AS IRON SHARPENS IRON: MY CONCLUSION.

There was a boy that liked to play with a rubber ball. The ball was a gift to him when he was first born. His older brother taught him how to bounce the ball against a wall and catch it when it rebounded.

The boy absolutely loved the game and spent hour after hour learning where and at what angle and speed the ball would return to him.

One day his father noticed that the boy was no longer hurling the ball at the wall, but he was trying to throw it over the wall. The wall was too high and the boy did not possess enough strength to succeed. So his father sat him on his knee and explained this to him. He told him that although his older brother could throw the ball high enough to clear the wall he could not and that he should not feel bad about not having the strength to accomplish his goal.

So the boy resumed the game that he so loved and his father returned to the house.

Sometime later the boy began again to attempt to throw the ball over the wall. The boy’s father enjoyed watching him play and so he was aware the boy was trying to do something that he had been told was not possible. The father was a strict man and he considered scolding his son for not believing him, but more than strict he was a loving father and he admired the son for his burning desire to do the impossible.

If you did not understand this parable let me explain it to you.

The boy is a young Christian, the ball is the Word of God, the wall is the world, his older brother is Jesus, and of course the father is our Heavenly Father.

When we are first born spiritually we are given the Word to understand everything, but when we think we know something about it and we throw it at the world the world only bounces it back at us, because the world does not understand it nor does it want to. The harder we throw it the harder the rebound.

At some point we decide to throw it over the wall so the world will not be able to bounce it back, but that is not the plan of God and we are not strong enough. Jesus is strong enough to clear the wall and when he does some of the people of the world will try to understand and then God will grant understanding and they will be able to turn to Him and be saved.

Sometime in the near future God will throw the ball so hard it will destroy the world and that will put an end to the game, but I am sure that our Father has a new and better game for us.

God tells us to teach and gives some of us the ability to do so. Then he tells us not to call ourselves teachers, because we have one Teacher. What seems a dichotomy is not at all. It is something like teaching the Word and because we do we would call ourselves the Word (or word).

Man is always striving to be something we are not. We read Isaiah 64:6 and think our righteous acts have become clean because we have turned to God. It is true that we should attempt to be like God, but it is not possible. We are told not to sin, but we do and though we are told not to it is not possible.. We attempt to teach and though we try, and we should, it is not possible. God is not looking for success as man does; He is only looking at our desires that are in our hearts. If success were of the utmost importance He would give us the ability to succeed. He can throw the ball over the wall.I can not call myself any more than a student. I’m just throwing the ball against the wall.

There are some problems with my game. Sometimes I throw the ball and hit a brother in the back of the head because he was not looking. Then he becomes angry and heaves the ball at me instead of the wall. Then I sling it back at him, because I feel that he should have already understood and that he should not have been standing there in the first place. Then we all stop trying to understand the Word which is the game and instead of the word bouncing off the wall it begins to bounce off us!

I started this blog because I know iron does not sharpen iron. Most of my brothers have no experience sharpening tools and I thought they would be happy to learn truth, but they have acted like the world and bounced truth right back at me. They have assumed the role of our older brother and claim to be teachers when the Word specifically states not to do so. They think, and rightly so, that if iron can not sharpen iron then they can not teach and their sense of direction is being questioned. But everything should be questioned and even if we do not receive the answer that we want it doesn’t matter for we are saved anyway. We learned that by questioning God; that time we received the answer we wanted.

However I believe our Heavenly Father is happy with their attempts to teach the world about Him: even though it is not possible. The only thing I see wrong is their attempt to be called a teacher. I understand that to call myself teacher would be to rob Jesus of his glory and to rob Jesus is to rob God.

Now I hope that I didn’t hit anyone in the back of the head again? Should I stop playing because you aren’t looking? How could we learn anything if I only said what you wanted me too?

Can you overlook my inability to be gentle and play with me instead of against me? At least be Christian and forgive me for sounding like a teacher.

THE “O WOE IS ME CHURCH”

I use to attend a large Church where most of the congregation were happy to be Christians. I have moved to a different area and I have been attending a smaller Church where it is hard to be happy. They ought to rename it the “O Woe Is Me Church”!

Now basically I am a happy person. You may have gotten a different idea of my personality because I seem to be disagreeing with everyone, but I freely admit that I do not know everything and even when I am right from my view others may be also right from their view.

