God Walked Into My Bathroom Today

He put His arm around me and we stared at each other in the medicine cabinet mirror a minute. With a toothpaste ring around my mouth and a pink toothbrush sticking outta my face I mumbled "Can't you knock? I'm brushing my teeth ova here!"

Did that really happen to me? Of course not. I'd have to be bat crazy to believe it did. I wouldn't believe anyone who said it did. In fact, I'd probably laugh and snort a few times before asking when the last time was they had a CAT scan. Kenneth Copeland said something similar once except he was shaving at the time. Not disturbed at all by the divine intrusion, he kept right on shaving while he claims Jesus put His arm around him and proceeded to tell him all about how He'd been born again in Hell.

 CBS News

First you gotta wonder...did he even think about what he was going to say before saying it? Even if that was true some things are just better left unsaid. Is this type of thing even possible? In trying to be objective God can do anything He wants. He's God. If He decides to burst into the bathroom on you one day He can do it. Sure it's not something God's ever done to a person and you'd be dead if He did but...

Now let's look at Kenneth Copeland's take on things objectively. Maybe he imagined it and he's the one that's bat crazy. That's very possible. It's also possible he made the entire thing up to deceive people into following him thus sending him their money for that nifty jet he owns. Either God's a liar or Kenneth's a liar. I'm willing to bet it's the latter. But before I throw my kazoos, loose change and favorite pink fuzzy socks in the pot, I want to make sure my "bet" is valid by testing what he said.

Since our standard for judging "revelations/visions/prophecies" is the Bible then that's where I'll go and compare the few who have had intimate meetings with God Himself to Copeland's shaving incident.

Isaiah the Prophet saw God...

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:    'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.'” Isaiah 6:1-5

Isaiah's reaction wasn't one of indifference to where he continued doing what he was doing. His first reaction was utter terror, absolute awe, reverence and pronounced a curse...on himself!

The Apostle John saw Jesus and fell on his face as though dead...

 "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." Revelation 1:17-18

the Prophet Ezekiel saw God...

"This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking" Ezekiel 1:28

The Prophet Daniel saw God... 

 “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9

Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus and fell of his horse blinded (Acts 9). Moses saw God, over 1 million Jews saw and heard God, etc. They never saw His face or even saw Him in true form because no one can see God and live. We'd be disintegrated where we stood. But what they were allowed to see and hear was so mind blowing and awesome their response was to fall over as if dead. Who could stand to their feet confronted with the living God?

There are those in the Bible who saw angels and their typical response was to fall down on their faces because the sight was so awesome and terrifying even of just the angels. When Daniel saw an angel he fell over and the angel had to tell him to get to his feet (Daniel 10:6-11)

When John saw an angel he did the same thing and was rebuked by the angel... 

"Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" Revelation 22:9

Now look at Copeland's experience.  The God of the universe, Jesus Christ walks into his bathroom while he's shaving and there's absolutely no response from Copeland other than to keep shaving. Kenneth Copeland's a liar, deceiver and false prophet as are all the others to claim to have had similar experiences with God. I didn't even address the heresy about Jesus being "born again in hell". I'll have to save that for another time.

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane....

Not exactly. More like a bright red Jeep Wrangler. We're leaving tomorrow morning for a long weekend near Charlevoix. My husband got us a cabin in the woods for some "alone time" from a friend of my father-in-law mostly used for hunting. Sweet, sweet. Since the weekend we got married we haven't had a whole lot with school and work. I'm so excited and even looking forward to the long drive with my honey. The farther north you go the prettier it gets. Lake Michigan is close, there should be wildlife (deer, bear, coyotes, maybe a cougar or two). I'm from the city...a chipmunk is a wildlife attraction for me. I was feeding baby raccoons one summer and thought I was a mountain man.

It's sure to be a lot colder up there than down here but hey...it's got a big claw foot bath tub, real fire place and in the woods. I've already set aside a bunch of blankets to take for a "poofy spot" in front of the fire place. There's a bed of course but unless I can drag it to the fire it'll be poofy spot all the way. Poofy spots are romantic too.

Have a great Spring weekend everyone! I know I will.

Preaching the Gospel Doesn't Constitute Regeneration

I read something recently where someone was defending a heretic because they've preached the Gospel before. In this man's estimation, if a person preaches the Gospel then the suspected heretic must be regenerated. This person's entire premise for their reasoning was based on Jesus' teaching on what comes out of a person makes them unclean...

"What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.'" Matthew 15:11

"Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them."Matthew 15:16-20

Because they were teaching the Gospel, which is good, then the messenger must also be good. First, we have to look at what Jesus was talking about by putting it into context to see if that logic stands up. The reason Jesus said these statements was because Pharisees and teachers of the Law noticed His disciples were eating without having washed their hands first. They were challenging Jesus and His obedience to the Law. Eating with unwashed hands was ceremonially unclean and breaking the Law. Ritual washing of the body preceded many religious functions for Jews. Even today, many (Muslims also) adhere to the ritual cleansing practices before prayer, for fasting, for celebrating certain religious functions, etc.

These men were accusing Jesus of not adhering to the Law that He claimed to uphold, by demanding His disciples adhere to the Law thus trying to discredit Christ with the people. "He claims to be a Jew. He claims to be a Rabbi. He claims to be Messiah and God in the flesh, but He's allowing His own disciples to break the Law."

Jesus turned it around on them by showing them there was nothing that could enter the body that would make them unclean. Man is unclean, unholy and depraved at conception. The body is temporary. It's always in a state of decay from birth and it would return to dust. There was absolutely nothing they could do for themselves to make themselves clean. What they should be afraid of was that which was inside. What's in the heart makes them and all mankind unclean because the heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). No amount of ritual cleansing was going to cleanse that. You can take a leper and wrap them in the finest silk, but it's still just a rotting leper under a pretty cloth whose decomposing flesh will quickly ruin that silk. By adhering to strict Laws they were missing not just the whole point of the Law, but the real issue: what's inside man is filthy and vile and there was nothing that could cleanse that. They could have washed themselves until their skin came off, but inside they were still rotting, defiled corpses in clean whitewashed tombs.

Jesus said...

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Matthew 23:25-28

With understanding the above a little better does that mean if someone preaches the Gospel they must be one of God's? Absolutely not. Just as Jesus pointed out that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom. Saying all the right things is not an indicator. Jesus gave the stipulation...action backing up the mouth. Talk is cheap.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7:21

Paul also mentioned the type of people who preach the Gospel for reasons and motivations other than seeing man reconciled to God...

"It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains" Philippians 1:15-17
"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:13
 "and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain." 1 Timothy 6:5

Many have the appearance of being godly to all those on the outside, but deny it by how they live. There's many reasons people preach the Gospel, but not always for pure reasons or because they're truly Believers. Just because you're hearing the Gospel means nothing about the person delivering it. God saves in spite of man, not because of man.

There are many people who have good doctrine, who know the truth, but still are not regenerated.

"ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7

They learn, they can follow along with it, they can teach it, but are never able to come to that saving knowledge themselves. Talk is cheap. Jesus said by their fruit we'll know them (Matthew 7:16) not by if they preach the Gospel or not. Anyone can act righteous and say all the right things for a few hours a day or when a camera is turned on them. It's taking what they teach, comparing it to the standard we're to use for testing (Scripture) and  looking for the bearing of fruit in a person. If the teaching is wrong we're to have nothing to do with them. If the fruit is missing we're to have nothing to do with them despite the Gospel they preach.

