossible to comprehend. The Bible was written by average people like you and me but they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guided them in what to write and say. The Holy Sprit is from God. John 14:26; 16:13. So since God is perfect and all knowing He can’t be the one to cause all of our modern day confusion.

Society is confused because there are so many different doctrines you don’t know which one to believe. So if we are saying there are no contradictions in the bible then how do you figure out who is right and who is wrong? To begin with you have to know when it was written, the audience, who it was written for and to as well as knowing under what conditions it was written. Just like any story if you can use the what, when, where, why and how that you learned in school it makes it easier to understand. The Bible being a puzzling book to some degree each chapter is in complete harmony with one another. To know who is right or wrong the doctrine cannot disagree with the purpose of the Bible as a whole. If a person, doctrine or theory disagrees with any point then one or all could be wrong.

It’s no wonder that the world is in a constant upheaval about Christianity. There are so many denominations no one knows who or what to believe. I don’t think that God intended it to be this way. In New Testament times there weren’t all the denominations that we have in our present day. There was only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. Ephesians 4:5. Today we have many faiths, churches all teaching something different, creeds and baptisms. God is not a God of confusion but of peace. I Corinthians 14:33. The 1st century Christians were instructed by the apostle Paul to agree and that there were to be no divisions among them but yet there are so many divisions today. I Corinthians 1:10. The problem is if the early Christians were told to agree is it possible today in the 21st century? The point I would like to make is if it isn’t God and the Bible, then who is the author of confusion.

The confusion is going to continue until Christians get back to the basics. Some believe a certain way because that’s the way they have been brought up or it’s the popular viewpoint. Christians need to start examining the church they attend as well as their own beliefs. They shouldn’t just accept something because that’s the way everyone believes about a subject especially concerning end times. End time type of preachers has some scared into a tizzy. When something is said you should be like the Christians of Berea as described in the book of Acts. They took the time to search the scriptures to see if what they were being told was true. Acts 17:11. The apostle John also said to test the spirits to see if they were from God. He says to not believe everything you hear. I John 4:1. In other words examine what you are being told and if you cannot find it in the scriptures then it has to be rejected. In first century times they foretold the fact that Christians would fall away from the faith and find teachers who would preach what they wanted to hear rather than what the truth is. I Timothy 4:1-5; 6:3-4; II Timothy 4:1-5.

I challenge you today to start examining your beliefs as I do everyday. Having an open mind to the possibility of being wrong will be the hardest challenge. If you can overcome that then I am sorry to say it’s still uphill from there but at least the hardest test will be over. When examining scripture don’t twist it to make it agree with what you believe but rather read it to understand what to believe. Using a lot of common sense goes a long way. Lastly don’t take my word for it get your paper, pens, highlighters and examine the scriptures also everything I have said as well. Come now and let us reason together. Isaiah 1:18.

Christine Bettridge has had a love for writing since childhood. She has written plays, poetry, articles and her latest e-book has created excitement in the religious world, End Time Secrets can be found at http://endtimesecrets.com.

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Why was Jesus crucified? Because His gospel was highly politicized. It had everything to do with GOVERNMENT! God’s people would do well to note that fact. His enemies accused Him of sedition. They distorted His Message to make it appear He was out to overthrow the government! (John 19:12). They led the rulers to believe Jesus was a dangerous individual, a real threat to public order and national security (John 11:48). Jesus had to be stopped! Both the political and religious authorities turned on Christ.

Why was Stephen murdered? Should he have just kept his opinions to himself? He blasted the religious establishment for their hypocrisy. Although he spoke the plain truth, they confused the issue by taking his words out of context. He undoubtedly did tell them that Jerusalem was going to fall and the Temple was going to be destroyed – just like Jesus prophesied – if they didn’t quickly change course (Acts 6:8-15). He was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin (their religious court). They angrily condemned him to die for being so blunt (Acts 7).

I read the Book of Acts, making it much more meaningful and relevant, during my detention in Jerusalem’s Russian Compound jail. If you examine the evidence surrounding Paul’s frequent arrests and imprisonments, you’ll see a pattern of trumped up charges, misunderstandings and misguided zeal. It’s a miracle that Paul didn’t say “enough is enough” and quit. But God used him to provide for us a very human example, since we expect Jesus to act divine (I Tim. 1:16).