Yes, that is possible! If there are two men standing on opposite sides of the road, facing each other and a car goes by, to one man it appeared on his right and as it passed by it went to his left. The other man viewed it as coming from his left and it went to his right. Same car, same instance, and both men right, just a different point of view.

So why do you ask is it hard to be happy here? Well most of the congregation do not know enough to enjoy their salvation. Their eyes are on what they do not have instead of what they do have. They pray and contemplate continually about physical healing. There is a prayer list a mile long for physically ill people. Anyone can be added to the list even if they are just a friend of a member!

They do not really understand that they have received the gift of life already! And they continually dwell on the physical aspects of this world! How the heck can you be happy that way?

Now, I don’t want anyone to be sick. Especially me! But that is part of life. Some people must think God doesn’t know who is sick, or will not heal the sick unless we ask. The truth is God already knows who is sick and even who will become sick tomorrow. Yes, we should ask God to heal the sick, but those who are really sick unto death are those who have no Savior. It is clear that God has the power to heal both those who are physically ill and those who are spiritually ill as well. If He does not then we should ask Him why. And He does not, because everyone dies the first death.

As I have said before the key to happiness is to keep your eyes on what you have and do not spend time looking at what you do not have. God has been good to me. I have not gone without anything for very long. I can look at my place in life and be very happy, but if I dwell on the richness that God has not given me I would be miserable. Actually as I understand more and more about our Heavenly Father and myself I can see that I could not handle the problems that come with wealth.

Some day I will become sick and I will die. That is a fact and when it happens I will ask God for physical healing, but He will not heal me. I know enough now to understand it will be the best thing that could happen to me at that time. God will heal me through my physical death!

When I hear people pray for a physical healing I think about Hezekiah. He also prayed about physical healing, but he didn’t understand that it was the best thing for him and those around him for him to leave this earth.

The most wonderful thing about God is that He will grant you the desires of your heart. The most dangerous thing about God is that He will grant you the desires of your heart.

Hezekiah, though there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him, did not have enough faith in God to understand that He would rescue him from true death and that it was the best thing for everyone for him to go.

Read the account of Hezekiah, before and after his healing and decide for yourself if it was the best thing for him to be healed. Then when sickness enters your life remember the problems that Judah faced because of the weak faith of Hezekiah. In the mean time dwell on what God has given you and do not look for what you do not have.

“Don’t worry, be happy”.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS JUST PLAYING MONOPOLY

 

If you are confused about current events just think about the game of Monopoly. If you have ever played the game you know that compassion for your fellow competitors is not part of a strategy that would lead to success. If your competitor lands on your property he must pay the rent that is defined in the rules of the game. If you were to forgive the debt you could not win the game.

We all play the game in this life today. You have no choice but to play. The big problem originated when some began to play to win. In order to win the game of Monopoly one must accumulate all of the money and to do this one must bankrupt everyone else.

It is not possible to accumulate all of the wealth of the world. There is just too much of it and a person’s life is too short to allow it.

When the game of Monopoly is over everyone goes their separate ways and no one is really hurt, but in life the game never ends. The one who seems to be winning will leave the game before it ends and those whom he or she has bankrupted are truly hurt.

That is what is happening today. The whole world is playing the game as if they could win and the entity they revere the most is the money of the game. The money of the game seems to have been given power to solve all problems from health care to world peace but it is only an illusion. There is no room for the true Master of the game in their hearts and no compassion either. The game belongs to the Master and always has. It truly is just a game!

The rules of life are different from the rules of Monopoly. The game of life has many winners and losers. Everyone can win and everyone can lose as there is no “one” winner.

In order to win the real game one must take the time to consider where the game came from and what the rules are. It seems that most players are too busy trying to accumulate the false wealth of the game than to spend any time contemplating the rules.  

If you know the rules and the Master then do not hate those that do not understand. It really makes no difference if you are bankrupt in this world if you play by the Masters rules. Have compassion on those that only play the game using the rules of the world as they will lose the real game even though they seem to be winning.

Do not be like Jonah and hate those who are made in the image of God. Jonah only thought about himself and judged others instead of himself. Judge yourself and let God judge everyone else. Perhaps some of the people in this world that cannot tell their right hand from their left will stop and consider their ways and turn and God will heal them. It happened in Nineveh and it can happen in America also.