Mickey Mouse God

Jeff Noblit on the feel good, self esteem, genie in a bottle, hippie, Mickey Mouse idea of God that's rampant in America coming from teachers like Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shrier, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and on and on and on. That's not the God of the Bible. If more than 10% of professing "Christians" in this country read their Bibles regularly they'd know heresy when they heard it, but...

(If you don't know who Jeff Noblit is...he's Paul Washer's Pastor)

Choosing A Mate On Selfishness

Have you chosen a mate because he/she meets your specific criteria? Are you looking for someone who meets all your needs? Are you choosing someone who has a lot in common with you, makes you feel good, is easy to talk to, you have fun with, is beautiful, your family approves of? Those are selfish, self centered reasons. God chooses differently based on completely different reasons...



The purpose of marriage...

Is Kay Arthur More Biblically Sound?

With the truth about Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer's problematic and incorrect handling of Scripture, associations with new agers and mysticists, in a sense, going viral, women are now wondering about Kay Arthur. I did the "Deeper Still" study that was taught by Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur, but until that study I hadn't heard of Kay Arthur. To be honest, I haven't done anymore of her studies or even looked closely at her....yet.

Recently I was asked my opinion about Kay Arthur by someone that said of the three women, Kay Arthur is the most sound. The person who asked me was also a fan of Beth Moore up until recently. Then she began hearing the rumblings and started looking into it much more closely. She and many others have now left the studies they attended altogether. I understand her concern because I felt it too when the truth began coming out. Women teachers are invaluable to us females...if we had some that taught the truth. I'm sure there are some out there, but because they're not stroking our egos, advocating self esteem and other worldly philosophies or telling us what our itching ears want to hear, they're virtually unknown.

But I can give a correct estimation based on one thing about Kay Arthur even though I haven't looked deeper into her. It doesn't matter how "sound" she is in her teachings. If she's sharing the stage with teachers like Beth Moore, Priscilla Shier and others whose teachings are false then she's in agreement with them. Since Kay Arthur was also involved in the "Be Still" DVD then she must agree with it.

"Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" Amos 3:3

I was speaking with a Pastor recently who admitted he wasn't thrilled with Rick Warren though his church sometimes used Warren's material, but explained that if he could only choose between someone like Rick Warren and Benny Hinn, he'd definitely go with Rick Warren. My response was "If I have to choose between those two to get the Word I'll take neither."

It's essentially choosing the lesser of two evils and we're never to settle. We live in great apostasy and no matter how much we may like a certain individual, if they're not following Scripture  in doctrine or lifestyle we're to have nothing to do with them. Kay Arthur, if she truly is sound, has thrown her support behind known problematic teachers and practices the Bible calls "evil" thus giving them legitimacy. It's as dangerous and damaging as teaching false doctrine itself.

Unless Kay Arthur comes out, repents and separates herself from all such teachings and teachers she must be avoided as well. That's not my opinion, that's Biblical.

Revival Before the End Or Apostasy?

We hear a lot about a revival coming or that it's currently underway these days. God is always working of course, but should we be expecting a revival?

Often times Joel 2:28 is cited along with Acts 2:17. The problem is these scriptures aren't addressing a specific point in time of the end days. The pouring out of the Holy Spirit is something that started on the day of Pentecost and continues. Up until Christ came the Holy Spirit never indwelt anyone as He does now. We also have to remember that "last days" refers to the time of the Messiah and continues until His return.

The Bible never predicted a great revival in the last days. In fact, it says there would be the exact opposite...a great apostasy/ falling away/rebellion right before the Anti-Christ is revealed.

"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction," 2 Thessalonians 2:3


The Bible actually predicts a pretty treacherous and dark time before Christ's return that would come to a head during Great Tribulation. Setting the stage for world wide deception doesn't happen over night. Satan's been working at this a long time especially among the religious.


"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

So many insist on following lies in their wickedness because they love their sin so much, therefore, God fully hands them over to a depraved mind and sends them a powerful delusion so they're trapped. This doesn't mean God lies to them for God can't lie. It simply means "you want it, you got it!" They can't even comprehend anymore the right way from the wrong. This is not talking about the world that has continued in a fallen, treacherous state since the fall and progressively grows worse. This is addressing the conditions inside the church.  We can even look to the first 4 chapters of revelation to get an idea of what's happening in the churches in the last days.

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 timothy 4:3-4

People can't put up with sound biblical teaching anymore. They simply can't handle it and hate those who preach it, stand up for it, teach it and rebuke with it. The people are not victims. They've gathered all these fake teachers themselves.They've actively sought them out. They themselves have turned away from the truth to follow lies and myths that suit their own desires...that tell them exactly what they want to hear. This is rampant now. It's extremely difficult to find a church or preacher that is teaching sound Biblical doctrine and you'll notice when you find them they oversee very small flocks. Most don't want to hear the truth anymore.

These professing "Christians" love unrighteousness so much, they love the world so much that they twist Scripture, change it or completely throw it out to suit their unrighteousness. They claim the Bible must be relevant for our times. They claim what God clearly called sin and abominations before are no longer relevant to us. They want us to believe Jesus just goes with the flow. Christendom is now in a state of apostasy which will not be undone. It's in accordance with how Satan works. Satan has been setting this up and we're seeing it in almost a full blown manifestation now and will be complete when Anti-Christ steps onto the stage.

Historically going back to Christ's own teachings and spread through the early church, it has been taught clearly that the final days of Christendom would be a time of apostasy not revival. The Church would decline until there were very few real believers left and those true believers would be surrounded and outnumbered by a vast number of professing apostate Christians.

Jesus Himself warned that the last days would be a time of great deceit and false prophets. (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:24).

Paul even warned that once he was gone savage wolves would enter and not spare the flock (Acts 20:29). 

Peter also gave a warning ( 2 Peter 2:1) As did Jude (Jude 1:4) and Paul (Galatians 2:4, 2 Corinthians 11:13, 1 Timothy 4:1 to name a few). We can even go back to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 6:13, 8:10, 22:17) Isaiah (Isaiah 56:11)

"However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8


If there was going to be a great revival why would Christ ask this? That when He returns will He even find faith? Will there be anyone that's a real believer? That's not to say there won't be, but He is expressing real believers will be far and few between. In fact Paul...when speaking of the end times never mentions any revival. He warned for 3 years things would go from bad to worse...

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5 


Does the world in general have a form of godliness? Absolutely not. In fact it wants nothing to do with godliness. Paul is warning about Christendom in the end times. Professing Christians will appear to have godly lives, they will fake it, they will act religious, but it's only outward. He even goes on to explain...

"They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone." 2 Timothy 3:6-9


We also have to remember that God has never had a large remnant of people. In every instance His remnants have always been small. Many are called, but few are chosen - Matthew 22:14. Should we be looking for a revival? No. That doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to pray for others. God is still working in many parts of the world, but in the meantime we're in the time of apostasy. If you have found yourself among professing Christians who follow the deceit of their own hearts and don't follow Scripture then the command is to come out form among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17)

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

 If we know we are in those times what should we be doing? Don't just believe what someone says simply because they profess to be Christian or because they have a large following. If they have a large following that's a red flag that sound Biblical doctrine is not being taught. Instead...

