Being "Imitators of Christ"...

I'd like for everyone reading this thread to consider what I am about to share with you today...

Lately, I've been reading posts both here and in many other places regarding what I'll call "legalism" or "flesh purification" (it's hard to pinpoint what to call it). And today the Holy Spirit put it on my heart to share this with you. (it may look long, but it's a quick read)

There are too many Christians who falsely believe that we are to somehow and miraculously BE LIKE Christ in the flesh!

How often do we hear:

• Don't listen to this kind of music
• Don't watch television
• Don't go to "R" rated movies
• Don't drink alcoholic beverages
• Don't...
• Don't.....
• Don't.......

Now as a Pastor, I would never advocate sin (or sinning), but I feel compelled to reach out to those of you who may be more mature in Christ and might be ready to understand (once and for all) the whole Biblical Truth regarding this issue...

First, we must start with the missing piece in the chain of these commonly quoted Scriptures, such as: 1 John 2:15-17, Ephesians 5:1-11, 2 Corinthians 6:17, among many others...

2 Corinthians 5:16 - Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Do you see what that says? It says "Even though we have known Christ in the flesh, we don't anymore!". How can Paul say, "they don't any longer"? He said that, because what was flesh is now Spirit! (Every single Bible commentator has missed this)

Now, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11:1 "to be imitators of him, inasmuch as he is an imitator of Christ", Ephesians 5:1 too, tells us to be "Imitators of God"... But how can we do this in the flesh I would ask you? We can't! Jesus is not flesh and we "no longer know him as flesh". It is our works "in the Spirit", not the outwardly, that teaches, "do not touch, do not handle, do not eat, etc" (Colossians 2:21) Is not "lusting after the flesh" the same as "lusting to change the flesh"? Spending all of your time concerning yourself about touching, tasting, handling becomes a form of "idol worship" if you believe what Paul teaches in Colossians 2.

Finally, the below words exemplify what I am attempting to share with you today...

Philippians 3:3 - For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh...

Paul teaches us again and again that "the flesh is dead" (Romans 6:11, Romans 7:4, Romans 8:10, etc). If the flesh is indeed dead, how is it that we still seek to "perfect the flesh"? If your flesh is indeed dead and Christ was nailed to the cross along with ALL OF your sins (both past, present and future ones too), then what more can you accomplish, that Christ's sacrifice did not?

Please, if you hold another understanding of Scripture, please do not dismiss what I have shared outright. I would encourage and exhort each and every one of you to not take my word for anything I have written here today, but please be like a Berean and search the Scriptures for yourself to find out if the things I have told you are true.

Circular Reasoning & Christianity

Alright -- What do you call a Christian who doesn't know what the Bible says?

CONFUSED

How often do you hear an Atheist proclaim, "Circular reasoning is never going to convince me that there's a god. You're going to have to do better than, 'The Bible says that there's a god, therefore the Bible is true'."

Guess what, they're right!

When Jesus tells us to, "Go into all the world and make disciples of every creature", did you think He maybe meant for us to be able to accurately and adequately be able to do so?

The sad part, if you believe what the Christian Media tells us, these days, most Christians don't share their faith. I suppose if they're going to do it wrong, then we should be grateful.

What I will usually do, to explain to an Atheist who believes that Christians are only able to argue using circular reasoning, is use some LOGIC. (Atheists love logic!) I'll ask them what they call a book that was written more than 3,000 years ago, that has been proven correct again and again? They'll usually claim, "coincidence". That's when you ask them a new question. You ask them, "What do you call it when we're talking about 100's of things, approaching more than 1,000 things?" That's when they'll start to listen.

Now that you have their attention, don't drop the ball! Let's use some more logic!

Ask them what Science means. The more knowledgeable Atheist will tell you that "Science is the study of the observable". Now I love science! Think of all the medical & technological discoveries we've made over the past 200 years! But here's the rub... Most of scientific research gets relegated to what we call "Scientific THEORY". It's called "theory", because the Scientists are trying to prove that what they believe is correct. That's great! It's exactly what you need when you're trying to make breakthroughs! But here's the other rub, if science is the study of the observable, then given our original idea that we started with, how would they classify the Bible?

If there are indeed more than 1,000 things in the Bible that have been proven true, then are we able to say that "they've been observed as true"? If they've been observed as true (either by historians or even through the news today), then can't we say that the Bible has been proven reliable?

Think about it, how often is science wrong? ALL THE TIME. But again, that's how we learn...

Now think about how often the Bible has been wrong... To date.... NEVER.

