Prophets--Signs--Faith

I spoke of what a rational minded individual with average intelligence would do when presented with a radical idea in my last post.  It's easy for us to judge those before us for rejecting the prophets of God.  Ever consider whether you would act differently?  What if you have already rejected someone who spoke the word of God?  Keep in mind, not every man or woman who says they communion with God is telling the truth.  For it is written in 1 John 4:1 - 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

But how do you know who is from God and who is not?  What determining factors are there?  The truth is that the Bible, the Torah, as well as the Quran speaks of signs of coming prophets.  Yet we do not believe.  Our forefathers didn't believe either.  Some of us consider ourselves of superior minds and intelligence and look harshly upon those who believe something other than what we feel to be correct. Take Mormonism or Later Day Saints church movement for example.  They believe that Joseph Smith was directed by angels to recover a book written in gold plates containing the religious history of an ancient people.  Prophet or fake?  Or take the example of Alexander Dowie who claimed to be the spiritual return of biblical prophet Elijah. Whatever happened to him?  Perhaps consider John Hugh Smyth-Pigott who claimed that he was the second coming of the messiah and was god, not man.  Where is he now? I am certain if researched, many more will be found.  So again remember this:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matthew 7:15

So then how does one recognize the truth?  The answer is simple my friends.  Be aware of the word of God in scriptures.  Study them and know them well.  In scriptures the foretelling of prophets and the signs that will appear are written.  After educating yourself, pay attention to the teachings of the so called prophets.  Is their message leading you to God or away from Him?  Do they prophecy in the name of God, or are they fortunetellers looking for your wallet?  Are they seeking fame for themselves or are they giving all fame, praise and glory to God?  Is their healing given only in return for profits or do they speak the truth of the gospels without wanting anything in return?  For Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 9:3-5

"He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”

In scripture it is also said about false prophets that: 

"For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive."

Romans 16:18

To be a true messenger or God, the messenger must display the characteristics of godliness.  He must be pious and righteous.  Not just in his words, but in his actions as well.  My dear readers, your best defense against being naivete is to arm yourselves with the word of God.  Know it by heart.  Know the truth.  Don't be fooled.  At the same time however, don't be reluctant in recognizing someone who is indeed preaching the word of God.  Prophet or not, trust in the true word of God, no matter who speaks it.  For it is written: 

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

Alas, whatever you do my friends, please don't be hypocrites.  Don't speak ill of those who disbelieved and mocked Christ on the cross, and then in the same breath mock those speaking the same word of God that Christ taught.  For we must be vigilant and on guard.  It is a daily struggle and a war against the enemy who is forever waiting for an opportunity to attack.  Attack in the form of discouragement, or in the form of false prophet-hood.  Do not give him cause to enter your lives.  Be alert in your hearts and minds and do not be dismayed ever.  For the Lord our Savior is with us always....Amen!!!

Religious hypocrisy!

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
Matthew 6:1

Ever wonder what you would have done in the days of the prophets?  If someone claimed to be a messenger of God.  What would you do and say?  What if it happened now?  Would you believe them and take them seriously?  Would you ask for proof?  Would you ask them to perform miracles? If you look at history, it shows us that people not only question, but usually mock the prophets when they are preaching the message of God.  It's only after their death do most realize the errors of their ways, and begin following their teachings.  I heard in a sermon and nodded in agreement when the Pastor said, "people approve the wicked deeds of their fathers and adorn the tombs of those their fathers killed."

What is the point of this you may be asking.  Well if you have read enough of my work, you know I always have a point.  The subject matter that mostly all religious and pious people want to avoid is the point here.  The point of religious hypocrisy.  I have talked about said topic within my other writings, but it's such a big issue that it deserved it's own blog. Have you noticed that all religious folks are offended when questioned, corrected or directed about their beliefs and practices?  Offended and defensive.  Their priorities are in the wrong place. They desire worldly things, and chase after appearances and the non-essentials.  They practice ceremonial offerings and prayers when their hearts are full of envy and malice.  They lack any concern for others and have become complacent in their teachings.  However, these same individuals are the ones to condemn others and their ways.  Do you disagree?  Have you too not seen this?