Our command is the same as that given to Jonah. It was not to stop anyone from practicing their ways, but to preach against them. If they listen and believe they will stop their ways by themselves: overcome evil with good. You will have accomplished both goals. They will stop trying to bankrupt others and they will leave the game as winners. And that is what the Master of the game wants for everyone. Align your objectives with those of God’s and overcome evil with good.

Do not be discouraged if they refuse to understand. Everyone is free to play the game as they desire. They are even free to cheat if they so desire. Do not think and act as losers. When everyone that will win the game has left then the Master will end it.

Mourn for those that are losing. Mourn and do not hate them.

IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH ISLAM?

If you have read much of what I have written you can see that I like to understand the basics. It is not possible to understand complicated issues if you do not understand the very bases from which they came. It is like building a house on sand. If the foundation shifts the house will fall. I spend most of my time digging around to find solid ground and the most solid of ground is stone. God is like a stone. He is solid ground and He doesn’t change.

Those that follow Islam believe in law and that in itself is not wrong, however they seem to spend all of their time examining others. They see others disobeying the law and they condemn them for doing so. It is not wrong to examine the errors of others, because if you know their mistakes you are less likely to make the same mistakes. However it is wrong to condemn others.

Consider Jonah. He hated the people of Nineveh and when God told him to go to that city and preach against it he tried not to. He knew that God would have compassion on the people if they turned form their wickedness and because he hated them he did not want God to show mercy on them.

After he was unsuccessful in avoiding the commands of God he did as God wanted, but his heart was not in it. The Ninevites did believe God, and they did turn from their evil ways, and God did have compassion on them, and He did not destroy them.

This infuriated Jonah so much he asked God to take his life. The man was full of hate and not love. He went to a place where he could view the city in hopes he could witness their destruction. Even though Jonah was full of hate God provided a vine to shade Jonah from the hot sun while he waited to see if God would destroy the city!

Jonah was only judging others and did not consider his own sin. He was only interested in his own comfort and so to demonstrate that to Jonah God made a worm to destroy the vine that shaded Jonah.

God made it clear to Jonah and to us that He was concerned about the people of Nineveh, after all it was God that formed everyone of them in the womb, and it was God that placed them in that city, it was God that furnished food to eat, water to drink, and air to breath, and it was God that wanted them to turn from their evil ways so that He could have mercy on them. To put it in our worldly way, God had a large investment in the people of Nineveh and Jonah had nothing invested.

God only wanted the people of Nineveh to stop their evil. It is evil and wrong to take the life of anyone that God has made. If you did not give life then what evil idea would make anyone think it was God’s wish that you have the right to judge someone that God made and take their life? The only justification for taking someone else’s life is self-defense. When someone is going to take your life you have the right to stop them, after all you also are made in the image of God.

So the basic thing wrong with Islam is the followers are not taught to examine their own sin. Like Jonah their hate for their fellow man far outweighs the wishes of God. Do not be like Jonah. Consider the love of God for all men and do not judge others. Judge yourself and plead guilty, then change your ways and God will have compassion on you.

God gave us a Savior, but if one never considers their own sin then they do not know they need a Savior! God puts up with the sin of others, even though He hates sin and we should also.

The basic difference between Islam and Christianity is one who really believes in Islam wants to kill anyone who doesn’t and one who really believes as a Christian wants to give life to anyone who doesn’t.

I don’t think God has much compassion for anyone who doesn’t really believe. He has made a universe and everything in it for man. Then He made every man and worked a plan for their salvation so that we could live with Him forever. After all the effort and work God has done for us do you think He would be pleased if we didn’t even believe He exists?  Judge for yourself which religion is the one God wants man to follow.

May God send a worm to destroy your shade if you show no compassion for your fellow man. Perhaps as you sit in the hot sun you will understand that it is God that should judge and not you

FINALLY THE TRINITY UNDERSTOOD!!!!

Well, let me qualify that statement. I understand the Trinity and I will teach it to you so you can also understand it when God changes physics to allow iron to sharpen iron, in the mean time I will attempt to explain my understanding with the hope that you will consider it.

