Sin Wagon, Mattress Dancin'

I imagine I caught a few peoples' attention from my blog title. I hope so. Those words are actually from a Dixie Chicks song I had no intention of listening to except for the fact, possibly with you, the words "Sin Wagon" piqued my curiosity. Let me first say, I do not listen to nor do I purchase any secular music. I am no longer interested in it. However, as I was researching something online an unexpected advertisement popped up on the right-hand column of my laptop. It was an advertisement for an upcoming concert starring the Dixie Chicks who are back on tour and would be performing their newest hit, "Sin Wagon." And though the group is secular and that I never cared much for country music, I wanted to hear what they meant by Sin Wagon. I went to YouTube, brought up the song with lyrics, and watched the Dixie Chicks perform. What did I find out? Well, I learned that this song glorifies the concept of sin number one. Not a surprise really as so many songs today actually extol and pay tribute to fornication and adultery. Something was different about these lyrics though and that's what I want to blog about today. That is, living a life of sin and basically having no remorse about it. The woman in this song leaves her husband because she basically wants a life of debauchery and goes looking for an extramarital affair. Here is a taste of the lyrics:

Need a little bit more
Of what I've been missin'
I don't know where I'll be crashin'
But I'm arrivin' on a sin wagon

When it's my turn to march up to old glory
I'm gonna have one hell of a story
That's if He forgives me
Oh, Lord please forgive me

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition
Need a little bit more of that sweet salvation
They may take me with my feet draggin'
But I'll fly away on a sin wagon
I'll fly away on a sin wagon

It's not difficult to interpret those lyrics. The words are admired by the world and are cringe-worthy to every moral Christian. I read the comments left on the YouTube page and the comments prove my opinion as correct. So what is my point? Simply that in the song, the woman asks for forgiveness, but with no intention of repenting. She intends to live as she wants, ignoring what's right, then hoping she'll make it into heaven if she begs God at the last minute. What else can be expected of the world ... referring to sex as "salvation" and chortling how the Lord will have to "take me with my feet draggin" (I assume she's referring to heaven). After all, what sinner wants to give up the pleasure of sin for some stupid concept called heaven, right? The life her lyrics describes will get her what she wants, flying away on a sin wagon but right into hell. However, the worst part of this song's message to me is that people can live a life of wantonness and sin and then believe when their fun and games are over they will be accepted into heaven by merely pleading, "Lord, please forgive me." It doesn't work like that for either believer or non-believer! PLEASE GET THIS - THOSE OF YOU CALLING YOURSELVES CHRISTIANS! Personally, I know two women right now who say they are Christians but are committing fornication and refuse to repent, to stop, and turn back to the Lord. Regardless of correction, chastisement, or warning, they ignore the Word they claim to follow, "The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." (1Corinthians 6:13) I sometimes refer to the Message Bible because it can strike a chord with people when I need a "modern-day" clear explanation of certain verses. I'm going to quote it now:

"Since the Master honors you with a body, honor Him with your body! God honored the Master's body by raising Him from the grave, He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not. There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in scripture, "The two become one." Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever- the kind of sex that can never "become one." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin, we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."

Jesus came to earth to take away sin (John 1:29) not so that after you are made clean, you as a sow, go back to your 'wallowing in the mire' or as 'a dog that returns to its vomit '(2 Peter 2:22). YES, THAT REALLY IS IN THE BIBLE! Jesus lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). He kept all the laws neither you nor I have or ever will keep! And this, so we might have HIS forgiveness for our transgressions (Romans 5:8; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 9:26), and thus we are freed from the punishment due us. CHRISTIANS! --- If you have accepted Christ, but refuse to obey His commands by willfully sinning against Him over and over when you know better, you are spitting in His face and mocking Him (Hebrews 10:26-28). Every person saved or unsaved that lives the life portrayed in the Dixie Chicks song WILL NOT go to heaven. The Bible says if they remain unrepentant, they will be kindling for the fires of hell (Revelation 21:8). I concur with the apostle Paul, "Awake to righteousness, AND SIN NOT; for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame" (1 Corinthians 10:34). Please, time is drawing short, make a commitment right now to pray and seek God's face and turn from your mattress dancing. Proverbs 28:13 "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper. But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."
Until next time,
-Pat-

Too Bad To Be Saved

I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I've heard people say, "If you only knew what I have done! God could never forgive me." And because they feel that way, they reject the idea of forgiveness, the meaning of the cross, or consider salvation. Is there anyone too bad that God's love cannot pardon and save? Some people think they fall into that category. Perhaps you know of someone that feels too stained with sin for God to forgive them. They are wrong. God looks at sin differently than we do. We have a tendency to rank sinners based on the severity of their crime. Liars are okay, cheaters a little worse, murderers and rapists we measure as positively evil, and think of how we rate the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Bin Laden, etc. Every sin is a direct offense to GOD. No one sin is measured above another in God's eyes. James wrote in Chapter 2 verse 10, " Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." In other words, if you've ever broken one law, you are stained! I've sinned, you've sinned, all of us have done something that has broken God's law. Even if we don't know the Bible or the specifics of God's moral law, we sin whenever we do what our conscience tells us not to do. God put a conscience in every human being, so when we sin, we know it. It's equivalent of spitting in God's face and saying, "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR STUPID LAW SAYS, I'M GOING TO DO AS I PLEASE." Unfortunately, this rebellion becomes a way of life. One little sin leads to another, then another, then bigger sins. Our conscience becomes duller and duller over time until we care less and less if what we are doing is wrong.

Guilt can build over time. Sometimes we can get in so deep we don't know how to escape. Eventually, this kind of life always leads to inner emptiness though we may lie to ourselves by showing the world that we are happy. Maybe this is you. Perhaps you've tried psychological help, psychic help, meditation, a new religion or church, but still, nothing takes away your sense of despair. Do you feel hopeless, unable to shake what you're involved in and so believe God will never forgive you? If you think like this, your view of God is incorrect. The ultimate purpose of Jesus' execution was to take the punishment for "the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus didn't just die for little sins, but also the worse infractions of all... it is written, He died FOR THE SIN OF THE WORLD. If you have sinned, if you live in "the world," Jesus died to take your punishment so that you could be excused, exonerated, saved from the retribution sin brings. Do you understand? JESUS ALREADY PAID THE PRICE. He paid it when He hung on a cross and died in your place. Your shackles have been broken. I'm speaking to the rapist, murderer, liar, extortionists, child molester, abortionist, cheater, thief, homosexual, fornicator, pedophile, etc. Think of that! Jesus has given you a way out of hell's punishment IF YOU WILL ONLY BELIEVE HE DIED FOR YOU, THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD, WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND ROSE THE 3RD DAY. If you believe, if you follow His ways, exoneration is yours! It's like you did something worthy of the death penalty and an innocent man went to the guards and said I will take his place, I will sit in the electric chair. Take my life and free him. This was Jesus. And Jesus did this for you over 2,000 years ago. His GRACE saved you if you'll only believe. He is waiting for you to accept it, then come follow Him.

Grace is God's kindness toward people who don't deserve it. There is no way you could do enough good things to pay for your own sins. It would be like trying to pay off the trillion dollar debt of this country! Jesus is the only one who could pay off your debt. He was free of sin, a pure sacrifice, offered up for mankind. Listen to this description from the Message Bible: "It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, He did everything that was needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process." Did you know Paul called himself "the worst of sinners"? (1 Timothy 1:15). Did you know Paul hated Christians at one time and had them killed? Were you aware King David, the king of Israel, was called "a man after God's own heart" because of his extraordinary devotion to the Lord (1 Samuel 13:14) yet David committed 2 grave sins. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, murdered so to assure David he could have Bathsheba for himself. How grave was that? Peter, one of Jesus disciples actually denied ever knowing Him after confessing Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God! Peter had followed Jesus for years. I gave these two examples (though there are many more) because they fit many people today who have done these same things .... committing adultery, some have murdered, AND then there are even devout Christians who follow Christ for years then at some point deny they ever were followers of the faith. NO ONE is beyond redemption!