Many in jail proclaim their innocence, but God knows that I was an innocent politico-religious prisoner. The Leftist government in Israel was out to crush their opposition. As a Christian member of the Temple Mount Faithful, I represent all that the secular hate. I’ve been involved in many televised demonstrations to remind the government of its biblical responsibilities. Whether they listen or not is between them and God.

Living by Faith

The Israeli settlers whom Gerald Flurry (pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God) once condemned are putting their lives on the line. By living in Eretz Israel (the Land of Israel) they are exercising their faith in God’s Word that promises the Holy Land to Israel, not Ishmael. How cowardly for Gerald Flurry to throw rocks at their faith when he sits safe in his comfortable office in democratic America. God help him (and all the other Church leaders) to wake up to this aspect of the Bible of which too many remain ignorant. Thankfully, from subsequent articles in The Philadelphia Trumpet magazine it appears Mr. Flurry’s understanding has improved.

God’s people won’t suffer the prophesied persecution (not that we’re seeking it) until we take a PUBLIC STAND on religious matters that have political ramifications, just like Jesus and the apostles and prophets. It’s an artificial separation between politics and religion. God’s one government has two branches: Church and State (Malachi 4:4-5).

Spiritual issues are fought in the political arena of men’s minds (2 Cor. 10:4). Whether we recognize it or not, our Israelite nations are engaged in a cultural war. Unless we join the struggle, promoting the biblical platform that pierces through the mental fog, how can we expect to be in any position to help influence our nation’s direction away from the precipice (Rom. 10:14)? God’s Church has a superficial understanding when they fail to put God’s truth into practice and take political action (James 2:14-17)!

I was detained for a righteous reason. I’m closely associated with those who call for a return to biblical values. We uphold God’s Law as our true Constitution. We plead with Judah (and Joseph) to obey God and not men; to put their trust in Him and not fear the UN; to restore the Temple Mount as the Temple Mount. If the Jews fail to listen to this opportunity for restoration, they’ll self-destruct, falling apart at the seams. Israel faces the growing threat of a civil war and European intervention!

Warning the Jews

My enemies (if you don’t have any, God is your enemy), knowing that I’ve written that the mosques must go – the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aksa mosques – have falsely accused me of being in a plot to destroy those beautiful abominations! It’s the serpent up to his old tricks, telling half-truths and mixing it with outrageous lies. I did tell the GSS (Israel’s Secret Police like the former East German Stasi) that I was thankful for the opportunity to clear the air and answer any questions. I didn’t want to incriminate myself in any way – and they did try to entrap me – but I also didn’t want to deny Christ the opportunity to testify before them (Mark 12:13).

All the while during my six and a half hours of interrogation, I prayed only to speak what God would have me to say; nothing more or less (Luke 20:12-19). I did clearly warn them that the “peace” process is a trap; that it’s about to blow up in their faces, and that a German-led Europe is going to wage a new crusade to enforce the Vatican’s version of peace. Catholic Europe will backstab and betray both the Arabs and the Jews. They’ll push for Jerusalem to become “an international city” (Zech. 14:2), all under the cover of UN Resolution 181.

I maintained that the only explosives that I’m involved with is the bombshell I’ve written, Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. I continually referred them to it, stating that’s where my beliefs are on public record (John 18:20). (Later I gave them a computer disk with my book on it to assist their alleged investigation). I told them I know that Israel won’t take God’s warning seriously, any more than those Jews who spurned Jabotinsky’s efforts to save them from Hitler. (Ze’ev Jabotinksy warned the Jews of Hitler’s fury but they thought he was just crying wolf). Nevertheless, God will intervene and save us after our worst time of suffering, and every survivor in Jerusalem will be holy.

