Friday, May 13, 2011

Christian Soldiers

"And He said to them, 'when I sent you without a money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?' So they said, 'nothing.' Then He said to them, 'but now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.'"
                                                                                                                  Jesus Christ in Luke 22:35-36

Our people, our Church, and our God is being attacked. These attacks are not only coming from all around us, but also from within. Michael Evans said, "The world has taken over the church. Abortions, divorce, pornography, drugs, alcohol and even homosexuality are alive and well in the church." So not only must we worry about the atheist and Muslim fanatics that attack us at every turn, we must worry over the ever growing cancer of progressivism from within.

Jesus said in Luke 12:49-52, "I come to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I come to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three." That fire is kindled now, it is practically an inferno, and it is consuming us.

We as Christians are being called upon by our Shepard, our General, our God to be those Christian warriors, just like the prophets of old were. We must be a soldier, not in our army, but the Army of God. We must get away from the idea that we are suppose to take this abuse. God gave us knowledge , ability and a voice and we must use the whole package in defence of our family, our church, and our God, but we also must defend those nonbelievers as well. It is a duty and honor God has entrusted to us, we must not let Him down.

How many times have we heard that we know not God's plans or that He works in mysterious ways. It is the truth, we know nothing. We are the man on trapped on his roof after a major flood and praying to God for help. Three boats come to take him off that roof and he turns them down, because God is going to save him. So when he eventually dies and get to heaven and asks God why he didn't save him, God simply asks, "what you didn't like those three boats I sent?"

We are that man on the roof. We need help, but are refusing the very help that is before us. Just like God works through a doctor to heal the sick, why can't He work through well-trained Christian soldiers to protect the weak. Don't reject the boat God has sent.

People say, "we can't, it's wrong, it goes against Christianity." Says who? Even the disciples carried swords, Peter even used one in defense of Jesus against a group of soldiers (who else but another soldier would do such a thing), before being told to put it away. Every religion, even early Christians understood that our belief must be defended. They were armed and they used those arms to protect themselves , their churches and the weak.They stood up for their beliefs and their God. God enabled us with our own defense, we must use it.

General H. Norman Schwarzkoph when ask if he hated Saddam Hussein, "and do I hate him? No, I don't hate anybody. A very great man one time said, 'love your enemies,' and that's not a bad piece of advice. But, you know, you can love them-but by God, that doesn't mean we're not going to fight them!"

E Pluribus Unum

E Pluribus Unum

Our founders knew that many different people, cultures and customs could come together to form one body. They used these words in latin to describes, E Pluribus Unum; meaning from many one. Why can't we Christians see the same thing? 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, "Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake in one loaf."

Do we not all worship the same Almighty God, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit? Why then do we find bickering, back biting, resentment, and pride filling our churches? Are we all not sinners unworthy of the salvation we are given. Romans 3:22-24 says, "The righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." How is that our churches have gotten so pumped up with themselves that they have the astounding gaul to believe they have a monopoly on salvation? There is no hierarchy amongst us. No second class citizens in the Kingdom of God. Romans 12:3-5 says, "For by the grace given me say to everyone of you: do not think yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function. For in Christ we, who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

It is all rather sad, how one group of Christians can think themselves more Christian and more deserving than another just because they cross themselves, preform certain rituals, or even slavishly holding on to the jewish tenets. It is not these things which save a person. Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will  be opened." There were no stipulations placed on that. What saves a person is the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God and He came to this Earth, when He did not have to, and led a perfect life until He was nailed to a cross for ALL our sins and rose again three days later to walk this earth forty days before ascending to heaven to sit on the right of His Father.(That sure was a mouth full wasn't it:))

Where does it state in the New Testament that we must preform rituals or customs(communion and baptism not included) to be part of the body of Christ? Does not Matthew 18:20 say "For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." Jesus didn't say He was with them only if you do this or that ritual. Jesus put no qualifier nor prerequisites on His gifts or on these popular words of John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Truly do you think God really cares if you are a strict Orthodox, a Messianic Jew, a "Bible thumping" Baptist sitting stoically in the Pew, a "holy rollin'" Pentecostal jumping and hollering in the isles, or anything else in between as long as we are all Baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? John 5:24 says, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned."

