Should Babies Be Baptized?

The other day I was having an interesting conversation regarding Catholicism - the same religion my parents brought me up in - and the subject of baptizing babies came up. Personally, I was baptized as an infant. In fact, my entire family was. We were taught in Catechism that the only way to remove "original" sin, you know, the first sin committed by Adam and Eve that lies in every soul from the moment of birth (so they said), one must be baptized with water. The teaching was, if my parents didn't have me baptized as an infant and I died, I would go to hell because of this imputed "stain" of original sin. I don't fault my parents for following through. They were only doing what they believed was best for all of the five children they brought into the world. So what about this teaching? Are babies born in sin? Should babies be baptized as an insurance policy against hell? Let's look at these questions from a Biblical viewpoint.

I'm going to begin by saying NO INFANT HAS THE STAIN OF "SIN" WHEN THEY ARE BORN. I'm going to take it one step further and show you from written scripture, five solid statements this is true. Before baptism:
1. God requires that we BELIEVE THE GOSPEL (Mark 16:16). Infants are incapable of believing anything, and certainly not scripture.
2. God requires that we REPENT OF SIN (Acts 2:38). Repentance requires a change of mind. Infants cannot do that.
3. God requires that we must BE TAUGHT and LEARN the will of God (John 6:45). Can an infant know the will of God?
4. God requires that we CONFESS CHRIST BEFORE MEN (Romans 10: 9-10) Infants cannot talk.
5. God requires that we SUBMIT TO BAPTISM (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38). An infant can be forced by another person to be baptized, but the baby cannot submit its will to do so.
Since only an adult or older children can be converted, baptism is inappropriate for infants or for those children who have not reached the age of accountability. What is the Age of accountability? The age of accountability is the belief that God saves all those who die having never possessed the ability to make a decision for or against Christ. One verse from Romans 1:20 speaks to this issue, " Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." According to this, mankind's guilt before God is based, in part, on the fact that people reject what they can "clearly see" of God's existence and power. An infant cannot comprehend the power of God's existence by looking at the sun, moon, stars, universe, depths of the ocean, etc. and therefore, they are incapable of seeing or understanding God's power through things around them.

Most Fundamentalists say infants and children are automatically saved before they reach the age of "reason." So now we have the terms 'before the age of reason' AND 'before the age of accountability.' Thirteen is the most common age accepted as the age of accountability based on Jewish custom. However, there is no definite age listed in the Bible to support the age of thirteen. Personally, I think the age of accountability differs with each infant/child/person. Here is why: You have people who reach the age of 45 who have mental disabilities and can only think, reason, and act like a five-year-old. What about these? Are these people with disabilities going to hell because they are 45 in physical years, but remain little children mentally? The Bible tells us, "The soul that sins will die" (Ezekiel 18:20) HAS YOUR BABY SINNED? The Bible tells us, "A man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21) FROM YOUTH, NOT FROM HIS BIRTH. The Bible tells us that God will judge our WORKS. What has your infant done to be judged for? (Ecclesiastes 12; 13-14). The Bible tells us God will judge fairly according to DEEDS. What intentional activity or action has your infant engaged in? (Romans 2:6-11; Revelation 20:13). As a Catholic, I was told babies were hellbound unless they were baptized. Let's look at that. By the word hellbound I mean bound for the second death as described in Revelation 20:14. NOTE: it is SIN that causes this death (Romans 6:23) and it is ONE'S OWN SINS that causes this death (Ezekiel 18:20) not any imputed transgression, "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." That's clear.
Scripture tells us there is a time in a person's life when he or she "knows enough to know evil and choose good" (Isaiah 7:15-16).

Think about it! God is not of such a character that He would require something that cannot be done. Infants are incapable of committing sin! God wants all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). He does not send unbaptized infants to hell because they are without understanding. Again, God requires we hear and understand the gospel (Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17; Matthew 15:10; Acts 28:27). See how silly it is to believe an infant can be sent to hell? Babies are innocent. How ignorant would it be to destroy your 3-month-old puppy because he soiled your floor? A puppy has no idea what discipline means (yet). He has no idea how much you spent on your carpet or what a carpet even is. He has no concept that you want him to "go potty outside." He has no sense of regulation or order, commands or expectancy from you. How much more an infant? Simply put, the puppy is innocent until he knows right from wrong as expected by his owners. And an infant is innocent because he or she is incapable of knowing right from wrong, what is expected by the parents, or that there is such a law in obeying Gospel's commands, thus he or she is innocent of an infraction of any kind committed or imputed!
Conclusion: As the Bible rejects the teaching of Original Sin, I hope you do, too. Jesus said, "Suffer (allow) the little children to come unto me FOR SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD" (Matthew 19:14) --in other words, The Kingdom of God is pure and sinless just like a little child.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Offensive Gospel

Teaching God's truth can, will, and most times offend people. I've seen it and witnessed it personally. When what I blog offends someone it causes that person discomfort. I get it because I too at one time in my life was offended by Truth. Living in sin will cause that kind of reaction. Should we not want to teach/preach that which causes someone to be uncomfortable with their lifestyle of sin? Someone made me uncomfortable once and I'm glad they did. According to the Word of God, if I allow someone to think that they are okay living a sinful lifestyle I am in the wrong (Acts 20:26-27; Romans 6:1,15). Not that it is my "duty" to judge you, it is my duty to speak the truth because I care about where you are. Just as if I saw you drowning in a lake, I would jump in to rescue you from drowning or at least throw you a flotation device. I know what it's like to be drowning. Someone cared enough to come to my rescue. I don't hate that person today, I still thank God for them! Why do I want to teach what God has taught me? Because the Gospel "is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). The gospel is the power of God THAT SAVES! Those who reject the words of the Lord do so not because I'm an offense to them, but out of being offended by the Lord. I don't take things personally. I remember when I would make fun of someone handing out a gospel tract or attempting to talk to me on the street. I rejected the words because I didn't want to be corrected. Even while sitting in Mass each Sunday, I was offended by the gospel because I knew I was not living right and if I listened to what was being said it only made me feel more guilty.

God has asked those that have listened, heard, understood and received, to teach and preach nothing more than His Word (2 Timothy 4:2). I'm a simple person sharing what I know, scouring the lake and calling out to any person who is drowning. In Acts 17:2-7, Paul and Silas were in a town called Thessalonica (verse 1). They were preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The preaching of the gospel will always bring either a positive or negative response. That's a given. Some in Thessalonica believed and accompanied Paul and Silas (verse 4), but others did not believe and wanted to bring harm upon Paul and Silas insomuch that the brethren sent Paul and Silas away under the cover of night (verse 10). The charge was, "These that have turned the world upside down are come to us also (verse 6). If the Word of God is taught the way intended, people WILL BE OFFENDED especially with those who reject what the Word of God demands they do. And believe it or not, some preachers and teachers fear to tell the whole truth, even watering it down, actually lightening up on parts that convict people of sin because they are afraid they won't be liked or that they will offend people and lose members of their church!

Listen carefully to this from 2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time is coming when men will not tolerate wholesome teaching. They will want something to tickle their ears and their own fancies and will collect teachers who will pander to their own desires. They will no longer listen to the truth but will wander off after man-made fictions. For yourself, stand fast in all that you are doing, meeting whatever suffering this may involve. Go on steadily preaching the Gospel and carry out to the full commission that God gave you." This is absolutely happening now, in this age, where people seek teachers who won't offend them, who won't convict them of sin, and who water down the truth. Preachers and teachers are catering to these kinds of "Christians" because they fear running them off rather than embracing the priority of converting someone to Christ. I'm human. I don't want someone angry with me, cursing me, or leaving my page because they read a blog they disagreed with. But I will not water down the truth to appease the crowd. I will continue to follow Timothy's instructions, "Go on steadily preaching the Gospel and carry out to the full commission that God gave you."

I wonder how some teachers and preachers today that have the "offend nobody mentality" feel when they read Biblical accounts on homosexuality, effeminate men, sexual relationships outside of marriage, killing innocent blood, specifically abortion in this day and age? Paul taught against idolatry (Acts 19:25-29) and it caused confusion and strife among the people, so God must have been upset with Paul for his words, right? Wrong! The record states, "And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and prevailed" (Acts 19:18-20 KJV). We can see from the above verse that preaching the Word of God caused some to be "offended" to the point that they "believed, confessed, and showed their deeds" (verse 18).

Stephen wasn't stoned to death because he tried to keep from running someone off (Acts 7: 51-60). Preaching the Gospel is about telling people what they NEED TO DO to be saved (Acts 2: 37-41). When you tell someone they need to be saved, you are telling them they are lost, just as someone told me! Some, maybe even many, will not take kindly to being told they are in need of a Savior (John 8:32-37). Nevertheless, while some may be offended, it is my work to take the Word of God to people as far as I can (Acts 5:42; Acts 20:20). My blogs are just the vehicle to do that. I invite all who will receive Jesus Christ as Savior. Here is a starting point, a prayer to give your heart to Him. Lord Jesus, for too long I've kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith, I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust You as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart., Lord Jesus. and be my Savior. AMEN!
Until next time,
-Pat-

BACKSLIDING

Backsliding: The action of relapsing into bad ways or error.
I was asked by a reader, "Does God forgive multiple backslidings? I've been in and out of affairs three to four times and am deeply troubled by this subject. I'm a Christian and I'm wanting God to forgive me for my failures of falling away, but after reading one of your blogs concerning Christians sinning, I feel I am doomed."