That whole ordeal brought my name, and the fact that I’ve written a book, and that I’m a Sabbath-keeping Christian member of the Temple Mount Faithful, to Israel’s attention (Philip. 1:12-14). It also increases my standing in the Jewish community who know I’ve willing to suffer to help try to save Israel from itself, and that I’m not bitter, but still expect Israeli citizenship. I’ve proven that I’m not a fair-weather friend. I plan on standing by Judah’s side, even when they fall because they’ve refused to take the necessary actions to insure “Never Again.” (Isa. 49:5; I Sam. 12:23).

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer in Ohio and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out Beyond Babylon.

Filed at 10:42 am under A Life Of Religion
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The book, Deceptive Diagnosis: When Sin is Called Sickness, explores the major shift in how Christian evangelicals view and deal with sin. The authors, Dr. David Tyler and Dr. Kurt Grady, believe that the Church stopped calling sinful and deviant behavior “sin,” and started calling it “sickness” beginning in the mid 1960’s. The sexual sinner Apostle Paul wrote about became the sex addict. The thief became the kleptomaniac. The drunkard became the alcoholic. The rebellious child became afflicted with “Oppositional Defiant Disorder.” A family in which the husband will not work, the wife will not keep the home, and the children will not obey is no longer considered sinful; it is dysfunctional. The liar became a compulsive liar. The gambler became a compulsive gambler. The “deeds of the flesh, which are immorality impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing” (Galatians 5:19-21) were all redefined using psychopathological words.

Tyler and Grady believe the landscape of evangelicalism today is very disturbing. Christians have jettisoned their commitment to the Bible and embraced psychology. Biblical definitions and categories have changed and a new vocabulary has emerged within the Church. Behaviors and attitudes once regarded as sinful have undergone a dramatic change. Sin is called sickness and confessing sin has been replaced with recovering from sickness. The word “sin” has nearly disappeared from our vocabulary. As such, the impact of the Gospel to a non-believer is less pronounced and the need for progressive sanctification in the believer is minimized. Although we try to make ourselves feel better by calling sin by another name, it is always there. It never fully goes away.

“Deceptive Diagnosis” claims that in 1946 the federal government took responsibility for promoting American’s mental health. Some of the initiatives included the National Mental Health Act (1946), the National Institute of Mental Heath (1949), the National Mental Health Study Act (1955), and the creation of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health (1955). It was believed that American society would be dramatically transformed with the building of new mental health centers, the incorporation of training programs as well as countless locations disseminating mental health principles. On February 5, 1963 President John F. Kennedy delivered a national speech on mental health. He referred to mental health as the nation’s number one health problem. In order to confront what was considered a mental health care crisis, Kennedy signed into law the Community Mental Health Centers Act on October 31, 1963. This gave Federal Government backing to the diseasing of America and calling sin sickness. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter organized the Commission on Mental Health. The agency studied the state of the nation’s mental heath and concluded a quarter of all Americans needed mental health services. In the 1980’s an eruption of twelve step programs provided a disease label for virtually anyone who wanted one. The television talk shows capitalized on and added to the success and growth of the disease model. From Donahue to Oprah, common everyday people and celebrities alike pour out their heart-wrenching stories of codependency and other addictions, disorders and compulsions. No segment of society was exempt. Therapeutic holidays such as National Depression Screening Day, National Anxiety Disorder Day and National Eating Disorders Awareness Week were created. Local malls provided a convenient venue on these special days where people could be diagnosed and learn more about their disease. For those who were too busy to go to the malls, a program of mental health education and screening for early detection and intervention was available online or by telephone.