Suppose I am on a journey and I happen on a pond. In the middle of the pond is a large rock and on that rock is a Bible. It is resting on it’s tail and tailcap. I can not get to the Book to examine it closely, so I do the next best thing. I begin to walk around the pond and examine it from all angles. First it looks about 8×10 and it is red with the words The Holy Bible written on it. As I walk to my right my view changes and it looks slightly less than 2 inches wide, though it still seems as tall. The color has changed to white with two vertical red lines on each side. Then as I progress to a view opposite my first the view has changed again. Now the Book looks as though it is similar to my first view and yet there is nothing printed on it. So I continue and then the Book seems to change and it looks like the second time I viewed it, however it is all red with The Holy Bible printed on it vertically!

You see all of the views were correct and many arguments have resulted between Christians about their own views. The trick, if you want to call it that, to understanding the Bible is to view it from all angles, because even though your view may be absolutely correct you may lean more by viewing it from a different angle. I have viewed the Bible from many angles and this is how I see it now. If you see it differently then how is it different and can our two views eventually harmonize and result in a better understanding?

Christianities concept of God has led to many problems with understanding God. We are told that there is only one God and yet we are also told that Melchizedek was without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life and that can only mean that he is God. Then we are told about the Holy Spirit which also seems as though He is God and there are verses that seem to say Jesus is God!

When we are baptized properly, we are buried with what seems to be three Gods: Father, son, and Holy Spirit. But if there is only one God and there is, because Scripture can neither be wronged nor changed, then there is a problem with saying that, “The Trinity is the union of three divine persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one God.” That is the American Heritage Dictionary’s definition of “Trinity” and what those who do not understand believe. We should be ashamed of ourselves when we teach something that even demons know is not true (James 2:19).

Now I do not have to tell you there is a problem, because you already know there is. Those who believe the Trinity to be three persons are quick to say that we as humans can not understand everything about God to defend their position, but actually the Bible does not make either claim. It does not say there are three persons of God, nor does it say that we can not know everything about God. We really can know and understand everything about God. Look what the Bible says about this (John 14:26 NIV)  “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (Rom 8:32 NIV)  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  (1 Cor 2:10-12 NIV) “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” You see we can know and understand even the thoughts of God. (I didn’t say it. I only pointed out that the Bible said it.)

When God says that we are given the Holy Spirit to teach us all things I believe He means all things Spiritual. Not all things about this world. Things about this world are interesting, but they will all pass away, so things of this world are not really important in the grand scheme of God’s plan.

I search Scripture in order to understand it completely and exactly. Not too long ago I wrote a post that said Melchizedek was the Holy Spirit. Well that was only partially correct. Something that is only partially correct can lead to confusion rather than clarity.

So because I see clearer now let me explain just how I understand at this time. Perhaps I will understand better in the future and if I do, and it is God’s will, I will attempt to explain again.

Suppose you met me some time ago and we have walked and talked together many times. You have become accustomed to the sound of my voice and of course you would immediately know me if you met me face to face, but even if you just heard me speak you would know it was me.

Now suppose that one day that you were standing close to your front door and I opened it just far enough to slide my hand around it. Though it is me, you do not know who it is until you hear my voice. You saw my hand clearly and yet you did not understand that it was my hand, or said a slightly different way you saw me and because you did not yet understand everything, you did not know it was me.

(Rom 12:4 NIV)  “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function.” My hand is one of my members and because it is part of my physical body and you can see that it is, you know it to be true. We are all made in the image of God and if we have many members then doesn’t it stand to reason that God also has many members? God is Spirit and because Spirit is different than flesh then doesn’t it make sense that God’s members are different than our own?

If God would stand in Heaven and slide one of His Members around to earth so that we could see it and it looked like a man, would we understand that it was a Member of God? We would if He told us, because we know His voice: and He did tell us! (Heb 7:1-3 NIV)   “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” This could only be God. Yet not all of God, because Moses was told by God, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” and Moses did not die. Well, he didn’t die right then.

Would God be his own priest? Well, who else is more qualified? If a priest is someone that represents God then isn’t God the ultimate Priest? Did God appear early in His plan to claim His tithe? Or did He appear to declare He would Give 90% of what He owned to man? The better I know Him the more I understand how wonderful He is!!!

