# 211:The Religious Who Do Nothing For Christ

This is a rather lengthy post, but worth reading a time or two. Just by chance, I tuned in to a sermon being given by D. James Kennedy, Ph.D., pastor of Carol Ridge Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on July 21, 2007. His sermon was on the last part of chapter four in the book of Ruth. That book is one of my favorites.

The part of his sermon that really got my attention was when he brought up 1st Corinthians 3:14-15. “If what he built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” I will continue shortly on the erroneous understanding of these verses, which has had a devastating effect on how inactive, secular “christians” are fulfilling the great commission in Matthew 28:19, etc.

By the way, Kennedy had been a pastor for over 40 years. This was his interpretation: If a person claims to be a Christian, goes to church every Sunday and does nothing spiritually constructive week after week, that person will remain in good standing with God, although because of doing nothing, he will suffer loss (his reward). This type of belief has been going on in many popular churches since who knows when. Keep this in mind: 1st Corinthians 3:14-15 is the only portion of Scripture mentioned in the New Testament that seems to imply what Kennedy is teaching. What a wise person has to do to learn the correct meaning of verses 14 and 15 is to keep it in context with the preceding part of chapter three, to see what Paul is really talking about.

I don’t know how wise I am; nevertheless, I will give it a shot. 1st Corinthians 3:6. “I [Paul] plant the seed [started the church in Corinth], Apollos waters it [teaches], but God makes it grow.” [God adds more members to the church]. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose [to teach the correct way Corinthians must live to please Christ, so they will continue in the faith], and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” If the church members in Corinth live in a way that is in accordance with the Will of God, they are the reward for Paul and Apollos. Let me continue. Verse 10-12. “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each should be careful how he builds.” Verse 13 is speaking in an allegoric way by saying if one builds by correct Godly teaching or by way of being a ear tickler, etc., the quality of each man’s work will be tested on the Day (the judgment). If the converts to Christianity are judged worthy, those Corinthian disciples of Christ are Paul and Apollos’ reward.

Repeating verses 14 and 15: “If what he has built survives [judged worthy of life], he [Paul or Apollos] will be rewarded. If it is burned up [most likely the disobedient], he [Paul or Apollos] will suffer loss [those “do-nothing” Christians who didn’t make the grade]; he himself [Paul and Apollos] will be saved, but only as one escaping through the fire.”

The above paragraph is a far cry from what the modern Christian church has been teaching concerning rewards. The rewards our present-day church leaders teach are great spiritual blessings in heaven (being great in heaven). That is, if they engage in works, deeds, and produce good fruit, which are one in the same. If that is the way many church-going people believe, and it is, the logic the comfy-cozy laity has concerning rewards is this: “Heck, I don’t really care for great spiritual blessings in heaven or being great; all I want to do is to get to heaven.” For that reason, all the good they are commanded to do (the difficult-obedience part of Christianity) goes out the window, and they naively think they still can get to heaven because they mentally believe in Christ, of course, by the prompting of the clergy.

That has been, and still is, the most devastating heresy of all heresies. That is the main reason why the vast majority of religious church-going people are “christians” who “do nothing” to promote the cause of Christ.

These next two verses are called “The Great Commission.” These words according to Matthew 28:19-20 are the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples: “Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Let me give a commentary on these two verses. “Go and make disciples.” The disciples were not yet called Christians until possibly twenty-five or thirty years later in the city of Antioch. That in itself says that every Christian is a disciple of Christ. What is a disciple of Christ? A pupil or follower of Christ; a member of the disciples of Christ; follower. The word “disciple” is taken from the root word “discipline.” Discipline means training that develops self-control, character or efficiency; strict control to enforce obedience.

“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is an outward and public display of an inward condition. Baptism never saves anyone. “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Whatever Jesus Christ taught His disciples is what we are to be taught. The heart of that verse is the word “obey.” If that is true, and it is, what happens to those who do little or nothing for Christ? This blog is jam-packed with many of Christ’s teachings which we are commanded to obey. What happens to those who do nothing, simply by neglecting the New Testament teaching of obedience? Read on for the answer.

There are dozens and dozens of verses in the New Testament, along with this blog, that emphasize obedience to all New Testament (Christ’s) teachings, which are given to us through the written words of His apostles, etc. What I am doing is saying that, without obedience, there is no Salvation (zilch). Obedience doesn’t save; yet, as all-important as obedience is, it is no more than evidence of faith, love, and the fact that they belong to Christ.

Even an unsaved fool can see that the interpretation the vast majority of what organized religion teaches is false. Therefore, 1st Corinthians 3:14-15 can’t be saying what pastor Kennedy believes, along with many other misguided preachers. The grievous sin in obedience to Christ’s teachings is the neglected clauses silently hidden from view by the majority of the mainstream Christian churches. This is where silence is not golden, as the song says, but deadly.

If church-going people want to really get upset, let them check out just a few posts that clearly display a few of the hard-to-obey New Testament verses which are in plain sight but avoided like the plague. Click on posts # 58, 92, 142 and 170 for starters.

We as humans like to have conditions in our lives as easy as possible. And I truly understand. This is what the organized religion has done; it gave/gives us a gospel that is palatable and in agreement with our lazy, sinful human nature, while sacrilegiously using holy words to make their message sound acceptable and authentic. Scripture says over and over again, in many different ways, that this type of gospel will send all those who adhere to it straight to hell while holding their Bibles in-hand and joyfully praising Jesus Christ as Lord (boss).

Let us examine the word “reward” in the singular since it is only mentioned once as a plural in the book of Hebrews 11:6. When the author writes, “. . . he rewards those [plural] who earnestly seek him.” What was Jesus’ reward? Revelation 22:12. “My reward is with me [his chosen and faithful followers], and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:27. “. . . then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” What will happen to those who do nothing?

Having faith in Jesus Christ gives us Salvation: love for God and man/woman, which is the result of that faith; and obedience, which shows itself by our fruit and is undeniable evidence of our faith and love. The final result of being disciples/Christians is to multiply (make us fishers of men/women). Regardless of what gift we have been blessed with, we all have the duty to actively propagate the life of Jesus Christ. The word “mediocrity” is not in the Christian vocabulary.

Repeating, we all have different gifts of the Spirit, and at the same time we all have the obligation to produce fruit. No one is exempt. Preach this message to established congregations and they will vanish as quickly as a flash. That involves too much effort. They may silently ask, "Can’t we be do-nothing Christians like we were taught years ago?”

The word “reward” can mean benefits other than new disciples, e.g., as Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 9:18. “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and not make use of my right in preaching it.” In short, his reward is not to get paid for preaching. Therefore, the word “reward” can mean earthly benefits, like working one’s buns off in making every effort to make the gospel prosper. Yes, that is a great reward. Christ was the very best person in the world; He is our only example of how to live. Our desire to be the very best Christian possible is the greatest reward of all. Without a doubt, that desire is our earthly reward, which will have eternal consequences.

Even though Salvation is given to us by grace, meaning we could never work for it, there are verses that seem to imply that our life with God in eternity is the reward for remaining firm to the end. Matthew 10:24. “And if anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple of mine, I tell you the truth, he will not lose his reward.” Jesus is implying that everyone has a reward in waiting. What reward is Jesus referring to? It sounds to me like that reward is eternal life. There are several other verses that imply the same principle.

In ending, when we are discussing rewards, it could get complex. But at the same time, never—I say, never—when anyone, including ourselves, is interrupting any portion of Scripture, should we attempt to compromise fulfilling our Christian duty of remaining true to Christ in obedience to all his teachings. When obedience, which is imperative, is lacking in the lives of do-nothing “christians,” Christ has no choice but to say, “Sorry, you failed the test.” Jesus may also say, “When anyone is preaching for profit, regardless of how loving and understanding he/she may seem, all that she/he said must be cross-referenced and double- checked to see if the truth is not only being bent, but twisted completely out of context by what is not being said.” And if Christ doesn’t say that on Judgment Day, I most certainly am saying it ahead of time as a legitimate and timely warning.

To make sure we are being told the truth, it is absolutely essential to know exactly what the New Testament teaches, and that won’t happen overnight. It will be like a tedious jigsaw-type challenge; in what was written 2,000 years ago, some verses may mean something different in today’s language. Examples : Luke 16: 9. “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourself, so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Also, Luke 14:26-27. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” Just a few more: Luke 6:25. “But woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” The most logical meaning to this verse is aimed to those who eat more than necessary, which is a waste, and become fat or obese. Luke 23:31. “For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Along with many, many more mystery verses. A Bible concordance will be a great benefit in finding all the words of whatever subject one is cross-referencing.

Something to remember: The perfect place for a con-artist to make a killing is in the ministry of Jesus Christ since most people who go to churches are not familiar with Christ’s teachings, especially the hard-to-live-by commands, and then, unknowingly, out of necessity, are forced to believe whatever is preached from the pulpit. Don’t get in that position.

Just remember this: Ted Haggard was the president of the National Association of Evangelical Christians and founder of the New Life Church. He was forced to resign as leader of both organizations after being caught in a sexual affair with a male prostitute. He was the greatest disgrace possible for organized Christianity.

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were two of the most popular TV evangelists for many years. Jim Bakker was jailed for swindling millions of dollars for his own private use. Tammy Faye died on July 21, 2007. (just a few days ago).

Jimmy Swaggart also was an extremely popular TV evangelist. He resigned his post after being found consorting with a prostitute.

All these popular preachers were expert con-artists. How many more are there getting a free ride while telling their audience exactly what they desire to hear, week after week?