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1

How do we test them? Know the Bible, study it, meditate on it. Compare what you're being told and taught to Scripture. The Bible is the final authority and the Bible is the standard we are to live by and obey. How then ought we to live? Holy. Be holy....


To read about similar subjects... I Never Knew You and Ask For The Ancient Paths

Spring, Houses And Throwing Up

It's been a long winter this year and we've been hit with so many snow storms. Just when we think it's over and we dig ourselves out we get slammed again. It was sunny in the high 60s today and will be again tomorrow. Then again we had nice weather in February only to get another snow storm. I love snow but being buried for 2 months is no fun either. I'm hoping it will hold out for the weekend because...

It's house hunting weekend! I'm so excited even though I don't know what I want. Now is a good time to buy and we've been checking out what's around. A friend of my husband's just bought a house in Orion...87,000 and it's a a 2 year old 240,000 house! If things go that well for us I'll be a happy little camper. We hope to have something by at least early to mid May. We were actually aiming for a mid to late summer move and planned on going on a belated honeymoon this Spring but now that we have the "moosh mooshie" coming (as my husband calls it)..I don't wanna be too pregnant when we move.

Speaking of which I'm sick every day which makes getting up and trying to function not so fun. Having early classes means I'm a disaster in the mornings. Certain smells make me sick too like, garlic, cloves and cardamom. I can't keep them and a few others in the house or be around them whereas before they never bothered me. My husband is a good cook and I love his Persian food but if he starts cooking or we go to his family's homes and I smell it...bad things happen lol. Even leather bothers me! I'm hoping it's temporary. Some say it is, others say it may not be. I can't imagine being like this for the next 7 months. I'm having a really hard time sleeping too when I do fall asleep I get nightmares half the time. I yi yi! I told my husband today "It must be a boy" ha!

Koran Accuracy -Ravi Zacharias Explains

Ravi Zacharias is highly respected among Muslim scholars. He's one of the most sought after speakers not only in the West but even among Muslims in the Middle East.

Joseph - When We Suffer Unfairly

If you're like most of humanity you've probably wondered at some point why your life is the way it is. Why you've suffered for things that really were no fault of your own. Why terrible things have happened to you and were inflicted on you that you had no choice in, no control over, couldn't stop and weren't consequences for bad choices you made. We can't pick our families, we can't choose where we're born or what kind of environment we grow up in.

Usually it's pretty baffling to us. Sometimes we're hit from way out of left field. Sometimes we become accustomed to bad situations that we never expect anything good to happen. And still sometimes things are going great and we make all kinds of plans, looking forward to a bright future when suddenly everything goes right down the tubes for no apparent reason.

The Bible says "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" 2 Timothy 3:16

Those Scriptures are directing us to look at the people of the past and learn from them. No matter how "great" we see people such as Moses, David, Joshua, Abraham etc, they were really just imperfect people like us. There was nothing special about them that made God choose them. They had many of the same problems we have and suffered in many of the same ways we do. There's reasons why God wanted to show us people like the above with warts and all.

1.To show us that there is no such thing as great people of God, only a great God.
2.To reveal how gracious and merciful He is.
3.To show us He can use anyone.
4.To give us examples for us to learn from. Examples we can relate to.

With that in mind let's take a look at one person who takes center stage from Genesis chapters 37-50. Joseph was the 11th son born to Jacob and Zilpah. He was 17 years old when his 10 brothers tried to kill him, but then opted to sell him into slavery instead. Joseph was a favorite of Jacob because he was born to him in his old age (Genesis 37:2) so there were a lot of years between him and the rest of his brothers except for the youngest, Benjamin.

Joseph was Jacob's informer. While out tending sheep with his brothers, he would bring reports to Jacob about what they were up to. His brothers were already aware that Jacob loved Joseph more so there was a big jealousy issue. Jacob had even made Joseph an ornate robe to wear which fueled the jealousy. Genesis 37: 4 says they hated Joseph and couldn't even say anything nice to him.There was nothing but hostility toward their brother, so much so, they couldn't even pretend to be cordial.

Outside of being a tattle tale, which would just be annoying, there was no reason for his 10 brothers to hate him and want him dead. They were much older than Joseph with families of their own. Compared to them he was a kid, but they took the jealousy, fueled it among themselves into hate and put it in Joseph's lap.

When Joseph went to see his brothers, who were grazing Jacob's flocks in Dothan, they saw him coming in the distance and instantly began plotting to kill him. Except for Reuben the oldest. He was all for throwing him in a cistern, giving him a scare and maybe roughing him up a little (Genesis 37:21). He didn't like Joseph anymore than they did, but he had a little bit more sense about murdering someone.

When Joseph reached them, they stripped him of the special coat Jacob made, roughed him up and threw him in an empty water cistern. Later they sold him to traveling Midianite merchants who later sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt as a slave. They then took his ripped ornate robe, slaughtered a goat, put blood on it then took it back to Jacob so he'd think his favorite son had been killed by a wild animal. Problem solved! And they didn't have to kill anyone to accomplish it.

That was pretty bad, but that's not the worst of what Joseph endured. He spent many years as Potiphar's slave in Egypt through no fault of his own and when things were going good for him (about as good as it could get for a slave) he was then thrown into prison when Potiphar's wife accused him of trying to rape her. What possibly saved him from death was Potiphar knew Joseph's integrity and liked him, but he had to do something. Joseph was still just a slave and prison was the only option. He was beaten severely in prison and lived there in conditions we wouldn't even let a dog live in. All this because his brothers were jealous of Jacob's attention on Joseph.

But, by God's grace, help and design, Joseph proved to be intelligent, responsible, full of integrity and trustworthy. Things slowly began to turn around for Joseph and he caught the attention of Pharaoh while in prison. He was given the meaning of Pharaoh's disturbing dreams by God and he interpreted them correctly about a coming famine that God was sending. So Joseph advised Pharaoh to appoint discerning and wise men as commissioners over Egypt to plan and oversee the storing of extra grain from the crops for 7 years because in the 8th year a severe famine would strike. And it happened just as Joseph said. They not only had plenty of food to survive on, but they were also able to sell grain to starving outsiders.

So impressed was Pharaoh, who fully recognized God was with Joseph, he gave that job to Joseph himself. The way Pharaoh saw it was, if God was willing to make things like this known to Joseph then obviously He could further lead the slave with wisdom to handle the preparations to save Egypt. Joseph was 30 years old when he was put over the land. He became the 2nd most powerful man there in Egypt under Pharaoh. That fast it all changed for him because of God.

In the end Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain to keep from starving and he was reunited with them. He forgave them for what they had done to him because Joseph recognized that though their actions were absolutely horrific, he told them "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20 

 Joseph didn't deserve what had happened to him. He had no control over the abuse he suffered. He did nothing to cause it. It was totally thrust on him, but God used the evil actions and sin of his brothers and others to save many lives through the victim. That doesn't mean everyone who suffers will one day end up like Joseph, but it does mean God can and will turn it all around and use it for the good of not just us, but our families, friends and others. Nothing is ever in vain. Nothing is meaningless and "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Things may have been bad for you or may still be. Like Joseph you may have many scars from a rough life, but it's not over. If you belong to God...it's just not over. The same God that was "with Joseph" (Genesis 39:2) is also with you. Before any harvest to come later the ground must first be broken. Suffering is a refiner. Suffering is a fire that burns away dross. No one can ascend without the climb. We are to be patient, endure with God's help, remain faithful to God in spite of all things thrown at us and fear God above all situations and people. But not of our own, on our own. He's gives us the ability and strength to do it. It's not over...