I NEED TO CLEAR THIS UP IMMEDIATELY!

First, let me begin by making it very clear that God absolutely forgives His children of failures and backslidings WHEN WE ARE REPENTANT, seek His forgiveness for our error(s), and return to a relationship with Him. God will always forgive sin when we turn in penitence, confess our sins, and resolve to walk in His ways again. However, we are not supposed to do is use His mercy as an occasion to keep on sinning (Galatians 5:13). In other words, as an example, we are not to have an attitude of 'Well, I am saved by grace so God will forgive me for continuing my affair. He understands my needs. I'll end it when I'm ready.' That is purposeful, willful sinning. In your case, it sounds like you are where you should be. That is, ready to ask for forgiveness and to come back into the graces of God. Using your own words, you are not "doomed" just as the Prodigal Son was not doomed, King David was not doomed, and the Apostle Peter was not doomed for their backsliding. Why? They all had something in common. All three men were horrified regarding the decisions they made when they sinned against God. All three had realized their error. All three were sorry. All three repented. And all three returned to God and amended their ways. Let's look at each example:

PRODIGAL SON: He goes "into a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance in riotous living." So basically the son blew, wasted, and misused his father's inheritance. In that biblical age when children highly reverenced parents, it would have been equivalent to saying, "Father, I can't wait for you to die. Give me 1/3 of everything you have right now!" The father complies. So the son spends his money on unruly, rowdy living, in an undisciplined manner. He may have spent it on material things, gambling, prostitutes, etc. we just don't know. His actions not only showed disregard for his father but a heart full of greed and selfishness. His relationship with his father was severed. Yet, for all his misconduct he is still a son! When he finally came to his senses (read the story Luke 15:11-32) he was sorry for his sin. He was repentant and his desire was to return home. Was he welcomed? Was he forgiven? How was he greeted? I'll tell you how. He was given a fancy robe, a fancy ring, shoes, and set for him was a feast with guests, music, and dancing. The reason? "This my son was dead and is alive again" AND "He was lost, and is found." This is an example of God's reaction when we return from being lost and separated from Him because of sin." God does not begrudge us for what we have done. He doesn't take us back reluctantly. Like the father in the parable, He takes us back joyously! Eagerly! God's love is not conditional. WHEN WE RETURN, He accepts.

KING DAVID: Like many of all the great figures of the Bible, David was a man who struggled and was flawed. His demons would lead him to commit murder! Not only murder but adultery so he could amass power and a woman that didn't belong to him. However, despite his flaws, David had a heart for God, and God had a heart for David. David was appointed King of Israel, he was a man of God yet he sinned terribly! The guy was a murderer for goodness sake! He had Uriah killed in battle so that he could have Uriah's wife, Bathsheba! David's remarkably wicked act of murder which was rooted in lust and fear proved a deep flaw in David. But just as with the Prodigal Son, David, upon coming to his senses was sorry for his sins. That's the key to being forgiven, to be truly sorrowful and repentant, wanting to come back to God and to resume a right way of living. Psalm 51:1-19 is one of David's heartfelt prayers asking God for forgiveness. It's entirely too long to type the entire prayer, but you should read it. Here are the first two verses to give you an idea of what true repentance looks like: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." David's gravest sins were murder and adultery. Because of this, he suffered terribly. He lost four children. The first was the baby born of the adulterous, murderous, affair between him and Bathsheba. David also lost the respect of his people and his reputation was permanently besmirched. After sinning, David thoroughly repented. He actually stayed on his face for seven days in genuine contrition and grief for what he had done -- begging God for mercy. I see this as astonishing evidence of God's grace and forgiveness. Suppose you make some terrible decision in your life that you feel is too grave to be forgiven. Is it irreversible? Does it mean you cannot be saved or that God disavows your salvation? Absolutely not! The story of King David shows that God can redeem us even after we have wandered far from the path. Though He won't always reverse the consequences of our poor decisions, with true, genuine repentance we may return to Him.

Apostle Peter: Peter's sin was denial. After knowing Jesus personally, being chosen as a special disciple, breaking bread with Him, after following Him faithfully, seeing His miracles, Peter promised he would never deny Jesus. Peter did just that when the pressure was on when He might be killed for being one of Jesus' disciples. Peter not only denied ever knowing Jesus, but he denied so three times! We all know the story and it played out exactly as Jesus predicted in Luke 22:34, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." In one moment, Peter saw the depth of his own failure. He realized that he had just done what Jesus had foretold, the one thing Peter had passionately insisted he would never do -- he had disowned his beloved Master. It was a low point for Peter, perhaps the worse moment of the worse day of his life. Sometimes we learn the most about forgiveness when we realize how desperately we need it ourselves. Jesus knew that Peter would fail him, as we all do at times, yet Jesus said to Peter: "I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus was expressing confidence in Peter's spiritual recovery and his return to faithful service. What a kind forgiving spirit Jesus has!

I want it perfectly understood that I believe Jesus forgives our mistakes, errors, sins, or when we backslide either moving away temporarily because of overwhelming temptation or even sometimes being away for years. "GO AND SIN NO MORE" is a command that should mean something to us because Jesus did not say those words in vain. As followers of Christ, we should not be willfully or intentionally disobeying Him due to disregard for God's laws. What I absolutely believe is that THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS FOR BLASPHEMY, also referred to in the scriptures as the "unpardonable," "unforgivable sin." I have written about it in previous blogs and it can be found in Mark 12:31-32; Matthew 12: 31-32; Luke 12: 10. Too, I want to reiterate (as written in other blogs) that scripture also points out that those who permanently turn away (speaking to Christians only) who never repent of their sin, and never return to a relationship with their Father in heaven --the three examples above did repent and return -- IF AFTER THEY HAVE KNOWN THE POWER OF GOD (that's having known of, and have been indwelled and made partakers of the Holy Spirit) they stay away and deny the power of the Holy Spirit they were shown, THESE are in danger of damnation. "For it is IMPOSSIBLE," says Hebrews 6:4-6, "for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age and who HAVE FALLEN AWAY, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace."
We can be a genuine son or daughter of the Father - who are spiritually "alive" - and be "lost" through sin. And though Jesus said, "I will never leave or forsake you," we can turn our backs on our heavenly Father AND LEAVE HIM OF OUR OWN FREE WILL! Yes, the unpardonable sin is a real possibility for believers. That was my point in the other blogs, specifically "Once Saved Always Saved" and "Sealed Unto The Day Of Redemption." There is forgiveness for the truly repentant but not, however, for the Christian who blasphemes or leaves the faith willfully, going back into sin permanently never to repent and turn back to the Father. I hope this has made things clear.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Would You Die For A Lie?

I have a unique question for you. Answer honestly. What if you were on trial and being falsely accused of some colossal lie. Furthermore, because of that supposed "lie," thousands upon thousands of people were fooled (according to your accusers) into believing you are someone you're not and thus you were indicted for subverting your government? And even though the accusations against you were false, you were about to be put you to death unless you agreed with your accusers that you indeed were a liar. All you would have to do is say you lied, it was a mere joke, that you meant no harm, and you could instantly be set free with no repercussions. Would you keep your mouth shut and let your accusers put you to death even though you never lied and are 100% innocent of the charges? My question today is, why would Jesus go to the cross and die if He was lying about being Who He said He was?? Because He wasn't lying! Let's look at it. Begin with Mark chapter 3: 20-26 NKJV, - referring to Jesus " Then the multitude came together again so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people (the Jews) heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him (Jesus), for they said, 'He is out of His mind.' And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, 'He has Beelzebub' and, 'By the ruler of the demons (Satan) He casts out demons.' So He called them (the disciples) to Himself and said to them in parables: 'How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand but has an end."

Obviously, some of the people were accusing Jesus of being a lunatic and others said that He was possessed by Satan. There are people today who give Jesus certain names and titles, including those of crazy and demonic. Personally speaking, there are people within my own family who say Jesus was "a good man" but deny He is the Son of God. I have heard people say Jesus wasn't any more than a good teacher or at least very wise like Confucious. Others say that Jesus was a noble, moral leader, a religious revolutionary of sorts, a man of immense compassion and great wisdom. And still, others say he was only a prophet or equally as devout as Muhammad. People pin all kinds of praise, honor, and recognition on Jesus, painting Him as this nice, noble, compassionate, kind, insightful, exceptional teacher. Fine. But I want you to think about something. After you observe the scripture I listed above, a crazy person - "one beside himself" (KJV) or a person "out of his mind" (NKJV) .. basically means that person is unstable. The phrase "one who has Beelzebub" NKJV .. basically is referring to being demonically possessed, belonging to Satan. Well, these types of people do not heal the sick, raise the dead, or have power over demons. Too, a crazy person, a deranged "lunatic" does not speak with wisdom as Jesus spoke, Colossians 2:2-3 "Christ; in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Neither does a lunatic THINK the way Jesus thought, nor do they act as Jesus did by attracting women and children to Himself through kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Can a lunatic make the blind see? Heal the lame? Cause the dumb to speak? Can they raise the dead?? Did Buddha? Krishna? Shiva? Vishnu? Mohammad? Baal? Mars? Mercury? Pan? You get the idea. Jesus was no lunatic.