Let me tell you about one preacher who beats them all: He is good- looking, has a fixed smile, and is always flattering his listeners by saying nice things about them. He presents himself in the most professional way. I actually got to like him, even though I am acutely aware that his message falls far short of telling his listeners what they need to hear and do to comply with God’s Will. I hate to say it, but I enjoy listening to him. He has more charisma than any preacher I have ever heard, and he can’t be more than 30 or 35 years old. He took over his father's ministry just 8 years ago. He always presents himself as a likeable person. He has a church in Houston, Texas (the Lakewood Church). His name is Joel Osteen.

His church, the largest in America, is packed every week and it holds—get this—30,000 people. For anyone to draw a full house every week, he has to be good with his words and demeanor. He has everything going for him except for preaching the vital part of the gospel message. In fact, if you listen to just one of his messages, except for a little variation, you have heard them all. He is on a roll; why should he change? The people love him. No one has a bad word to say about him. He was even presented in TIME Magazine as the best of the best. Luke has this to say as he quotes Jesus’ words: Luke 6:26. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”

If the Bible is correct, the attitude we all must be cautious of is being deceived. There are no less than 170 verses warning believers to watch out so that we don’t succumb to the beautiful words of deceit. One excellent way of deceiving is by using flattery. Listen to Romans 16:18. “By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” And also Jude 16. “. . . they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.” And who doesn’t like being flattered? As long it is true. Webster definition of flattery: “To make or seem better or more attractive than is so; to praise too much, untruly, or insincerely, or in order to win favor.”

If you forget all else, remember this: A religious deceiver/con-artist who knows his stuff will never act, say, or do anything that will give him/herself away; he or she will always act loving and caring, along with many other positive actions. You may say, “If that is the case, how can we tell the real from the fake?” Only one way: to know God’s Will by becoming familiar with the New Testament, to the point where anything which is said or preached will automatically be computed as to its authenticity according to one’s rich knowledge of Scripture. How many church-going Christians can do that? That is where the problem originates and never ends. It is not an easy task to know God’s Word/Will to that degree. Lazy people (do-nothings) will automatically be disqualified from the ability to know and understand the truth concerning the way of faith, love and obedience. Of course, most of those who are lazy don’t believe they are lazy; they just have a different set of life’s priorities, and Bible study may shamefully be on the bottom of their list.

I just wonder if Osteen is aware of the harm he is doing to the cause of Christ by what he is not teaching. If he is, I would say he is the best con-man I have ever seen. Like George Bush; when Bush is lying, a certain look comes over his face, which I am sure many can detect. Joel Osteen, at times, has that same look of guilt, which cannot be hidden even by most expert con-artists. Check him out at joelosteen.com. You will be surprised. All I can say is not to get caught up in a pleasant-sounding ministry; that is, if you desire to live as the New Testament requires.

There are thousands like Osteen, although most likely, most are not as good a showman/woman. He is committing the gravest possible crime against God and Jesus Christ. That talented, brilliant, angelic man will go to the deepest hell there is for leading thousands of do-nothings to the grave, unsaved. How can a blog like this, which is dedicated to exposing that type of deceptive holy bull, survive by telling the truth as it was meant to be told by the few who have the guts to tell it like it is, regardless of criticism? Answer: No matter how evil the world becomes, God always has His few. Remember this verse: “Many are called but few are chosen.” And I know it is God’s Will that we will survive and thrive in our small numbers (approximately a couple thousand regular bloggers, if even that). We know the devil is interested in quantity, and therefore, he counts his followers while God weighs His few for quality. In the Christian world, big is most often, if not always, bad!

Osteen always starts his sermon with a joke (funny story) to get his listeners in a happy and receptive mood, and always ends with an invitation for the TV viewers to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into their hearts. Continuing, he says, “and we believe you have been born again.” Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is only the first crucial step to Salvation, which, if genuine, will follow with love and obedience. And then Osteen continues by saying, “Join a good, Bible-based church.” I say, “So the clergy (greedy for numbers and booty), most likely, will make the new converts into do-nothing christians.”

The last word of warning: If it sounds pleasant, most likely it is a partial truth or an outright lie. As I have said dozens of times in this blog, the genuine Christian life will be the most challenging in existence. The reason being, our enemy the devil has infiltrated—via camouflage, as “a ‘christian’ do-nothing,”—into our sinful human nature (the flesh), and to conquer its compelling ways, we must first recognize its evil intent and then put that nature into its proper place: last, as to importance. Scripture commands the use of stronger words by saying, “put our human nature to death,” an extremely difficult task. Check Romans 8:12-13, and the gospel of John 6:63.

# 210: Forty Interesting and Shocking Notes

1) What is the driving force behind your life that makes you feel loved, valuable and secure, something which doesn't have the potential to be fleeting? This is a good question to ponder.

2) The things, events and relationships that make our physical life precious inadvertently make our spiritual connection with Christ less valuable, necessary or desirable.

3) There is no greater joy for a parent (God) than to see Himself in the lives of His children.

4) When anyone actively desires to change what they believe about themselves, that change of mind will eventually become a reality.

5) One of the reasons the health care system in America is in crisis is because 75% of its budget goes to chronic diseases and sicknesses, mostly for the care of the elderly.

5a) David Walker, Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office of the United States of America, recently proclaimed on CBS 60 Minutes News Hour that in 10 to 20 years, this country will be bankrupt, unable to pay its entitlements, e.g. Social Security, Medicaid, interest on our national debt, along with its other obligations. He said something has to be done, and now. We can’t continually keep spending more money than we take in [this is not a verbatim quote]. If you desire more info., check Internet Explorer: “David Walker Controller General on 60 Minutes CBS News.”

6) The only way for disciples of Christ to put wealth and prosperity into proper prospective is to actually experience the life of Jesus Christ.

7) In 1980, Americans were saving 10% of money earned; today that figure is 5%. What does that tell us about the way we live? Are we heading in the right direction?

8) Since our government can’t legislate morality, it shouldn’t have the right to legislate immorality. Personal morals/values must never be tampered with by any government or courts.

9) For those who truly belong to Christ, God makes them rich by making their needs and desires few. Desire makes poverty, regardless of whether one has millions or not even a red cent. True wealth comes from what one is on the inside, and not from what one has on the outside.

10) Any person who claims to be good is in essence saying that they are God. All humans are flawed.

11) God is my exclusive reason for living. What is yours?

12) God will comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Worldly comfort can be a killer. Are you and I guilty?

13) Lasting joy—it comes from what one is and not from what one has.

14) The emptier one is on the inside, the more one needs on the outside.

15) There are no shortcuts when it comes to spiritual growth.

16) By all logic, faith which is not shared is impotent, is most likely lacking in knowledge, and will eventually fade into oblivion.

17) Genuine faith in God will always produce obedience in all that Christ teaches.

18) There is little or nothing in an affluent society that has the ability to promote faith, love or humility.

19) The less one has, the more it is appreciated. The more one has, the more complacent, ungrateful and lazy the person becomes.

20) To justify immorality in the name of love, gives evil an acceptable name. You know what I am talking about.

21) Money is loved because it trumps all other things of value. Money makes a person “king of the hill,” as it were. That is the reason wealth, with all the pride, power and security it promotes, is detestable to God.

22) Spoiled and lazy people have an aversion to anything that is inconvenient. Of course, instead of using the words “spoiled” and “lazy,” they use the word “privileged,” which is a handy-dandy, pleasant-sounding euphemism.

23) The only way a person can submit to the radical concept which genuine Christianity commands is to be actually born of another world: the kingdom of heaven.

24) Authentic Christianity is a continual, wholehearted love affair with Jesus Christ.

25) In what way does God’s love for you affect your life? Think about this question seriously.

26) Physical life is not just an instrument as a means in itself, as many believe, but a potential stepping stone, a doorway to real life.

27) The world image of Christianity has greatly diminished since Bush took office, since he claims to be a born-again Christian. I am certain many non-Christians say, “If that’s the way Christians act, thanks but no thanks.”

28) There is mercy and compassion waiting for all who believe Holy Scripture, love God with all their faculties, and obey the teachings of Jesus Christ, but sternness to those who disobey.

29) Faith in Christ will always express itself through love. Some may ask, “What type of love?” The type of love which is displayed by good deeds, works and fruit of all types.

30) The less we need, the richer we are.

31) Wealth allows the rich to buy what is not really needed. That is waste. All waste in the Christian life is unholy since it should/could be going to those less fortunate.

32) Being loved makes a person successful. Doesn’t everyone desire to be successful?

33) Some will say, “You must be crazy—wealth, fame, power, etc. are what make a person successful.” God says otherwise. Scripture dictates that “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Luke 16:15. Could it be that God is wrong?

34) There are several reasons why Christ doesn’t have much good to say about wealth and financial prosperity: Wealth does not make anyone a better person. Wealth creates secret pride, which God hates, regardless of how kind and generous a person may be. Wealth does not promote Christian humility (considering others better than oneself). This is the main area where Christ turned our monetary value system upside down. This is an area which the majority of people who call themselves “christians”—and people of this world—will never adhere to. To them it is totally idiotic. It is their primary rationale to strive for the very opposite, by working their buns off, or by hook or by crock, or in hopes of winning the lottery. So the daunting question remains: Does God consider wealthy and prosperous people better or more important than the less fortunate?

35) Genuine Christianity is not a part-time job; it is a whole hearted, full-time devotion to the one we made Lord (Boss)—of everything we say and do—when we accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives.

36) Much of the foods Americans consume, which agree with our palate, may mean trouble for the stomach, along with the ensuing health problems. This is a somber warning to all Americans.

37) Do not believe every beautiful smile; a loving smile can conceal envy and jealously, etc., thus deceiving its onlookers.