When I first thought about the members of my body I only considered my appendages, but my mind is real and a member of myself. If you have read my post on the Trinity you know that I view the Holy Spirit as the mind of God and Jesus as His arm. That is not something that I made up, but it comes from my understanding of God thru His Word. “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:11). (1 Cor 2:16 NIV)  “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

(Psa 98:1 NIV) “A psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” We know that it was Jesus through which salvation came, but Jesus was a man. So how can both be true? I view Jesus as God’s own hand with a glove over it. Jesus, the man, was that glove. (John 14:10 NIV) “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” When we look at Jesus from a man’s perspective we see a glove, but we do not understand it is God inside the glove. This only comes after much study. I take nothing away from my savior because Jesus did not have to allow himself to be sacrificed, but did so out of his own free will.

To conclude it seems to me that we do great damage to the plan of God by preaching the Trinity as three persons of God when they are three parts, or Members of God. It alienates both Jews and Muslims and even those that try to teach it claim we can not understand it. At least that is right: either God is one person or He is three persons and He, who is the authority, says that He is one. (Rom 3:30, 1 Cor 8:6, Eph 4:6, 1 Tim 2:5, & James 2:19)

WISDOM – INTELLIGENCE – AND RICHARD DAWKINS

 

The American Heritage Dictionary. 

Wisdom 1.Understanding of what is true, right, or lasting; insight. 2. Common sense; good judgment. 3. The sum of scholarly learning through the ages; knowledge.

Intelligence 1.The capacity to acquire and apply knowledge. 2. The faculty of thought and reason. 3. Superior powers of mind.

I am afraid that I have been confusing wisdom and intelligence most of my life. I always lumped them together. I assumed that if one were intelligent then one would be wise, but lately I have thought about it and I realize that one can be intelligent and yet lack wisdom.

Atheists like Mr. Dawkins are prime examples of those who are intelligent and yet lack wisdom. Most atheists that I have met are intelligent, but they do not use their intelligence to gain wisdom. Both atheists and believers, if being honest, would have to agree that in order to determine if God exists one has to examine the universe and everything in it.

The Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork and I use to think that was because it was so immense. But now I understand it means the universe is wasting away to its end. The light of the stars originates from matter being destroyed and matter is not being restored. If the universe has an end then logically speaking it must have had a beginning! Something has to have existed and will exist forever: either God or the universe. Its not rocket science.

Those who do not want to believe there is a God lump all religions together, but there are major differences and though all religions believe in some type of god the differences are too great to allow them to be grouped together.

The Christian religion commands followers to treat others as they want to be treated. No other religion has such a command. If all men obeyed such a command there would be world peace, because there would be no more transgressions between men. Even the leaders of the world would not war against other nations!

Atheists, if they had wisdom, would understand that world peace could result if everyone obeyed that royal law and they would encourage everyone to be a Christian. If there truly is no God then what does it matter what one believes? If I want to believe, even in Santa Clause, what is that to others?

Well it does seem to matter. Christians want all to believe, because they want all to be saved (you know ‘do unto others’), and the atheists want all not to believe because it makes the atheists look intelligent (and they are intelligent).

The problem between Christians and atheists, as I understand it, originates because atheists seem to lack confidence in their intelligence. They seem to believe that to make others seem stupid they will appear even more intelligent. They draw the less intelligent into discussions about science and other subjects, about which they have more knowledge than most Christians, and never mention that the universe is slowly coming to an end. It seems that it is not truth they desire, but admiration.

Then there is money as a reward for not seeking truth. One can receive royalties from books that are written to make their intelligent brothers feel good. And they feel good because it makes them seem more intelligent than the masses. There is also opportunities for advancement by agreeing with the other intelligent people as those who are intelligent usually have more power and influence than those who are not as gifted.

After saying all of this it is clear that I am still confused about wisdom and intelligence. How could someone be intelligent and yet not be wise? It is not wise to oppose a religion that would assure world peace and yet the intelligent do! At the very least it is a selfish and self-centered attitude.

DOES GOD LOVE EVERYONE?

First let us define what we are saying when we use the word love. The definition that we all use for love is “An intense emotional attachment”, but the Greeks had more than one word that we translate as love and they have different meanings.

God does not break His own laws and He tells us to love our enemies, so He also must love His enemies. But does He mean that we must have an intense emotional attachment for them as we think of love?

The answer that seems right to me as I study the Bible is “No He does not mean love as we understand love”.