Remember, this is when the Atheist will tell you that, "The Bible teaches that the world is flat!". This is a 100% untruth! Even today, when we refer to something that will affect the whole world, we use the term, "The four corners of the Earth". Does that mean that we believe that the earth is flat? Does that further mean that we believe that a SPHERE has CORNERS? Certainly not, it's just a "saying" that has survived for a long time. I suppose we could all stop using it, because it's not very accurate, but then again, I suppose as long as the people you're talking to know what it means, then it's ok?

The key thing to remember here, is that either the Bible is 100% correct, or it's 100% wrong. I would think that the most ardent Atheist would like that sentiment. Well, one of the things I like to teach, is that the Bible DOES NOT contain any contradictions, no matter how many "smart people" tell you otherwise. If the Earth was flat, then why does God say this, "Isaiah 40:22 - It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

So don't be intimidated by someone who seems "smarter" than you are...

At the end of the day, all the intelligence a man can have will fail him....

Hmmm.... Is there actually an "End of the day"? I suppose that's another "old saying" that really isn't very accurate. Should we stop using it too? Perhaps we should say, "When the sun goes down" or "at the next 11:59PM"? No. I'll stick with the original. It just sounds better to me for some reason... :)

Are women really supposed to "remain quiet"?

From time to time, I get these real "hot button" questions.

First of all, I'm not a male chauvinist pig (usually), and I don't have some kind of deep seeded "male dominance" issue. You see, God makes things clear to us, all throughout the Bible, by using models or types. For example, one model, would be the relationship between the Church and Christ as a model for marriage. An example of a type, would be Adam. Jesus is referred to as "the last Adam" in order to show that the Adam from the Garden of Eden was the first man and Jesus Christ was the first life giving spirit.

There are many types and models in the Bible, but more importantly, God sets the stage for an "order of things". Failure to understand this, comprehend this and even practice this in your lives will present you with nothing but trouble in your relationships with the opposite sex.

Question: This question is not to put anyone down, negate the fact of ones human importance and abilities to teach, instruct and contribute, but need to know why this was written.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 - Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

As I understand it, weren't Phoebe and Junia deacons at the church in Cenchrea? How quiet could they have been, being deacons?

Please help me with this..what is the true meaning?

Answer: Whilst I can not claim to be an expert on either Phoebe nor Junia, I can say this with certainty:

a. The only place where Phoebe is named is Romans 16:1. Nowhere does it say that she was a "Deacon" or that she held any other authoritative title. She is called a "servant" and who here among us wouldn't gladly refer to themselves as a servant, realizing that we are in Christ? To apply a title to her would be a made up and make believe story that has no other purpose than to mislead and confuse weaker Christians who will not do their own homework. Diakonos (the Greek word being used there) simply means: a person who runs errands, a waiter, someone who does menial duties. That's a far cry from what we commonly refer to as someone with a title within the Church. Is an "executive assistant" an "executive", or an "assistant to the executive"? It's all about being able to "read" and understand. It's all about reading vs. "discernment". I expect to be disagreed with on this.

b. Junia is one of those people that has "Biblical Scholars" arguing across the isles. While I do not have 100% clarity on whether or not Junia is male or female, Paul referred to him/her as, "my countrymen and my fellow prisoners". It's not sensible to assume that Junia (being a woman) would have been Paul's "fellow prisoner". And regardless as to whether or not he/she is male/female, again, the only mention of Junia is in Romans 16:7 and is described as, "of note among the apostles". Again, no church title is given here.

The Bible makes it clear, that women should not be in authority positions over men, but not to the point of excluding them from service as"ministers". I believe that it's the right thing to do, to have women in authority positions over other women and even over children! But to say women don't have any place in leadership, that's just wrong and certainly not Biblical.

God makes it abundantly clear from the first page of the Bible, that there's an "order to things".

From top to bottom:

• God
• man
• woman
• children
• everything else

To change that order, because someone feels slighted, because someone's pride is more important, is wrong. We don't have the luxury of changing God's Word to suit the "need of the day". If you're a woman and you believe that God has called you to be "the head" of the man, then you've created a god to suit your own needs. I believe that's a violation of the 1st AND 2nd commandments.