The unlimited love of God will not stop pursuing us no matter how far we flee from Him. I will not stop pleading for sinners to come home as long as His Spirit lives in me and prompts me to do so. The truth is, there is no darkness that His Light cannot dispel. There is no cruelty that His gentleness cannot transform. There is no addiction that His power cannot tame. There is no lust that His faithfulness cannot purify. There is no greed that His generosity cannot quell. The death of Jesus has paid the penalty, your penalty, my penalty for the totality of our sin ... big or small, and He freely offers forgiveness to all who put their trust in Him. For anyone reading this blog, are you ready to receive His Grace into your life and let Him take that mountain of sin that is crushing your hope, killing your joy, and leaving you in despair? You need to pour out your heart to Him and receive His forgiveness for the path you've taken and are going. It can be a simple prayer. Maybe something like this: Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner before your eyes. No matter how I try, I cannot find a solution to stop what I'm doing or to escape from the darkness of my own heart. I need your help. Please cleanse me, make me new by Your cleansing blood. Wash away the evil I've done, take control of my thoughts, my actions, and my words. Show me what's right, show me your knowledge that I may walk in eternal life with you. Teach me this love you talk about and let it produce love, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, generosity, and grace toward others in me. I give you my will, today, right now. I want to start over. I'm sorry I have sinned against You. Rescue me from myself. Amen. If you have decided to follow Christ today, I am thrilled. I am always available VIA email to answer questions or encourage you. My email address is in the right column directly below the list of blog titles. Until next time ...
-Pat-

Conditions Of The Heart

On this site I have listed my email address should anyone have a question. Yesterday I received my first lengthy email! This person wished to remain anonymous. I will honor their request. Their question/remark was quite interesting. Here is a part of it: "I have been curious about Christianity but the deeper I look into it, the more I'm thinking what is asked of me is impossible to do so your religion is not for me. For instance, in particular, two things bother me about what your God expects. If I look upon a woman and think she's hot, has a great butt or breasts I've committed adultery? Another is if I hate my brother or anyone I'm a murderer? That's just ridiculous! If that's true, I'm XXXXXXX screwed!" (I left out a descriptive word).

First I want to say, thank you for asking the question! I will answer you to the best of my ability.
For everyone reading, I will quote the scriptures the writer made a reference to. First from Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus speaking: "You have heard it said by those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The second scripture is from 1 John 3:15 "Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

As humans, obedience to God has come to be regarded as a thing of mere outward constraint or mechanical conformity. We hardly ever consider the spiritual condition of our heart. Being a Christian, a believer in Jesus, a follower of His ways is more than "thou shalt not" to regulate conduct. More importantly, it is to regulate our heart and mind. Jesus points out two particular things throughout the scriptures. First, NO MAN can or ever has kept the whole law because we are spiritually flawed. Secondly, the mind & heart are the control center of our actions. To control one's thoughts (mind) or actions (body) there must be a heart change. That's where Jesus comes in. Nothing we can do by our own power or goodness can spiritually fix our mind, heart, or actions. If you lust after a woman with your thoughts (mind) and you desire her with your body (actions) you need a complete heart makeover to arrest those behaviors. You need a pure heart. Matthew said a pure heart was possible. So much so he said in his 5th chapter, verse 8 NIV, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Having a pure heart requires a commitment to wanting God plus the desire to want to change, Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart. O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Jesus also taught that to physically keep the laws He has set forth (not to fornicate, commit adultery, to hate, steal, etc) requires the indwelling of His Holy Spirit because we haven't the strength, the will, or the human power to overcome these temptations of sin. Jesus calls us to "holiness" (to be separated from the world) and that holiness can and will take place in us to affect a great change on our temper, conduct, and actions. When people are outside of true Christianity they are without understanding and are mostly concerned only with wrongdoing but not the attitude that led to the sin (the attitude of the heart). Jesus went further to say, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." That statement sounds even more impossible to abide by than not hating your brother! Now it seems he's adding you can't even be angry without a cause! Though you may not have committed a deliberate or willful homicide, or ever intend to, have you ever practiced the indirect 'murder' of cruelty or meanness, vehement anger that you wanted to hurt someone? Our mind and heart dispositions have to be under consideration. Why? We must realize we cannot go to heaven with hatred for people in our hearts - be it racial, social, for a preacher, a homosexual, your ex-spouse, family member, etc. Understand, Jesus did not teach that anger was intrinsically wrong, but being angry without a righteous reason is, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (Ephesians 4:26). Anger has to be guarded carefully that it doesn't turn into sin because of hate which will lead to hurting others by our words or even taking the life of another.

The same holds true when lusting after a woman with your eyes. It's all about the disposition of your mind and the spiritual condition of the heart. Matthew 6:22-23 says, "The eye is the lamp of the body. (*your eyes are the pathway to your mind, which affects your hearts attitude). If your eyes are healthy (*refusing to look upon sin, evil, what tempts you), your whole body (*your actions) will be full of light (*understanding, goodness, and right living). But if your eyes are unhealthy (*always looking at sin, considering sin, giving into sin), your whole body (*your being) will be full of darkness (*wrong-doings, offences, transgressions). If then the light within you (*what you let into you through your eyes) is darkness (sin and transgression, wrong-doing), how great is that darkness." The entire key regarding Christianity is a change of heart, a rebirth, becoming a new man. But since this cannot be achieved by our own goodness, strength, or works, it requires accepting the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Expressed simply, it is God's Life in us ... CHRIST IN YOU. It is a miraculous mystery! Paul told us in Colossians 1:27 NIV, "To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." When you give your life and your will to Jesus Christ in a commitment to follow Him, He comes to live in your heart. He will guide you, comfort you, give you strength to overcome and walk away from sin. He changes you little by little. He molds you into a new vessel, 2 Timothy 2:21 KJV, "If a man, therefore, purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

Coming to Christ, asking forgiveness for prior sins, and committing to learn about Him to walk in His way is not a religion as has been said by the world, rather it's a relationship with the One True God. It's a choice ... salvation or religion, Truth or tradition, heaven or hell. If you read the Bible you will see that Jesus actually rebuked the most respected "religious" people of his day: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the LAW. He called them fools, foolish, hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, snakes, serpents, vipers, and children of hell! Refer to Luke 11:40, Mark 7:6, Matthew 23:15-17, Matthew 22:33. Christianity is NOT A RELIGION! Religions are made-made theologies and doctrines. Christianity is being born-again by the Spirit of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Why is it so difficult for the world to understand this? 1 Corinthians 2:14 "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." Do the things of God, His Word or Christian beliefs seem foolish to you? Are they difficult or impossible to understand?

Only Jesus Christ can take away your sin and give you eyes to understand. How? You must be born-again and become complete to understand the knowledge of God and have your understanding enlightened. Being born-again guarantees life eternal in heaven with God. As born-again children of God, we have access to Him. We have the ability to know Him and His will for our lives and to have our understanding flooded with the Light of His Word. In turn, He gives us the power to overcome temptation and fight the good fight of faith. When born-again of God's Spirit we become children of God with incorruptible seed within: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever" 1 Peter 1:23.

Finally, as you have probably already realized, it will be impossible for you to keep from lusting, or from any sin for that matter if you make the attempt through your own power or strength. You cannot stop these things on your own. If you ask Jesus into your heart, to be your Master, to vow to follow Him by reading and learning His Word and thus being born-again, He will teach you, guide you, and give you the Holy Spirit power to live a decent, upstanding Christian life. The longer you dedicate yourself to reading and learning God's Word, the more your old nature, the old character will change. You'll get a new heart, a new attitude, a new outlook. Our lives are lived one decision at a time. We don't live a day at a time; but rather, one decision at a time. Decide today whom you will serve. God or yourself.
Until next time,
-Pat-
P.S. If anyone has more questions on becoming a Christian, I welcome you to write to me and we can discuss it personally through email.