Liar? Was Jesus a liar? CAN A LIAR RAISE THE DEAD? (1 Kings 17: 17-24; 2 Kings 4:18-37; 2 King 13: 20-21; Luke 11:7-11; Luke 8:49-56; John 11: 1-44; Acts 9:36-42; Acts 20:7-12; and Himself Matthew 28: 1-20; Mark 16: 1-20; Luke 24: 1-49; John 20: 1-21, 25). CAN A FRAUD HEAL THE SICK (Matthew 12:15; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 14:36; Matthew 12:10; Matthew 21:14; Luke 4:40; Matthew 9:35; Mark 6:56; Mark 7:37) CAN A LIAR DOMINATE THE WORLD OF DEMONS? (Matthew 8:16; Luke 10:17; Luke 8: 30,33; Mark 1:39; Mark 3: 13-15; Luke 4:41) CAN AN IMPOSTURE DIE, BE BURIED, THEN COME OUT OF THE GRAVE ALIVE (1 Corinthians 15: 3-5; Romans 6:9; John 11: 25-26; Romans 8:11; Isaiah 25:8; 1 Peter 1:21). WHAT THEN? We are left with one alternative, one option with regard to Jesus. That option is this: Jesus is Who He claimed to be. He is God! Put your thinking caps on. A good man? Moral man? Religious teacher? Wise? Spiritual mentor? Was He these? HE WAS SO MUCH MORE! Jesus was God (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 9:6; 2 Peyer 1:1; John1: 1-3; John 10: 30-33; John 14: 9-11; Philippians 5: 2-7; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16). As soon as He revealed Himself as God He eliminated Himself from any other category. Why? Because good people, wise people, sensible people don't think they are God, and they don't want you to think they are God!

A wonderful author, CS Lewis, said something very wise, and I quote, "As soon as Jesus declared that He was GOD the Son, that He had the same nature as God, as soon as He said, 'If you've seen Me, you've seen God,' it was no longer possible "to simply designate Him as a good teacher. That is not open as an option. Good, sensible, wise men don't make such outrageous claims." I couldn't agree with Mr. Lewis more! So if YOU think you have an acceptable view of Jesus and give Him honor as a good teacher, prophet, or as one of the great religious leaders, you really don't have that option! You've got to join one of these three options: Jesus was either the biggest LIAR that ever lived, being some kind of a demon-possessed psychopathic lunatic, or He was Who He said He was. The evidence is in! He was virgin born, led a sinless life, had power over the physical world, power over the spiritual world, power over life, power over death, power over creation. Clearly, Jesus is Lord of all, King of all Kings, our Emmanuel.

Finally, what evidence is there in His 30 years of growing up that reveals He was a madman? He was irrational? Illogical? Insane? Detached from reality? NONE! In order to make this testimony unmistakably clear, the Holy Spirit ordained that there would be four testaments given for the purpose of declaring the deity of Christ: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John! All four writers have the same purpose; they write so that you may believe that Jesus is God, that He came as the Son of God, taking on human flesh, and believing people might have life in His name. The reason you need to get the correct view of Christ is that it's the only path to salvation. Any other path leads to an eternal torment shut off from Him. The truth is, Jesus went to a cross to die for YOU. He loves you so much that He gave His life to exonerate and acquit you from the punishment of the sins you've willfully committed throughout your life. My question today is IF Jesus lied, would He have died for a story He made up? Would you die for a lie? No, we would recant and turn tail. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies" (John 11:25).
Until next time,
-Pat-

The Lambs Book Of Life

Anyone who has read the Bible has most certainly heard the term, "The Book Of Life" (same as The LAMB'S Book of Life). Perhaps others have heard the term mentioned in a church service or through something they read regarding Christianity. Today I want to write a few things about THE BOOK OF LIFE. Some questions may arise ... Is my name written in the Book of Life? Can my name be removed or abolished from this Book of Life? Is there a way to assure my name can never be blotted out? Every person on earth should desire to have their name in the Book of Life because the consequences otherwise are devastating. To begin, a simple explanation to the question 'What is the Book of Life' is as follows: the Book of Life is a record containing the names of those who have had a spiritual rebirth, have overcome sin through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, and obeyed His teachings throughout their lives. In other words, the Book of Life is a record of the names of the redeemed - those who will live with God forever in heaven.

Note: There are, in fact, two sets of records ... One record contains the names of people who are saved and they are listed in one book, the Book of Life, as mentioned above. The second record contains the names of the unsaved/unbelievers which fill many books, also referred to as THE DEAD because there is no spiritual life in them. Both the Book of Life (singular) and the many books (plural) are open in Revelation chapter 20. Judgment is pronounced only upon those whose names fill the many books. These are they who will be judged by the things they did in life- "according to their works" says Revelation 20:12. Being judged by your works (what you have done throughout your life) can only be executed and measured by applying THE LAW! Every unsaved person (those who refused Christ's atoning Blood) will be judged by the law for every sin they ever committed. The saddest part is, though we have all sinned, Romans 3:23, it is because the unsaved people rejected Christ as the Savior, that they will have no forgiveness or absolution for their sins! The saved have absolution. Therefore, everyone who refused to believe Jesus will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, the books will be opened, and they will be found guilty under the law! Laws say don't do this, don't do that, thou shalt not, but the unsaved did it anyway and rejected the offer of Christ's gift of salvation. The believers whose names are in the Book of Life have no sin to be judged for because they accepted Christ. He already cleansed them of all their unrighteousness when they accepted, believed, followed, and remained faithful to the end.

In this life, we have but two choices when using our free will. We can either choose spiritual life with Christ or choose spiritual death without Christ. Everyone is very aware that as humans we are not perfect. Each of us has committed sins that would exclude us from living in heaven with a holy, righteous God. We are too marred to do so. Our two choices are basically the same God offered to Adam and Eve: we have the choice to either eat from the Tree of Life, which is synonymous with trusting and choosing Jesus, Psalm 34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him" OR we can choose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil which actually means you want to independently go on your own to selfishly define for yourself good and evil. If you read Revelation, chapter 20, you will discover those who do not choose to serve God but rather choose to serve themselves, their names fill many books! And as I said previously, the names of those that choose to follow and serve God, those names have been compiled in only one book -- "Many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). This call, the "called," is for hearers to repent and believe the gospel. It's possible to refuse Jesus' invitation because of our free-will. And many do. Jesus also shows us there are those that believe they can enter heaven because they answered "the call" but they will not be allowed in. Why? Perhaps the following example is people who wear a cross around their neck believing that is enough to be accepted. Maybe they are those who attended church every week but never really loved Jesus enough to experience true conversion. Maybe their "conversion" ended and they were swept back into the world.

Revelation 12:22 tells of a man who responded to the wedding invitation (the call to come to Jesus) yet his lack of a wedding garment proves he doesn't belong at the feast, and not only that, but he is banished! Why? There are those that answer the call, labeling themselves as "Christians" but still live and continue to live in sin because they were never really "born-again." They never experienced the "new birth". They were never filled with the Holy Spirit. They were not serious when they said they wanted to follow Jesus and so they turned back. They are soiled !! They are not clean. This is an example of attempting to get into heaven without Christ's righteousness covering them. They have no wedding garment on. What is the wedding garment? Specifically, it is the righteous acts of the saint's Revelation 19:6-8. We are clothed WHEN we repent of our sin, turn from sin, accept the sacrifice of Christ to purge our sins, and then receive the Holy Spirit to enable us to live in obedience to God's laws, and then REMAIN under His cloak of righteousness to the end. Without the righteousness of Jesus Christ covering you as a garment, you cannot take part in the wedding supper of the Lamb! In fact, if you really want to know what happens to anyone without that wedding garment who attempts to get into heaven and attend it, read Matthew 22:11-13! There isn't enough room to type all those verses here. Only those who are properly "clothed" will be seated at the wedding banquet of the Lamb at the consummation of all things.

The "called" WHO RESPOND to receive Christ in faith, Jesus refers to these as the "chosen" ... the Greek word in the original translation is, the Elect! These are all whom the Father has chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4). God knew from the beginning who would serve Him and who would reject Him. So from the foundation of the world, He vowed to keep them! HE IS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH (Hebrews 12:2)!! Only these chosen ones will constitute the company of the redeemed when Jesus returns in glory. Those people who did not accept Jesus as Savior are those whose names are written in the books (plural) as found in Revelation 20:12. They hated the knowledge of God, they refused His counsel, they despised His every rebuke, and Proverbs 1:30-31 finishes by saying, "Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies." Eating from the Tree of Life as believers choose, rather than to serve themselves and love the world, is synonymous with hearing and obeying what God has said. Obedience is synonymous with faith. So let's break down the Book of Life and the "other" books.