Daniel - No Compromise Even To Death

The prophet Daniel is one of the greatest prophets of the Bible. He is best known for the prophecies he gave concerning the end days and anti-christ late in his life and being thrown into a lion's den on Darius the Great's orders.

He was carried off to Babylon while still young when the Babylonians invaded Judah and carried off the captives. He quickly rose to become one of the most prominent men in the King of Babylon's court. Daniel and 3 of his friends were chosen because of their wisdom and beauty to be trained as advisers. Daniel, Hanaiah, Mishael and Azariah, all hebrew names, were given the Babylonian names, Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Following the 3 years of royal training Daniel became known for the ability to interpret dreams. He also interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream of his descent into insanity and living in the wild like an animal for 7 years (Daniel 4).

When the Persians later conquered Babylon Daniel still held his position in the court. He continued to be highly respected and esteemed as he had been among the Babylonians. Daniel had a lot of influence and favor with Darius which made him virtually untouchable. Being a foreigner of the captive group and having risen to such an elevated position over the entire kingdom, Daniel began to attract jealousy. (Daniel 6) The administrators and the satraps tried to find some faults with Daniel in all of his government affairs, but they couldn't. Unable to find any corruption in Daniel or negligence they began to conspire, to use the one God Daniel worshiped and was loyal to against him.

They went to Darius and suggested the King make a law that no one could pray to any god except Darius for next 30 days. If anyone did they were to be thrown into the lion's den. Darius wasn't opposed. Darius didn't realize yet they simply did this to trap Daniel and get him out of the way. They knew better than anyone Daniel would never bow down to worship anything or anyone outside of God. King Darius wrote out the decree and once it was written it couldn't be undone even by the King.

Once Daniel heard about it, he went home to his upstairs room with the windows open toward Jerusalem, got on his knees and prayed as was his custom to do 3 times a day. The conspirators went as a group to Daniel's house and "caught" him breaking the King's law. That was the first place they went out of an entire kingdom. They immediately went to the King about Daniel and said “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” Daniel 6:13

It's not that Daniel had no loyalty to Darius, didn't care or didn't take Darius seriously. Daniel's loyalty was first to God. Darius was no dummy. What they didn't understand in their conspiracy, accusations and scheming was Darius knew better about Daniel. Darius immediately recognized, upon them reporting Daniel, the new law they suggested had actually been a trap, not for all people living under Persian rule, but specifically against Daniel. Darius had no problem with Daniel's worship of this foreign God, because that worship, loyalty and obedience to his God made Daniel beneficial, trustworthy, highly capable and loyal to Darius as it had to the Babylonians before Persian rule.

Distressed over Daniel being caught in their trap, Darius seemed to panic and immediately tried to do everything he could to rescue Daniel. He looked for every way to free him, but couldn't. Once the decree was written, by law, it couldn't be undone. Darius had no choice but to have Daniel thrown into the lion's den.

Something huge happens between Daniel, Darius and God. Before the stone was rolled over the opening of the cave, king Darius told Daniel “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”Daniel 6:16. Darius didn't have a good night. He was up the entire time frantic about Daniel. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep and only wanted to be left alone. As soon as the sun rose, Darius hurried to the den hoping that Daniel's God had performed a miracle.

That alone says so much about Daniel's character and known loyalty to God. A God that Darius, the Persians or the Babylonians before didn't even know. They just witnessed the strong relationship through Daniel, they benefited greatly from it and it gave Darius enough faith in a foreign God that Daniel might make it. The fact that Darius ran to the tomb the next morning looking for a very much alive Daniel, is a picture of the disciples running to Christ's tomb. Darius showed tremendous amounts of faith that he even went to the tomb at all, let alone ran to it. There was no logical way Daniel would still be alive. Those lions kept in that den were always half starved purposely. There was no way Daniel could out maneuver them all night long, fight them off or keep them back. So the faith Darius displayed wasn't in Daniel, or those lions. It was in God alone.

When Darius reached the stone he yelled for his adviser “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20

Not just any god, "the living God". The eternal, all powerful, active, highly involved and righteous God. He didn't just yell "Hey! Are you alive in there?!" Darius chose to honor God and display his faith even in yelling out for Daniel. This is a huge statement in itself coming from a pagan. In essence, Darius was elevating the God of the Jews above all others including his own and himself. Rulers, in that part of the world, were considered and worshiped as gods. But even Darius knew his gods couldn't perform such a miracle or even himself. He or his gods were no match for this God. This all came to be because of one man's faithfulness and his refusal to compromise.

"Daniel answered, 'May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.' The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." Daniel 6:21-23


Of course the administrators and satraps were immediately arrested for their conspiracy. They, along with their families, were thrown into the den where they were devoured. But Daniel in the lion's den is a great lesson on faithfulness to God even though it cost us our lives. Daniel could have went home and not prayed for 30 days. By all earthly accounts he had a lot to lose. Daniel could have closed the window so he wasn't seen, but that wasn't what he normally did. Daniel continued despite the  new law to be faithful and worship God.

We compromise so much and so easily. We'll easily lie so as not to disrupt our lives, our jobs or positions and families. We're told it's ok to lie if it means we could lose our lives, families, etc. That's not what God says. It's either total devotion or none at all. Had Daniel even changed anything about his loyalty to God, even just to close the window, it would have been sin and compromise. The same as if Daniel had bowed down and prayed to the king as the new law required. Though he thought he was going to die, Daniel would not slip or give in. Because he was faithful even unto death, God rescued him from the half starved lions kept for law breakers.

Not only was Daniel spared, but what he did was a huge testimony to Darius who immediately issued a decree throughout the kingdom "people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end." Daniel would rather be put to death than to go against God. Daniel would rather be ripped apart by hungry lions than to disrespect or disobey God. Darius noticed. Though Daniel's enemies tried to use that faithfulness against him, they noticed Daniel's relationship with God too.

It was after he'd been thrown into the den that Daniel began to have his apocalyptic visions. Because he stayed faithful he's not only immortalized and known throughout the world still, he was shown things that no one has ever seen. He experienced things no one would. From Daniel do we understand so many prophecies that we watch daily coming to pass. The den was the test and gateway to being used by God in unbelievable ways. He went on to live a long life and later was laid to rest (many believe) in Susa in Iran.

Millions have been won to Christ because they witnessed someone refusing to compromise for God and not loving their lives even unto death for His sake. Persecution of any kind can be an opportunity for a tremendous witness. Even just refusing to bend by lying (even if seen as a small lie) is a strong statement to those around us. Others notice and that's the mark of true integrity, standing for what's right in all situations. Any amount of compromise poisons everything else. Whatever we face and whatever we may go through,  what's important is holding firm to our faith and standing our ground even if it costs us our very lives.