38) The year of the S.O.B.s. Until this year, it has been a rarity for ordinary girls and ladies in public places to show off their breasts to the point where there is little left to the imagination. Quite often, we would see females sporting their boobs on magazines, TV or the silver screen, etc. Do they show them off because it is the style, or do they get a latent thrill from indiscriminately teasing the virile male gender? I am certain there are many reasons why the ladies desire to be showoffs. Are they aware that anything which is visually sensual is a mental/emotional aphrodisiac for most, if not all, males who are capable of copulation? I am certain Christian men like myself prefer not be exposed to this form of nudity. I have a question for the ladies. Send in comments and tell us boys the reasons for this action, other than it being a sign of the end times.

39) The tough love which Scripture clearly documents in the gospel will offend “christians” who are living for themselves in the name of Jesus Christ. This is where a majority of traditional Christian preachers are nothing more than a lot of theater and are not forthcoming to the laity. This blog will be a big help in exposing that ongoing battle: Religion vs. Christ.

40) A sure sign of Christian maturity is that when we don’t get our own way, it doesn’t ruffle our joy; we still maintain a genuine smile.

41) For many things in the Christian life, less is better than much, although we by nature desire an abundance.

42) Thoughts are a critical component of God’s invisible realm. They have an extremely long shelf life (till the end of time, i.e. judgment day.) They just hang around waiting to manifest themselves, by making their home in receptive individuals. For that reason, whatever we wish on others will, in time, come full circle and we will be affected—good or bad–when what we secretly wished on others ends up in our lives. Galatians 6:7. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Actually, this is a universal law. For that reason, and for love’s sake, we should wish good things on all other people, if possible—even our enemies. That also is a variation of the principle of “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you love, you will be loved, if not by humans, by God. This is something to remember: Once a thought is manifested, try to destroy it. It can’t be done. (I didn’t say to forget it.) Have you ever wondered why a certain disagreeable or blessed event may have happened to you? Think back: Most likely, you wished that same thing on a certain person or persons, possibly years ago. This is for real; believe it.

43) True humility considers others better and more important than oneself. Do you and I have true humility? That is a distinguishing mark of genuine Christians, and can be translated as authentic Godly love for others. We have nothing to lose when we live in this manner except worthless, unwarranted pride and self-centeredness. All pride comes from the devil. Besides the devil and his human cohorts, who likes proud and self-seeking people? Not God.

Actually, we end up with 43 notes.

# 209: “What Must I do to Inherit Eternal Life?”

There are at least three verses in the New Testament that mention the above sentence (title) in conjunction with loving God with all one’s faculties as a requirement for life, and three that mention obedience to God’s commands as a requirement for eternal life. I will quote all six to see if we can cut through the confusion and come to an accurate conclusion as to what is being said.

1) Matthew 19:16-24. "Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commands.’ ‘Which ones?’ the man inquired. Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

2) This verse is similar to # 1 and # 3, and most likely the same incident. Mark 9:17-35. "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’ Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

3) Luke 18:18-35. This section is most likely the same account as #1 and # 2. "A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered, ‘no one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, honor your father and mother.’ ‘All these I have kept since I was a boy,’ he said. When Jesus heard this he said to him, ‘you still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’"

4) Matthew 22:35-40. This verse is similar to #5. "One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest command in the law?’ Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."

5) This verse is slightly similar to # 4 and may be the same incident. Mark 12:28-34. "One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which one is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. ‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying there is but one God and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ When Jesus saw he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no one dared to ask him any more questions."

6) This section is well-known as the story of the Good Samaritan and could be an elongated form of # 4 and # 5. Luke 10:25-37. "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to enter eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ In reply, Jesus said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have had.” Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, “the one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”’"

Even though the authors of the same accounts use different words, phrases, clauses—and even leave out or add more or less sentences and paragraphs—the meaning of the doctrines of what they were writing are in agreement. As anyone upon close scrutiny can tell, some of their writings were copied from bits and pieces of manuscripts which might have first been written from memory by eyewitnesses and servants of the word, years before, by unknown persons. Remember, these three gospels were written anywhere from twenty to thirty-five years after—and maybe even longer after—the death of Jesus Christ. And after that many years, even the best memories may not always remember verbatim, even while being inspired by God’s Spirit. Nevertheless, the discrepancies or errors in these sections do not dilute or defile the meaning of the messages; and that’s where the value lies.

The question four of these accounts are asking is, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And two are asking, “What is the greatest or most important commandment of all?” It is strange to say, but the same answer applies to all the above verses. Obey God’s greatest commands and love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. What shall we make of this enigma? The answer seems to be that we must love God as He requires and be obedient to Christ’s commands. But that is not the complete answer. In order to love God and be obedient, it must be a result of belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Therefore, the answer is to first believe in Christ;, second, love God; and third, obey, which always is the result of our faith and love.

The reason I am bringing up this difficult-to-explain and hard-to- understand subject is because on June 16, 2007, I was watching a Billy Graham rerun of a crusade that was first presented in 1974 in the province of Nova Scotia in Canada. I listened to Graham’s every word, although I didn’t agree with some of what he was preaching. The sermon he was preaching on was concerning the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. "On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to enter eternal life?’ He answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" What Graham said next blew my mind: He said that no one since the world began has ever kept that command to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” Does he know that obedience to that verse is the foundation which holdsup all that is written in the entire Bible? As it says in Matthew 22:40, "All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." Another important aspect about our heavenly Father is that He would never, ever give us a commandment which is impossible to adhere to; plus, it is the most important of all commands. I am not certain the exact reason why Billy Graham, who is a Baptist, and others believe this way, but my guess is it makes the Christian life much easier to live by without having such a high standard continually hanging over their heads at all times. If you have children/a child, would you give them orders which they could not accomplish?

With the wave of his hands and the movement of his lips, he abolished the most important part of the entire Holy Bible: love for God. I have heard preachers imply what he said, but have never heard it said so blatantly. Then Graham came up with this statement: “How many of you are certain you are going to heaven? Do you sometimes have doubts? If you want to be certain where you are going after death, you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and thus be born again. Then you will know for certain you are a permanent member of God’s family.”

I think—in fact, I know—that he was implying that loving God with one’s all is not going to get anyone to heaven. You need to be born again. And that is true. What he was attempting to do is to delete the following short sentence which says in Luke 10:28, "‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’" Repeating, Bill Graham is a Baptist, and Baptists believe that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ and is born again, they can never lose their Salvation. They call it, “Once saved, always saved.” Click on post # 152: “Billy Graham: Man of God?” to get more details on Graham and the Baptists.

Now back to how Graham’s demonic deletion of the all- important part of Scripture concerning how we must love God. Let me quote the definition of love from Webster’s New World College Dictionary to give us an idea as to what love is according to human standards, and then compare it to our love for God. Love: "A deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons."

Now here is the question I pose: Is it possible to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength? The answer is a resounding yes! When one has a wholehearted affection, attachment and devotion to God, what more can one do? Of course, we will know we have that form of relationship if we are obedient to all that God, through Christ, teaches. It is that simple. I must reiterate: That attachment to God and Christ can only come about once we have been born again. That new birth is tentative to our continued commitment to Him. If, by some chance, we unknowingly or knowingly fall from grace and are living in continual sin, that supposedly new birth, with or without our knowledge, never resonated with God.

There is a battery of evidence in the New Testament Scripture which corroborates the principle that everyone’s Salvation is conditional on obedience. Just these two upcoming verses shatter the “Once saved, always saved” belief, which many large denominations hold, including Baptists. 1st Corinthians 15:2. "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." 1st Corinthians 10:12. "So if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall." For many more verses, click on post # 197: "If, etc." Displaying that truth is also found in many other posts as a germane part of this blog.

We must remember, God knows the future of every person on this planet. Therefore, those like myself who don’t believe in “Once saved, always saved” are accused of making God into an Indian-giver (today one is saved if they are good, and if tomorrow, one is bad, God takes away one’s Salvation, and so on). That is a stupid and ungodly argument. God is not an Indian-giver.

When we make a commitment (actually being born again) to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and eventually believe everything else Christ did to give us eternal life—to put it in human terms—at that time of conversion, our names are written, ritually and tentatively, in the book of life at the end of time. Only those who endure to the end of their lives are the one’s whose names will remain in the book of life; all the defectors’ (those who believed and obeyed only for a while) names are erased. That final step of erasing the names of the fakes could easily be called “The Revised Edition” of the book of life. Revelation 3:5. "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never erase his name from the book of life."

In summation, if anyone is aware of a need for change in their lives for the better, the best place to go is to the One who designed us; He knows the type of life which is best for His creation. Therefore, go God’s way; make a commitment to Jesus Christ and become a child of God. There are no fees to join God’s club; it is given to us gratis by His grace. Then comes the difficult training; even though we will be living in the joy and comfort of the Lord, it will still cost us an arm and a leg along with a pound of flesh to live in obedience to Christ’s teaching; that obedience is evidence that we love Him, and that same obedience becomes the factor that produces results (fruit, works and deeds.) The reason why living the genuine Christian life will cost so much—not monetarily—and be extremely challenging is because we must continually win over the most unrelenting and powerful innate instinct all humans have been endowed with: our selfish human nature/survival of the fittest. It was taught by nature to always say, "Me first; I love me; who do you love?” and “Hooray for me and boo for you." Of course, we don’t use these self-centered words; instead, we live in a realm of euphemisms, using the word “prosperous” instead of “greedy,” and so on. No one wants to be called greedy, but most everyone loves to be called prosperous. This is the part of the Gospel many churchy Christian religions don’t touch, of which this blog glories.