Who are those written in the Book of Life? The saved (Revelation 20:12-14); those who continue to reject and keep sin out of their life (Revelation 21:27); those who are holy (Isaiah 4:3); those who have been delivered from their vices and sins (Daniel 121:1-3); those who labor in the Kingdom (Philippians 4:3); The CHURCH -also called the "body of Christ"- (Hebrews 12:23.) And this is a list of those who are NOT written in the Lambs Book of Life which will include the majority of the population: Those who never repented and are in sin (Exodus 32:32,33); Those who oppose the righteous (Psalm 69:27-28); those who do not overcome (Revelation 3:5); those who worship the beast (Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8); Those who take away words or those who add words from God's words (Revelation 22:19) and those whose names WERE BLOTTED OUT (Matthew 22:11-13; Exodus 32:32-33, Revelation 3:5; 1 John 2:19). 1 John 2:19 definitely tells us there are those among the company of believers that leave the faith, otherwise they would have stayed. This verse points out there are people who answered the call, confess they are Christians, live among other Christians, identify as Christians by attending church, confessing Jesus as Lord, etc. yet they never really had a rebirth and so they leave the faith and turn back! Did you think a name could never be blotted out of the Book of life? Think again!

These are the very words of Jesus Himself from Revelation 3:5, "HE THAT OVERCOMES, THE SAME SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT, AND I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, BUT I WILL CONFESS HIS NAME BEFORE MY FATHER, AND BEFORE HIS ANGELS." So according to that verse, it IS POSSIBLE for Jesus to blot out a name from the BOOK OF LIFE. Because a name cannot be blotted out unless it had been there before! The unsaved/the lost/the unbeliever's names aren't even in the Book of Life so it's speaking about names that were written in the Book of Life but were then blotted out. Let's define the phrase to blot out. It's a transitive verb that means: To make obscure, insignificant, inconsequential. To wipe out, destroy. Synonyms are: abolish, annihilate, black-out, clean, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, liquidate, obliterate, rub out. snuff, sweep away, wipe out. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? That's very clear!
My final thought comes from Deuteronomy 30:15-20 "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He IS your life and length of days."
Until next time,
-Pat-

Can People In Heaven See People In Hell?

A friend of mine wanted to know what my opinion was on people in heaven being able to see those on earth, or at least know what their loved ones are doing. Then he wanted to know if those who make it to heaven will be able to see those suffering in hell. Honestly, that's a really tough one. I will admit I am not 100% sure because I don't have all the answers. However, I can assume by a few scriptures that even if we can "see" from heaven to earth or even hell, I don't think we will be affected as we would be if we were still living in the flesh. I'll explain by the end of this blog.

The question posed to me arose because of the story in Luke 16: 19-31 about a rich man who was in hell and could see into heaven. First I want to offer that this is a story and not a parable, which in my mind makes a significant difference in what we are to understand. Here's why I say that. The purpose of a parable is to teach something and is usually told with metaphors or as an allegory. Parables use an earthly example to explain the heavenly realm. Examples: "A sower went to out to sow" or "There was a certain judge" or "steward" or "son" or "Samaritan." Parables never list a specific name as the story in Luke 16 does so, therefore, it doesn't fit the definition of a parable. The story in Luke is more of a heavenly story with a heavenly meaning. In the "story," Jesus USES THE NAME of a specific poor beggar; Lazarus. An interesting fact is, this is the only place in the entire Bible where Jesus uses someone's name! And though the rich man is not specifically named, other than he was rich, Lazarus is named. So a believers focus of this story should be on the one called Lazarus. Which by the way, is not the same Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha whom Jesus raised from the dead. A few things to note ...

1. Lazarus a poor, diseased, beggar, a reject by the world's standard, winds up in heaven. The lavish rich man highly accepted by the world's standard winds up in hell.
2. Lazarus never saw a grave because he was carried into heaven by angels. The rich man was buried in the ground, alive after death but tormented in hell.
3. Lazarus was found safe in Abraham's bosom. The rich man was embraced in the bowels of Satan's domain.
4. Lazarus was forgotten and forsaken by others while on earth. The rich man, probably the envy of others, was clothed in fine linen and lived lusciously every day on earth.

In the story, the rich man lifts up his eyes from hell and literally see's Abraham in heaven (Lazarus is safe in Abraham's bosom) and he cries out to Abraham for mercy. The man is not crying out to Lazarus. He pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool his tongue because he is "tormented in this flame" (verse 24). I suggest you read the entire story to really follow this blog. As it goes, Abraham answers the rich man! So there is a conversation between Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and a rich man who has no name. Jesus could have easily appointed the rich man a name for this story but chose not to which is significant as you'll see in a minute. As it is, Abraham can both see and hear the rich man, and vice versa. After their deaths, the saved man, Lazarus, has a name! He has not been abandoned, snubbed, or forgotten as when he was on earth. He is in heavenly bliss; comforted. He is also resting in the bosom of the father of the nation Israel. He is safe! The rich man, on the other hand, has no identity! Jesus didn't assign the man a name for this story. He has been forgotten. He is now alone without any help, assistance, or any hope of rescue. He is cut off and is separated by a great chasm between heaven and hell (verse 26). He is separated from God. He lies in torment. This story seems to convey the sense that Lazarus went to a place of rest, contentment, and peace, almost as though Abraham (a highly revered person in Jewish history and a man chosen of God) was the protector, patron, and perhaps the spokesperson in this case. NOTE: Lazarus, who is resting in heaven, DID NOT SEE OR HEAR the rich man in hell. However, the rich man COULD SEE both Abraham and Lazarus which must have added to his torment.

Contrary to some religious and contemporary beliefs, the Bible does teach there is both a heaven and a hell. They are real places. Each person who lives will spend an eternity in one of the two places. The death of the body is only the beginning of eternity! Physical death is the separation of our body from our soul/spirit (Lazarus), while spiritual death is the separation of our soul from God (the rich man). If there weren't two choices, why would Jesus have bothered to include this story to be written down into permanent history? While the rich man lived for the day, only focusing on himself and his abundance, Lazarus endured many hardships: hunger, disease, loneliness, being ostracized, yet remained humble and never forsook God, etc. Did the rich man go to hell because of money? I don't think so! The condition of his heart proved what kind of man he really was. Money in and of itself is not evil. We need money to put a roof over our head, for food, clothes, medicine, etc. The Bible declares THE LOVE OF money is the root of all evil. It was the rich man's preoccupation with all his riches that he had no time for the beggar at his gate. He ignored Lazarus' pitiful condition and a dire need for help. One very interesting thing I want to point out is that the rich man KNEW Lazarus. Was he a friend? Did he know him from the temple as a fellow church worshipper? How do I know the rich guy knew Lazarus? The rich man called for Lazarus BY NAME (verse 24)! He knew him, but his love for wealth made him selfish, cold, puffed up, arrogant, haughty, and self-important. The man lacked love (1 Corinthians 13:13) the greatest attribute of all.

So, will we be able to see our loved ones that remain on earth or those who are suffering in hell after we pass from here? I can only answer on this wise. If the answer is "Yes, we will be able to see those suffering in hell, or even those who struggle on earth," then I know that whatever we "see" is not going to take away from the joy that God promised that His faithful will receive in heaven (John 15:11; 1 John 1:4). I also know that the scriptures teach that God is going to wipe away all tears from our eyes, that there will be no more crying or sorrow (Revelation 21:4). Too, I also believe the Word when it says after we are resurrected, WE WILL BE CHANGED!! We will not have the same passions and emotions that this earthly body has. We will be in a different form and we will have different experiences. For one, there will no longer be any marrying or given in marriage (Matthew 22:30; Mark 121:25) and that also implies that sexuality will no longer be an issue in that body. So, it's definitely going to be way different than what we know here. Now, assuming the answer is, "No, we will not be able to see those who are in hell," we will still have to deal with the knowledge that some did not make it to heaven. Again, part of the change from a physical body to a spiritual one, no doubt, is going to involve the ability to deal with the knowledge of loved ones who were lost. There will be no tears! But even assuming that we would still be able to have feelings for these loved ones, I trust completely in the promise of God that He will wipe away all tears ...perhaps "wipe away" includes any memories of those that aren't with us in heaven. How would we know they were lost if there is no memory of them? So regardless of whether we will or we won't be able to glimpse at those still on earth or in hell when we are in heaven, I firmly believe God will ensure that our heavenly joy will remain completely intact!
Until next time,
-Pat-

Testing The Spirits

Though once a user of Facebook, I no longer pledge my allegiance to that social media giant. It became a virtual cesspool for drama. Between the whacked out rants of angry political views, the barrage of over-inflated ego's, daily bombardment of hateful comments, the silencing of free speech and slurry of woes and pitiful posts, I lost 100% interest. Eventually, any further investment of my time was not an option and I eventually left. The one thing I found most disturbing was the constant A thru Z fake news stories and it left me wondering who or what can you trust? I recall one story where my eyes were fixed on a particular video of a plane struggling during a huge thunderstorm. The plane did a 360-degree flip in the air before safely landing and letting out terrified passengers. I had never seen anything like that in my life. The interview conducted with the pilot was fascinating! It turns out that the video was total bunk, spliced together from a computer-generated clip and unrelated real news footage! Really? Even so, that didn't stop the Facebook post from arriving in my News Feed via a friend. It had nearly 14 million views! From looking at the comments, I wasn't the only sucker to fall for the lie.