50,000 Prayers Answered

George Muller 1805-1898

"Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by his faith." - Habakkuk 2:4

George Mueller is best known for being a man who lived by his faith. By faith he took in and cared for over 10,000 orphans. By faith alone he provided them with an education, opened 117 schools and gave a Christian education to 120,000 kids. All by faith and all on prayer. He resolved to not tell a single person of his needs or the needs of the orphans he took in. He would only tell God. He fully believed the promises God gave in the Bible so he trusted God to provide for every single need no matter how big or small and God always answered. Some even witnessed God answering Mueller's prayers and it brought them to Christ.

He would spend hours in prayer daily and when he would give Bible lessons to the kids he did it on his knees. Many times when the orphans would go to the table for a meal, there was no food.  Mueller would have them sit at the table expectantly anyway, thank God for His provisions and trust Him to feed them. People would begin showing up with food at his door for reasons even unknown to them. More often than not they would simply do it because they had a "feeling" they should.  Mueller knew their prayers was just being answered.

If he needed money he wouldn't tell other people. He'd only go to God and soon the money he needed would come in. Whatever was needed to continue caring for the orphans and their educations, Mueller always received. Any money Mueller earned later, which was about 12,000 a year, he gave away most keeping only 1,800 for personal needs.

George Mueller lived a life of trust, a life of prayer and a life of faith that was strengthened each day. He understood God's sovereignty, His grace and His faithfulness if he only trusted Him. The income needed to build and sustain what he'd established was enormous, but Mueller, and all those he cared for, were never in need, never in want and his thousands of kids never missed a single meal. His example changed thousands of lives and his example is a path we all are to be following. Mueller read through the Bible 200 times, was a man of constant prayer and he said he knew of over 50,000 prayers God had answered. However, Mueller didn't think his faith was anything extraordinary, but something all Christians are to be living and exercising.

We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

When Mueller died at 93 his personal possession were only worth 8 hundred dollars, but he had distributed to the caring of the orphans, the schools, his students and through the distribution of bibles, well over 8 million dollars that he'd received through prayer. The difference between Mueller and so many prosperity teachers is Mueller didn't use what God provided on himself. He lived day to day, moment to moment fully dependent on God alone. Every dime he received he used to carry out the work God had given him to do. Mueller understood that this life is temporary, this world is temporary and all things belong to God.

"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22

This man was a giant in the faith, has had countless books written about him, countless lessons gleaned from his life and example not just by Christians, but non Christians as well. He is still changing lives today. It's not something only Mueller was able to achieve though. It's something we're all called to do and he often taught that to many congregations. It's a way of life we're all supposed to be living and George Mueller set a great example and continues to be an enormous inspiration to us all.

Secret Garden

I had this on the sidebar once before because I thought it was so sweet but now it's relevant...

A gift lives within me,

I sustain it day by day.

My tiny secret garden,

Flourishes locked away.

No other, but me can feel,

How eagerly Eden blooms.

It needs no sun or watering,

Just the cradle of my womb.

Life is building life,

Valued as a precious stone,

As God carefully fashions

A seed to flesh and bone.

-Anonymous

John Piper Apostate?

First, let me say I am highly disappointed and disturbed by this whole deal. I liked John Piper's teaching, I was a regular to his website, listened to his sermons and bought his books, but when it comes down to it...I have to obey God as we all are supposed to do no matter what. I've noticed John Piper fans are trusting his judgment about Rick Warren, just following along with it and getting in a tizzy about him being called out. I can't say one way or another if John Piper is apostate. Time will tel, but he's definitely in sin. For John Piper to align himself with a known heretic is a very bad sign. He even went on to defend Rick Warren. That's another bad sign...

Amos 3:3 says "Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?"

Despite the sound doctrine John Piper teache,s he is obviously in agreement with Rick Warren. That's a dangerous situation. John Piper has thrown many into confusion and, because they trust him, they're following him down a slippery slope and not trusting God and what He says.

We need to be careful with following others just because they have sound doctrine. We're to obey God over men and when fallible men start traveling down a path, when that path clearly goes against scripture, then we must come out and be separate no matter how much we like a teacher or how good their doctrine is. (2 Corinthians 6:17) When we know someone has sided with error and we continue to follow after them then we are in sin.


Satan has good doctrine too. He knows Scripture better than we do. Now that we know Piper is in agreement with Warren...he must be removed from among us and pray for him. It may lead to his repentance.

"What do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

Expecting

Post moved

Self Esteem - Man Centered Theology

"For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." Galatians 6:3

I ♥ ME

 I got suckered in by it too in the beginning by the whole "building self esteem, so long insecurity, feel good about me" worldly propaganda. Finally I came to realize what self esteem really was....I was esteeming myself when I was supposed to be esteeming God. I was trying to make myself feel good and make sense out of my life, my behaviors and my sin. I wasn't supposed to be trying to understand my sin, where it came from, why it was there or feel good about it. I was supposed to recognize it for what it was, repenting of it then cutting it off...

"If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Matthew 5:29-30

The Bible tells us to wage war against our sin and sinful nature whether it's our own sin or the sin of someone else thrust upon us. Beating our bodies daily... 


"No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."1 Corinthians 9:27.

We're supposed to be denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following Him...

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" Mark 8:24-25

We're supposed to be renewing our minds...letting our ways of thinking, thus our behavior, be changed by God alone...

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Not using pop psychology or the latest fads. Following worldly philosophies is, in fact, being conformed to the pattern of the world. By trying to understand sin outside of what God has already told us about sin, is trying to be accepting of it. That's what the world does. By trying to esteem ourselves is feeling good about sin. It's making the sin in our lives ok. It's turning us into whiny brats. Instead of taking our sin to God, repenting of it and asking Him to remove it from our lives, we use past griefs and wrongs done to us as excuses to continue to sin. "I do this because so and so did this to me when I was 10." We blame shift, but do nothing about the sin in our lives. Eventually we accept it, coddle it, even love it and it sears our conscience doing us even more harm.

God hates self esteem. Self esteem is fortifying pride already in us and God can do nothing with pride except crush it. Self esteem is the opposite of humility. Self esteem is self deceit...

"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise." 1 Corinthians 3:18

Yet we're hearing this kind of destructive teachings coming from so many well known teachers. This poisonous propaganda is targeted at us females because we are the most vulnerable to it. It keeps us in a vicious cycle and keeps us focused on ourselves.

"For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live" Romans 8:13

Self esteem makes us conceited, self sufficient, totally kicking God out of the picture. We no longer depend on Him for every need or care, we depend on ourselves. Self esteem puts confidence in sinful flesh when it's not deserving of confidence. Self Esteem makes us selfish and self centered.  Self Esteem exalts us over God. Self esteem makes us turn ourselves into idols. We trust in ourselves, but the heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

If you're truly saved can you honestly look at your past and things you've done, decisions you've made and think it's all different now? I know I can't. I don't want to trust a heart that's deceitfully wicked. It ruined my life before and it'll do it again. Lastly self esteem is not the image of Christ God is molding us into. Christ didn't have a lot of self esteem or a lot of self confidence. He was humble and He put all of His trust, confidence, life and dependence in God alone. He esteemed the Father in all things, not Himself. We are to be imitators of Christ (God). Ephesians 5:1

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3

When we focus on ourselves and buiding self esteem, our hearts are not on things above let alone our minds. They're on us and that is sin. Our behaviors are not to be examined, held up, twisted and turned like we're inspecting a diamond. Our lifestyles, pasts and griefs aren't to be picked apart and dwelt on for years. They're to be put to death. If what we do, think, say or feel runs contrary to God's Word it's sin. Self esteem in evil and it's death.