FROward

Often times when reading scripture, we have a tendency to whisk over words without any thought of their meaning. One such word is FROWARD. I've actually been in a Bible study group where the Bible was being read and have witnessed readers pronouncing that word as 'forward.' But the word froward and forward are two completely different words with distinctly opposite meanings. It's very important when we read to carefully pay attention because misunderstanding one word can completely change the concept of the entire passage. The Biblical word FROward means moving away from whereas the word FORward means moving closer to. Froward, as used in the scripture, gives a negative connotation but the word forward invokes a perception that is productive. In other words, moving away from God VS moving closer to or moving on with God. If you search further in any dictionary you could add the following definitions of the word froward. Keep these definitions in mind as you read this blog.

FROWARD: habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition, contrariness, defiance, disobedience, rebelliousness, insubordination. Also: a person who is contrary. A person difficult to deal with, Perverse, that is, turning from (moving away from) with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required. This word is not only very important to understand but to know that this word is used by God and expresses a negative connotation. Here is an example, They that are of a FROward heart are an abomination to the Lord: but such as are upright in their way are His delight" (Proverbs 11:20 KJV). How bad is it? We need to know what abomination means with regard to that verse. So using the definition of abomination combined with the meaning of froward, I will describe how God feels. Here it is: A reluctant, defiant heart that is habitually disposed to opposing me and disobeying me, I detest, loathe, and abhor. A person that is willfully contrary to Biblical standards is not easily managed because they are not willing to comply with what God requires. They are "moving away from" God and going in the way that is broad, distorted, the crooked way, etc. Let me be clear, this applies to non-believers as well as some Christians. But as with all my blogs, I'm addressing Christians and not the world!

There are Christians within the Body of Christ (His Church) who refuse to believe all God's commands and thus refuse to obey all of it. They choose to adhere only to the things they wish to follow and throw out or purposely ignore the rest. Their excuse when confronted is almost always the same, "No one is going to tell me what to do." The sad part is, the only one telling them how to live/what to do is God, not the messenger. As an example, there are some professed followers of Jesus Christ who are engaged in open sexual relationships outside of the institution of marriage (called fornication by God). Let's refer to the dictionary again and define in carnal terms what fornication is ... "Fornication is voluntary sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other, which would include adultery." Did you get that? Even any married persons who are carrying on affairs with anyone else besides their spouse is also defined as fornication. It is defined as adultery in the Bible.

It is so dangerous to be in rebellion against God's Word when you claim to be a Christian! If you are denying God's rules for living in any way, whether it be of a sexual nature, agreeing that abortion is a woman's right, that homosexuality is okay as long as it doesn't affect you, being a habitual liar, devising schemes to hurt others, hating someone, whenever you are reluctant, refusing to adhere to all of God's instructions, your heart is froward! God makes it clear in Psalm 101:4 as David speaks, "A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person" BECAUSE "the froward heart is an abomination to the Lord: (Proverbs 3:22.). Let's go on ... SO, " Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee" (Proverbs 4:24). "Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord" (Proverbs 6:14). Remember, "They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 11:20).

James also gives his conclusions in Chapter 4, verse 6: "God resists the proud and the froward of heart and mouth is a proud heart and mouth and God is opposed to such a person or people." Do you honestly believe that a person who professes Christianity yet offends in any of the examples written in this blog, truly love God? They really don't. Regardless of obedience in other areas, professed testimonies, no matter how kind they are to others, regardless of how much they pray, etc. they are not one of His. I'm not talking about weaknesses where a Christian may foul up now and again, I'm talking about a froward heart ... one in constant rebellion against what God abhors and who actively keep sinning. God, Himself said, "If you love Me, you'll keep My commandments." Are you keeping His commandments? If you truly love Him, it's not that difficult because you would be seeking to please Him and not yourself. Understand what I am saying. Anyone who is froward is constantly backsliding, constantly returning to sin, refuses to let go of a vice, etc. God will not accept such a person. You cannot say "once saved always saved" but live like the lost person you once were! Salvation does not work like that! You cannot grab heaven and be in the camp of the devil! God will never let go of us, but we can let go of Him by turning back and returning to a froward heart to practice unbridled sin.

That said, God does not want us living in fear of our salvation. He said we can KNOW we have eternal life. How? By ABIDING IN HIM... that means enduring, remaining, being fixed, unchangeable, steadfast, immutable, STAYING IN HIM! As long as we ABIDE in Him, we have nothing to fear. It is when we choose to let go and take our hand from His, choosing to turn from His will back to our own will in a defiant way that we are in danger. It is important to rededicate our lives every day through prayer, putting on our armor, and standing firm and resolute in submission to His will. Wasn't it Paul who said, "I die daily." He chose every day to say NO to living for 'self' as should we. We are supposed to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1), not as instruments of Satan and sin. We can stumble, and do stumble, but are to quickly repent and come back into the presence of a holy God. But when you PURPOSELY, RELUCTANTLY, HABITUALLY DEFY GOD over and over and over because you oppose certain things God asks of you, you most definitely are in danger of eternal condemnation.

If you call yourself a Christian and you are taken by a strong vice, I beg you to stop. Think about what you are doing! It's an abomination. God abhors sin. Repent! Please come back to the fold. You do not know when Jesus will return. Make your garment white and keep them white.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Unclean

I was skimming through articles on the Internet when I ran onto one published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that caught my attention ... "323 Million At Risk Of Disease From Dirty Water." I said to myself, "In 2019?" The article went on to say that out of these millions of people, not some, but all will die from diseases or conditions such as cholera, typhoid, polio, diarrhea, etc. associated with pathogens in the water. Again I said to myself, "In 2019??"
I was surprised to learn that The Ohio River is the most polluted river in the United States followed by the Mississippi, Tennessee, Cuyahoga (Ohio), Holston (Tennessee), Harpeth (Tennessee), and the New River (N. Carolina, VA and West VA). Even Canada's beautiful massive Lake Winnipeg covering an area nearly 10,000 miles and 250+ miles in length was named the most threatening lake in the world. The biggest problem for Canada's lake is agricultural runoff because of the nitrates used in fertilizers and pesticides, particularly phosphorus. For years, the reduction of chemical detergents suggested pollution turn around, and some of the most badly affected waters, such as Lake Erie, were brought back to relatively good health. However, in recent years the visible damage has returned in the form of toxic, invasive algae blooms like the red blooms that affect Florida's coastline between October and April every year. So much pollution! I had no idea. Our lakes, rivers, and streams are becoming cesspools of death.

I was thinking to myself how this happens and how fast it has taken place since I've been born. We know when it rains, it either seeps into the ground or becomes runoff, which flows downhill into rivers and lakes on its journey to the seas. Then, as small creeks flow downhill they merge to form larger streams and rivers. Rivers as we know from geography, eventually end up flowing into the oceans. So where am I going with all this? According to Jesus, even the human heart is a cesspool ... one of evil and it overflows like a stream, the runoff going into our words and deeds. Our world is polluted by the toxic buildup of our hearts. It really is. If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit the problem isn't political (though the progressive Left would tell you that), and it can't be solved by political means. It's certainly not a legal problem because all the laws and ordinances in the world can't solve it. It's not educational. If every person on this planet had a doctorate degree, we would still have a corrupt culture. And last, it's not a financial problem; and if everyone were a millionaire we would still be in trouble! Money cannot solve a heart/spiritual problem. Jeremiah 17:9 KJV "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Moral hearts lead to moral hands, Proverbs 4:23 NIV "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Only a transformed life brings holy habits. The Holy Spirit does the work in us when we come to Jesus as followers of Him, Ezekiel 36:26 KJV "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." What does this mean? A new heart is a new disposition of mind, renewed by the Word of God, vastly different than what your mind and thinking were before ...changed from sinful to holy, from carnal to spiritual; a heart where God's laws are written, abide and dwell. They are welcomed! What does it mean by giving you a heart of flesh? It means when we have been transformed, our stubbornness and rebellious hearts become soft and tender, with a willingness to walk in God's way and obey what He asks, happily compliant to His will. When we surrender to live this life of renewal, He powerfully gives us the strength to walk in His ways, without regret, without dread, without remorse or disappointment.