Why should I be concern with this, you ask.  Live and let live, you say.  It's not my problem, you say. Well I say, have you kept anyone from knowing God's word?  Perhaps imposed law upon them and not let them know God's grace and forgiveness?  Then my friends, you too are hypocrites!  Yes, I speak to you.  You, the one who tells your neighbor to not take the Lord's name in vain, yet yourself worship money and other worldly idols.  Is that not blasphemy too?  Oh you hypocrites, look within you before pointing out the sins of others.  For the Lord says:

"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Matthew 7:5

"You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Matthew 15: 7-9

"Do you suppose, O man, you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?"
Romans 2:3

So why then do we insist on condemning others when we too are condemned by such actions.  Why is it easier to see the errors of others but feel ourselves sinless.  Truth be told, we should all consider this.

I am guilty...

when I am interested more in outward ceremony then hard commitment

when I am interested more in religious tradition rather than biblical teaching

when I am interested more in appearances then the approval of God

May the Lord in heaven forgive us, guide us and allow us to remain humble while we seek the word of God, and not worldly pleasures.  Amen!

Don't blame God...

You're walking down the street to the corner store to get bread and milk, and all of the sudden you hear, "Allahu Akbar!"  Your immediate reaction...duck under cover.  You're watching a movie and the sound of the Muslim "adhan" starts playing.  Your immediate reaction...roll your eyes and wonder when the killings will begin.

Ever wonder why?  Ever do anything more than wonder?  Perhaps research the beliefs of the said religion?  This isn't going to be a lecture of tolerance and acceptance of other religions and beliefs, as you all very well know my stance on organized religion.  However I will take a moment to explain the two phrasing mentioned.

Allahu Akbar translate to God is great! and an adhan is the Islamic call to worship.  What we need to dig deeper into isn't what the two mean, but what they represent and how they have been manipulated for purposes other than their original intent.  It's a marvelous thing to praise God.  Everyone should praise Him.  But when extremists say Allahu Akbar, it isn't for the purpose of truly praising the one God, but to instill fear.  Fear of death.  As their actions following the praising of God is full of death and destruction.  How sad that two very opposite concepts have been connected this way: the concept of praise for God and the concept of death.  How very sad indeed.  As for the adhan, it was initiated for the purpose of informing believers of the faith to come worship at the appropriately allotted times as dictated.  Now it represents malice to the outsiders, as it has made it's way to be connected with terrorist actions.

Why associate God with your terrorism people?  Why in one breath give praise to Him and in the next blow up a building full of His children?  Why call people to come worship when the next moment you are blowing up another's place of worship?  Think over these simple questions.  Simple but frightfully honest and thought provoking questions.  Did you forget that God is Peace?  For He has said;

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in body; and be thankful." 

Colossians 3:15

"The Lord will give strength to His people;

The Lord will bless His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 14:27

So then why are you blaming God for your decisions.  Why are you pinning your treacherous murders on Him.  Why are you making claims of servitude when you miss the greatest of His commandments of, "thou shalt not kill." How can you attest that these killings are directed by the one God, when He commands that; "...you shalt love thy neighbor as thyself..." Mark 12:31
Why hold God responsible for your own recklessness.  Why say that God will grant you heaven after your infidelity.

Why? Why I ask of those out there who at this very moment are conspiring to shoot someone down, or are planning an insidious mass murder, and/or are taking the Lord's name is vain.  Why should you be forgiven for such actions?  My God in heaven sees all and nothing is nor can be hidden from Him.  His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

Draw me nearer Lord!

You know that feeling in your heart.  That feeling of something wrong.  The feeling that something is missing.  That feeling that you forgot something important.  Well I have been walking for days now with that nagging feeling.  Every day the feeling gets stronger and I grow weaker.  The problem is, I do know what's wrong.  I certainly know what's missing.  And I surely have forgotten something very important.  I my dear friends have wandered away from my God.  He has not abandoned me.  He never does.  Yet I have faltered.  It's always us that does the leaving.  It's always us who strays and it's always us who blames Him for not being there for us.  How unfair!

My dear readers; today raise your hands and pray with me.  Pray that our Lord, the Savior of our souls, draws us nearer to Him, so that we too can relish in His abundant love.  Pray that He, our Salvation, draws us nearer to Him, so that we are not caught in sin.  Pray to our Lord, the Mighty that He draws us nearer to Him, so that we too can shower our love on the needy.  Let's all say:

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; 
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me, 
And let us exalt His name together.
I south the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:1-4 

"In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

Let me never be put to shame.

For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth.

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

Psalm 71:1, 5, 8

Whom them shall I praise?  Whom them shall I praise?