Through the new birth, our Holy Spirit-inspired obedience is what will teach us how and give us the strength to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. It is like joining the armed services. No one has to pay to become a soldier. But once enlisted, the difficult training starts and never seems to stop since the battlefield is the real training ground.

This commitment we make to Christ does not need any witnesses. We can do it solo. At that time, many lifestyle changes will eventually have to be made, but with the peace and grace we receive from the Holy Spirit, it still won’t be easy and it may take some time to live as we are directed. We may slip and fall—hopefully not—but if we do, we have a loving and merciful God who is full of compassion. Go to Him with a contrite heart and ask for forgiveness, and Christ will be waiting with open arms to make things right.

I am certain most everyone will need some guidance along the way. Studying the New Testament is the best course to go, even though many sections will be difficult, if not impossible, to understand. This blog will be a helpful companion in understanding and bringing to the surface many neglected and seemingly secluded Bible verses. I strongly suggest not joining any established church. They, most likely, won’t teach the unpleasant though absolutely essential stuff. Their main interest is to make us members (numbers count) and get our donations so we can enjoy their half-baked gospel message.

I am certain there are churches that attempt to follow the guidelines of the New Testament. To my dismay, I have not found one yet. Or start your own house church. Or to go to the extreme: Place an ad in the local news paper, etc., stating that you are looking to join a house church that lives in obedience to the teachings of the New Testament. Click on # 96: "The House Church." God bless all who take this post to heart, and He will. This post answers the question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

# 208 : Response to a Comment from My Inbox

# 208: Response to a Comment from My Inbox Comment: Just thought to check in on you, and now I'm sorry I did, but now I have to leave you with a comment.

You [jc] said,

Onward Christian Soldiers

Being Christian soldiers does not mean we will go to war against other nations that may be a threat to our security and freedom. In fact, we are commanded to love our enemies. This theme of love for our enemies is throughout the New Testament.

Don’t forget this: The world thinks we are a Christian nation since the majority of Americans claim to be Christians. But we are not. We are as atheistic as a nation can be, especially with Bush as the warmongering president.

Comment:

It seems that all of your preaching is meant to denigrate Bush, our nation’s president. Bush is not only obligated by our constitution to protect and defend our constitution but also the people whom he serves. I wouldn't want his job, being a Christian and Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the greatest nation in history, He has certainly been forced to make some tough decisions and I agree he's made some poor ones, BUT; Decisions are always arguable at best. But slander is not a Christian fruit of the spirit, yet it remains the responsibility of the slanderer. That's you. Slander does not serve any useful purpose."

I would suggest that you continue to study the WHOLE Word of God, not just the selected passages that meet with your limited understanding.

Pray on that.

I have heard that the Word of God is like a lake of living water... shallow enough around the edges for a child to wade in and get his feet wet and be refreshed... but deep enough that the most profound of thinkers cannot fathom its depths.

Romans 13

Submit to Government

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake."

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ jc This is my personal response to this individual: It might be wise for new bloggers to read post # 207 first to get a better understanding of what is being said. Just scroll down a bit to read it.

Concerning your first comment:

I agree with your first statement that Bush, as president of the United States, is obligated to protect and defend our constitution, country and the people whom he serves. Where the trouble comes to the surface is that he claims to be a born-again Evangelical Christian. If he truly is a genuine, New Testament-believing Christian, he should not have become our president, because a genuine Christian must be obedient to all the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Now, if your Bible is similar to mine, which is "The New International Version," you must be aware that there are a large number of verses which emphatically command how every real Christian must love their enemies. Those pertinent verses concerning love for our enemy are the ones you say are the only select passages I use; in fact, they are the very ones you and your churchy cronies avoid like the plague.

Now, here is the enigma at the present: How can our president defend this country from its enemies, with force when necessary, and still be obedient to Christ’s teachings of love for our enemies? This tells me Bush should do one of two things: abdicate his office as President so he can adhere to Christ’s commands, or renounce his commitment to Jesus Christ so he can continue to fight and kill in Iraq like other pagan politicians, without continually dragging the Christian religion into the dregs of hell. It will never happen. He can’t have/do both. As I have said a dozen times, Christianity is a religion of love, not killing and defending.

In regards to slandering Bush, here is Webster’s definition of slander: "the utterance in the presence of another person of a false statement or statements, damaging to a third person’s character or reputation: usually distinguished from libel, which is written." If I committed slander or libel against Bush by telling the coherent truth, let him, your church, or you take me to court. Think before you write.

According to the Word of God, I uttered or wrote no false statements about Bush. This evil war against his supposed enemies is a breach of the Christian constitution (the New Testament). Whenever I present these charges, I am in obedience to Scripture, always presenting unambiguous evidence. 1st Timothy 5:20. "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning." Sure!

The most egregious sin which Bush is guilty of, and is at the same time the epitome of all sins, is this: destroying his enemies, and allowing many American soldiers to die, etc. That is in direct violation to one of the most important commands that Christ Jesus gave us: to love our enemies in return for their hatred for us. That love command makes the Christian religion uniquely superior among all other world religions, even though it may sound absolutely ridiculous to those who are not actually experiencing the life of Jesus Christ. One must, in effect, be part of Christ’s body to believe and live as He did/does.

As a matter of fact, Christ could not have said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," if He did not give us the command to love our enemies. That command is an intricate part of God’s truth in His ability of winning over people like you and me who once were ungodly sinners. Listen to this verse: 1st Timothy 2:3. ". . . God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." That verse loudly proclaims that God has a loving desire for all sinners (those who hate him) to be saved. In principle, if God hated and destroyed all evil people—He could do just that, but his love for the lost will not allow Him—He would have no one left to save, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

Also, when Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as your self," He, without saying it, implied: If our neighbor was our enemy, should we not love him/her now that he is in need or should we just kill him/her because he doesn’t believe as we do, and is a potential threat to us? Let me repeat this. Love for our enemies is a major part of the second greatest command of all: to love your neighbor as yourself. What more can be said? God desires His ways to be our ways. That was one of the reasons God came to earth in the body of a human (Jesus Christ).

What Bush is doing by his ungodly, aggressive attitudes toward his/ours enemies is to present a false gospel (heresy) to all American Christians. This is what I mean: Since Bush is the highest-ranking American "christian," he also is—whether he knows it or not—the most influential "christian" in our country. This is what the apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:8. "But if even an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preach to you, let him be eternally condemned." Ouch!

You see, we are to expose false brothers (Bush) whose teachings or lifestyles do not conform to Christ’s gospel. That is why this blog has been a vanguard to the truth for the last two years, while handicapped religion—because of its blindness—remained silent. Check your concordance to see how many verses warn us about false brothers. In fact, it may just be that attempting to get American Christians, actually the whole world, to believe that it is God’s Will to fight any or all nations who in the future may be a possible threat to the homeland, is even more damaging than all the killing in Iraq. It is only fair to say that Bush is personally doing all the killing and destruction by proxy, by ordering this senseless war.

Since it seems you belong to a church which believes we should support Bush, you are between a rock and a hard place. For you to believe as the New Testament, along with what this blog, teaches, you must disassociate yourself from your beloved church, and thus lose your respected title as deacon. It is time for you to make a correct decision. If anything that is written in this response is not according to what Christ teaches in the New Testament, please let me and the readers of this blog know.

As to your derogatory statement pertaining to my limited understanding of Scripture, we all are limited to one degree or another. Since you falsely accused me of slander, etc., it is your duty to back up your statement in writing that I am failing in my attempts to present the whole Word of God. If I am guilty, I will be the first to acknowledge it.

By your saying to me, "Pray on that," which was aforementioned in the fourth paragraph, it sounds like you may be a spiritually disabled Mormon.

Now to the crux of your argument in Romans, Chapter 13:1-5. Verse one. "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities . . ." I add these words of Jesus to Paul’s exhortation: When a teacher of the law asked him (Jesus) this question (in Matthew 22:21): "‘Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’. . . Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God's.’" Paraphrased, most law-abiding people in the world, including myself, will agree that whatever laws regarding our inner actions with other humans, taxes, etc. which are mandated by our government, federal, state or local, must be obeyed.

Romans 13:2. "Consequently, he who rebels against authority rebels against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." True, but with this exception which Paul neglected to explain: repeating, give to Caesar only what is due him; with that in mind, we must never deny our Lord and Savior in any way, our allegiance to Him, or obey any laws that give us the right to violate our commitment to Jesus Christ. An example: Just because we can’t legislate morality, it doesn’t give us the right to legislate Biblical immorality; when, for the sake of equal rights, evil is called good (equal rights for homosexuals pertaining to civil unions and gay marriages, etc.)

Another “must” that is not talked about or practiced by many, since it has been negated by most conventional religions, is this: The apostle James make this teaching clear and concise in the book of James 4:4: "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world [by your silence and indifference condones the evil and greedy ways of the world] becomes an enemy of God." [emphasis added]. James’s warning is more applicable in America at this time with all the freedoms we have. Although we are free to live to the point where “anything goes,” many of these liberty-type laws can easily suck us into the sinful trappings of the American culture (lifestyle of friendship with the world). It has happened and will continue to happen, but it happens so insidiously that we will be, if we aren’t already, incapable of differentiating between good and evil.

Of course, to keep this comment in context, chapter 13 of Paul’s letter to the Romans was referring mainly, if not only, to Christians living in Rome and concerning Roman law. That Roman law was the prevalent, if not the only, ruling body in the entire Mediterranean region. This seemed to imply that Paul was responding to rumors/suggestions, etc. that they (Christians) as citizens of God’s kingdom weren’t obligated to obey certain Roman laws. If true, that was why Paul was quickly refuting that notion. That could have been the reason for chapter 13.