A transformed life brings holy habits. It isn't enough to turn over a new leaf, pass a new law, elect a new president, or create a new slogan. The only answer is a new heart 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV, "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new." Are you IN Christ? Have things become new in your life? Are you still living your old life? Still practicing your old vices? Titus 3:3-6 says, "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Until we decide to believe and come to Christ, our hearts will remain polluted and lost in a cesspool of sin. We are poisoning ourselves daily until we come and drink from the Living water, John 7:37 "He who BELIEVES IN ME (and if you love Me you'll keep my commandments-John 14:15), as the Scripture said, "'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." I pray that believers in Christ have not returned to former sins, the former "toxic sludge," which was invasive throughout our being before we came to Christ!

One final word of warning ... Jesus is not returning for a bride with a spotted gown. He is coming for faithful, obedient ones who have kept themselves unspotted from the sins of the world. She is the one clothed in faithful works, fought the good fight of faith no matter how difficult it became, one who stayed true to her Lord and spiritual Husband; Jesus Christ. If you are not walking obediently according to God's will, then you are like the 5 virgins who carried no oil in their lamps. You will be found wanting (*lacking) at his coming. Your light will go out before He gets here. Remember, Jesus warned His followers to be "so-doing" when He comes (Matthew 24).
Until next time ...
-Pat-

You Are Scaring People

Being a Christian is not always easy. Much of the Bible tells us how we should exemplify Christs' life after we become a Christian ... walking upright, patiently enduring evil, correcting non-believers with gentleness and truth, etc. How do you do this when called foul names, accused of being judgmental, or that you are only scaring people by telling them God's truth? 1 Timothy 3:16 verifies that God's Word (the Bible) is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness." Writing my blogs is an effort to fulfill that mission. There are times during unwanted, hurtful attacks that I don't feel like being gentle. But when I think about what's happening I have to remind myself that a lot of what we see going on today is actually a spiritual battle and that it is not about me. "Through You, we will push back our adversaries, through Your Name we will trample down those who rise up against us" (Psalm 44:5.) I must constantly remind myself, and others on this journey with me, that those that strike against Biblical teaching are not guided by a spiritual code of ethics. My prayer is for their eyes to be opened and that God would grant repentance and a knowledge of the truth. It's difficult for the world to understand a Christians desire to wake sleeping souls. Why? ...

Because, the Bible is spiritually discerned and without the spirit of God in you, the Bible is just words and means absolutely nothing! "But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, the meaning of scriptures is hidden from those snared by the devil. It's as simple as that. It was once hidden from me! I poo-pooed the Bible at one time. It was all mush to me, too far over my head ... this, thou, thus! My eyes were only opened when I surrendered to Christ, willing to give up my life to know and follow His truth. There is a spiritual battle going on all over the world. Even without scriptural knowledge, the moral decline in our country should be very noticeable and an indicator that we are way off track.
I have been told I need to leave my Christianity inside the doors of the church (that's the nice way of putting what has been said), yet we see the other side continuing to push their beliefs and sin on us any way they can (abortion, homosexuality, transgendered men in girls bathrooms, etc.), even making some of these laws to abide by! Even so, we cannot grow weary in doing good (1 Thessalonians 3:13). GOD is sovereign. His opponents can only go as far as He allows them. Yes, that HE ALLOWS. God has a plan! Even the enemy has a purpose that will fulfill His will. So, I'm scaring you? Which would you prefer: scared with truth or comforted with a lie?

Suppose that you were dying in the desert and you happened upon a tent. Inside sat two people. One appeared friendly, warm, and inviting. The other one appeared ugly, cold, and repulsive. In front of both people were large baskets but one basket contained life-giving water, the other a deadly poison. The friendly one speaks, "Come and drink the water that is in my basket." The other one who looks cold and demanding shouts, "NO! He's a liar. Do not drink from that basket, it contains poison." The friendly guy replies, "I can't believe how unloving you are scaring him like that! Can't you see this man is thirsty? Can't you see he needs my water? Come and drink." So you question the friendly gentleman, "Do you know that's true water in your basket? He quickly replies, "Of course there is water!" So you turn to the other repulsive one, "And you? There is water in your basket?" He answers, "Yes, I know there is water in my basket! I have the water!" The friendly person becomes irate and says, "I cannot believe you would be so arrogant as to claim that you have the only water in your basket." So this friendly gentleman turns to you and says, "Surely you are an educated man who understands there is really nothing we can truly know. But I tell you honestly, I have the water!" The unattractive one speaks up, "If you drink from the basket he offers you, you will surely die!" The attractive guy is persistent, "I cannot believe that you would be so self-righteous as to think that someone would actually die drinking what's in my basket! Do you think I'm an idiot or a fool? My water is fine. Where is your love, your compassion, your concern for this poor soul? You'll be fine, come and drink!" The other one who now appears to be uncaring and righteous pleads, "I love this man enough to tell him the truth. I want him to live and he will if he chooses the water from this basket. I have nothing to gain if he drinks from my basket, but he has everything to lose if he drinks your poison!" Then looking up at the thirsty sojourner the repulsive guy asks, "Why don't you test both baskets of water with this litmus paper and see which is which?" Afraid he'll lose ground the attractive man screams, "I can't believe you would ask him to do that! I'm offended that you would even suggest it." Then this same guy turns and looks straight into your eyes, "If you do that, then I will be offended. Can't you see this guy is trying to force you to believe a lie? I have the water, not him! Come on, figure it out. Look at him ... he's repulsive, a liar, telling you what to do, and judging me as some kind of dangerous man." So being persuaded by the words of the attractive guy (who obviously cares about you and is warning you against this apparent nut-case) and knowing he loves you because of the words he spoke and that he is attractive, friendly, warm and inviting, you take the water from his basket! But before the liquid reaches the back of your throat, you realize you have consumed poison but it's too late. As you lay dying, the unattractive one comes over and says, "You could have tested the substances in both baskets and you would have known he was offering you poison!" The attractive guy from whose basket you drank lies next to you and says, "Hey man, I'm sorry. I really believed what I was giving you was good stuff. I did have water, I just didn't know it was tainted. I was deceived too. I just didn't know." Who was truly the most loving out if the two?