The authors’ of Deceptive Diagnosis believe that if a person thinks he is morally fine though physically sick, he will not repent. If one’s bad behavior is a disease, he will not go to Christ for cleansing. If, on the other hand one decides to call sinful behavior, sin, he has made a major shift in his perception of reality. He has acknowledged, like the prodigal son, something is wrong with himself. Confession of sin requires responsibility on one’s part.
Tyler and Grady believe that evangelicalism has opened its gates to a Trojan horse by introducing the teachings of modern psychology. Some Christian psychologists have become so beloved that to criticize them would be almost like criticizing the Bible itself. While their intentions may be good, intentions are not the issue. The issue is whether today’s Christians are mixing men’s ideas with the Bible. Amazingly, most of today’s Christian leaders who rightly cry so fervently against so many false teachings are saying little if anything about subtle shifts in biblical interpretation that undermine the faith of millions. In many cases, it reflects a lack of awareness and understanding of the teachings of psychology.
The book states there is a tendency today is to forget the roots and ignore the essentials. The doctrine of sin is understandably disliked by the world. Moreover, what is alarming and tragic is the opposition Christians have for the doctrine of sin. There was a time when sin was clear and definite. But who can say that is true today? Vagueness characterizes what we think of sin. Sin is sin, but it is sickness too and Christians must consult the “experts” who are trained in detecting these things. There is no clarity of view, no definition of position and the language is confused. In fact, any attempt to recognize a clear distinction between sin and sickness is branded as being anti-Christian and unloving. The apparent glory of Christianity today is in its vagueness.

Tyler and Grady promote the case that labeling sin as sickness is seen nowhere more clearly than in the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatry. From the world’s perspective, clinical psychology and psychiatry are the answer to the mental and emotional problems of man. The word “psychology” actually means “the study of the soul.” Sigmund Freud, in what was lauded as breakthrough scientific exploration, cast aside the study of the soul and redefined psychology in terms of human behavior. Freud placed practical theology in the crosshairs of psychology through his underlying premise that man’s problems are based in man and are solved through man and man alone. He knowingly or unknowingly created a religion around man with theories that are in direct opposition to God’s word. Today’s mental health industry is largely built upon Freud; some 250 to 450 counseling theories are in practice worldwide. They are either directly Freudian, built from underlying Freudian philosophy or are built in opposition to Freud
In man’s attempt to run from sin, he also reduced man’s lifespan thus sparing him from a miserable existence mired in sin. Since the Garden, man has continued to run and hide from God, shift the blame for his behavior onto others, and cover his sin so no one will see how miserably depraved he is. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is man’s attempt run, hide, and cover-up. A collection of sins or sin-related behaviors have been composed into convenient lists, labeled as diseases, explained to the lay public using fundamentally flawed research tied to unproven chemical imbalances…and the list goes on and on.

The authors believe we have witnessed a severe blow to the body of Christ as a result of the DSM and the disease-oriented culture it has helped to create. Believers everywhere they are sick, diseased, genetically predisposed to illness, etc. Those same believers have been led away from the language and direction of the Bible and into themselves. Progressive sanctification is a foreign concept to many today. Becoming more like Christ each day does not require medication; it requires submission, humility, reconciliation, forgiveness, and most of all repentance. It requires a steady diet of God’s Word, an environment bathed in His presence, and consistent work for His Kingdom. Evangelism begins with believers becoming sanctified and developing a burden for the lost. Those wayward souls do not need more therapy nor do they need an excuse for blame shifting.
Dr. Tyler and Grady’s book challenges the worldview of today’s church. Statistics tell us church membership has been steadily decreasing year after year. Sunday School, which was once popular, has also been declining in attendance. Prayer meetings, missionary groups, and fellowship meetings in general are weak and feeble. Today, because of poor attendance, many churches have cancelled mid-week and Sunday evening services altogether or have limited preaching in favor of other activities where the activity is the focus and the gospel is absent or only alluded to by association. Mega churches are growing in prominence, but they are generally marketing driven entities short on doctrine and long on a feeling orientation. Thus, the church as a whole is declining in attendance and in its knowledge and commitment to Scripture.

The authors believe that the critical necessity for an accurate diagnosis of a person’s problem is fundamental to solving, or curing, the pathology. If the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment is likely to be not only ineffective, but also potentially dangerous. Dangerous in the sense that the original problem is not addressed and that the wrong treatment carries with it the potential for side effects or other unwanted results. Psychology and Worriers Anonymous will not solve man’s problem. Psychology may help man feel better about himself, but Jesus is the only hope for his sin problem. Jesus Christ is the Great Physician who possesses the cure to the most serious, life threatening problem man faces: his inability to deal with his sin and separation from a Righteous and Holy God. The book “Deceptive Diagnosis” lays the problem on the front door step of the Christian church and it’s up to the church repent and turn back to the Bible as the sole source for truth.