Yes, God did establish/allow that barbaric empire to come into existence according to His foreknowledge of all events; otherwise, Christ could not have been condemned by a Roman governor or hung on a tree, etc., as the Old Testament prophesied. Check Galatians 3:13, or Deuteronomy 22:22-23. Hanging on a cross/tree was, at Jesus’ time, Rome’s primary form of execution.

Here is another reason. Just as The Lord said to Pharaoh in Romans 9:17, and also in Exodus 9:16, in the middle of all the plagues God was sending onto Egypt for not letting His people leave the land of Goshen: "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be displayed in all the earth." That statement infers, if asked, that God would also have poignantly said to Emperor Caesar, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that my gospel could/would be spread throughout the entire Roman world.”

Above and beyond my hope of being with Christ for eternity, my greatest hope is to die for the cause of continuing the work of Christ—the sooner the better—for defending the truth as presented in God’s instruction book. Do you believe the fear of death has been destroyed by Jesus Christ? Now, our physical death is a blessed experience, a time for all to celebrate, which is the opening of the eternal door to the culmination of our faith; finally arriving with the anticipation of seeing my Lord Jesus face-to-face, although I know it is better that I remain for a little while longer for the sake of making sure this blog gets into the hands of those whose most earnest desire is to believe and live in a way that is pleasing to Jesus Christ. Check Philippians 1:21-24 to see if your church agrees to live in compliance with the reality of death, since Jesus Christ is our life-long paradigm (example, model), even in death. Also, the writer of Hebrews says in verse 3:15, "And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

In summation, for me to boldly tell the truth according to the New Testament, concerning pernicious acts committed by our President and Emperor (Bush), I would be subject to judgment if it weren’t for America’s freedom of speech. And even if there wasn’t free speech, as in a totalitarian regime, etc., I would still speak up for Christ and accept the proper punishment (torture, and finally, death).

In your first sentence, you said you were sorry you checked in on this blog. I am extremely grateful that you did, for your sake and mine, and for the benefit of all the bloggers who regularly subscribe to this Biblical blog. Try praying on this message with an unbiased heart, if you can. God bless.

# 207: "Onward Christian Soldiers . . . "

2nd Timothy 2:3-4: "Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, just as I do, and as Christ’s soldier do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs, for then you cannot satisfy the one who enlisted you in his army." There are a number of Biblical variations for the words “worldly affairs.” Simply, they all are implying the same Christian principle; Paul is saying not to get involved in anything that distracts us from doing the work of the Lord. Also, it is corroborated by 1st Corinthians 15:58. "Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord." There are many more like it, with at least seven verses using the phrase "make every effort."

Being Christian soldiers does not mean we will go to war against other nations that may be a threat to our security and freedom. In fact, we are commanded to love our enemies. This theme of love for our enemies is throughout the New Testament. I give just one verse: Matthew 5:43. "You have heard it said, love your neighbor and hate your enemies. But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons [and daughters] of your Father in heaven." Then the question comes up: As soldiers of Christ, how and whom do we fight? 2nd Corinthians 10:3-4. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Paraphrased, this is what Paul is saying: Because of the love we have for our enemies, we will destroy arguments according to the truth as it is presented in Scripture, and disintegrate every heresy which is presented as being wisdom from God. As soldiers of Christ’s army, we never, under any circumstances, inflict physical harm on anyone who disagrees with God’s truth, regardless of what they do to us. As it commands in Matthew 10: 23, "When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another." In short, the weapons we will use are to present God’s truths in a clear and polite way, with no form of coercion. That is how we fight evil. There is much significant scriptural evidence to verify that principle; here is one such verse: Romans 12:21. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

In order to do that, we must know exactly what is commanded in the Bible, apart from the opinions of professionals who preach according to what is best for their financial gain and their numbers. That is where this unique blog comes to the rescue. This blog is committed to only one criterion: Everyone needs to know, is entitled to know, and deserves to know, in an unbiased manner, exactly what the New Testament teaches.

This above-mentioned verse, Matthew 10:23, along with three verses in Acts chapter 8:1 and 8:4, also 11:19, are telling that when Christian solders of love are being persecuted because of their beliefs which clash with how worldly people live, they must not retaliate with like action, but move elsewhere (scatter). God’s purpose for the scattering was to spread the gospel wherever they went. That means wherever they go, they would be a minority, living in enclaves surrounded by foreign and possibly hostile countries. That is the price they/we must pay so that the Good News will be spread.

This strongly implies that the Christian religion, regardless of where they go, will never be the dominant religion of any country; if they were, they would have to help in physically defending their holy turf. Acts 8:4, along with 11:19, gives the reason for their action: They preached the word wherever they were scattered [God’s purpose], thus eventually spreading the gospel throughout the entire Roman world.

As anyone can tell, that is not how it turned out in the world nowadays. Unfortunately, what was substituted in its place, especially in America, were people who are Christian only by name, who have assimilated themselves with the people of the world, and thus became part of them without even knowing it. This integration process has been going on for about five centuries, since Martin Luther’s time.

I am certain many people who take the name Christian resent any part of being Christian soldiers. They may say, "When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, thus being born-again, no one told me I was going to be classified as a soldier for Christ. Can’t I be a Christian soldier on furlough (temporary leave)?"

This next section is going to take all the courage I can muster up in order to put it on the internet. In fact, I will possibly receive more flak from this section than I have to date. Before I stick my neck out and get clobbered, what follows is in accord with the New Testament, although I have never heard even one denomination or independent church bring up this subject; if they did, the next week their pews would be nearly empty. It is based on the principle of love for our enemies, which all Christian soldiers (hopefully you and I) are commanded to obey. What I am about to espouse is an undesirable Christian axiom, which the vast majority of the religious community in our country has not and will never accept.

According to the New Testament, any and all forms of active aggression toward our enemies is immoral, regardless of whether it's justified or not. The only exception is just punishment by the appropriate non-Christian authority for egregious crimes committed. Repeating, that does not include any Christian organization. If one of our own commits an act of aggression, we put him or her out of our fellowship and let the civil authorities take over.

When I first started Religion’s Crime Against God two years ago, I had a blog named "American Democracy’s Fatal Flaws." I spelled out this principle to some degree, but was easy with my words. Now I will be more explicit. Just remember this: I am an American who used to love my country before I knew better. Now as a devout soldier of Christ, I am ashamed of its immoral practices. I am referring to the military action we take against nations that possibly mean us harm. It may be only logical to act this way, but never in the name of Christ. Don’t forget this: The world thinks we are a Christian nation since the majority of Americans claim to be Christians. But we are not. We are as atheistic as a nation can be, especially with Bush as the warmongering president. It may have been all well and good for him to start this Iraq war even though it ended up that he was wrong. But for him to claim to be a born-again Evangelical Christian makes the situation extremely troubling for anyone who knows the heart of God.

Now this is the part that saddens me: Eevery soldier that enlists to fight for our all-volunteer U. S. military is a partaker, in principle, by eventually engaging in an act/s that is/are immoral. For those U.S. soldiers who claim to be Christians, are they aware of what the Bible commands about harming our enemies? You see, Christian soldiers were never meant to fight their enemies. Genuine Christianity is a religion of love for all peoples. One cannot love them by hurting or killing them, even in self-defense. Remember, the way Christianity works best, if not in all situations, is to live only in small groups (enclaves), not giving their allegiance to any world government or flag, but only to Christ and to each other.

Why? Because only people out of their right mind would desire to live as Christ commands. Yes, Christ’s teaching is that outlandish. It is true, Christian soldiers are out of their mind by refusing to live as the world requires, but in their right mind when it comes to living for Christ. If anyone doesn’t understand what is being said, just read a few of the posts in this blog, or diligently study the New Testament, trying to put aside what you have been previously taught by religion, and you will see that aggression of any sort or reason is never a part of the Christian life. That begs the question: Should genuine Christians support the war and/or our troops who are committing immoral acts against our God and the principle of love which is the basis (foundation) on which all else in the complete New Testament depends? Leave a comment.

Here is what bothers me most of all: I am an extremely empathic person; much more so than is normal. I have a grown family and a little grandchild. I could just see their father or mother getting killed for a war that is absolutely stupid in God’s eyes and in the sight of all real Christians. There isn’t much that is crueler than to take a parent away from a child forever, and think of the mothers and fathers who lost sons or daughters. And almost just as bad is to have one come home maimed for life or to a broken home. The long-term consequences of this war will be with us for generations, and in more ways than one. This is not to mention the thousands of human beings (Iraqis) with feelings like us Americans. The pain and suffering many are going through will be theirs till their eyes are closed in death. The list of hardships and pain is endless for both Americans and Arabs. And all for a stupid satanic president who is inspired in all he does by the one who glories in the immorality of all wars, Satan the devil.

Even if we were to get out of this war as soon as possible, this conflict will continue between Arabs against Arabs, and Arabs against Jews, and Jews against Arabs, and Arabs against Americans, and Americans against Arabs. What a hornet’s nest one ungodly man has stirred up (one of the modern-day antichrists) who claims to be a born-again Christian. Click on post # 168: "War With no End" for more details. Some may ask, "What right do I have to condemn Bush?" As the Commander in Chief, he is self-condemned for he has violated the Christian law of love for our enemy in the most egregious manner possible. Or is he exempt from Christ’s commands because he is the president of the United States? Could it be that I am reading the New Testament with wrong motives? Leave a comment, or send me an email. I need a good challenge from anyone who believes Bush is a man of God, and the New Testament is wrong.