To the world, Christian's can appear to be cold, righteous, holier-than-thou, irritating judges ...the repulsive ones. But we want nothing more than to warn, guide, and reach down to pull you out of the poisons of the world! We know what will happen by drinking it, but Jesus is the cure. We each have something in our possession. Some have truth and some are deceived by lies. But there is a way to test who has truth and who has lies, by comparing the words that we speak with God’s words. The outcome of our decision is no less critical than the situation above; in fact, it is even more grave, because we are not merely speaking about our physical life, but our spiritual one and eternity hanging in the balance. Christians try really hard to give it to you straight, because they understand that if you do not accept Biblical truth as it is written, then your soul will be in jeopardy. They warn you of the terrible consequences that await those who fail to believe the truth, and they point out the fact that others are out there, deceived and speaking lies about God’s plan for man’s salvation. Yet some criticize them and say that they are unloving, unkind, and lack communication skills. So it is in your power to test which one is speaking the truth and which one is not. Will you, fearful of offending someone, follow your emotions and make your decision based upon the appearance of love, sensitivity, and concern? Or will you, regardless of who you may offend, test the things that are said against the standard of truth that God has given to ensure that your beliefs are in harmony with reality? I hope that you would choose to test the things that have been told you by others, by comparing them to God’s word and concluding based upon the truth that you can believe one and not believe the other. I am not exempt from this test. Test my words as you read the blogs. Ezekiel 3:18 NIV, "When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood." I may seem repulsive to some but I am trying to open eyes, to dissuade you from the dangers of sin leading to hell's fire! Jude 1:23 KJV, "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Until next time ... -Pat-

Look In The Mirror

The other day I was watching a video of a French Bulldog who happened to pass by a mirror. He caught a glimpse of himself and quickly darted back to face the stranger he saw and the stare down began! The little guy had no idea he was seeing his own face in the mirror. He growled, barked, and lunged at the reflection. It was hilarious! If I asked you, "Look in the mirror. What do you see?" The obvious answer would most likely be, "I see myself." In reality, what you see is not you! What you see is a face you recognize as you. Your physical face is not your "self." You are seeing a shell that encases the "self." Self is more than just identifying the image in the mirror as your own. So, what is SELF? People will usually identify themselves as one of the following: a perfectionist, achiever, pleaser, warrior, romantic, seeker, procrastinator, joker, adventurer, creative, critic, wise, and so on. That's all fine and dandy, but in reality, those mostly define the personalities of WHAT we are. "Self," on the other hand, describes WHO we are!

WHO is much deeper. It is at the core of your being...the soul. That said, when you "look" into your soul, what do you see? Who is there? A thief? A gambler? A fornicator? A cheat? Adulterer? Hater? Murderer? Abortionist? Liar? Wife-beater? Homosexual? Drug pusher? Atheist? Child molester? Pervert? Witch? Warlock? I could go on and on. You are the only one, besides God Himself, that knows what hides in the dark recesses of your soul, your true 'self'. The most interesting thing God pointed out to me is that all the things I listed God has labeled as sin but these are not what KEEPS you from God, they SEPARATE you from Him. Isaiah 59:2 NIV "Your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." Understand that the words "keep" and "separate" have two different meanings. "Separation" is not a permanent condition unless you choose it to be! You can choose to remain in any of those sins that alienate you from God, or you can exercise your free will to close the gap through repentance and change. This is true of a believer or non-believer. Since sin has no power in and of itself over a believer because of Christs' work, according to Romans 6:14, it is by your own head-strong decision if you continue to REMAIN IN any of those sins. Choosing to do so KEEPS you from Him! Read that again. In other words, sin is a choice and therefore separation is a choice that you have an opportunity to change! But when you as a believing Christian continually deny Him, continually reject what He commands in His Word, or purposely choose to practice and REMAIN in any of those sins, you push Him away--and it KEEPS HIM FROM YOU. I am specifically addressing believers on this matter! If you willfully continue in your sin after knowing the power of God, there is no more sacrifice for sin! Christ cannot die for you again! Listen closely and let this sink in, Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin WILLFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins." Christ cannot be crucified again. There are so many professing Christians that are willfully sinning despite the fact they know what the Bible says about the sins they are engaged in. These people are literally working iniquity! They stay in sin, grovel in sin, enjoy their sin and have no fear of consequences. Do you remember to whom Jesus spoke who wanted in heavens door but He responded, "I never knew you? Depart from me you workers of iniquity?" They were believers, professing Christians, not non-believers!! How do I know? Read the verses from Matthew 7:21-23. They were telling Jesus they did many wonderful works by prophesying in His Name, that they had cast out demons in His Name. No single person can cast out a demon in Jesus Name except he received the knowledge of the truth (Hebrews 10:26) and has been endowed by the power Holy Spirit! They were believers who willfully continued in their sin and iniquities and it KEPT THEM FROM GOD. Thus Jesus answered, "I never knew you. Depart from me."

Jesus offered up his life on a cross for the sins of the whole world a long time ago. Since Jesus already paid the price for all sins, what KEEPS you from Him now? Remember that the word KEEP means a permanent state (to remain, continue, stay), but the word separation is not permanent. It means to disconnect, detach, or move away from. Your sins do SEPARATE you because of unholiness (again, a changeable condition), but a willful, rebellious choice to remain in and continue sinful conduct ("Go and sin no more") KEEPS YOU from Him. Believer, since you profess you know Him, are you willfully sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth? If so, you are in danger of condemnation unless you repent quickly and return unto the Lord! To a non-believer, how can you close the gap that separates you from God? You have to commit yourself to the saving grace of Jesus Christ because you, in and of yourself, cannot convert or change the propensity to sin through your own effort, strength, or power. It requires a change of heart and mind that is only possible through Jesus Christ! The apostle Paul stresses in his writings that we must be "transformed" for this to happen. How so? By the renewing of our minds through the Word of God! It is the only way to change our old self. When this transformation takes place you become a "new man" renewed in knowledge after the image of Him (Jesus) that created Him (who is God)." You are given a new nature through belief in Christ, a kind of metamorphosis in conduct if you will, from a life of sin to one of righteousness which is equivalent to the term you may have heard called being born-again. 2 Corinthians refers to this as becoming a "new creation" (in Him).

The person whose face you see in the mirror is the image responsible for the self inside. Self makes all the decisions ... and for the believer that means the decision to willfully sin or not sin, to remain in iniquities or to repent and come back in right standing with God. For the unbeliever that means: to believe or not believe, to want to follow Christ or not follow Him, or to continue to believe the Truth is a lie. The transgressions I listed above are the result of WHO you have become when outside of Christ; as an unbeliever or even as someone who has fallen away. No one is exempt from any of these sins because "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) "No one is righteous, no not one" (Romans 2:10). I guarantee you, my name was on that list at one time. But thanks be to God, my former way of life, my "self" known as the 'old man' (Romans 6:6) was put away when I consciously made the decision to come to Christ and put on the "new man" (Ephesians 4:24) --which is after God created in righteousness and true holiness. I never intend to go back! My desire is to obey and please Him. Any person who desires this transformation can have this new birth. Your former self, which is given to the gratification of human desires, can be put away (Colossians 3:8). Like dirty clothes stripped off you (verse 9), your entire former self will die away and you'll be transformed into a new self, beginning on the inside. Paul states in Romans 6:6 that "our old self was crucified with Him (Christ) so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Romans 12:2 "Don't conform to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, perfect, and acceptable will of God."

The transformation from a sinful human body into one that is pleasing to GOD by exemplifying conduct appropriate to the mind of the new self (righteousness and holiness, Ephesians 4:24) requires a lifetime of determination, discipline, and growth. But don't let that scare you. When you come to Christ, He gives you all the strength and power to overcome temptation and sin, to "fight the good fight" as Paul says because we are being renewed inwardly day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). God has promised His Holy Spirit to achieve this. And the Holy Spirit is powerful! It is written that the Spirit of God "helps us in our weakness" (Romans 8:26). When the mind is renewed through His Word, the body follows. In biology when the brain dies, so does the body. Spiritually, when your brain/mind is renewed and is changed through Gods Word, so does the "SELF" change. The renewed mind will guide, direct, and control the body to keep you from falling back into your old life. Finally, let me say that if you are already a follower of Jesus Christ, let me remind you that your standing before God depends entirely on the work of Jesus Christ. You don't need to give up in disgust at repeated failures as you are fighting the good fight through growing, learning, and hopefully maturing in Him. It's a life-long process. God knows our weaknesses and thus the reason He sent us Jesus Christ to overcome our sins on our behalf. However, that does not mean you get a free ticket to willfully remain in your sin once you've come to the knowledge of the truth because you believe God will continually look away. We will always make a slip up here and there, we are humans, but you should not, as an example, be rebelliously choosing to continue in a sexual relationship outside of marriage. That is a choice! The same goes for any sin listed in this blog. You cannot call yourself a Christian and paint yourself in sin. Look in the mirror. WHO are you? Until next time ...
-Pat-