Our dear beloved Lord!  

The Savior of our Souls! 

The Mighty!  

The Forgiver!  

The Restorer!  

The Generous!  

The Provider!  

The Merciful!

The Creator!  

Hear my pleas O Lord and draw me nearer to You, so that I can once again walk in Your presence and be blessed by Your mercy.  Lord please forgive me my sins and allow me to humble myself.  Blessed God, please take the love for the world out of my heart and fill it with your bountiful mercy for everyone.  Lord use me for Your purpose.  In Your magnificent name I pray this.  Amen! 

Optimist-Pessimist-Realist-Me...

You know what the difference between a pessimist, an optimist and a realist is?  There are many jokes explaining the difference.  One I like is; a pessimist says the glass is half empty, an optimist says the glass is half full, and a realist drinks the glass of water and asks what's next.  And the difference between all three of these categories and me is...(drum roll please)... They chose to be classified, and I just chose to be happy! Yup.  That's it.  There is not a single thing to complain about in my opinion.  Even the worst of times that I may be going through, I thank God for.  I have been calleelf-righteous and sanctimonious, and have been told that the thin air on my high horse is affecting my thinking.  You know what I say?  I say, I am covered by God's grace and am not at all bothered by the words of those that do not understand.  It simply makes me smile.  

It's hard for people to understand or perhaps accept that a change is indeed possible.  What always was, doesn't always have to be.  As in, if a person acted  badly for a long period of time, doesn't mean that is how they will be for the rest of their lives.  Everyone goes through situations in life that changes them, and allowing that change to occur gives them an opportunity to not go back to what wasn't working.  Christ blessed the promiscuous woman, when no one else would dare speak to her and had casted her away.  She was anew in Christ and was cleansed. Christ died so that we can have that connection with our Lord without the guilt and condemnation we once felt.  He asks that we not commit the sins we once did. Ok, all mind games aside, let's see what our beloved Lord has to say on the topic of change and transformation.  

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."  

Ezekiel 36:26-27

"Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." 

1 Peter 1:23

So what will you chose today?  Noticing that the glass is empty, full, or just drink it?  Try praising God and being happy perhaps, eh? If loving my God, and thanking Him for the blessings he bestows on me is being self-righteous and sanctimonious, then yes, YES I am that.  And I am not sorry about it.  I don't feel depressed, sad, lonely, angry, guilty or any other negative feeling.  As situations present themselves to me, I turn to God and ask for His help and His guidance.  I trust that He will see me through them as He promises us He will.  What God knows about me is more important than what others think about me. 

Nowhere to hide -

Q:  You want to tell me something?
A:  Like what?
Q:  You're hiding something from me.
A:  I have nothing to hide.  My conscious is clear.  What has happened?
Q:  "Every time you were keeping something from me, you were keeping something from me."
A:  I have no idea what's going on, but I know as God as my witness that I am not hiding anything as there is nothing to hide.  Nothing has happened.  
---

Ever been in a situation where you know inside out that you're right about something but the other person doubts you, regardless?  How has that situation gone for you?  Difficult no?  As you want to please the person you love, and not fight.  But there seems no way for you to convince them of your innocence.  Or better yet, your ignorance of what it is they feel you have done. In order to walk away from such a confrontation remember these words from our God;

"...Remember that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Me (Your Lord).  You have been judged NOT GUILTY for all eternity.  Trust Me, and don't be afraid; for I am your Strength, Song and Salvation."  Interpretation from James 4:7; Romans 8:1-2; Isaiah 12:2

Our Lord also says; 

"...Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle.  This awareness of your inadequacy is not something you should try to evade.  It is precisely where I want you -- the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power.  When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me!  Allow Me to fight for you.  Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence."  

Interpretation from Revelation 19:1; Psalm 91:1

The Almighty promises us that; 

"...I know every thought before you think it, every word before you speak it. My Presence impinges on your innermost being. Can you see the absurdity of trying to hide anything from Me?  You can easily deceive other people, and even yourself, but I read you like an open, large print book."  

Interpretation from Psalm 139:1-4; Ephesians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21

So when you feel cornered with no way out of a situation, seek the Lord and ask for His guidance and mercy.  For He knows you better than you know yourself.  Perhaps your loved ones get an inkling of something that you yourself haven't seen.  Instead of trying to prove your innocence/ignorance to them at a time when they are least receptacle to your words, turn to God and allow Him to work on your behalf.  If you truly trust in Him and ask for His help, He will let those that doubt know what the truth is.  You need not hide anywhere, as there is nowhere to hide from our God Lord Almighty.  Submit your troubles to Him and allow for His grace to work in your life.  