In ending, genuine Christian soldiers (having Christ as their example) must fight with God’s love which was freely given to us; that holy love, which displays itself in many forms, does no harm to its enemies. Love and only that love is meant to heal the hatred our enemies have for us, and in doing so, destroy unbelief. Are we who call ourselves Christians doing that, or do we even have a desire to do that? Without that love, a person possesses little, if anything, of true value. But I know there are many bloggers who have that precious love. There are great gifts which God has in store for you. Matthew 7:7. "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and he who knocks, the door will be opened." Amen. These promises are meant for all Christian soldiers.

# 206: Compassion and Mercy

Without God’s compassion and mercy, which spring from His love for us, there would be no Savior and thus no Salvation from the fires of hell. In order to function as required, we must consciously rely on all the goodness God consistently lavishes us with. There may be times we may not be aware of how His love keeps us fueled up, which enables us to live in a way that pleases Him.

We don’t deserve His mercy, but because of our commitment to believe in all that His Son Jesus Christ has done for us, God freely by His grace (undeserved kindness) gives us all we need to live in a way that fulfills His purpose for us. Apart from words, how can we thank God in a way which shows our appreciation for counting us worthy to live in His company? Or do we take for granted all His compassion and mercy, and make light of it? This blog has the answer.

We as genuine disciples of Christ may occasionally and unintentionally act in a way which displeases Christ. When we are aware of our error, we can go to Him in repentance (which implies we are sorry and will never do it again), and from the bottom of our heart, ask for forgiveness. And because of His great compassion and mercy, He will forgive us. Isn’t that wonderful? We can rightfully say that He is a Savior that meets our every need.

In spite of all that our wonderful God does for us through His Son Jesus Christ, there are areas of the Christian life where His hands are tied, if you will, in his ability to bestow His compassion and mercy on us. Personally, this is the area of the Christian life that has inspired the building of this blog. That is when people take on the name “Christian” because they possibly go to church and/or are active in other religious rituals, but do not live in a way that is pleasing to God. They continually take His compassion and mercy and use it as a tool (alibi) to live as they please. They do this either by continually being disobedient to the teaching of Christ or, more likely, ignoring much of what is required to remain in the good grace of the One who desires to have them with Him for all eternity.

They may be living this way because of lack of knowledge of what is expected of them, since they may not be intimately familiar with the New Testament, or, more likely, because many large denominations remain silent concerning much of what is required to live according to the truth. That is where this blog is a Godsend: to vividly, and in minute detail, describe what the New Testament Scriptures command. Usually that deadly silence considers precepts which go against what this world tells us is just normal. Click on post # 142: “Conspiracy of Silence.” This type of deceptive teaching (half-truths) results in parishioners unknowingly acquiring a lack of genuine belief which quenches God’s holy desire and ability to give them His precious grace (which is filled with compassion, mercy, etc.).

There is another area of the Christian life which hinders God from giving us His mercy, and that is a lack of fear of the Lord. Luke 1:50. “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Also, click on post # 193: “Fear of the Lord.” Some may ask, “Why should we fear the One who has such a great love for us?” That is a deceptive attitude. The reason we must fear The Lord God is because without that fear, we may take lightly His teachings; also, we will not be acutely aware of the retribution waiting for those who continually disobey God by ignoring His Will. And if we keep up this type of disobedience which springs from lack of belief, we will end up separated from God for all eternity.

In ending, as great, wonderful and powerful God’s mercy and compassion are, they cannot continually override the disobedience, unbelief and lack of repentance from many people who call themselves Christians; they take on this holy name just because it is honorable and respectable. And who will argue with them?

# 205: To Seek and to Save

Many of us may not like to do some things which are beneficial because they are not easy to do; so, we make up excuses not to do them, to our detriment. In the same way, many of us refuse to eat foods which we don’t like which would give us better health; regardless, we still don’t eat them, to our disadvantage. Basically, the reason we act this way is because we are pleasure-seeking creatures.

That is the hard truth. But those of us who are aware of what our lazy human nature enjoys and the consequence of living in compliance to it, will not act according to its commands—the King James Bible calls our human nature “the flesh.” The reason being, our animal nature is sinful, mostly of the devil. It always seems to say, “I want it my way, regardless.” But to win over that powerful innate force is easier said than done. We must fight tooth and nail, to say the least, to free ourselves from the areas which are spiritually destructive.

We are extremely gullible (believe the lies) when it comes to what that nature says to us. It also entices us by saying, “If you do what I say, I will reward you with many pleasurable things. So don’t be hardheaded; all you have to do is to bow down and worship me; you won’t be sorry.”

Isn’t it remarkable that this is almost identical to how the devil was attempting to entice Jesus after He was done fasting in the desert for forty days? Luke 4:9. “‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’”

The point I am making is that our human nature, whose main interest is “survival of the fittest” is much more deceptive than most humans can imagine when it comes to what is best for us. Of course, for those not interested in spiritual matters, quite often that naughty nature is right on target for them.

I have heard it said numerous times in the past, and still hear it to this day. In fact, I heard it as I turned my TV to T.B.N. last night to watch what type of holy-bull type trash they are shoving out to naive people—that was on Joel Osteen’s 30-thousand member ministry. Joel mentioned the unconditional love of God. His audience must sometimes be thinking: “And it seems only logical that if Joel Osteen says God’s love is unconditional, who are we to say otherwise? He couldn’t have gathered that many followers on a lovely unbiblical lie.”

Please, if anyone can find even one verse in the Bible which says or even implies that God’s love is unconditional, leave a comment. God’s love is too great to be described in human words, but when it comes to the great love He has for His people, a word we can all understand is “conditional.” Yes, from Genesis to Revelation, His love is conditional. And that is something this blog has been publishing since post # 1: Our faith in Christ, coupled with our love for God, is displayed by our obedience to all the teachings/commands in the New Testament; the end result is works, deeds, and fruit, which are one in the same. Those conditions cannot be separated. Noncompliance to even one of these requirements, and a deadly heresy has been born for the pleasure- seeking, “christian naiveté.” Some may need to read this paragraph one more time because of the extra-long sentence, which I was unable to make shorter without diluting the thought.

But I can wholeheartedly understand why many churches continue to preach this deceptive unconditional message. It could be called “christianity made easy.” Some conniving preacher wouldn’t outright call it unconditional love, but would have ways to mealy-mouth (circumvent) it so the lie doesn’t look so unscriptural. The clergy knows that if they preach a message that rubs people the wrong way, regardless of whether it is the truth, their membership and revenue will start to diminish.

The only way Christianity can continue in its original form, as it was presented by Jesus Christ, is to live as He did and teach what He taught. It is that simple. But we must remember, as sincere as we may be, we will intuitively shy away from most things that are contrary to what our human nature dictates, because it loudly says, “Take live easy, eat, drink and be merry, while still getting as much as you can of whatever.” Another thing we must remember is that Jesus Christ turned the majority of the precious values of our human nature upside down.

Even though the Christian life is the most meaningful life in existence, because we are partners with the one who created us, and who knows better—but because of the resistance of our intuitive desires—that Godly life will be the most challenging in the world because we are being taught by Scripture to live in a way that is contrary to what is physically pleasurable. That didn’t fly in the first century to any degree, and still is the main theme in our pampered culture: “I want it fast; it must feel good and be effort-free.”

Now anyone with even a little bit of divine wisdom can see why the Catholic church has survived for almost 2,000 years. I don’t often use derogatory words in the few times I mention it, because I think most everyone knows it is the most un-Christlike of all Christian denominations because it does not agree with the New Testament, except in trivial matters. But not everyone knows that. It takes absolutely no effort to be a Catholic. So, if they or Evangelical churches, etc. promise heaven—which they do—as genuine Christianity does, what would be the first choice of the majority of gullible people? You guessed it correctly: the one which sounds the closest to what our “take-it-nice-and-easy” human nature agrees with.

Now, to continue where I left off several paragraphs ago . . . The work of Christ was to seek and to save what was lost. Repeating what was written a short while ago, the only way Christianity can continue in its original form, as it was presented by Jesus Christ, is to live the way He did and teach what He taught.

Each one of us has a different gift or manifestation of the Spirit. We all are part of the body of Christ; one person has this gift and another has that one. And yet, while each one has a different gift, we all have the same common goal. In whatever way the Lord leads us, we are all to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ; and His footsteps lead us to seek and to save the lost. There are very few legitimate excuses not to follow in His footsteps. That is the mission or bottom line for hopefully every born-again Christian.

That is what we don’t see in most Christian denominations. The lives of most churchgoers are centered around going to heaven (to save their own skin, as it were). The main event in the lives of many Christians is going to church on Sunday morning. Does anyone truly believe that was what Jesus had planned for us? If the Spirit of Christ is in us, there are no limits as to what God can do through us when we actively are continuing His work. If you and I don’t do it, who will? We can make a difference in the lives of a few, possibly many, people. Repeating, that is the work, fruit and deeds Christ left for us to accomplish. He doesn’t command us to do His work to get saved, but as evidence that our faith expresses itself through our love for God and neighbor. Those works also signify that we are obedient to His commands. We can’t love God and be obedient to Christ’s commands without making a great effort to get out into the world and start touching people with our love and truth of the complete gospel.

In ending, the reason we don’t see this all-important part of the gospel active in the lives of many people who call themselves Christians is because it is not regularly preached from the pulpit. The clergy, without saying it outright, imply that it is their duty to seek and save the lost; or that it is the responsibilities of special missionaries, etc. That is what we are made to believe. That type of implication has had grievous consequences for all concerned. 1st Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Are this verse and others like it just a friendly suggestion or a command? Be very careful how you answer this all-important question.