Johnny Kicklighter is a counselor at the Gateway Biblical Counseling and Training Center, Fairview Heights, Illinois.

Filed at 10:34 pm under A Life Of Religion
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Question
Couldn’t the UN be the beast of Revelation thirteen instead of the European Union

Answer
Either the UN and the League of Nations which gave birth to it have never produced any lasting peace, or any reason to fear it very much. Other than a few nominally effective relief programs and monitoring efforts the UN has all but ceased to be the hope of the world. It is not the ineffectiveness of the UN that forces it out of the picture. There is one distinct difference between the UN and the EU. The UN is a relatively modern organization whereas the European Union is an ancient world power, namely the Roman Empire.

According to the Bible the beast once was something, it passed from history for a while then it returns to its former glory at the time of the end. Only the EU has an ancient past not the UN. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder; whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they beheld the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Revelation 17:8

Question
How could anyone possibly accurately identify the antichrist, either before or after he starts to rule’?

Answer
Many have endeavored to identify the antichrist in this generation. This is not new, but there are a few signs to show us when we’ve come upon the real McCoy, and unless they exist all attempts to spot this very wicked ruler are mere guesswork, if not outright nonsense. Because any government, ruler or individual that openly opposes Christ is a type of the final antichrist, many have thought that such figures as Antiochus Epiphanes, Nero, Hitler, Saddam Hussein and a host of others were the antichrist. They were in fact types of the antichrist but they are certainly not the final antichrist of Revelation.

By means of biblical numerology, misapplied scripture passages and some pretty extravagant guessing people have come up with some wild ideas on just who this man is. I have heard names such as Henry Kissinger, Sat Guru, David Duke, Ronald Reagan, the Pope, and a dozen of others. One web page I found recently outlines all the reasons why Arnold Schwarzenegger has to be the antichrist! I could laugh at this choice, but knowing why someone made such a ridiculous choice is no laughing matter.

There is less material available in the Bible to identify the antichrist before his rule than after it begins. There is some reason to believe that he will not even he revealed until after the rapture or removing of the church, a belief based on 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Some of the common mistakes in trying to identify this man happen because we are looking for the wrong kind of personality to start with.

He will not be the leader of any new or old religious order or tradition. He will be a political, military genius. He will come up through ordinary political channels and will rise to power so suddenly that the world won’t have much time to consider his past. They will be far to busy trying to keep up with his devious antics in the present.

What can he known about him before he starts to rule is somewhat obscure but it is not hard to think that someone or a few people won’t begin to notice him and his unusual way of approaching politics, rather early on. We might he able to identify him when we see some of those traits and attributes that the Bible says he begins to show after he has taken power.

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” His book is now being heralded as the clearest book on the subject of the second coming of Christ since Hal Lindsey’s “Late Great Planet Earth” Rev Bresciani’s website is,

http://americanprophet.org

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At the moment of salvation when we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and
Savior, three most amazing things will happen. The first is that we get
automatic forgiveness for all of our sins – all past, present and future
sins that we will ever commit. The second thing that will occur is that
we will get to go straight to heaven when we die and cross over because
we have now become saved and born again.

However, there is a third thing that will occur that some Christians
really don’t realize or have full knowledge of. At the exact moment that
we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and become saved and born again –
we also instantaneously “receive” the third person of the Godhead –
the Holy Spirit Himself!

The Bible tells us that both God and Jesus live in heaven. However,
when we become saved and born again – we literally get to receive the
Holy Spirit Himself. He literally, and I mean literally, comes to live
on the inside of us. As you will see in the Scripture verses I will list
below – our bodies have now become the temple of the Holy Spirit because
He is now living on the inside of us!

Not only does the Holy Spirit come to live on the inside of us as a
result of accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but the Bible also
tells us that we have now become “sealed” with the Holy Spirit.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word seal means “to confirm,
authenticate or guarantee – to pledge.” In two Scripture verses I will
list below, the Bible tells us that we are given the Holy Spirit by God
the Father as a “guarantee” and as a “deposit.”