Everyone knows or should know, the world-wide-web is full of lies. How is it that we can keep falling for such poppycock? Even SNOPES, a fact-checking web site, has been proven unreliable several times! How can we be so easily fooled? If we can be such suckers for fake news, what about spiritual things? How can we discern what is actually true regarding what we hear from preachers, pastors, or teachers? Did you know according to the apostle John we are NOT TO believe every spirit but are instructed to test/try every spirit to see if "that person" is of God? Not all individuals who claim to have spiritual insight are valid. We are living in an age of low level of spiritual discernment. John sent out a clear warning regarding deceivers and how to know if they are "fake news." 1 John 4:16 NKJV "Beloved, do not believe every spirit; but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

What is so very sad is, people don't want to evaluate "truth claims" to see if they even line up with the infallible Word of God. Rather than investigating what they have heard preached or taught, it is easier for them to simply say what they heard is true or must be true because it sounded good. John has instructed those "of God," the true followers, believers, and lovers of Jesus and His Word to "test the spirits to see whether they are of God. Some versions say to test the spirits to see if the spirits are FROM God. I prefer the King James Version from the original Greek which says to test to see if the spirits are "OF GOD." Here's why. From God is where we all started - our beginning point as humans. Indeed we are all FROM God but we aren't all OF GOD! Big difference. The dictionary defines the word "of" as ... a relationship between a part and the whole. Believers are a part of the whole (God). So, John is warning that not every preacher, pastor, teacher, or person who is telling you about God is OF GOD. He goes on to warn that many false prophets (and people today) making false claims are out there in the world. Satan's falsehoods have been deceiving innocent and unprepared people for eons.

After John tells us to be perceptive and wise with what we are hearing, he gives us a simple test of how to "test the spirits." Here is that test: "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist." You may be asking yourself, "and so, what does THAT mean?" You may not believe it but there are many people who say they are Christians but deny that Christ has come in THE FLESH, as a man. I've even heard people say Jesus was an angelic being, not really human like we are. No, John 1:14 says, "And the Word WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." There are millions who believe in the historical man, Jesus, the one who walked the earth in Israel 2,000+ years ago, but not many believe He is the second Person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Jesus was both wholly God and fully man. There are scholars, false prophets and armchair philosophers who deny the humanity of Christ. John says, "They are of the world (NOTICE THE WORD "of" ... of the world) therefore they speak as of the world and the world hears them." What are you hearing? What do you believe?

Are you one that believes Christ did not have human flesh with lusts like ours or with lusts that could draw and entice Him. And if he did not have lusts, then He did not have flesh and blood like ours. And if He did not have flesh and blood like ours, then He could not have been tempted like we are, nor can He have compassion or understanding for us when we are tempted? If this is what you currently believe, this is that "spirit" of antichrist, one who opposes or denies Jesus for Who He was and is. This is the spirit that nullifies the entire work of Christ - His sufferings - His death - His high priestly ministry. Sadly, this is a prevailing spirit today! The Man, Jesus Christ, although He was the Son of God (God come to us in the flesh, our Emmanuel), scriptures testifies He chose to come to earth in the form of a man. It is written He had a human nature and a human will, but that He overcame and never sinned. He took on a body and felt everything we feel ... hunger, thirst, sadness, empathy, love, fleshy wants. But because of His overcoming life, He was able to overcome death and today is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven. As Christians, this is of paramount importance to us. Why? Because He overcame even though he was a man like us and it means that we can also live the same life that He lived through the power of the Holy Spirit He left us. He has made us overcomers! "What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3).

Jesus was a man like you or me, yet sinless. He is our foundation, our hope of glory. Below I have listed several biblical verses that testify of the truth -- Jesus was flesh just like we are and he lived on earth for 33 years to complete God's mission as our savior. If you can deny the following scriptures, then I pray that you examine yourself to determine if you have the Spirit of God or a spirit of error. Until next time. -Pat-

Hebrews 4:15 Testifies that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses because He was tempted just as we are, yet without sin!
Luke 22:42 Testifies Jesus had a free will just like us, but His will was to obey the Father and deny Himself.
Luke 2:52 Testifies that Jesus Himself, as a man, grew and developed spiritually in wisdom and stature.
Philippians 2:5-8 Testifies Jesus humbled Himself and came in the likeness of men
1 Timothy 2:5-7 Testifies that the apostle Paul refers to "the Man Jesus Christ" and says he is speaking the truth.
John 8:39-40 Testifies that Jesus called Himself a man!
John 11:35 Testifies, "Jesus wept." so, He had feelings just as a man.
Luke 2:7 Testifies Jesus was born, just like a man.
Luke 2:40, 52 Testifies Jesus grew from a child, just as we did.
John 4:6 Testifies Jesus got tired and wearied from traveling.
John 19:28 Testifies Jesus had thirst.
Matthew 4:2 Testifies Jesus could also get hungry.
Matthew 4:11; Luke 23:26 Testifies Jesus became physically weak.
Luke 23:46 Testifies Jesus body died after the crucifixion.
John 11:33-35 Testifies Jesus had emotions -deeply moved in His spirit-greatly troubled.
Matthew 26:38 Testifies Jesus was very sorrowful even unto death.

Forsaken and Despised

Can you remember a time when you were ever made to feel despised, low-class, second-rate, unwanted, abandoned, and rejected? That was me! There was a time in my life when I felt very inferior to everyone else. I was 12 when my family moved into a new neighborhood which placed us into a new school district. I had to leave all the friends I made from kindergarten through the 6th grade. I had no choice but to adjust. It was a new school year and I was enrolled in my first algebra class. This was in 7th grade. From day one my teacher, Robert Rangle, ridiculed me for not understanding the basic elements of mathematics that everyone else in the class seemed to understand. I tried to explain I couldn't grasp the concept of fractions, but he responded by calling me “Stupid.” In fact, every day when he called the roll, instead of calling my name, he’d say, “Stupid Phillips, stand up you dummy. Let's get this over with.” Without a blink, Mr. Rangle would echo the same words each day, "Class you may be seated. Phillips, remain standing! Everyone pass your homework to the student behind you to be graded." I learned very quickly not to pass my paper to the student behind me! "Okay stupid, bring your homework up here to me." Every day my hands would shake as I approached the teacher's desk. My legs felt like they were dragging iron, and a knot would grip my stomach until I wanted to vomit. I knew what was next. He repeated the same chorus for 9 never-ending, relentless months ... "Okay, class. I want everyone's attention. Look up here." Mr. Rangle proceeded to hang my homework paper high in the air and announce, "Can everyone see this? Back of the room? This is what happens to stupid people. She is stupid. Can everyone say 'Phillips, you're stupid.' Come on. Say it." And they would. As the snickers, grins, and laughter resonated off the classroom walls he would tear my homework in half for all to witness announcing, "No sense grading this paper. She got an F. She's too stupid to even be in this class." Then my paper would be torn in fourths and tossed in the trash can without ever knowing if I got any answers correct. I could speak of other horrors like him slapping the back of my and head kicking my legs under the desk. Then there times he would stop at my desk after cruising the isles during a test only to burst out laughing and lean in close to taunt, "Why don't you stop now before you make a bigger fool of yourself."

My teacher's words negatively affected my self-image. For an entire school year, I was taunted, ridiculed, tormented and despised by both that teacher and those he convinced that I was a pariah to avoid. I had no friends that year. I was very alone. Other students thought it was funny to call me "stupid" and "idiot." The word spread. Everywhere I turned at school people yelled out, "Stupid ...hey, Stupid!" As a result of this abuse, the feelings of inferiority affected me for decades. DECADES! Even writing about it now causes tears to fill my eyes. But I'm sharing my story in hopes of helping others who remember feelings of being unwanted, being an outcast or rejected at some time or another in his or her life. Some people recover easily from these experiences by letting it roll off their backs. I wasn't so lucky.

Satan uses memories of rejection to keep others in an emotional prison for the rest of their lives. These are the people who never feel wanted and accepted, nor do they feel they can measure up to other people. It could be that I am describing some of you. Regardless of who you are, most if not all deal with issues of rejection or abandonment from time to time. The most important thing, and essential for our mental health, is the decision about how we are going to react when something like this occurs that brings about the feelings that we are rejected, unwanted, unworthy, stupid, "different." There are various scriptures you can turn to for comfort but one, in particular, is one God led me to during one of my low points. It helped to lift me out of how bad I was despised as a child. Read 1 Corinthians 1:28. It's uplifting! "And the base things of the world and things which are despised has God CHOSEN, yes, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are" (KJV). WOW!!! This scripture has been a source of strength for me. God's Word is telling you and me, God chose what the world thinks is unimportant, base, stupid, insignificant or lowly, and what the world looks down on and despises, what they think is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important, right, or special. I don't know about you but that makes me jump for joy! To think God could use me in His Kingdom, a lady like me who was made to believe I was stupid, ignorant, and not worth the time of day is unfathomable. I mean, I'm writing for Him and my blogs are being read around the globe.