For how the Bible views "Self Esteem" watch the video below then follow the link of the snippet of article underneath.

"For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3



From Critical Issues

How one ought to feel about himself has become a significant issue for Christians. This topic did not receive much debate in previous generations since most Christians agreed that we are prone to pride and ought to have more humility. They recognized that the universal human tendency was to esteem oneself highly and look down at others. The ever present, Biblical admonitions to humble oneself were seen has a necessary mitigating influence to restrain the tendency to self-exaltation that is at the heart of the sin nature....To read more go here

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Priscilla Shirer - Another Bible Twister

Apprising Ministries Article 1
Apprising Ministries Article 2

Along with Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer is also a proponent of the Contemplative Prayer movement. Masked as Christianity it's really just eastern mysticism and new age practices. As usual only these teachers have a direct revelation from God and they've been sent to fill all of us in about it. Oddly enough when these so called "revelations" are tested they never hold up to the Bible. They've taken scripture, twisted it, distorted it, taken it way out of context or just thrown it out altogether.

If God doesn't take his Word seriously and just wants us believing anyone who claims to have a "revelation" then what was the point in giving us His Word? All they're dishing out is gnosticism and ecumenicalism. Anyone can research those associated with Contemplative Prayer. It wouldn't take very long to find out the truth. You can put Priscilla Shier to the test with the Bible as we're supposed to do with everyone. So many are paying them (buying their books, workbooks, DVDs and tickets to conferences) to feed them lies.

Solomon - From Righteousness To Idolatry

Outside of David his father, Solomon is the most famous King world wide. He's not only known for his great wisdom, wealth and power, but also as the King who built the Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon also wrote the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon in the Bible. As many had done after him, he started out with a bang, but ended with a whimper.

Solomon took the throne of Israel around 967 B.C. and ruled for 40 years. The first 20 years of his reign were prosperous. He took on many building projects in Israel, he ruled righteously and there was peace. As time wore on though Solomon began trusting in his power and wealth. He became proud and this was the beginning of his slide. Instead of trusting in God who gave Solomon the kingdom, Solomon began building foreign alliances through marriages. Ultimately Solomon ended up with 700 wives and 300 concubines.


"King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray." 1 Kings 11:2-3

By Solomon's disobedience to the Law and intermarrying with so many foreign women when he became older, they influenced him into idolatry. Solomon never stopped worshiping God, but he also included other gods. (1 Kings 11:4) Solomon tolerated idolatry and compromised God's Truth for himself. He allowed paganism to mingle with the One true God and settled on worldly wisdom rather than what was divine.

"He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.  He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. " 1 Kings 11:5-7

It's fair to say Solomon ran after the flesh when he should have been following closely behind God and depending on Him to keep him on a straight path.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. " Romans 8:13

He knew God's commands, he'd been tremendously blessed by God and was visited by God twice only to eventually turn away. God became angry with Solomon and promised that He would tear the kingdom away from him but for David's sake he would leave Solomon one tribe while the others would be ripped away. It would happen, God said, under the rule of his son. And it did. (1 Kings 11:9-13) Solomon gives us a clear example of what happens when we allow other things to take the place of God. Anything that does is an idol and God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14)

Throughout history we see God waging a war, destroying, His wrath being stirred up against people for one thing...idolatry. God cannot bear idolatry. He simply cannot allow someone or something being lifted up to His place and to wear His crown. False gods have always been tolerant of each other and willing to share their thrones, but not God.

The plagues He sent on Egypt was a war against Egyptian gods. Each plague was specifically designed and purposed to attack a certain god the Egyptians worshiped, to prove to them He was the only God and all the gods they worshiped were worthless and powerless. When the Philistines took the ark and set it inside their god Dagon's Temple (1 Samuel 5) the Philistines found their beloved god laying face down with it's head and hands broken off. Dagon had no problem sharing his temple with God, but God did. Judah and Israel were eventually destroyed and the people scattered because of idolatry. Many ancient, powerful nations have been brought down because of idolatry. For Solomon to be placed on a throne that God created, for Solomon to inherit a kingdom that God put together then turn to other gods was a severe slap in the face.

Everything in the universe He created. He keeps it running. We wake up every morning because of Him. He gives us everything we need to live. He loves us, cares for us and instead of showing gratitude and proper worship, we make other things our gods as if they had anything to do with us just taking in a breath.

"But their idols are silver and gold,  made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel,  feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them" Psalm 115:4-8 

What an insult to such a great Being. To attribute all of creation and even our lives and success on ourselves or something other than God's blessing and design is insulting. Idolatry isn't just a wooden, plaster, or metal image or object. It's anything we lift up in our lives that get more attention, more devotion, more love than God. It's money, other people, things we buy, things we want to buy, cars, food, success, revenge, grief, obsessions, etc. God is a jealous God and will wage a war against anyone and anything that is lifted up in His place in our heart, thoughts and lifestyles. He will not share His glory with another. Us humans are prone to idolatry. We are prone to exchanging the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). We are prone to accepting anything that will cater to ourselves and turn ourselves in idols. Most men will follow certain religions because it appeals to their sinful nature. It allows them to be selfish, violent, hateful, self centered, greedy and lustful therefore they love it and will fight to keep it. Since it's in us, we need to be extremely careful.

"I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols." Isaiah 42:8

This is where Solomon fell. It's tragic that a man so blessed by God, who was even allowed to live from birth, who was exalted to the throne of Israel for no other reason then God picked him and he turns his worship to other gods, himself and women. Solomon should serve as an example that all the wisdom he had he eventually just became a fool. For all the wealth he had Solomon became bankrupt inside and it had far reaching repercussions. Wealth is not such a blessing. The more someone has the more they're prone to turn away. In the end, it cannot save anyone. Nothing can save us but God alone. We will all still die and take nothing with us and everything we've worshiped will sit in judgment against us.

He is jealous over us, His name, His character, His sovereignty, His throne, His crown, all things He created and will not allow anything else to take His place. Sometimes He will have strike us to get us to turn back to Him and it can be devastating, but always necessary. I believe Solomon is in heaven, because years later he did repent and turn away, but like I end so many other posts...there are no great men and women of God. Only a great God.

David - The Sword That Never Left His House

2 Samuel 11

 
It was Spring, a time when Kings went to war. A time of good weather and when food would be easier to gather for a marching army. Except David. He stayed in Jerusalem while his army attacked Rabbah. This wasn't David's usual practice, but he stayed behind anyway. His lapse in judgment that Spring would have lasting, tragic consequences that would follow him for the rest of his life.

One evening that Spring, David went onto his roof of his Palace (2 Samuel 11:2). From there he could look down onto the neighboring roofs which is where he saw Bathsheba bathing. He wanted her so he asked his servants about her. They simply told him she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and daughter of Eliam. Two mighty, respected and loyal men in David's army who were away at war where he should have been. Spurned by his own lust, David sent for her anyway.

This isn't a case that Bathsheba didn't refuse out of fear of David. Even if she was afraid of him and what he might do if she refused, that's not an excuse. She nor David were above the law of God. (2 Samuel 11:4) She went to David and he "lay with her".

Verse 4 also points out that she was clean from her impurity. In other words she had just come off her menstruation and went through the ritual cleansing process before she slept with David. We're told this simply to make known there was no way Bathsheba was pregnant by her husband.