When God says that we are sealed by His Holy Spirit at the moment of
salvation in Him and Jesus – He is giving us a very powerful revelation
on what is actually occurring in the spiritual realm. Not only are we
receiving the presence of the Holy Spirit, but we are also being sealed
with His presence.

That seal now becomes a very powerful bond between us and God. Though I
do believe that it is possible for a Christian to lose his or her
salvation per the article I have done on that topic – I believe that it
will take quite a bit to break this seal – this bond that we now have
established with God and Jesus. This seal is not easily broken.

Here are the specific verses from the Bible that tell us that we will
“receive” the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, that our bodes
have now become the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we have now been
“sealed” with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

1. Receiving the Holy Spirit at the Moment of Salvation

This first verse will tell us that we receive the Holy Spirit at the
moment of our salvation with Jesus – not sometime later. Here it is:
Then Peter said to them,

“Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to
your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God
will call.” (Acts 2:38)

Notice that this verse is talking about those who are actually getting
saved. When you “repent” and you are getting “remission” for your sins –
you are in the process of getting saved by accepting Jesus as your Lord
and Savior. You cannot truly repent and get forgiveness and remission
for your sins unless you first are willing to accept Jesus as your
Savior.

Then notice what the verse says next. After you have repented and
have accepted Jesus as your Savior – then you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit Himself. I believe that this verse is telling us
that we will receive the Holy Spirit the moment we accept Jesus as
our personal Lord and Savior. It will happen right then and
there – not sometime later.

Some people will get saved and water baptized at the same time. Others
get saved, and then baptized at a later date. The Holy Spirit will come
into you at the moment you get saved – not at the moment you go through
a water baptism. If you go through the water baptism at a later date –
the Holy Spirit is not going to wait until you do that. He will enter
into you right at the moment that you accept Jesus as your Lord and
Savior – no matter where that may take place at.

2. Our Bodies Are Now the Temple of the Holy Spirit

The above Scripture verse tells us that we will “receive” the Holy
Spirit at the moment of salvation. So once we receive Him – exactly
where does He go? The next set of verses will tell us that He will
literally come to enter on the inside of us.

The Bible says that we have three parts to our beings – body, soul and
spirit. Our human spirits are referred to our as our “innermost being”
by the Bible. The Holy Spirit will enter into and actually live and
dwell in your human spirit. As a result of the Holy Spirit now living on
the inside of us in our human spirits – the Bible tells us that our
bodies have now become the “temple” of the Holy Spirit since we now
carry His presence on the inside of us.

Here are 5 good verses telling us that the Holy Spirit now literally
lives on the inside of us and that our bodies are now considered the
actual temple of the Holy Spirit.

• “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who
  is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you
  were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
  spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of
  God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the
  temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)
• “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit
  of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
  he is not His.” (Romans 8:9)
• “But if the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
  He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
  mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11)

Notice that first verse tells us to now glorify God in both our bodies
and our spirits. I believe this verse is giving us key insight that the
Holy Spirit is now living on the inside of our human spirits and as
such, our bodies have now become His temple. Notice this verse does not
use the word “soul” – but only “spirit.” Our soul and spirits are two
separate parts inside of our beings.

When the Holy Spirit initially comes to us – He will literally take up
residence in our human spirits. However, I believe that there is a
second experience that can occur where the Holy Spirit will release from
your human spirit to come up into your soul area. This second experience
has been called by many the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

Our spirits are baptized with His presence at the moment of salvation,
but our souls can also be baptized with His presence. For a detailed
explanation on what this second experience is all about and how to go
about actually receiving it – go to my article titled “How to Receive
the Baptism of the Holy Spirit” under the “Bible Basics” page.

3. Sealed with the Holy Spirit

As a result of having received the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself
at the moment of our conversions, the Bible tells us that we have now
been “sealed” with His presence. Here are 3 good verses all using the
word “seal” in reference to the Holy Spirit now living on the inside
of us and a fourth verse that says that the Holy Spirit has been given
to us as a “guarantee.”