The Jawbreaker

Ah yes, the giant jawbreaker! One of my failed childhood challenges. Who remembers the giant jawbreakers or has ever tried consuming one? The racquetball sized piece of incredibly hard candy is impossible to break with your teeth and much too big to put in your mouth to dissolve. However, it didn't keep me from trying! I don't know how many licks I took each day before I carefully wrapped it back up to try again the next day. Months went by without ever seeing any progress over that obstinate ball before I finally became discouraged, lost interest, and finally tossed it out! I suppose I could have hit it with a sledgehammer and broken it into a thousand little pieces so it could be easily consumed, but that would have defeated the purpose of a jawbreaker which was to provide lasting enjoyment. So today, I'm going to use an illustration of a jawbreaker and compare it to the blogs I write. My blogs are here. They challenge you to slowly enjoy the Biblical lessons they offer. Yet day after day, week after week, month after month there are few "licks" here and there. Are the blogs too hard? My experience has been that many people remain obstinate to God's Word. They become discouraged, lose interest, and finally go away and slip back into their sinful ways of living because the excitement sin offers is sweeter on their tongues that God's Word. For them, God's message is just too hard to abide by. They want God's Word broken down into pieces that adjust to the way they want to conduct their life and if it doesn't, they toss it out. Here are just a few examples of what I mean (there are many more):

1. There are people that say they love God, believe murdering someone is wrong, yet killing babies in the womb or even now as law states, in the 9th month of pregnancy is acceptable to them BECAUSE IT'S A WOMAN'S CHOICE. Do you see the hypocrisy? They agree murder is wrong, yet they want the right to kill a human baby. Therefore, they reject what God says in Proverbs 6:17 ... 'God hates the shedding of innocent blood'! How much more innocent is a helpless baby inside of a womb that is supposed to be protecting it?

2. There are people that claim they are of the Christian faith, yet side with the population that practicing homosexuals do so because they are born that way. How can they toss out what is clearly written in the Bible as wrong on every level on this subject? It is the very Word they claim to know and even quote scriptures from! Leviticus 20:13 and Romans 1:26 ... 'Men shall not lie with men as they do with women, being burned in their lust for one another & women likewise are changing the natural use of a man into that which is against nature.' AND BECAUSE they do not see fit to acknowledge God in this matter, scripture states God gives them over to a depraved mind...an immoral, perverted mind. It's sad because if God's Word contradicts their opinion instead of the other way around, they toss out God's view instead of their own. That is serious! God is serious.

3. There are other people who are weekend drunks. They believe getting drunk only on weekends cannot possibly be wrong because they remain sober Monday through Friday and so that somehow makes them acceptable in God's book. Galatians 5:21 ...'drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God' and 1 Corinthians 6:10 'don't be deceived NO DRUNKARD will inherit the Kingdom.' Whether you are a full time or part time drunkard don't be deceived, you will not be accepted into heaven. If it wasn't important to know this fact then why did God bother to even tell us?

4. There are three women I know right now who call themselves "good witches." The Bible has something to say about this too. Are they afraid? Wouldn't you think they would owe themselves the energy to read what God says about the title they carry and what they practice? Galatians 19-21 ' no sorcerer will inherit heaven'. Look up MAN'S DEFINITION of a sorcerer. If our dictionaries plainly define it, why don't they believe it? Sorcerer: the black arts, witches, warlocks, wizards, enchantments, spells, incantation, voodoo, divination, witching, shamanism, demonry. The man-made religion of Wicca is a good example. They toss God's Word away as false because Satan has made them believe their craft is sweeter and God's truths are too hard to believe.

5. There are strong indications The Church has fallen away! Sexual immorality has invaded the Church of believers! God will not tolerate any sexual immorality outside the church or inside the church. NONE! That includes but not limited to adulterers, fornicators, pedophiles, those practicing bestiality, transgenders', those guilty of incest, child-molesters, anyone caught up in pornography, homosexuality, and many many more. There are explanations in the Bible for all these things. If you need further explanations you can email me if you would like a detailed layout. But to keep it short because of time and space I'll be brief. In God's Word these are called "works of the flesh" and engaging in such will exclude you from heaven and your lot will be among the lost unless of course, you repent of your wicked ways and turn to Jesus Christ to renew, remake, and restore you.

Borrowing this verse from Isaiah 48:4 reminds me of those listed above, "I knew you were obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your brow brass." In other words, people who continually refuse God and ignore their sin are obstinate, stiff, immovable, and hard like a jawbreaker. And though they are hard, unmovable, stubborn, obstinate, defiant, resistant, and set in their own opinions and ways, they refuse to be moved even when they are going down into destruction. One day, God will be like the sledgehammer one needs to shatter a jawbreaker. Jeremiah wrote from God's mouth in chapter 19 verse 15 regarding what the Lord feels about resistors, the stubborn, those that ignore His words, His instructions, His warnings, "Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words." If we will not fall upon Jesus to be broken and made new then God will come upon us like a sledgehammer to a jawbreaker and break us into pieces and we will crumble underneath His judgment (Matthew 21:44). Sometimes listening to God and doing what He says might seem impossible, like licking a racquetball-sized jawbreaker until nothing is left. I'm reminded of what James 5:11 says, "Behold, we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." No one really wants to consume a giant jawbreaker with all the effort required but it can be done. So can following God in obedience to what He asks for our own good! Our walk of obedience with God can seem like an insurmountable task sometimes, but if we take it one day at a time (Matthew 6:34), press forward toward our mark (Philippians 3:14), rise up from the pits of sin and stay steady on the Rock (Psalm 40:2), our reward will be great (Colossians 3:23-24). God is going to render to every man according to how he responded, reacted, or rejected God's instructions. God made each of us for a purpose and not so we can defile our bodies with a myriad of disobedient, perverse, sexual, or demonic offenses (Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Timothy 4:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31).

Finally, let us be patient enough to consume God's Word just as you would consume a giant jawbreaker ... slowly, purposely, consistently, without losing interest or tossing it aside. The more you work at it, the sweeter the taste. Don't give up. Take out the Word each day, read a little before wrapping it back up and placing it on the shelf. In time you will near the center of great revelation and knowledge. It's worth it. Trust me. It's worth it! God will give you the tools you need in order to serve Him appropriately. Do what you can each and every day to feed your spirit, remain pure, humble and patient, as you feast on His Word until He returns for us in glory! Until next time ...
-Pat-

Idols? What Idols?

I was conducting a self-examination the other day analyzing my attitudes, obedience, and faith in the Lord. My goal is to please God, remain strong in my faith, study to be wiser in what He desires of me, and to correct any misconduct displeasing to Him. It's always a good idea for everyone who walks in the faith of Jesus Christ to get in the habit of doing the same: 2 Corinthians 13:5: EVS "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves," ... 2 Corinthians: 11:28 EVS "Let a person examine himself," ... Galatians 6:3-5: EVS "For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work," ... Psalm 139: 23-24 KJV "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Running through my own spiritual inventory and checking things off, God spoke to me and said, "Don't forget about idolatry." Puzzled by what I had just heard I stopped for a moment and grimaced. "Idolatry? What?? I don't worship idols, God. That's one thing I know I do not do!" No sooner had those words left my lips than I heard, "Look it up." Well, that was quite disturbing! I KNEW I didn't have idols nor did I idolize anyone. There are no posters of football players or movie stars on my walls. I don't consider anyone on this earth my "hero." I don't own or worship a shiny car. I don't purchase or brag about the latest fads or jewelry or idolize any musical artists, nor do I worship money or kill myself to obtain it. I needed help to know what the word idolatry meant. Maybe you do too.