God saw worth in me and He sees worth in you! "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope for a future" Jeremiah 29:11 NIV. You may be or have been despised in the eyes of the world, but God has plans for you! He has seen your hurt, abandonment, and rejection. But God chooses what the world thinks is despicable and detestable and uses that to destroy the haughty and proud. This happens to believers in Christ as well. Again, I have been rejected, talked about, snuffed-off because of my Christian faith, but praise God He has strengthened me and promised me He will never leave or forsake me. IN HIM is my dwelling place. He is my refuge. I am at peace now regardless of verbal attacks or insults. HE CHOSE ME! The scripture I wrote above boldly announces that the people whom the world rejects are the very ones God has chosen. " For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. He takes the wise in their own craftiness" (1 Corinthians 3:19 KJV).

The Bible explains why the world despises Christians. 1 John 5:19 tells us, "The whole world lies in wickedness." As long as the world lies in the grip of wickedness, we may as well accept the fact the unbelieving world will mock and make fun of us, no matter what we do to try to get them to see the light of truth. It's just the way a lost world is going to act! For any believer in Christ Jesus, rather than let other people affect your self-image and confidence, you need to know who you are in Jesus Christ and hold your head up high. You have no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed. From the beginning of time, the lost world has ridiculed, made fun of, sarcastically accused, and debased the people of God. If the world hates you, remember it hated Jesus before it hated us (John 15:18). Jesus lives in us .. in our faith, our actions, our words, our beliefs. The world continues to hate Him, revile Him, and persecute Him. Jesus was also DESPISED AND REJECTED of men (Isaiah 53:3), so He knows how it feels. The best thing of all, for me as one who was labeled unintelligent and an imbecile, is that I am comforted to know God provided a way out of the heavy feeling of rejection by accepting me as I am. He has elevated and honored me. How? By choosing me to fulfill His high calling on my life. He can do the same for you!
Until next time,
-Pat-
**** A prayer of thanksgiving: Lord, I am so thankful that You chose me! Even though the devil has tried to use people to tell me that I would never be worth anything, You wanted me and sought me out until I finally heard your voice and surrendered to Your call. I am so grateful that the opinion of the world about me isn't true. I am so glad that You pursued me with such a mighty love that You refused to give up on me even when I became bitter and hard ... when I sought to be loved in the wrong places ... and when I blamed you for my misery. What else can I say to express my heart to You? I can only say, "THANK YOU, JESUS!'"

I Have Tickets. Interested?

Baseball season is about to begin. Soon there will be scalpers lined along the highway exists that lead to Royals Stadium in Kansas City. I see it every year. It's inevitable. I've never liked the scalpers. Though what they do isn't seen as illegal by Federal law, there's just something about how it is done that doesn't sit well with me. I suppose it's because it seems deceptive and a sneaky way to take advantage of desperate people. The devil is just like that. He is a scalper. He wants to sell you a ticket that's going to cost you the highest price ever- your soul! Millions of people have been scalped and have no idea they are holding a ticket to hell. NO IDEA! There are people in hell right now who believed in Jesus. Is that hard for you to believe? How can that be you ask? It's not so far fetched you know, even Satan believes in Jesus! He knows who He is. He can and has even quoted scripture. Frightfully many people, but specifically Christians, are preyed upon by an invisible and insidious enemy who has nothing to lose. He has an army of henchman who can play with your emotions and introduce thoughts directly to your mind! And you can bet they don't have your best interest in mind!

Have you or anyone you know ever been sold a bogus ticket in life? Perhaps it was for a concert you were all prepared to attend but you got burned? Listen very carefully, millions are in line right now with "a" ticket in hand thinking they will enter heaven. But they are holding "counterfeit tickets" that will have them paying with their lives. Satan has nothing to lose and has nothing better to do than scalp you! He has nearly the entire world believing doing good things is one way you can earn salvation ... just be good, don't do any harm, and mind your own business. Scripture, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death" (Matthew 16:25). Millions of people believe that being a nice person who believes in God is "a way" to heaven. That's their 'ticket.' But it is not THE way! Why? They never really received Christ. They never gave Him their hearts. They never surrendered to Him and made Him Lord of their lives. They pay Him lip service but do not make Him the Headship of their spiritual lives, they remain spiritually detached from Him whether they are alert to this or not. GOD is not fooled (Galatians 6:7). Belief alone is not enough to effect salvation. Even Satan believes there is a God and had conversations with Jesus. We have to RECEIVE Christ into our hearts and keep Him there!

If we as Christians call Him God but retain headship over our own spirituality rather than surrendering to Him, we live a lie! Some make self an idol and worship the god of self over God Himself. I know messages like this are uncomfortable to hear, but I refuse to sell anyone a bogus ticket. If you reject the truth and grab the scalpers ticket, what will you reap? You will miss heaven! Are you hanging with unbelievers? Still walking with the world? Buying the deceiver lies that you can do this and not fall away? Who told you that you can commit sin over and over and it is forgotten if you continually practice it forever? Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians Chapter 6, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness? What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has he who believes with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For YOU are the temple of the living God. As God has said, " "I will live in them and walk in them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." It's very clear, the one who BELIEVES IN CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR AND RECEIVES HIM surrenders to Him. They give Him their heart and make Him truly Lord of their life and He indwells them with the Holy Spirit. The Christian IS the temple of God because God is living inside them. The problem lies in the fact that there are those who never really get around to truly receiving Christ, but instead give lip-service. They may attend church, talk about Jesus, wear a golden cross about their neck, they might even have some scriptures memorized but that's as far as their faith goes. On the weekends they return to a life of sin. They've bought the ticket that promises if you say you believe there's a Jesus you're home free.

Will the scalpers' bogus tickets to heaven actually work? Satan is the biggest god of self! We must overcome the self-idol mindset in believing WE know the way w/o Christ, the path w/o Christ, the right idea w/o Christ, the magic ticket to heaven through the actions of good behavior or just saying we believe Christ exists! Revelation 21:7 says only they that overcomes shall inherit all things and be God's son. THEY THAT OVERCOME! Overcome what? ... the world, it's teaching's, it's lies that speak to our flesh and the false narratives that keep blinders over our eyes. If we only pay lip service to God but do not surrender and receive Jesus, giving Him our heart 100% and making Him the Lord over our entire life, then our "belief" is bogus and we are living a lie (Revelation 22:12-15). It's the same as accepting scalpers tickets to hell. Do some of you reading here today get the sense you've bought into the wrong destination? How do you get out of the wrong line which is going to the wrong event? How can you get a legitimate ticket to heaven FROM GOD? This is how:

Rev 3: 18 – 20 MESSAGE BIBLE the words of Jesus: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments, that you may be dressed, that the shame of your nakedness may not appear, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent. Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me." What gold is this? The gold of Jesus' character and purity via the initiation of the salvation process. And WHAT shall you give in exchange for this gold? Easy. You give Him your sin. Your selfishness. Your iniquity. Your filth and depravity. Your guilt and shame. Your future. Your past. Your being. ALL of YOU! You surrender. And by His power, He will reprove, teach, discipline, and guide you along the way until you become 24K. And HOW do you do this? By receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, surrendering to Him, giving Him your heart and making Him your head ( headship ). By repenting of your sin and asking Christ to forgive you, to cleanse you with His perfect, Holy Blood. Just look at the stupendous LOVE of Christ to suffer so horribly to make a way for you to receive eternal safety! You do not have to be spiritually separated from God. Jesus made a way.

It’s tough to get in trouble with God when you repent and approach Him. We have two choices only. There is no middle ground. We need the nature of Christ! One can die to self and live to God, recognizing the need to exchange our nature for the nature of Christ. Or: One can live for self and die to Christ. You can keep scalper’s tickets on the connection to hell if you want because even then, GOD gave you a free will. He will not force your hand. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. See Also John 1: 12: "Yet to all who received Him ( Jesus ), He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name." Salvation is a "relationship" with God. On God’s terms! It’s HIS Kingdom! And Romans 10:9 " that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. But here's what you must realize ... true belief exacts change! If you truly believe these things in your heart YOU WILL WANT TO CHANGE. There will almost be desperation or anticipation to do so. And with the help of the Holy Spirit's power, you WILL follow through. What ticket are you holding? Until next time, -Pat-

Heart Change

2019 is going to be a tumultuous year here in the USA. In many ways, much of the country believes we have begun to move forward in a positive away by our embracing social movements such as Black Lives Matter, the ME TOO movement, Anti-Capitalism, the Feminists movement, LGBTQ, Occupy, Pro-Choice, etc. Do we really believe these social movements can move us in the right direction to heal our land? We couldn't be more blind. Where is discernment? 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people (that's the Christian) which are called by my Name (the born-again believer's) shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Changing laws will never change hearts! Mark 7:21-23 teaches that the problems of man are not external, but internal: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man." Changing laws might get us compliance, but it will never change our hearts! As Christians we must be "sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). He's doing a good job too.