For those of you who would call out Deborah from the book of Judges, I will say this... She was 1 of 12 Judges throughout all of Israel's history. O-N-E. She should not be looked upon as some kind of "feminist hero" that shows that there is no difference between a man and a woman. Yes, God chose her to be a leader, and yes, that shows that God values women. But to say that men and women are the same, would be the undoing of everything in Scripture. Of course that isn't to say that God sees men and women differently in the sense of His Redemptive Plan, because He doesn't. God does not discriminate against age, race or gender - EVER. Deborah was not a "model" of anything, she was just a Judge for a short period of time during Israel's vast history. She did not hold any position of "Spiritual Authority" over a man, and that's the true defining of this small passage from 1 Timothy.

Your feelings vs. God's Word

Christians have a problem the world over.

The problem, is that somewhere along the line, many of us have decided that what we feel about what the Bible says is more important than what the Bible actually says. Really?

Many Pastors will have you believe that you must interpret the Bible in order to make sense of it. Even worse, they'll also tell you that you should be "applying the Bible to your life". Really?

a) If you interpret the Bible, you'll never know what God has to say, only how you feel about it.
 

b) If you sit there and turn the Bible into a "self help book", you've just exchanged the Bible from "that which speaks of Christ" into "a set of patterns and rules" that will bring you to salvation.

Someone I know likes to say, "If you can learn how to read, the Bible reads like a children's book!" While that may be an oversimplification, he does have a point. If you can learn to stop interpreting everything you read and just read it for what it says, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.

As for the Bible being a "self help book", Paul tells us that "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Do you see what Paul is saying? He's saying (in plain words) that you can not do anything and that your salvation is a gift of God due only to your faith in Him.

So don't wrap yourself up in what I call, "Commandment Worship". Paul tells us that the law is to be a schoolmaster to us, not a RULE BOOK of instructions on what "we can do". The commandments are a great thing to be used as a "moral blueprint" for society, but "religiously following" those commandments is a waste. You can't.

Galatians 3:24-25 (KJV) - Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

So back to the original issue... Does God care about your feelings? Sure! Any good father would care about their childrens feelings... The thing we must remember though, is no matter how strongly your child feels about something, as a father, you need to be more concerned with the big picture, than whether or not your son or daughter likes your decisions.

So when you apply it to God, it works out the same. God tells us that "His ways are above our ways". What this means, is that no matter what you or I think about any given issue, God's perspective on it is probably different. You can feel as strongly as you want to about: abortion, earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorist acts, wars, or whatever else it is that strikes a nerve, but at the end of the day, if you don't, won't, or can't wrap your head around the single fact that GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING, then you're really setting yourself up for disappointment and even worse, you're setting up everyone who you share your faith with for a life filled with confusion and an endless cycle of them doing it to others too. But from a more immediate concern, you're setting yourself up for constant and continual disappointment, because you're less concerned with GOD'S WILL and more concerned about your own will.

You'll thank me (not that you need to) if you can find a way to just accept the fact that God is in control of all, and how you happen to feel about it is irrelevant. If you think that because I've said that, that I'm uncaring or unkind, then you really don't understand love. While we're told what love is (very clearly I might add) in 1 Corinthians 13, if you don't realize that love (at the heart of the word) means that YOU CARE, then you're missing the point of it all. Just like a parent loves their child enough to prevent them from getting hurt or from sticking a fork in an electrical outlet, I too love you enough, to at least try to warn you of the dangerous paths that you may have set yourself up to walk.

Abortion is Murder!

If you don't understand by now, abortion is murder.

A fetus has a heartbeat by the ripe-old age of 17 DAYS!

It says in Leviticus 17:11 - For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

At 17 days old, that "baby" is circulating IT'S OWN BLOOD.

I was speaking to a Bishop of a church today and he told me something that wound up being good. It was good, because it reminded me that all of us are fallible! (including myself) He said to me something that should be a reminder as to WHY I tell you in my book, "Never put your Pastor on a pedestal! They're no different than a plumber, a lawyer or a computer repair person. Some of them know what they're doing and some will make your problem worse, because they just don't know what they're doing."

He said to me, "To be honest with you, if my daughter got raped, I'm not sure what I'd tell her to do. I would probably tell her to get an abortion". So I asked him if we could have a discussion about the topic and he refused to hear what God had to say on the matter. He then continued to tell me, "If I came home and found a thief in my house, I've got a gun right here. I would probably shoot him if I found him robbing my home".

To quote my daughter: O_O

Are you kidding me? These are the kinds of things I expect an atheist to say. And more than that, these are the kinds of things that I expect someone who doesn't know the Word of God to say!

In my show tomorrow night, we'll be discussing "Finding a Church". So if you've ever heard your Pastor say something as ridiculous as I heard today, it may be time for you to find a new church. If you're a new Christian or you've had trouble finding a church that you feel called to be at, tonight's show may be just what you need to get you set.