• “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for
  the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
  
• “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed
  us is God, who also sealed us and given us the Spirit in our
  hearts as a deposit.” (2 Corinthians 1:21)
  
• “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
  gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with
  the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His
  glory.” (Ephesians 1:13)
  
• “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also
  has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” (2 Corinthians 5:5 )

To think that God the Father would allow the third Person of His Godhead
to come down and literally enter into the inside of us where our bodies
have now become the temple of His Holy Spirit is truly awesome and
completely mind-blowing!

Conclusion

Now that we know that we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of
us – what will He do with us? What kind of activity can we expect from
Him? I will be doing additional articles in the very near future on some
of the incredible things that will start to happen to you once you open
yourself up to Him and allow Him to start to become much more active in
your life.

But for right now, for those of you who have not received the Baptism of
the Holy Spirit where He is now residing up in your soul area, I would
highly recommend that you go to my article titled
“How to Receive the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

If you are willing to take this extra step and receive this second gift
that is available to all believers – your whole life will take a major
turn in the Lord

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their
website is a resource of Bible
Knowledge, articles, commentary and teaching. They currently have over 100
Bible
articles.

Filed at 10:32 pm under A Life Of Religion
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I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am the foremost of all. And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 1 Timothy 1:12-17

The more feedback that I receive on my opinions about the gospel, the more I typically hear people defending their position against universal salvation as the following:

“People who reject God and don’t want to have anything to do with Him will not be forced by God into heaven. God is a gentleman and will give those folks what they desire. If they don’t want to be in His presence, He’ll make sure they are not there.”

Here’s a couple of thoughts that come to my mind…

1. What “God” do they not want to have anything to do with?

I’m going to guess that it is “religion’s” god. The god who demands absurd levels of obedience, who is ready to shoot a lightning bolt through their head every time they screw-up, and the one who hates most of his very own creation enough to have a never-ending barbeque awaiting them for not placing their trust in this wonderful savior. I knew that god once, too, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with him either. How many dear people do you think are out there, even in our church-saturated America, who have never heard the gospel of grace, of universal salvation, nor that God loves and will save all mankind? The only god they have been introduced to is either too weak to save His creation or chooses not to.

2. What kind of a “God” is it that, knowing the supposed doom of the majority of his creation, either can’t figure out a solution to the problem, doesn’t have the ability to solve it, or worse yet, has the power to solve it yet coldly refuses to do so?

Gang, I don’t care how rebellious, hateful, or unloving my own child is toward me, if I see him running toward the street with a tanker truck headed right for him, I’m chasing that child of mine down, tackling him to the ground, and dragging him back to safety. I will do whatever it takes to rescue my child from his doom whether he wants me to, thinks that he needs me to, believes that I am capable of doing it, or not. I love him, he’s mine, and I will do what I have to in order to rescue him. Will not our sovereign, all-powerful God do the same for His loved ones?

3. The Lord God will force all men to be saved through His love and grace.

Would it offend you to know that God actually forces His will on your will so that your will is changed into joyful agreement with His and He achieves what He wants? Most Christians insist that God would never force anything on anybody. He’s too much of a gentleman. The Apostle Paul, for a number of reasons, sees it differently:

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not of it’s own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21).

The Gentleman imposed His will on His creation so that we would be set free from our slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. I’ll take that sort of rudeness from my Lord any day!

Paul had another reason for knowing that God would impose His will on ours for our good. He tells us that he is the foremost of sinners. Paul will always be at the top of the list when it comes to rebellious, self-righteous, defiant sinners. Nobody has or will exceed the sinner who, nevertheless, God saved. And if God saved Paul, He can save anyone, willing or not.

On the road to Damascus, Paul was not seeking out God, not repentant, not deep in prayer contemplating whether or not to accept Jesus as his Savior. He was in the middle of hunting down more believers to have them persecuted. He was deep, deep in unbelief.

Yet, God zapped him into a new man and a believer in an instant. Paul did not say the “sinner’s prayer”. He did not make Jesus the Lord of his life. He was given the revelation by God that Jesus is Lord and his will was subjected to God’s, case closed!