There are no social movements that address the spiritual side of human nature or the degree of corruption as human beings. Think about it. Even if any of these groups or even the President himself had free reign to enact any and every law or educational reform they desire, do you honestly think it would solve our problems here, or much more, that of the world? It wouldn't even scratch the surface! Our problems are much deeper than that. The problem with humanity is not in what political party we think has the answers, it isn't found in the color of our skin, our opinion regarding pro-choice or pro-life, or what lifestyle we choose for ourselves, etc. Our problem is so much deeper. It is spiritual! Until we fix the inner man, the outer man will continue to fight, hate, war, lose his compass and fall deeper into depravity. Ephesians 5:15-16, "See then that you walk circumspectly (considering everything carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time (making the most of it), because the days are evil"

There is nothing wrong with desiring or working for social justice, but we shouldn't be under the illusion that we are wise enough as fallen human beings to believe we can bring it about perfectly, or even well. There is no doubt we need justice, healing, renewal, and a reversal in the direction we're headed. But we will never affect lasting, positive, healing change with ALL LAW and no Gospel. Why? Besides what I mentioned about the Gospel pointing out that our problems begin within mankind, changing laws alone, a kind of "moralism" always ends up whatever people say it is -- for instance, the word diversity. Diversity when referring to the LGBTQ community is the attempt to include all people as equally moral and has, therefore by definition, allowed one segment of the population to force another segment of society to accept a law that contradicts their 'religious' convictions and beliefs. By dictating and forcing into law a twisted meaning of 'diversity' by one liberal group and defining it as moral and not contrary to biblical concepts, you've only created more problems. Laws will never work for everyone unless the heart is changed first! And that's our problem, isn't it? We are becoming a Godless society. We are excluding God from everything! We cannot deny it. These are truly perilous times we are living in. Just look at the news or do something as simple as scrolling through the news feed on your Face book page.

Courts have taken prayer out of our classrooms and public institutions. The 10 Commandments have been removed from parks, schools, and courthouses. It's a reflection of the hearts in this country! Through the banner of separation of church and state and political correctness, many institutions have succeeded in removing God from the essence of our American society. And because of this, our society has broken down and our country lacks biblical and moral principals to guide them in their decision making. In their haughtiness, they declare, "There is no God!" Psalm 10: 4-11 "The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek HIM. All his thoughts are, 'There is no God.' Our hearts have become altogether empty. We supply all of our physical wants and desires, yet neglect the very thing that sustains mans world ... GOD. The symptoms of our brokenness are spiritual apathy, selfishness, religious extremism, perversion of all kinds, violence, and terrorism. The list is longer but I'll stop right there. However, we know from Scripture that when light stands in the darkness, darkness flees! Light always wins. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world" THAT TELLS US RIGHT THERE WE NEED JESUS (to defeat darkness, evil, hatred, violence, etc), yet when you tell the world this they label you as a religious nut. Jesus even went on to say, "He who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). No social justice movement will ever solve the world's problems. They will forever remain judgmental, intolerant, unforgiving, and continue to demand their ways through their violence.

Fortunately, we know from Joel 2:25 that God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. We need change ... a change of heart, and that for the Lord. We may live in dark times, but we have hope because LIGHT ALWAYS WINS! At our lowest points, God is our strength. God calls His people to be patient; He's got this. It's really difficult sometimes when such darkness has taken over and the social justice movements attack all that is spiritual and self-righteously declare that we are evil but they are the change the world needs. Such haughtiness is self-deception and is the basis for much of the tyranny that has taken place in this country! We need to pray like never before because not only is our country under attack but the entire world! We are teetering on the edge without God. The chaos is obvious. We are falling apart at the seams: there is social decadence, the feminism of men, the killing of babies is now considered acceptable at the moment of birth, we can see the indoctrination of socialism, our southern border is being invaded by 7,500 immigrants a months which our broken system cannot handle, there are nuclear weapons in the hands of mad-men, child-trafficking, on and on. Sometimes all the chaos makes me want to leave this world, but Jesus Himself prayed to God and said, "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). Do you know why Jesus prayed that? Because WE are the Light of the world. With Jesus living in us, it is through our prayers, our testimony, our love that will save people and perhaps make a godly impact on society until Jesus comes to judge and restore all.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Sealed Until The Day Of Redemption. Are We?

What keeps a seal sticking to something? Why does the Seal of the Spirit stick to Saints? Seals adhere. They stick. They stay. Unless removed or broken, or if something causes the stickiness to be degraded. What is it that causes the Seal of the Holy Spirit to adhere to the Christian? The Spirit being present within IS the Seal. Does the Seal stick to my corrupt, mortal human flesh? No. The Spirit has no affinity for corruption. Does the Seal of the Spirit stick to my sin or iniquity? Silly. Again, NO. What does the bible say about the seal of the Spirit? Here is Ephesians 1: 12 – 14 "that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. When people fall away from Christ, they experience a catastrophic loss of Seal! They lose salvation. Sounds like an engine problem! But the reality is, that they have destroyed for themselves their access to the Blood of Jesus Christ. Thus, there is nothing left to cause the Seal of the Spirit to adhere to them! The Spirit is not destroyed of course. But the cleanliness that the Spirit had an affinity for is undone. The bond that kept the Seal in that person is no more. See Hebrews 10: 26 – 31. -Author Unnamed-

I am writing this blog because of a request from a reader who wants me to explain my thoughts on these words from a biblical verse from Ephesians 4:30, which states, believers are "sealed unto the day of redemption" and that nothing can break that seal regardless of how much sin they commit after getting saved. It's the "Once saved always saved" mindset. There is another opposing belief often dividing believers. That being, others are convinced you can indeed lose your salvation and that the "seal of redemption" can be broken. I'm going to tell you what I believe, but first I must say up front this will be a very long blog because it is a delicate subject and requires a thorough examination. I will share my personal understanding of verses that will explain why I side with the opinion a Christian CAN lose their salvation after being "saved." I will begin by saying, look closely at this scripture from Luke 12:10, "Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man (Jesus), it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven." (emphasis mine). This verse is saying, anyone in the world (whosoever) can say they don't believe in Jesus, they can reject Jesus, curse His Name, ignore Him, laugh at him, be mad at Him, etc. and it will be forgiven! WHY? Isn't that why Jesus came? To save the lost? To save the unbeliever? To save sinners drenched in sin? They CAN be forgiven; saved, if they repent and come to the Lord. Yet, he (notice singularly 'him') that blasphemes The Holy Spirit SHALL NEVER BE FORGIVEN! To me, THAT'S a seal! To never be forgiven is a locked fate. So let's look at it more closely.

It is very important to understand the verse above. The "whosoever" is addressing anyone in the world ... both nonbeliever and believer. (To the believer: how many times have you failed Jesus and you've been forgiven? I rest my case). However, notice the following warning is now not to whomsoever, but singularly HE that blasphemes the Holy Spirit shall never be forgiven. This is referring only to a believer! First, we must define the word blasphemy (the unforgivable sin-Mark 3:28-30). Most people assume it means taking the Lord's name in vain; cursing. I once did. It's deeper than that. To blaspheme is to "execrate" or "denounce." There is only one set of living human beings on this earth that can possibly commit that unforgivable sin. Christians! Why? Because only Christians have been given the Holy Spirit through salvation and faith in Christ Jesus. The world doesn't have the Holy Spirit in their hearts! Christians CAN INDEED commit this unforgivable sin. But now we must define HOW! How can a Christian denounce the Holy Spirit that was given to them? Denounce: discredit, reject, vilify, condemn, call evil. We can denounce the Holy Spirit's power by discrediting His ability to empower us to overcome sin. If you say you are saved, if you say you are a Christian and you say you cannot stop sinning, you are calling the Holy Spirit a liar and rejecting what He promised. It might be a case you love and enjoy your sin more than what you believe He is able to do!

Christians are not perfect by any means. We sin and sometimes struggle against the strength of it. Christians are faced with temptations all the time, but we do not purposely practice sin. We may curse, feel jealousy, find it hard to love others, etc. These are struggles we learn to overcome as we learn God's Word and apply it to our lives. Our hope lies in the promise and power of the Holy Spirit, "But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16-25). The Spirit does give us the power to overcome constant, purposeful vices! Scripture tells us, "And THOSE THAT BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16). It is when we willfully sin because we say it's impossible to stop a certain vice, say for instance an extramarital affair, that then we are calling the Holy Spirit a liar and a fraud. We discredit Him. The key word here is "willfully." Hebrews 10:26, "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, BUT A CERTAIN EXPECTATION OF JUDGMENT, AND FIERY INDIGNATION which will devour the adversaries." Are you opposed to the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you willfully hanging onto and continually committing a sin you like, or perhaps you unconsciously feel even God cannot take it from you ... homosexuality, fornication, sexual perversion? Then you are an adversary of the Holy Spirit, plain and simple.