The Greek word used when we are told to love our enemies is “agapao” which means to love in a social or moral sense. In other words, or my words, it means to “Do to others as you would have them do to you”. That is the basis of the God’s law for dealing with other humans. It is not the same as an intense emotional attachment.

Again I ask “Does God love everyone?” and the Bible answers that question very clearly. (Mal 1:2-3 NIV)  “I have loved you,” says the LORD. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the LORD says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” In other words God did not, or does not have an intense emotional attachment to Esau.

God honored the second royal law when He blessed Esau with earthly things when Esau was physically alive on this earth. And God will only grant the wish of those who did not want to live with Him when He judges them at the end of this age.

I would say “Do not make the statement ‘Love the sinner, but hate the sin’, because in our language it does not convey the correct meaning. Just stick with what the Bible says and say “Do to others as you would have them do to you”. That is the formula for world peace and it is found in no other place, but the Word of God.

LIES THAT WE ACCEPT AS TRUTH!!!!!!

It amazes me when I realize that I have been accepting a lie as the truth and didn’t see it.

It happens because I do not stop to reason out whether it is true or not. I see this in others as well as myself, and I, as well as others, have built complicated understandings on very simple lies: which, of course are very flawed understandings.

Here is one of the best lies Satan has perpetrated on Americans, “This Country was founded on Christian principles”!

The truth is this Country was founded in rebellion to God by those who would not pay taxes!

Romans 13:1&2 (NIV) Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

The Colonies had a governing authority and they rebelled against it. The motto was “Taxation with out representation”, but Romans 13:6 says Christians should pay taxes.

The colonist would not pay taxes and they rebelled against England. These are the reasons the colonist formed this government and these are not Christian principles!

This leads me to realize the second greatest lie about this government and that is “We are free!” Free from what? We certainly are not free from unjust rule. And that leads us to the third greatest lie, “Those who hold office are servants to the people”!

You can throw rocks at me later, but right now stop and reason out what I am saying. When you vote for a candidate you are in effect saying that you want that man to rule over you. I know that Satan has you believing that you are choosing that person to serve you and your fellow man, but in reality you are giving him or her power to govern you. You are not choosing a servant you are choosing a master! It is true that the people have the power to choose another later, but for the term of that office that person is your master.

What ever those who hold office do to the people are not undone when they leave office. Taxes that are imposed stay imposed. The abortion that was legalized stays legalized. Jobs that were given to Mexico and China are not taken back. You may get rid of the master that you have chosen, but only by choosing another: who will tack on even more abuse for and to you.

Imagine how God feels when we choose a man to rule us when it is apparent that God should and even wants to be our master. The dangerous thing about God is that He will usually give us what we want. I believe that He has allowed this government to be established and exist as long as it has to demonstrate, or prove to mankind that it will not work.

Those who hold office know that it is not the people that elected them. They were put in office by money. It was money that enabled them to sway the people and that makes the people only pawns to be used. Why would a politician really have any respect for the people when they can be swayed with money? Doesn’t their loyalty really lie with the party that supplied the money to sway the people? If they do not toe the party line will they receive finances to run in the next election?

I always hear others say ‘Well I didn’t vote for him’, but if they participate in the system aren’t they guilty of what the system does? If someone drives the getaway car aren’t they guilty of the robbery? And if someone is murdered because of the robbery then aren’t they guilty of murder?

If you believe in this system or any system of government where a man governs another man then stop and reason it out and maybe you will reach the same conclusion that I have. Maybe you will not, but if a man must lie to get elected and he surly must, then why do we believe he will stop when he begins the work of that office?

Belief is an odd thing. We believe what we want to believe and if someone says something that doesn’t coincide with what we want to believe we will not accept it. We will usually refuse to consider an opposing view. Facts and common sense are oppressed in our minds and the opposing points are only targets to be destroyed. If that is how you view what I have said and you believe that the Bible is the Word of God then where does it say that man should rule himself? Remember the motto of this country is ‘Of the people, by the people, and for the people’.

AS CHRISTIANS WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT?

If you have read anything I have said about this country you know I have little respect for the system of government that we have. In case you haven’t just let me say this, “This Country was formed in rebellion to God”.

I didn’t always have this view, but I read Romans 13:1&2 and applied it to the formation of this Government and it changed my understanding of democracy. I have since repented and no longer believe in this Democracy. It came down to who do I really put my trust in and I realized that first my loyalty must rest in God and anything and everything else must agree with that loyalty. You can see that anything else would be a sin.