According to Colossians 3:5 Idolatry is linked with covetousness. This is key! When we want something so much, we "covet" it. When that happens, that item, thing, material good, or even our own selves becomes the idol. In other words, we seek it rather than God. This is not a new concept. God warned His people in Exodus 20: 3-5 KJV "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them to serve them" ... The message God was telling them and us today is that HE ALONE is to be worshipped. Our attention, focus, and praise are due to the Creator of the universe and not to ourselves or anything made with our hands. One thing that crossed my mind is, we have this illusion that WE are lords of our world, that we control the earth through science, the weather by things we've built, space through our inventions, and so forth. It's an illusion and it builds our self-esteem to godlike proportions. Not even realizing it, we reject God's Word and HIS description of how HE created heaven and earth and how everything is HIS (1 Corinthians 10:26, KJV "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.") When we place ourselves in the position as lords over the earth through science and how the earth came to be by our own wisdom, we cling to and accept the nonsense of things like atheistic evolution. Some people are insistent the earth is flat and even claim they have scientific evidence of such. I can prove their evidence wrong by one simple scripture, Isaiah 40:22 NIV "He (GOD) sits enthroned above the CIRCLE of the earth, and it's people are like grasshoppers" (He is so high up, and looking down, we look like grasshoppers.) That verse does not say triangle, rectangle, polygon, trapezoid, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, cylinder, decagon, heptagon or cone!! It says CIRCLE! The earth is round, people!


It's sad, but we also worship at the altar of materialism because it feeds our need to build our egos through obtaining more "stuff." Our homes are filled with all manner of possessions. I'm guilty as well. When I first purchased my house there was nothing in my garage but 2 cars, a lawnmower, a couple of brooms, paint cans, and a few garden shovels. Today, we're lucky to be able to fit 2 cars amongst all the material things purchased over 20 years! In fact, it was very recent that I mentioned the need to buy a storage shed for the backyard to transfer things there from the garage. We build bigger and bigger houses with more closet space and storage space in order to keep all the things we buy, much of which some people haven't even paid for yet! This insatiable desire for more, better, newer stuff is nothing more than covetousness. Some people use the term, "I have big eyes." It was last week that I said, "If I ever sell this home I am going to buy one with bigger closets and more storage areas" -- and there are no children or grandchildren in my house! It all belongs to me. I'm guilty too! Why wasn't my focus when speaking of finding another home to find one that is more energy efficient? It says something about me and it's an area of my life I'm going to have to confront. Satan's trap is to keep our minds focused on ourselves, on things, fads, the newest, the better improved, etc. until our desires are to please ourselves! By God telling me not to forget idolatry, it was His gentle way of telling me that I can even focus too much on myself and have! Who doesn't want to trade in their I-phone that still operates perfectly fine for a phone that takes better pictures, can send and receive money in messages, and practically cooks for you! Or who of us have mechanically sound cars that have lusted after the new cars and trucks that have so many new technological features? We have big eyes. All idolatry of self has at its core the three same lusts that enticed Adam and Eve from the beginning of the human race. 1 John 2:16 KJV says, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not if the Father, but is of the world."

Other things we may not realize we worship rather than putting God first are our own ego's. Second, we also worship at the altar of our own pride and ego. This often takes the form of obsession with careers and jobs. Millions of men—and increasingly more women—spend 60-80 hours a week working. Even on the weekends and during vacations, our laptops are humming and our minds are whirling with thoughts of how to make our businesses more successful, how to get that promotion, how to get the next raise, how to close the next deal. In the meantime, our children are starving for attention and love. We fool ourselves into thinking we are doing it for them, to give them a better life. But the truth is we are doing it for ourselves, to increase our self-esteem by appearing more successful in the eyes of the world. This is folly. All our labors and accomplishments will be of no use to us after we die, nor will the admiration of the world, because these things have no eternal value. King Solomon said it well in Ecclesiastes 2:21-23. As Christians, we are to put to death all things earthly in us. Paul lists those things in Colossians 3:5 NIV "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." That's pretty clear! These were actions, lusts, and the desires of the former man before you were saved. "You were slaves to them who by nature are not gods" according to Galatians 4:8 NIV. "Can you cry out to any idol and have them save you when you are in trouble?" says Judges 10:14.

Idolatry is clearly sinful to God. It can include both the literal worship of material idols as well as worshipping other things or giving higher priority to anything other than God. And there are still numerous things I did not list. Did you know that Leviticus 19:4 KJV warns, "Turn ye not unto idols, nor make yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God." The word molten in the dictionary is defined as "metal or glass liquefied by heat." The first thing I thought if was trophies given out for sporting achievements. Is it a sin to be recognized for an achievement? No. But don't worship your trophy until it becomes an idol you worship. There is nothing wrong in owning a home, a car, an I-phone, or any such thing. God is clear, however, not to let these things become an idol, to worship them or the obtaining of them more than your desire to obtain God! How serious is it to be an idolater? Revelation 22:15 KJV says in the end of time judgment falls upon sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, and IDOLATERS! The way to overcome idolatry is to love God completely, replacing sinful practices or habits with God-honoring practices, and doing everything to the glory of God. It's time to get your spiritual house in order! Until next time ...
-Pat-
**EVS=English Standard Version
**NIV=New International Version
**KJV= King James Version

Life Sucks! Or Does It?

For many people, this world is distressingly unpleasant. Woody Allen once said, "Life is divided into the horrible and the miserable." Not really. The fact is, attitude is everything for better or worse. The way we perceive the world has a powerful effect on the results we obtain. A negative attitude is almost a guarantee that life will be more difficult and less fulfilling than it should be. Illustration: One year my best friend and I went to the Missouri State Fair. After walking around for hours we decided to stop for a bite to eat. I love State Fairs! It is a day where diets don't matter. At least in my book. That day the air was filled with the smell of kettle corn, BBQ ribs, snow cones, and cotton candy. I was in the mood for one of those long, deep-fried corn dogs on a stick. After paying $4.00 I took my chubby corn dog, found a picnic table, and sat down. Soon after my friend sat down with her chili covered corn chips. I was practically drooling on myself when I took my first bite. "Oh yum! Now, this is heaven," I said (picture above.) As my teeth sunk down for a second bite, the entire corn dog fell off the stick and plummeted to the grass below. For a moment I couldn't believe what had just happened. I was somewhere between disbelief and anger. There was my corn dog lying on the ground, $4.00 wasted, and I was still hungry! I looked up in disbelief when my friend quipped, "It's all fun and games until you lose your Weiner." That's all it took for me to see the situation in a different light. Instead of feeling anger and disappointment, I actually saw the incident as humorous. We laughed about it for the entire day and kept replaying it over and over. Things could have been different though. I could have chosen to be angry and distraught over the fact I wasted $4.00. I could have let it ruin my day. A pessimistic outlook in any situation will adversely affect your health too. This was true of many patients I spoke with while employed in the mental health field. I recall one patient who burst into my private office, threw herself down in my chair, and began weeping profusely! "I have been chemically depressed for years," she said, " I've tried Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, even suicide and nothing can lift this heaviness from me! Life sucks. My job sucks. My husband sucks. Even the dog sucks. Everything sucks. I just want to die!"

What do you do when life sucks? I've heard it said, 'when life throws you lemons, make lemonade.' But what happens if life throws you something bigger and more bitter than lemons? Have you ever been there? Have you ever felt abandoned, betrayed, ignored, insulted? What do you do? Do you reach out to God in prayer? That's great if you do, but what do you pray for? What is it you pray about? Do you tell God what happened to you and finish off with an amen? There is something you must never forget. I'm speaking of a three letter word. That word is BUT. You probably don't realize it, but it is a very powerful word when praying, especially when life sucks! I know, I know ... it's such a small word but it packs a big punch. How so? Well, that little word has the power to take you in a completely different direction. I compare it to the switch used on the rails trains ride. Have you ever seen a railroad man standing on the tracks as a train approaches? He won't ever stand in front of a train unless he is operating the switch at a railroad junction which will guide the train from one track to another. That's the word, "but." It will completely change the direction and power your prayer carries. It will be the switch that God will notice. I'll give you an example prayer: My life sucks right now, God, everything seems to have turned upside down and is spinning out of control, BUT I know you love me, care for me, and will never forsake me because I trust in you. Your Word promises me safety and shelter! Look at what King David prayed in Psalm 13 (emphasis mine):


Psalm 13:

How long will You forget me, O Lord? Forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long should I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemies say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
BUT I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me.