Lord help me through this troubled situation.  If there is something I have not acknowledged myself, please reveal it to me.  I trust You with my words, my decisions, and my life.  Let Your will be done.  Amen!!

  

Follow the leader

Have you ever played the game follow the leader?  I've seen it played in various ways and with different kinds of groups. In some groups it was played where everyone had to do what the leader was doing.  While in others, the group was all blindfolded and stood in a line.  Each person grabbed the shoulder of the person in front and followed wherever the leader took them; the leader was the only one not blindfolded.  What's the point to this you may be wondering.  Patience my friends, you know I don't bring up a topic unless it's relevant to what I want to discuss.  So playing games is enjoyable, right?  Enjoyable because it's pretend, and doesn't impact real life.  No?  What happens if you find out one day that life is a game. Do you do anything differently? If so what?

Well in the game of life, there is only one leader.  No you don't have to guess who.  And if you thought of anyone but the One and Only God, then you need to sort your priorities.  In a game of pretend, it's easy to follow the leader.  But when it comes to real life, and real consequences, we tend to forget who our Leader and Master is.  Instead of following His direction and commands for us, we tend to rely on ourselves.  Well how is that working out for all?  Yeah, some are doing really well; lots of money in the bank accounts, houses, cars, jewelry, everything you ever wanted or needed.  But do they have peace? Others are wondering whether they will have food to eat tonight, or shelter to sleep under.  No matter where you are in game of life, you must acknowledge the God who watches over you.

I'll share a brief story.  I was skeptical of God and His existence as I always looked at the inconsistencies in life.  Rich getting richer, when they don't worship.  Poor getting poorer when all they do is pray.  The bad getting away with crimes and never knowing God.  The good coming down with deadly disease when they follow all commandments of God.  I used to ask, how can a God that sees all this be the God to worship. Then like a flick of a light switch everything was illuminated (well not exactly, but it sounds better to say it that way). It took a very long time for me to understand and accept God's love, forgiveness, mercy and grace.  But now that I have, all my questions seem to be answered and I wonder how I ever questioned Him to begin with.  I know I wasn't alone though, as many question the same things.  You know what's cool? That our loving God wants us to ask Him these questions. To Him it shows that we're interested enough to care why certain things happen. However the wonder of it all is, that we may never truly understand even when He does respond. For He says;

"Understanding will never bring you peace. That's why I have instructed you to trust in Me, not in your understanding." Interpretation from Proverbs 3:5-6

Know this!

God is in the midst of the weakest person, dying of thirst. So that he dies with peace in his heart.

Lord Almighty lives within the sloth who sits and eats all day. So that he feels sees right from wrong.

God walks with the crippled that can't feel his legs. So that he can feel alive.

Lord Almighty gives more to the greedy who has everything. So they may give back to the needy.

 God places His hand on the poor when they are too cold to sleep. So they can feel His warmth.

So no matter what sins you have committed or haven't committed in life, take a chance and follow the Lord. He will wash away all your sins and accept you with open arms into His holy presence. He will bless your heart and soul and allow you to feel His mercy in your lives.  Whether life is a game or not, our Lord is our Leader and Master and we must follow Him.  Follow His word, His messengers/prophets, His commandments, His mercy, His forgiveness, His compassion, His grace, His never ending love for us all. Sinners and saints alike.  Yes, it's a hard pill swallow, but that's the grace of God!  He loves us all so very much.  He has so much love to give, that every being on this earth can stretch out their hands to carry such bounties, yet it will still overflow.  Just surrender to Him my friends, and see what your tomorrow will bring. Follow Him!  Accept Him into your lives. Allow Him to lead you to the path of those He has blessed. Allow His Holy Spirit to lead you beyond borders you have created for yourselves. Give up the struggle of figuring it out for yourselves.  Just like a father takes care of his children, like a teacher teaches his students, like a captain leads his soldiers, like a president commands his country; our Lord is our Father, our Teacher, our Captain, and our President, all in one. Then why do you think twice about following Him?  The time of thinking is over. The time of acceptance of His will over ours is here.  

My Lord, let Your will be done in our lives and let us always follow You, Your Word, and Your Spirit. Amen!!!