God used force to change the man Saul into the willing new man, Paul. But He did it with grace. Paul tells us that “the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 1:14). That phrase, “more than abundant”, literally means “overwhelming”. God’s love, grace, and faith overwhelmed Paul. He was incapable of fighting it off or rejecting it. It would have been like trying to stop a tsunami wave with your hand and having it’s power wash right over and through you like you were a speck of sand. The end result would be that you and the wave would become one.

No one has the perfectly correct knowledge of God in this age or in any past. Some men believe now, but all will know in the future when God will be All in all. All men will know, see, and rejoice in the fact that He is Lord and Savior. We will know and experience the true love and grace of God in a way that we have not and presently cannot. There will be none who reject Him, or don’t want to have anything to do with Him, or wish they were anywhere else but in His presence. We will all be overwhelmed by the One who, because of His love, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, etc., forcibly brought us to Himself through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Glory to God!,

John Moneypenny

Gospel For Today Ministries’ president, John Moneypenny, is an ordained minister with a Master of Divinity degree who has traveled across the country teaching and preaching the liberating message of God’s redemption of all mankind through the cross of Jesus Christ. John is the author of numerous teaching articles and the moderator of one of the most popular Christian Discussion Forums (Alexa Ranking: 52,000) on the internet. Visit Gospel For Today’s main website at http://www.gospelfortoday.org/ and the Christian Discussion forum at http://www.gospelfortoday.org/gftforum/

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I preface my comments by giving credit where credit is due, showing a great love and appreciation for Raymond F. McNair being blessed to serve as one of the pioneers in the Worldwide Church of God and have such an active and important role in the holy Work of fulfilling the Great Commission under God’s apostle Herbert W. Armstrong, serving thousands of brethren over the years. I want this on record since he is an elder and deserving of biblical respect, while I respectfully and strongly disagree with him on the sacred calendar, as a brother in the Lord.

I am very happy to see Raymond McNair acknowledge the Jews have a God-given authority to include postponements in the sacred calendar. Some Church of God members reject this plain truth and go off the deep end, creating their own calendars in the confusion of a spiritual anarchy, a Laodicean everybody-decide-for-himself wrong attitude.

I am grieved to see Raymond McNair assume it’s the Sadducees God’s Church should submit to on these matters, rather than the Pharisees whom Christ clearly supported on these biblical issues of the sacred calendar.

Quotes from Raymond F. McNair’s article WHAT ARE THE “POSTPONEMENTS”? -

Modern Jews don’t observe Pentecost (Shavout) on a Sunday. Instead they observe it on Sivan 6. However the early New Testament Church of God (like the Sadducees) followed the biblical command to observe Pentecost by counting 50 days from the Sunday (the “morrow after the Sabbath”) that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This means that when Pentecost is counted correctly, it always falls on a Sunday-thus creating tandem Sabbaths.

Furthermore, no biblical or historical sources indicate that Christ and His apostles had any calendar disputes with the Jews (the Sadducees were then in control of the calendar and the Temple ritual until a short time before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D!) regarding the calendar that they were using in New Testament times.

What a crying shame that Raymond McNair refuses to submit to the government of God and hear the Voice of the Shepherd who clearly stated THE PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES’ SEAT – not the blind Sadducees that some Church members continue to blindly follow. God has restored this truth to His Church, and some have repented of their vain Church traditions, choosing to get back on track like the early Church that followed the correct calculations of the Pharisees, like the Apostle Paul.

For Zion’s sake,

David Ben-Ariel

Jewish Holidays are Biblical Festivals for God’s Church!

Did God authorize Herbert W. Armstrong to determine when the holy days are to be kept? Did Jesus Christ reject the Jews and decide God’s Church would now be the custodian of His sacred calendar?

The Pharisees

Who isn’t aware of the sins of the Pharisees? Did Jesus have nothing but condemnation for them? You might be surprised.

Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!

Why do we differ on dates for Passover and Pentecost? Is it because our Father God left us in the dark? Has the God of law and order left us in chaos and confusion? Are we unable to “prove all things” from the Scriptures?

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