As I said, I have repented. Since I understand that this Nation was formed in rebellion to God I have not participated in politics at all. I am no longer a registered voter and do not endorse any candidate or political party. I believe God when He says He appoints the authorities and I believe that is the only way it should be.

The problem stems from our sin. God does not stop sin and when our forefathers decided the people could do a better job of appointing authorities He did not stop them. Nor does He stop us as we try to elect a man.

I know that if every Christian does as I have that there is no hope for our country. I do not want this as it can only result in Satan winning this part of the battle. So I have devoted some thought to the problem, or I should say I have wrestled with God over an answer to our plight. As you know I am only a student and I don’t always understand what the Spirit is trying to teach me so I am going to post what seems right to me and maybe someone who understands more clearly can straighten me out and maybe we can begin to work toward a real solution to our problem.

First even though the system is basically flawed we must work within it. We can not rebel. Even though it was not God’s idea that we should choose authorities He has appointed the authorities that we wanted. To rebel against those authorities is to rebel against God as Romans 13:1&2 make clear.

The first thing that we must do is we must all repent. (2 Chr 7:14 NIV) “if my people, who are called by my name, will 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.”

We must humble ourselves and admit it is wrong to attempt to choose our own authorities. We must ask God to honor His word and again choose authorities for us. That is the way it should be, because we do not know what is in another man’s heart and we do not know what someone will do in the future, but God knows both.

Perhaps we should form another political party: the Christian political party. The other two parties have already determined which candidates will do as they want and if they do not then the next time they will not receive money for their campaign. This action would result in every church that participated losing its tax exempt status, but we can really serve only one master and money is not the one we should be serving.

You may say that this is only my idea, but Scripture clearly states the way we can extract ourselves from this mess (2 Chr 7:14). It should be clear that we can not govern ourselves. We need God for that task and only God. We have sinned by not accepting God’s word that He will choose our authorities and attempting to do it ourselves. We need to heed our own words and really put our trust in God.

Will this come about? No! I don’t believe most of my brothers and sisters have the faith that is required for the cure!

I FEEL LIKE AN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET.

Many times many prophets in the Old Testament would tell God’s people their Country was corrupt to the core and the people would say, “This is God’s country. We have nothing to fear: God will protect us.”

It is the same today! This Country is corrupt to the core and you say, “This is a Christian Country and we have nothing to fear: God will protect us.”   Really?!!!!

Does no one understand that every time we vote we are rebelling against God? God says that He appoints the authorities, but we are saying that we do! By our actions every time we vote we are saying “God is incompetent and a liar!” We claim to know more than God and we should choose who will rule over us. You may think that you do not say “God is incompetent and a liar” but your actions speak louder than your words.

Is God too weak to choose the authorities? Is that why He needs our help? We either put our trust in God to do as He said, or we put our trust in ourselves to choose our own leaders.

We have swallowed the lies of Satan and put our trust in ourselves! We say ask God who we should vote for, but it is like asking God which bank to rob! The action is wrong and there can be no answer from God, because there is no answer to which sin should I commit. The only proper answer is “Commit no sin”.

Wake up Christians! Stop celebrating the Fourth of July. Don’t you understand that you are celebrating rebellion against God? Put your trust in the one that is qualified to choose leaders. He has already appointed a King to rule us! Obey the real authority and let the world do as it pleases. Recognize the power of God, not the power of the people.

Just like Pilate was given the power to condemn Jesus we have the power to choose leaders because God has granted it. However because God will grant our wish it doesn’t make the wish right. God gave Israel a king to rule them, because they wanted one and God lets us choose our own leaders, because that is what we want, but it is a great sin.

I feel like an Old Testament prophet, because I am treated the same way. I have the same message today as the prophets in the Old Testament and the answer from those who claim to be God’s people is the same: “We don’t want to hear that. You are a false prophet”.

We read what the prophets of the Old Testament said and we say to ourselves, “If I were living in that time I wouldn’t be like them”. Well we don’t live in that time period, but we are just as faithless as them.

REPENT AND BEG FOR FORGIVNESS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

Don’t you see that God has given us enough rope to hang ourselves and we have already tied it around our own necks and jumped?