# 204: Hope, Joy and Peace

What would the Christian life be without hope, joy and peace? These are three necessary attitudes which make our lives worthwhile.

HOPE: In the world, we don’t rely on hope too much since we were taught to be in control at all times. And then we have the “I hope so” situation. This type of hope is no more than optimism: It is hoping for the best, that something good will happen (desire accompanied by expectation).

Nevertheless, hope plays a big role in the Christian religion. Everything we believe about God, as to what will happen to us, depends on hope. That type of Godly hope comes from the trust we have in God, and is only as reliable as the word of One who promised something of value (Eternal life). The Christian hope says we will receive immortality at the death of the physical body. That hope is sure, but only as we continually respond to the conditions required from the One who does the promising. Therefore, hope is the underpinning of Christian faith. Hope can be risky when in the hands of a false entity (Satan, disguising himself as Jesus Christ). Hebrews 11:1. "Now hope is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." [emphasis added].

JOY: True lasting joy is missing to a great degree in the lives of many Christians. We substitute joy with happiness. Happiness comes and goes depending on circumstances. Happiness is derived from the root word “happen.” If what happens pleases us, we are happy; if something happens that is not pleasing, we have no happiness derived from that situation.

Joy is a bit more stable. Joy doesn’t rely on circumstances, but is an inward quality that doesn’t fluctuate but remains intact even in hard times. Gaining this inward joy may not come easy. It is the result of acquiring faith in the Salvation given to us by Jesus Christ. Christian joy is an attitude which is a fringe benefit of our faith in Jesus Christ; along with that, it is a precursor of the joy we will have in the company of the Father and His Son. If this joy is truly from our association with Christ and not from something we fabricated, it cannot and will not be shaken in any and all tumultuous situations. And if we are doing the work of Christ, which is continuing what He has started, those troubling times will come.

There are many events which will happen that will make our joy more intense: for instance, seeing others living for Christ as they should; allowing Christ to work through us in ways where many others will be blessed; spending time with those of like beliefs; actually, this list could be endless.

When you see Christians who lack Christ’s joy, it is evident there is something in their lives which is out of kilter. No doubt there are times and things that will come our way which will be hard for us to handle, but we must look at them as occasions in which our faith can/will be strengthened. Since we know our outcome, or I should say, we know the One in control, our joy will not falter. We must always remember that our joy is, or should be, similar to the joy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joy may sound like a secondary virtue in comparison to faith in Christ or love for God, and it is, but that doesn’t mean we could or should live without it. I can’t see how any true Christians didn't find Godly joy once they realized they were intimately connected with the creator of the universe. The joy I have been experiencing for some time is one of the main emotions which keeps me going. I believe much of my joy is derived from the publishing of this blog. It actually is a great privilege that God has allowed me to help Him in this way; I believe it may have helped me as much, if not more, than many of the bloggers who subscribe to this blog. Again, Christ-type joy is something which no one in their right mind would/should belittle.

PEACE: There are at least two types of peace: the kind that comes from God, and the type we receive from the world, derived from things we have done to secure peace in our lives, which are a result of our own accomplishments. I will reflect on the peace that is mentioned numerous times in the Old and New Testament.

Isaiah 26:3. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (K. J. Version). That verse, in just 18 words, tells it all. God’s perfect peace comes to those who keep their mind on Him and the Lord Jesus Christ. How many American Christians fit into that category? I won’t answer that. God’s peace makes Christians carefree of the burdens the world attempts to enslave us with. Without that divine peace, the Christian life would be a tiresome chore. And yet, for those who are inspired to live their lives around promoting the cause of Jesus Christ, that all-consuming peace will enchant their God-given joy. I am sure there are many of God’s people who have His peace in lesser degrees since they are not able to devote their time exclusively to Godly matters. Either way, peace with God—and of God—truly gives a peace of mind that is unequaled.

In ending, Christian hope, joy and peace give disciples of Christ the ammunition needed to help us fight off all the lovely enticements the world can throw at us. The end result gives us the ability to love God and our fellow man/woman as required. No doubt you are aware that there are several other Godly qualities, principles and virtues not mentioned in this post which are pertinent in living a Godly life.

# 203: Little Gems: Deep Truths

The Christian Bible teaches what love is and what it is not; how to love and how not to love; who to love and not to love; and then clearly displays how to activate that love through faith in Jesus Christ.

Life is a journey of choice. When we choose to live as God commands, our journey will end in His presence. When we choose to live as the world dictates, we end up in the arms of the devil.

When people hurt you in word or deed, never hurt them in return. Instead, attempt to somehow love them, because that is what they unknowingly need. What they are desperately trying to do is to get you to share in their hidden hatred and unhappiness.

The Christian’s most beneficial potential in life is to become like Jesus Christ to the greatest degree humanly possible. We become like Him by believing, loving and living as He commands.

Webster defines fellowship as “companionship and intimate personal intercourse.” If that is what the New Testament means by fellowship, then we know what is missing in the majority of established churches.

While on earth, Christ was God in the flesh; since He is our supreme rolemodel, we also should attempt to live and believe as if we are God with a physical body. What an imposing aspiration.

God could not exist as a God of love without creating a people in His likeness with a free will to receive His love and reciprocate that love. We were created in His image for the expressed purpose of having that potential.

What the majority of the clergy does not tell (hard-edged verses) to the laity could be more harmful for their eternal Salvation than if they preached nothing at all.

The things we possess or desire attach us to this world, and as a result we place infinitely more value on them than they deserve, thus holding us back from placing more value on the things of God.

Desire without determination is a wishbone type of desire. And its result will be a big pile of dried-up wishbones. True desire will always be accompanied by determination.

We are saved by our new spiritual birth through our faith in Christ Jesus; at that time, we are actually given a spiritual credit card stating we are spiritual billionaires (the sky is the limit). If we truly believe what our limit is on that card, we will start to live like spiritual philanthropists. Nothing will be impossible for us. Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t believe this lofty principle.

Love for others is giving them God’s truth so they, through that truth, can believe and find lasting contentment in the life of Christ.

One can only enjoy life when living it the way it was originally meant to be lived. Then they can honestly say, “I am on a twelve-month-a-year vacation.”

Until we love the way we were meant to love (God’s way), we cannot live in a way that gives us complete and continual satisfaction.

The only time God gives us extra grace is for things we can’t do on our own, even though we are still living in and through Him because of His continual life-saving grace.

Jesus Christ’s power, love and authority came from knowing for certain who He was. Our love, power and authority will also come from indubitably knowing for certain who we are in Christ Jesus. It might be a great benefit if we all meditate on this sentence whenever possible, and then put it into practice.

They who pat themselves on the back need not be patted by others. Those who love themselves more than others need not be loved by God.

The more one gets to experience the secret life of Christ, the simpler life becomes. Believe it.

A genuine Disciple of Christ will have many enemies, but will be an enemy to no one except the evil one.

“My mind is made up; don’t confuse me with the truth.” Do you know anyone like that?

Jesus had several motives for conquering sin; one reason was to show us how to conquer sin, and all for the Father’s glory.

One of the greatest mysteries of all is to understand the power which is available to us through belief in God and Jesus Christ.

Do not rely on people and things to bring fulfillment; instead rely on God.

One must be willing to gain the hatred of unbelievers in order to receive the love of God. There is more truth in this little gem than most of us will be able to believe.

When we start to believe our Heavenly Father as Jesus did, then we will start to be able to live as Jesus did.

When evil is sugarcoated and labeled as “good” and then is tolerated and accepted by people who call themselves “christians,” that is a serious crime against God because it soils the holy name of Jesus Christ. Real Christians must fight this type of evil with tooth and nail by continually and publicly exposing it for the filthy lie it really is.

Possessions are one of the best ways to silently boast that we are something special. That is one of the reasons Christ said, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” Secret pride will keep us from Him. God wants his people to be barefoot and hungry, as it were. Luke 6:25. “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” This command will not fly in the U.S.

The more moral and Scriptural preaching is in a church, the more deadly and insidious are its results if it lacks two of the main ingredients: love for God by obedience to Christ’s commands.

God cannot sin because He is a perfect God of love. Scripture tells us we will not sin because we are His children. Therefore, we will believe Him and sin no more. What a perfect and majestic goal. Click on post # 189 to confirm this truth.

To live in God’s love is to live a righteous life. What sin can anyone commit when we desire to love everyone, regardless of circumstances? Therefore, selfless love is the fulfillment of all moral laws. Any religion that does not emphatically express this basic framework of Christianity is a false teaching.

Where there is no active love in our lives, Christ is absent. It is expensive to love; it may cost us our lives.

God’s love in us attempts to make every effort to express itself; if it can’t, it will cease to be love.

Belief, holiness, purity and love bring us into God’s presence. Without them, we cannot know God as He desires to be known.

Christ says, “Do what I do; then you will be able to teach what I say.”

Our Salvation and our love for others cannot be separated. To separate them is like buying an expensive motor vehicle and not knowing how to drive, nor having the desire to learn.

We must use money sparingly, so as to minimize the cares of this world. That way our hearts and minds can stay on thee O Lord.

No one can say they love God and their fellow man and have much more than their immediate needs. God’s love is so powerful, it will consume us, if need be, for love’s sake. This action only applies to those who are genuine disciples of Christ. I am certain many will be thinking, “Now I know for certain this guy is nuts.”

Christ says, “I want to heal and do mighty works through you, but your doubts won’t let me.”

Everything we possess, which we value, gains its personal value through our belief process.

What was Jesus’ single greatest desire throughout His life? What was the most valuable commodity Jesus had? When you think you have the answers, then ask these questions of yourself. Be honest.