Afterward, Bathsheba returned home. Some time later she sent a note to David that simply said "I am with child". This was not good news for either of them. According to the Law in Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22, the penalty for adultery was death. They may have been able to hide it before, but their secret was about to be blown wide open.

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13

David didn't panic at first, but instead of dealing with it righteously, he continued to try to cover it up by sending for Uriah from the battlefield (2 Sam 11:6) When Uriah returned, David made some casual conversation with one of his best soldiers. He asked how his commander Joab was. How were the men? How was the war effort going? Since Uriah was there David told him to go home to rest. David even sent food from the king's table with him so Uriah could spend a nice evening at home with his wife, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. David was sure he would sleep with Bathsheba and the baby could easily be past off as Uriah's.

(2 Sam 11:9) Uriah the Gentile was more honorable and righteous than that. He had too much loyalty to David and his fellow soldiers. Instead of going home to be with his wife, bathe, eat good food and sleep in a nice bed, Uriah slept on the floor at the king's door with the servants. Uriah didn't think it was fair that he be in comfort while so many other men were sleeping on the battlefields. When David heard this the next day he started to panic.

2 Sam 11:12 David pulled it together and told Uriah to remain in Jerusalem another two days before returning to battle. Then David called him and they ate and drank together until Uriah was drunk. David was certain now Uriah would go home to be with his wife. But once more Uriah returned to the servants and slept at the King's door. (2 Sam 11:13)

When David heard this he became desperate. In his panic he wrote a note to Joab his commander and told him that when Uriah returns to put him in the thickest part of the battle then order the men to back away from him so Uriah would be struck down by the enemy. To make it worse, David sent this note sealing Uriah's death sentence by Uriah himself. (2 Sam 11:14)

Uriah was killed and Joab sent word to David by messenger that Uriah the Hittite was dead. When Bathsheba heard her husband was dead she mourned him the customary seven days. When her mourning was over David sent for her and married her.

The damage was done and this marriage was not going to fix anything. 2 Sam 11:27 "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." Literally, it was pure evil to God and the consequences for David's actions would be evil. "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." Galatians 6:7

God sent Nathan the Prophet to David to expose his sins and warn him that because David had Uriah murdered "by the sword of the people of Ammon" (2 Sam 12:9) God promised David that "the sword shall never leave your house" (2 Sam 12:10). David despised God in his gross disobedience and defiance then further sinned by trying to cover it up. God spared David's life, but He would still demand restitution for Uriah. David's sin had to be judged. When Bathsheba had the baby God took its life. Though David would not eat or sleep when the baby became sick, though he fasted and prayed continuously for God to spare the baby, the baby died. By allowing the baby to live it gave occasion for blasphemy against God by God's enemies. God had to protect His own reputation, holiness and righteousness. David didn't face the full penalty for his crimes, but death isn't always a punishment. Sometimes living is worse.

Because the analogy Nathan used to confront David about his sin was that of a rich man who had many flocks ( David's many wives) stealing the only ewe lamb a poor man had (Uriah's only wife Bathsheba),  the restitution God was demanding was the same for the theft of a lamb. According to the Law, restitution for a stolen lamb was to be repaid four-fold (Exodus 22:1) David did pay four-fold eventually by losing four sons. The baby, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah (2 Sam 12:19).

Eventually, Bathsheba got pregnant again and bore Solomon. It says "the Lord loved him" (2 Sam 12:24). and sent this message by the Prophet Nathan. God called Solomon Jedidiah which means "Beloved of the Lord" (2 Sam 12:25) We know Solomon went on to succeed David on the throne of Israel and was greatly blessed by God, but David's life from that mistake with Bathsheba cost him dearly and the sword never did leave his house. Because Uriah died so violently, violence would never leave David. David may have found grace with God in that he didn't face the full penalty of being put to death for what was done and he was forgiven, he still had to face consequences just the same. Forgiveness doesn't always mean a free pass. Sometimes God may lighten the load, but evil always follows evil and consequences always follow from our choices. If they didn't, we'd never learn.

There are no great men and women of God. Only a great God.

A Psalm David wrote after Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba and Uriah. Psalm 51...

  Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
   blot out my transgressions.
 Wash away all my iniquity
   and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
   and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
   and justified when you judge.
 Surely I was sinful at birth,
   sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
   you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
 Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
 Hide your face from my sins
   and blot out all my iniquity.

 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   so that sinners will turn back to you.
 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
   you who are God my Savior,
   and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
 Open my lips, Lord,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
   you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart
   you, God, will not despise.

May it please you to prosper Zion,
   to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
   in burnt offerings offered whole;
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.

John Piper Sharing The Stage Again With Heretic Rick Warren

Crosstalk Blog Link


Other Speakers Link

Piper is only continuing to give credence to heretics and the fact that he is a leader and teacher of God's Word should have him shaking in his boots.

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more severely than others." James 3:1

I Never Knew You

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:21-23

 These few scriptures that Jesus spoke are frightening. I think people often equate these with the world...unbelievers on the Day of Judgment and skip right over them. They believe they're going to heaven so this doesn't apply to them. But in fact they are a warning to those who profess Christ and not to those who don't. Jesus wasn't talking about unbelievers here. He was clearly talking about those who truly believe they are Christians, are in the church and believe they're going to heaven.


1. "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord Lord' will enter" Calling Jesus 'Lord' is not evidence of real regeneration. Even the Pharisees called Him 'Lord'. Judas was with Him for 3 years and referred to Him the same way. 


2. Next He gives a clear sign of the difference between those who do lip service and those who are real.."but only he who does the will of My Father". Obedience to God, obedience to His Word is a telling sign. Just going to church, being involved in ministries, tithing, attending Bible Studies is not evidence. Again, Judas did these things too. Are you obedient even when you're alone? Are you following Christ outside of church and Christian functions?


3. Now He switches to the actual Day of Judgment and says "Many will say". Not some, not a few but "Many". These people are already in a frenzy. They seem to already know they're being rejected. They're begging him and pleading with Him... "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?" 


The ability to prophecy is not evidence of real conversion. Balaam prophesied too. King Saul did as well. The witch of Endor conjured up Samuel (1 Samuel 28). Performing miracles and driving out demons are easily counterfeited. Jannes and Jambres, the 2 Egyptian magicians Moses found himself up against, performed miracles (2 Timothy 3:8-9 and Exodus 7). Satan can perform miracles. The anti-christ will also perform miracles. Satan always tries to counterfeit everything God does so depending on these things to prove or take assurance in one's salvation is delusional. But these people Jesus is talking about were doing exactly that to their own detriment and we have millions today who do this very thing and base their entire salvation on them. 


4. Jesus follows it with a terrifying statement..."I never knew you. Depart from Me you evildoers."

He doesn't know them. He has never had a relationship with them. Whatever miracles they performed, whatever things they prophesied, whatever demons they drove out had nothing to do with Him. He was no part of those things at any time, but worse, He was no part of their lives. He had no part in their ideas of salvation and because He wasn't, they were damned.

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test" 2 Corinthians 13:5 

We're told to examine ourselves, examine the evidence, examine our lives to make sure we truly are saved. That self examination does not include if we've prophesied, cast out demons or performed miracles. That's not a viable scale. A viable scale the Bible gives is...