When we let ourselves get so wrapped up on our own little piece of real estate we are not giving God the full glory He deserves. To say he can only save the people of this Church places limits on God that we are not allowed to place. There is no box that can hold Him and none should try. We are not saved in the name of a church, and if you are you may need try that again. We are saved in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:49-50 says, "'Master' said John 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.' 'Do not stop him,' Jesus said 'for whoever is not against you is for you.'" Was not this group different from the Apostles? Sure they had to be, the Apostles didn't know them, yet Jesus said let them be we are all together.

God has called us to come together as one body, one body with many different members and parts, to further His kingdom and to stop worrying of our own meaningless little fiefdom.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Head In The Sand

So many Americans today bury their heads in the sand and pop up from time to time only to cry that "the government needs to fix this or that" only to plunge it right back in the sand and forget what the government is doing. Where did that act come from? When did Americans start believing that government was the answer to their problems?

Sadly though it is what most Americans believe and do and all it does is ensure that the very people that cause the problems get reelected to fix the problems, because our heads are in the sand not paying any attention. Government has never and will never fix anything. Name one thing that they put their hands in that has gotten better? It only gets worse and we are the ones that pay. Now with almost 50% of Americans living on the government dime, that circle will continue in perpetuity.

The truth of the matter is, we are responsible for our own lot in life and if we do not like it, change it. We are not owed anything from anyone. Not our family, not our friends, not a business, not our town, and sure as heck not the Federal Government.

Stop playing like an ostrich! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

Save or Create

Now even our business is using that lame and vague statement on jobs. Talking head from CNN, Ali Velshi seems to have had a problem with it this morning when GM said they saved or created 4,000 jobs. Funny thing is, that same voice defended, heck cheerleaded when President Obama used the same unprovable phrase about the "porkulous" bill, which in case you didn't know saved or created every job in America and even a few overseas. That is why we still have 9% unemployment, right? Besides why can't GM use it Obama owns it, right?

Where Is The Hawk?

Where is President Obama, "the hawk" when it comes to Syria? The "lamestream media" (thank so much Sarah Palin for that ever-fitting moniker) was praising him so for preventing Muammar al-Qaddafi from maybe killing some civilians, civilians who happened to have AK-47's, RPG-7's and rocket launchers, but they seem as silent as he is on the true massacre taking place in Syria. Where real unarmed civilians, protesters, and 8 year old kids are being killed. Not a day goes by that you don't hear of another incident, even if they are reduced to the bottom line. The shelling of the city of Homs and automatic weapons against protesters killing an 8 year old just in the last two days.
Could the Libya hawk, be for another reason, besides that lame one they gave. Could it possibly be that the three (Britain, France, and Italy) countries that just so happened to goad Obama into doing this, just so happens to have a large stake in the oil production of Libya? Could this be payback for BP for demonizing them and taking all the blame in the oil spill? Where are those progressive voices crying, "no blood for oil?"
Even the "lamestream media" is helping, as usual. CNN's Wolf Blitzer had the audacity to ask Marco Rubio, who was speaking against Syria and our lack of leadership, "how do you know that whoever takes Assad's place won't be worse?" Which is actually a good and valid question, but where was that question when talking about our support for the replacement of Egypt's rebels, and those from Libya? And we know some of those involved there, The Muslim Brotherhood.
So where is he? Is he on the golf course again? (Which incidentally the "lamestream media" attacked George Bush for playing so much he quit playing. Thought I would throw that one out there.) What isn't Syria important enough? Not even for a quick statement between nine and ten? Or is it that this hawk only flies when the polls say it will be politically profitable?