How does God view the visible world? He desires us to view it the same way. The physical is a temporary substance which He uses as a means of expressing His eternal values.

One of mankind’s most valuable possessions is our pride in what we have, do or are. What are we proud of? Let’s be careful what we say because it may be held as evidence against us.

Christ speaking: If one is not able to control one’s intake of food and drink, he/she may not be able to love me and display my love which takes a mountain of divine willpower. I have little or no need for weak- willed people.

Inanimate things don’t need man/woman for their existence: They get along fine without us. It is man/woman who creates a need for things without life, and then we become addicted to them. Think of the many ways in which this concept is true.

Some of these little gems may have to be read several times to get the depth of their meaning.

# 202: Luke 17:5. “Increase Our Faith!”

Regardless of how close or dedicated anyone is to Jesus Christ, there is room to get closer. I believe the primary way is to disrupt one of Satan’s best-held secrets. He somehow gets a few of God’s people involved in seemingly important and legitimate activities; not sinful stuff, but decent and noteworthy undertakings. These projects or even menial ventures may be rewarding or just plain humdrum, but still necessary. They may even appear to be the works of God. As it is, the more Godly they appear, while still fulfilling some type of personal gratification, the more difficult they will be to identify. One thing they all have in common is that they take our mind off of the wonderful attributes of God, which He desires us to meditate on continually, if that were possible.

One of the devil’s favorite nicknames is a pseudonym he attempts to keep secret: “The great distracter.” Most people think of him as a doer of blatant evil acts. And that he does. But he gets more favorable action when he tricks disciples of Christ by distracting them from thinking/believing how fortunate they are to be aligned with God through Christ (the greatest PRIVILEGE in the world). In other words, the main thing he desires is to keep our minds off the wonders of Christ and put them on lovely worldly things. When he accomplishes that, he has his foot in one’s door, as it were.

There is one big problem. To identify and then remove those distractions is easier said than done. After many years of putting much emphasis on bettering our physical lives in every way possible, to break from that type of lifestyle sounds like shooting oneself in the foot. The thinking goes something like this: I am a Christian; I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior; I do no one any harm; I lead a decent life because I am a Christian. All of that is well and good, but Christianity is much more than that. It is a CLOSE relationship with Jesus Christ, because we have a reciprocating love affair with His Father.

Lovers cherish spending time with each other. Therefore, let us make a written list of all the possible activities, be what they may, that have little or nothing to do with filling our lives with thoughts of Jesus Christ; that list should include sleeping, eating, working on the job, etc., some of which are activities we can’t eliminate completely. I am certain that list will be extremely long, but take it slow; we should implement the easier ones first, not to think we are denying ourselves; actually, we will be enriching our lives in Christ as long we are replacing those time slots with Godly doings.

Here is another thought: Buy a set of New Testament CDs and listen to them over and over again when doing chores which don’t need concentration, like driving, gardening, walking, cooking, cleaning house, bathing/showering, etc. You will be surprised how many truths there are in them you never heard before. I personally do that, continually going through the New Testament. Depending on how many hours per day one listens to the CDs, most can listen to the complete New Testament in a week or two. When I have a chance, I follow along with the printed Bible. The potential effects could be astounding. Example: A rock music composer in the late 1960s made this dogmatic statement: “Let me control a person’s music and I will control her/his life.” I believe the same is true of listening to God’s Word. Our lives WILL change (increase our faith) in Godly ways according to what we listen to the most.

Those who continually do that will have the complete New Testament, just about memorized in a year or two, even though that is not the goal. I am sure there will be many verses you won’t understand, some that can’t be understood, some contradictions and mistakes, boring sections, along with portions that are just events of that time, which have little or nothing to do with us. When you come across a section that sounds important, highlight it and try to remember where it is by writing it down on a flash card or elsewhere; keep notes on how you are being affected by this continual bombardment of Scripture. Worthy of repeating: You will be surprised how that grows on a person who desires to increase their faith in our blessed Lord. I guarantee you will be blessed beyond ways you never dreamed of. When it comes to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, it is mostly symbolic except for the first three chapters. It is frightening. In short, it tells of the wrath of an irate God against a planet in rebellion. I suggest reading it a time to two just to know what it is about; otherwise, don’t dwell on it.

Faith in God is not stagnant; it is likened to a hybrid fruit tree, every year bearing its delicious fruit in season. If that tree stopped growing or bearing fruit, it is either dormant or dead. If it cannot be revived, it then will be cut down and used as firewood. Yesterday’s faith is of little value today except for, hopefully, great spiritual memories. We cannot rest on yesterday’s laurels. We need a fresh supply of faith in God each and every day. That continually-growing faith is what gives us the desire and strength to live in a way that pleases God. Faith, like our muscles, gets stronger as it is exercised. The harder the exercise, the stronger the muscles or faith grow. When faith and muscles—or even our brains—are not continually used, they slowly and insidiously atrophy. When we realize what happened, we may end up in a wheelchair, stricken with Alzheimer’s, or in the “loving” arms of Satan; then it may be too late to do anything about it.

The more we do something or nothing, either good or bad, the easier and more normal/natural it becomes. We want to make sure our devotion to Christ does not become a burden; love destroys that burden, and then what will be the result of that sincere dedication? Our indefatigable love for God and mankind: like the song goes, “He’s not heavy, he’s my brother.” Faith in God, which is not motivated by divine love, is the kind of faith in word only. Let us make sure we don’t end up with worthless faith. Faith is the best friend and necessary companion of love, God’s love. If separated, they become impotent.

Getting back to distractions, as hard as it may be to forsake these distractions we’ve had for years, it may not be too late. If need be, let this thought motivate you to give you a jump-start: The MOST valuable entity in existence, bar none, is the one who started it all, and He is here for a very specific reason: to give of Himself to you and me. Though God is intangible, there is voluminous evidence in the Holy Bible of His existence via His beloved Son Jesus Christ.

An important note: Faith cannot grow on its own. It needs to be continually and lovingly coaxed. And I can personally guarantee that no one will ever have the right amount of—or too much—faith; in fact, one will feel deficient. To put it another way, a person will always feel poor in Spirit. The richer one becomes in faith, the poorer he/she will feel. The reason: As our faith grows, we will see the purity of Jesus more and more clearly (as He really is) and continually see ourselves as we really are. That form of vision will give us a truly humble awareness of the privilege of being chosen to do the works of God. WOW.

There is a condition in this world at this time which gives faith a run for its money, which is something we all enjoy: electricity, which was first seriously experimented with in 1840 by British chemist Sir Humphry Davy. Those experiments and many others paved the way for the modern living we now enjoy. Our modern culture makes spiritual values less desirable and needed. How so? The better our lives, the less necessary God and company becomes, which is to say our easy modern life makes God not as pertinent as if we were in dire straits.

The start of our modern culture has made life easy, and at the same time produced many conditions that distract us from our need for faith and spiritual security. So what can we do to eliminate or reduce these distractions brought on mostly by electricity? Who really would want to eliminate some of the devices we’ve enjoyed since we can remember? Not many. One would think that since electricity made life easier, it would reduce the distractions of having to do without electricity. Not so. Life, since electricity came on the scene, has produced many forms of entertainment such as motion pictures, radio, television, and so forth. For the first time in history, entertainment has become a major part of our lives. Entertainment may be our biggest distraction. And who doesn’t like to be entertained?

Above and beyond electronic entertainment, the associated activities springing from electricity have produced many more distractions. Of course, we wouldn’t call them distractions; instead, we call them time- saving conveniences, etc. We think, how did anyone ever do without them before? There is a countless number, but let me give just one: Enjoying all these making-life-easy gadgets has made it easier for us to desire more and bigger of many things, which all cost money. With the availability of these commodities, now the family needs more money to pay for all these nice things. So now mom also has to go to work to help pay the bills. Things of that sort have made our lives so cluttered that many times we don’t have time for the bare essentials. That is one reason restaurants have been booming for the last sixty years. Mom/Dad doesn’t have time to cook a meal from scratch every night after coming home from a hard day’s work.

The ramification of our modern culture—because of all the niceties electricity has given us—no doubt has increased our distractions from Godly matters 100-fold compared to 160 years ago. In fact, with all the essential physical benefits humankind has received from electricity, still it just could be that the devil was behind it or just took advantage of the situation by enticing us, saying, “Now you can just take it easy and enjoy life; you only live once." And we believe him.

The gist of removing as many distractions as possible is so we can make more time, which is of the essence, for activities that have to do with God, so that He becomes as vivid to us as the physical world. As that starts to take shape, our faith will reach new heights. Let the truth be told; time is needed to increase our faith, whether it is through family prayer and study, Bible-reading or listening, family discussions, helping those in need, propagating the Word wherever God leads, etc. There are no free rides when it comes to increasing our faith. Even though it may take blood, sweat and tears, the end result will be real life.

Some may believe their faith is sufficient as is. And it may be. They say, “We have eternal life; what more can we do to receive anything better than that?” That is not the point. When a person is truly enjoying the life of Jesus Christ here on earth, which is eternal, they can’t help but desire all peoples to share in the wonders of their Godly life. That is the true motive for all evangelism and Godly living. Of course, if a person is not experiencing this divine life, then there is good reason to keep one’s religion to oneself. There is no need for a change. Their “faith” is sufficient.

In ending, just remember this: Satan, the father of all lies, knows his business. There are no rules he can’t and doesn’t entice us to break. He knows every trick in the book, since He wrote it—not the Bible—and he knows that desirable distractions—though we don’t call them by that name one of the best ways to keep his people, and even a few of God’s people, away from becoming aware of a continual need for God’s faith-based Salvation.