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46 Are you obedient? Do you follow the simple commands of scripture even when you're alone? We know no one gets to heaven by works but obedience is a natural result of sanctification. The desire to please, the desire to obey out of love and gratitude. If that's missing that's a big red flag. (1 John 2:4-6)

Are you bearing fruit? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of true conversion. If the Holy Spirit is there one will bear fruit. It's impossible for them not to. If you're not bearing any fruit then the Spirit is not at work and that's not His fault. He's just not there.

Because the bearing of fruit doesn't happen over night and maybe you're a new convert, then you can examine yourself by...

1. Are you growing in a hatred for sin and love for righteousness?
2. Do you at least have a desire to be holy and pleasing to God?
3. When you do sin how do you respond to it?
4. Are you convicted of that sin and do you repent? Or do you cling to it, don't feel bad about it and tell yourself you don't have sin? (1 John 1:8-10)

Like Paul Washer said "If you don't have a new relationship with sin you don't have a new relationship with God."

Do you love the world? Do you love the things of the world? Do you still have attachments to the world that you just can't give up? (1 John 2:15)

When you face difficulties and trials, how does your faith hold up? Do you throw in the towel easily? Have you thrown in the towel? Or, after facing trials, has your faith remained in tact? Is it stronger? (1 Peter 1:7)

"Examine yourselves" Paul commanded. Don't ignore the warning signs. Don't put your trust in acts or a prayer. If you do this you are deceiving yourself and not using an accurate sale to measure the truth by. The accurate scale is the Word of God not something you've done or someone else told you. To ignore this could possibly cost you eternity.

Loneliness

At some point we all will feel lonely or have to deal with it. Loneliness can be debilitating as it tears down day by day. It can cause us to make bad choices which can lead to a lifetime of paying consequences. Some withdraw completely from people and others will look desperately for a friend. Either way, loneliness, if not handled right, can lead us down a road of deep pain.

Loneliness can be caused from many things, from minor to major. We may feel lonely after moving away from friends and family or if a close friend moves away. We can feel lonely in a crowded room where we don't know anyone. We all deal with this kind of loneliness and it's usually just temporary.

The dangerous kind of loneliness is the type that, despite being in a room full of people you know, you still feel lonely. You may feel like an outcast among friends and family. You may feel no one cares about you or loves you. No one cares what you think or what you have to say. You're uncomfortable going somewhere by yourself because you feel self conscious. Maybe you feel no one pays attention to you or no one likes you. Maybe you've been hurt so much loneliness comes from trusting no one. Loneliness is very real and not something we can just snap out of. It can last anywhere from a few minutes to many years. It ruins lives.

There are a lot of scientific theories why some people live a life of perpetual loneliness. Some think it's a chemical imbalance and can be treated with therapy and drugs. Others think it's diet and exercise and still others think it comes from past abuses. It isn't about just making some friends. We've all heard someone tell us "You need to make a friend". Most people who deal with chronic loneliness have friends and/or close families. Scientists and therapy gurus have a lot of methods to try to break its hold, but in an age where tens of millions, just in this country alone, suffer from severe loneliness daily despite having tried methods, it's obvious the issue is much bigger than science, much deeper than having human companionship and its hold on a person is much stronger.

Loneliness can be broken, but first we need to see it for what it is. Loneliness is being self focused. Loneliness is an obsession with "self". By going to therapy, taking drugs or spending millions on self help material the cycle is never broken in a person. These methods are, in fact, a vicious cycle because they only reinforce the loneliness by keeping the individual self focused.

Take a look at this excerpt from an article concerning major depression among Western societies that loneliness also fits into...

Societies that breed depression, and societies that don't
It is a fact that we all have basic emotional needs that must be met for us to thrive and enjoy life. After the primary human needs for food, water and shelter come commonly shared emotional and physical needs. Without exception we find depressed people are not getting these needs met.
Traditional communities naturally meet many 'basic needs' for emotional support. In the traditional Amish society in the US major depression is almost unknown, as it is in the equally traditional Kaluli tribe of New Guinea. In these societies individual concerns are group concerns and vise-versa. You know that if you have a problem other people will help you and you are expected to help out when others need support. We know we are meant to do these things but it's not a 'built in feature' of modern society in the same way.
These days we are much more 'self-focused'. The idea of considering the wider community to be more important than the self is almost impossible to understand for most people.
Major depression is 4th most disabling condition in the world, and 2nd most in the developed world. As well as the human cost, the burden on society is incredible. Much of the research on this site about effective treatments for depression has been controlled by the US government, in order to try and find the best way to overcome depression. The cost to society is real, and we need to find the best way at beating depression for good.
http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/dlp/depression-information/major-depression-facts/

Loneliness makes you think "No one loves me. No one cares about me. No one thinks I'm important. No one notices me. No one thinks about me. No one will ever do anything good for me. No one thinks I'm cute/nice/important enough/smart", etc. What's the common denominator in all of this? "Me".

The problem isn't medical or a painful past. The problem is being self centered. We get all wrapped up in ourselves and what we want and what we need. We are only worried about ourselves. This not only does extreme damage to us, but to others as well. We become so self centered and ungrateful, so focused on ourselves that we neglect others and push them off over and over again until ultimately they leave. Instead of seeing it for what it is we turn in on ourselves, reinforce the loneliness in us and say "See! No one loves me. No one cares. No one's concerned for me. I did everything I could..."

Ever heard the term "it's better to give than to receive"? It's true that people who give of themselves, either by volunteer work, involvement in charities or other things, are happier people. They experience far less loneliness and far less depression than those who aren't active in giving of themselves in some way.

Ready to break the cycle? First you have to realize (and this may sound harsh but I've had to face it too) the world does not revolve around you. The truth is if we die today the world will still go on as just another day. You are the only one at the center of your universe. No matter what you've been through there are many more who have been through or are going through far worse than you. No matter what you may not have there are many others who have far less.

Instead of thinking "no one loves me" try asking yourself "who can I show love to"?
Instead of thinking "No one appreciates me" ask yourself "who can I show appreciation to?"
Instead of thinking "No one listens to me" ask yourself "who can I listen to?"
Instead of thinking "I have no friends" ask yourself "who can I be a friend or friendly to?"
Instead of thinking "No one is there for me" ask yourself "Who can I be there for?"

Selfishness is not a virtue. Being self centered is not a good character trait. People notice it and instinctively back away from it. But those that give of themselves despite what they feel or what they may be going through not only profoundly changes us, but it changes those around us. Think of a time when you felt bad or at your worst and someone (maybe a complete stranger) did something for you, something they didn't have to do, but went out of their way for you. Maybe something that seemed so insignificant, but it completely changed your mood and made your situation a little better. Because it changed your mood it had a chain reaction. Now you are reacting to others a little differently, a little nicer, a little more patiently. Now you've effected those people and their mood is a little lighter and better and they in turn do something for someone else.

Those we praise as heroes have always been those who gave the most of themselves and thought of others more. You may not save kids from a burning building today or rescue an old lady from a group of thugs, but you can can make a difference in someone's life today and that always makes a difference in us. You may be the only person today who picks another person up with even just a kind word. Loneliness cannot survive when we reach out to others, but it's more than just coming to a realization of what loneliness is. You have to act on it and the more you do the weaker loneliness becomes.