In the first four verses of David's psalm he seems to be crying out 'my life sucks and you don't seem to care, God.' How many of us have ever felt like David? I highlighted the word BUT in the psalm. David threw in that powerful word "but." Then everything changed. David then points himself back to the fact that he has and continues to trust in God's love for him, in the Lord's salvation, and because he chooses to praise God and declare that he has been dealt with bountifully by God. This isn't always easy to do when you're in the midst of your own crisis, and it certainly necessitates a prior belief in the goodness of God, but it can be done! Almighty God has a plan for our lives, and His plans are never derailed! Life IS NOT divided into the horrible and the miserable. I love this verse from Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future" (New International Version). It is always important to plan and prepare for life. But if your plans have suffered a setback, don't let discouragement overtake your mind. God loves you, He knows all about it. His plans will unfold in His timing. Life is a blessing, not a curse. Every breath we take is given to us by God. Keep that three-letter word near when you pray. Declare His promises, declare His Word, then trust Him to work things out. Until next time ...
-Pat-

Where Are You Rooted?

What is the logic behind people that plan ahead by purchasing a health insurance policy when they aren't exhibiting illness or disease? Or why do people purchase car insurance, or life insurance, or home-owners insurance? I think the answers are obvious.
We prepare for so many things we consider necessary, yet, we hesitate and some even reject the idea when it comes to the protection of our souls! Why? Jesus Himself IS our insurance policy to eternal life in heaven. What an offer! Why then would some Christians disobey His Word, disagree with His commands or neglect their salvation? Is it because they intend to sell their soul for just a little more fun? Is the answer because 'no one is going to tell me what to do'? Is it because in reality they only call on Jesus when they want or need something? Mark 8:36-37 says, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Why are so many people unconcerned about the protection of their soul?

The attraction of sin is very strong. It has destroyed non-believers and some professing believers for generations long before you were ever born. You may enjoy sin for a while, but soon you will discover the effects and you'll be left empty with guilt in your right hand, shame in your left, and damnation at your feet. There will be a day you will have to face God without Jesus as your insurance policy. We all know what happens here if we have no health, life, car or home insurance. YOU'LL PAY THE PRICE. Or another way of saying it, you'll pay the consequences for your decisions. The same is true in a spiritual sense. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Notice the word "wages?" That's payment. You will pay for your sin with spiritual death if you do not stop sinning! That death is eternal separation from God in the abyss -- Hell, Hades, Gehenna, Bottomless Pit, Lake of Fire --whatever you want to call it. The only way to assure you will not have to pay the wages you owe is through Jesus Christ and that, by accepting His Blood sacrifice for you on the cross. He alone is your insurance policy for your soul from the moment you "take it out" to the moment you die. It's lifetime coverage as long as you remain on the policy! There are no monthly installments or fees. The coverage is absolutely free.


With health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, and home-owners insurance you have to commit to paying your premiums every month. You may receive a few pardons for being late a few times, but you still have to commit to making your payments or you will lose coverage. Although Jesus' policy will never cost you money, and He will pardon you from time to time, there is a required commitment ... A commitment to read, to learn, to grow, and to mature in Him. Let me see if I can make this more clear. When we come to Jesus for salvation, for our insurance policy into heaven, we repent of our sins and make a commitment to follow Him. The only way to follow Him is to know what He wants of us. To know that, we have to read His Word for the instructions. When we begin to read, we begin to learn. As we learn, we begin to know more. As we know more we begin to appreciate and love Him more. When we love more, something begins to happen ...we begin to change inside; we mature in a spiritual sense! That is the Holy Spirit working in us. Then when mature, we begin to bear fruit. The one thing The Lord wants from us is to bear fruit. What fruit? The Bible tells us ..the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). Why does God want that of us and why must we do it? Because it shows our commitment to Him. If you love Him, you seek Him. If you seek Him, you will grow and mature in His knowledge and then the fruit will become apparent! You begin to bear His characteristics. That's what it means. You become a "new creature," a "new-man," you're born again. What happens if we don't bear fruit? Besides proving you are lazy and not committed you are considered an unfruitful branch. Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches (John 15:5 KJV). If we abide in Him (remain in the Vine) WE WILL BEAR FRUIT! "Every branch that does not bear fruit is taken away" **removed! (John 15:2 KJV).

A good illustration is the thunderstorm storm that produced a squall and moved through my neighborhood last summer. Some called it a microburst. Many trees were uprooted and others, though still rooted, had broken limbs. When a tree has broken limbs, those limbs become separated from the life-giving properties of the tree. What is done with the broken branches? Generally, they are cut down and taken away because once the connection to the tree has been broken, they wither and die. No leaves will ever bloom from that branch again. It is the same for a fruit tree. If you had 1 apple tree that you bought specifically so you could have fruit but it never produced one apple, or if you had 100 apple trees in a grove and 2 failed to bring forth fruit, chances are you would cut them down and carry them away because they bore no fruit. "Bearing fruit" in the Biblical sense is a phrase used to describe the outward actions that result from the inward condition of a person's heart. If you read Galatians 5: 16-24 you will see the contrasts works (fruits) of the flesh compared with those of the Holy Spirit. In our sinful nature, we bear fruits such as adultery, idolatry, jealousy, fornication, anger, sinful vices, etc. BUT the fruits we bear of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, etc. As Christians, we want to bear fruit in keeping with our relationship with God. We seek to do things outwardly that demonstrate that we have been made new in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you continue to purposely sin after receiving Christ and are entangled in fornication, adultery, perversions, homosexuality, jealousies, rage, lying and so forth, those fruits are a witness that you are still living in your sinful nature. These are not "fruits" of a person rooted in Christ. What comes from your heart are the things that tell God who you are. Are you purposely staying in some sin? Do you justify your fornication because you "love him" or you "love her" so somehow God will overlook your sexual sin? Do you practice homosexuality and justify it because you believe you were "born that way?" Are you considering killing a baby in your womb through an abortion because of your own indiscretion, using the excuse "but God wouldn't have me ruin my life with an unwanted child." What are you reasoning within yourself and telling God? What do your fruits expose?

Being firmly rooted in Christ will furnish your soul those same things we seek through a variety of insurances: guaranteed protection but without a price! Bearing fruit in the Christian life requires abiding in The Vine! When we are connected and intentional about our relationship with God, we produce the fruit The Holy Spirit cultivates within us. He does the work! Our fruit-bearing is simply a result of what He does because of the intents of the hearts. Jesus said, "You did not choose me, I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide..." (John 15:16) because He wants us to bear His image on earth. He wants us to be transformed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). As the Holy Spirit works in us He sanctifies us, but He cannot work if we continue to purposely remain in certain sins! As we yield to Him, He sanctifies us and it is then we become more and more like Christ in actions, thoughts, intentions, and deeds. It's a process, a process of growing. Understand, it's not about doing good works or attempting righteousness in our own strength. Rather, it is about intentionally growing in our walk with Christ, inviting the Holy Spirit's work of transformation in us, and actively obeying God in all He calls us to do! As we seek Him and lay down our own fleshly desires for His better ways, we will bear lasting fruit and serve as healing and light to a world in need of that one insurance policy; Jesus! When we plant our seeds in others, more fruit will abound across the world. (Matthew 5:13-16). Until next time ...
-Pat-