Further, LISTEN CLOSELY ... "For it is impossible FOR THOSE WHO WERE ONCE ENLIGHTENED, AND HAVE TASTED OF THE HEAVENLY GIFT, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit (did you get that??), and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, IF THEY FALL AWAY, TO RENEW THEM AGAIN TO REPENTANCE, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." I understand this to be speaking of ONCE SAVED Christians. Why? One, they were "enlightened." They "tasted the heavenly gift." Became "partakers of the Holy Spirit". Finally, "tasted the good Word of God." A person cannot be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" unless they are saved and born again! To understand the Word of God you have to have the Holy Spirit within you because He reveals the truth...He "enlightens" you. I definitely believe Christians, the "enlightened," those with the Holy Spirit, those who have tasted salvation, who know of the world Jesus promised is yet to come, can lose their salvation-Hebrews 6:4-6. The words, "no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" implies a definite loss of salvation under the circumstances I've pointed out. No serious Christian living for Jesus, who is earnest in doing what pleases God will purposely or relentlessly sin because the Holy Spirit gives us the power to identify sin, turn from sin, and overcome sin. It's returning to the "pollution of the world." Read 2 Peter 2:20. How do we escape the pollutions of the world? That verse says "through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." There are so many references to losing your salvation throughout the scriptures. I just can't get around it.

Then we have the warning from Jesus when He said, "Not everyone who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he that DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Well, who calls Jesus, Lord?? It's not the unbelievers! Jesus is addressing "saved" believers! What is His will? For us to stay out of sin. "Be ye holy for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). You don't think you can attain this? You can't but the Holy Spirit can. Again, are you discrediting the power of God? Once we are saved, if we go back, fall-away, return to our vomit of sin, we are going against the "will" of the Father. We are making Jesus sacrifice of none effect. 1John 5:15-16 states, "There is a sin which leads to death. I do not say that he should pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death." How do we interpret this? With wisdom by the Holy Spirit. If all sin is unrighteousness, then what SIN doesn't lead to death, but one does? Simple. All sin is bad, all sin is unrighteousness. The sin that does not lead to death is all sin forgiven by Jesus Christ when we are saved. The one sin NOT FORGIVEN even if we believe we are saved is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If you deny the power of God, you will continue to sin upon sin upon sin. For that, there is no forgiveness BECAUSE you knew the truth, you knew what His Word said and promised, you were forgiven but you discredit the Holy Spirit's power, His promise that He can overcome sin and temptation you're faced with. THAT SEAL CAN BE BROKEN!

We have to consider all these scriptures from the Bible. They may make us feel uneasy but I would rather feel uneasy than miss the truth. Then, there is the verse from Revelation which is most disturbing of all. Remember, the book of Revelation is the revealing of Jesus Christ. These are the words of Jesus, He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not BLOT OUT his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (Revelation 3:5). Two: OVERCOME and BLOT OUT. "He who overcomes." Overcomes what?? SINNING! Yes, we can, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us! Secondly, "I will not blot out his name." Think of that! When you were saved, Jesus wrote your name in the book of Life. Yet He is saying, your name CAN BE BLOTTED OUT! How plain can you get? Look up the word "blot." Your name CAN be erased out of the book of Life. If this were not a possibility why did Jesus say it!? Many are called, few are chosen.

The BOOK OF LIFE is the record referring to Christians alone and not the world. How do I know? Read this carefully, "And I saw (John speaking) the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books (plural) were opened. Then another book (singular) was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead (those without the living, saving grace of Jesus) were judged by what was written in the books (plural), according to what they had done" (these, the unsaved, are judged by the law!). The world will be judged by every law written and what is sad is, not one person on earth has been able to keep the law(s). Their punishment will be harsh. The Christians names are in the Book of Life and will escape judgment under the law because they are safe and secure in Jesus ... Romans 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus HATH MADE ME FREE from the law of sin and death." Every person reading will have to come to their own conclusions as to whether this scriptural evidence shows that indeed it is possible to lose their salvation. When you consider if he "falls away," if he "falls from grace," if he "becomes estranged from Christ," if he goes against the "will" of God the Father, if he returns again to the "pollutions of the world," if he "sins willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth," if he is guilty of the "sin that leads to death," it all fits together.

In conclusion, Galatians 6:7 says, "God will not be mocked (or dissed, discredited, reviled, abhorred, denounced or despised) by believers that were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift ... namely, The Holy Spirit, only to think that Jesus blood sacrifice on the cross will cover them until the day their physical life ends. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:13.) My blog is directed at the Church of Jesus Christ (His Body of believers), not the world, not non-believers, not Eastern religions or other faiths.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Give Them What They Want!

I was questioned lately, "Why do you write so much about sin. Your blogs are very negative. You can draw more flies with honey. Why don't you write in a more positive, uplifting way like Joel Osteen for instance." Here is my answer. There is something happening in churches and among believers today. Preachers, teachers, and pastors are minimizing and softening biblical preaching so as to attract more people into their congregations. As for the person who asked of me as well as so many others today, they want a more upbeat, 'make me feel good' message and "not one that shames me or makes me want to put my head between my legs and feel bad about myself." The Bible predicted a day this would happen, where people would want preaching that appealed to their own desires, and that time is now! "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV). I'll admit, people prefer dramatic and touching stories, especially drama or the scary kind that describe demons or possession. When it comes to "sound doctrine," not so much. I know this by the logistical status from each blog I write. WE NEED SOUND DOCTRINE. Why? Sound doctrine delivers us from the snare of false teaching (2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 1:9-11), which otherwise threatens to arrest spiritual development (Ephesians 4:14). I refuse to fall into the trap of tailoring my blogs just to make people feel good. That is not my calling. And sadly, our culture today does not accept the idea of absolute truth. I will not lean toward giving the reader a self-satisfying spiritual experience in a completely non-judgmental atmosphere as so many preachers are doing today. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THE TRUTH. If I see sin in the Church, I'm going to talk about it, not sugar-coat it!

I find a lack of sound preaching in the pulpits of America. Turn on your TV on any given Sunday morning and watch the watered down, whispering of sweet nothing messages into the ears of viewers! They have reduced messages of escaping from condemnation without repenting from sin. They are messages of affirmation as a son or daughter of God without obedience to the Father. They are messages of comfort without denying one's self to pursue His will. Sure the better "sounding" messages are self-help messages, those that tell us God wants to prosper you, give you a job, a spouse, that home you desire so bad, messages where God will make you all you ever wanted to be. They tickle ears, put a chill up our legs, and goose-bumps down our spine. Sometimes they will throw in a few verses from the Word just for good measure. Sermons like that remind me of what Satan said to Jesus when they were high upon a mountain overlooking all the kingdoms of the world in all their splendor. Satan said, "All this will I give you if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus answered back, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only" (Matthew 4:8-9). Many preachers today are offering you want YOU WANT TO HEAR in exchange for you following them and basically worshipping them. I look at these types and say, Away from me! Worship the Lord your God and not yourselves!

My mission is to reveal "the wisdom that leads to salvation" and equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Sound doctrine reveals to us "everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If preachers don't explain and apply Scripture, their preaching may be entertaining and inspirational; but it will lack life-changing power. I want us to hear the Word, understand it, apply it, live it, change! I don't believe a person given a commission to teach or preach should ever pull punches. Paul instructed those called by God to preach so as to "reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and instruction" (2 Timothy 4:2). Here is a question I have for you. What do you do with the commands you've read from the Scripture? Do you obey them or just highlight them in yellow marker? Sound doctrine taught from the Word should show people where their lives are not in line with God's truth and help them to make the necessary corrections to obey that truth consistently. As parents, we correct our 4 and 5-year-olds and direct them in obedience. As adults, how is it we find it so difficult to obey God's instructions? Let me go over quickly what Paul said the Word is for (and those teaching it). #1 TO REPROVE. As one who teaches I am to present my teaching (in this case my blogs) in a logically convincing manner FROM THE WORD OF GOD so that you are persuaded that what Scripture says is right even though your behavior is wrong. It is then the Holy Spirit's task to reprove (convict) you concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). #2 TO REBUKE. As one who teaches I am to make an appeal to your conscience. You could say this is the moral aspect of what I blog about. It's the, "You're sinning against God and you need to repent." People tend not to like that sort of thing, but it is desperately needed in our watered-down, feel-good Christianity. We have become so watered down that many within the Body of Christ now agree with homosexuality and a woman's right to abort her baby. #3 TO EXHORT. As one who teaches I am to encourage you to right behavior. Some people need rebuke, others need some encouragement. Let this one sink in: if I encourage those who need rebuking, I assist them to go on sinning. But if I rebuke those who need encouragement, I'll discourage them."

My goal is to become a channel for the Spirit and that you understand anything I teach through these blogs even if takes great patience and time on your part to comprehend, absorb, and act upon. Change isn't an overnight deal. People require time to change. They don't always get it the first time around. It might be why some of the themes of my blogs may seem redundant at times. Patience, however, never means accepting or tolerating one's sins, but rather, bearing with peoples weaknesses. That's where careful instruction comes in. I speak about ways you can grow and strengthen in Christ. My aim is that YOU can look at your Bible and understand what it is saying and how it applies to your life.
Until next time,
-Pat-