The Link: Thursday 11/17/2011 - Biblically Speaking - Finding a Church

We'll have the chat room open and we'll be taking calls from the audience too. We're also still giving away a signed, numbered pre-release copy of my soon to be released book, "But is it Biblical?" and of course we've also got the book for sale! Be one of the first to have it and place a pre-order today.

Matthew 18 - Dealing with a sinning brother

There are *3* short verses in the Bible that discuss HOW we should handle interpersonal problems. Not only are there verses all over the Bible that teach this, but these *3* verses were spoken by Jesus Himself!

All of Christendom should learn these few short verses. Not only will it prevent small issues like misunderstandings, but they can prevent lawsuits, hate and even WARS if the situation isn't handled Biblically!

---

Here is a short expositional view of Matthew 18:15-17: - Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

Jesus says that if your brother sins against you (upsets you, steals from you or makes you think they've done something wrong against you), you should go directly to your brother and tell him what it is that upset you. If your brother hears you (or understands your position and apologizes or otherwise explains the situation) then you have gained your brother (or fixed the problem), then you're done. This single step is missed in problem resolution 99% of the time. That old sneaky "flesh" of ours gets in the way some times and we jump to conclusions and blame people for things that didn't actually happen or if they've accidentally happened. Each of us MUST seek to give our brother the opportunity to straighten out the situation, one-on-one. If you chose to skip this step, you are absolutely going to create whole new problems, bigger than the first! If that's your intention, then perhaps you've got bigger problems than you think? This is why it's so essential to handle things Biblically.

16 - But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

You must go to your brother with an open mind and be ready to listen to what he has to say. But if you go to your brother and he ignores you, belittles you or otherwise tells you that you're wrong and you are not able to make your brother appreciate how you feel or why you feel that way, Jesus tells us to grab 1 or 2 other brothers who are witnesses to the issue or have personal knowledge of the issue and tells us that we should attempt to make a clearer case, so that our brother may better understand what it is that they've done. If you do this and your brother hears the 2-3 witnesses, then you have gained your brother like in verse 15. If you don't approach your brother in the Spirit of love, if you approach your brother as an "angry mob", if you can't approach your brother in "all humility", again, perhaps there are bigger problems than your brother has created?

17 - And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Jesus tells us that if you have taken 1-2 witnesses with you to speak to your brother and he refuses to admit or acknowledge his wrongdoing, you should THEN and ONLY THEN bring the situation to the attention of the church. At that point, you are devoid of actual witnesses, but you then bring it upon their hearts and their minds that they make decisions on the issues based on how they feel. This is usually a Christian's first step in the problem resolution chain and instead of amicably fixing the problem, you have now had people who weren't involved in the first place making judgment calls on things that can only be based on how they "feel about" the situation. Very rarely will the "whole of the church" decide to handle things Biblically, but instead, emotionally. Very little good ever comes from this step and should be reserved for only the most heinous and unforgivable acts. Jesus goes on to say that if your brother refuses to hear the whole of the church at this point, you should probably try to share the Gospel with your brother, because if he's not willing to love his brother as himself, then he's probably not a Christian and this may be your opportunity to evangelize him and get him in line with God's Will and not his own. Finally, Jesus says that if your brother still refuses to listen, he should THEN be treated as an outcast at that point.

---

If your brother stole your oxen, your car or even your wife, I can see you going to the church as a whole. If your flesh is on fire for revenge or the ability to "put your brother in his place", perhaps you've got deeper issues than whether or not your brother has "sinned against you"?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 10, that if you get blamed or accused by your brother of something other than what you actually did, at that hour, you shouldn't worry about what you speak, because it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. Following the steps the way Jesus lays out is a guarantee that we maintain the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Peace. If you've accused your brother (even in your heart), and you're in the wrong, you owe it to yourself and to your brother to obey Jesus' instructions in these verses. Amen?

I'm back!

Brothers and sisters, I have been very busy over the past few months, but the Lord has been hard at work too.

I am in the process of finally releasing my book and I've also been approached by a wonderful, Spirit filled sister to do a Radio Show!

We had our first episode tonight and it was so much fun!

Click HERE to listen to last night's show...

And also keep abreast of the rest of the shows and maybe even buy a book HERE.

I'll try to keep better updates!

Blessings,

Keith

Keep buying those iPhones and iPad's

Keep buying those iPhones and iPad's... Apple wants your money, but you can only have Apps that don't offend gays...

http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/30539-when-christianity-offends

I haven't owned an Apple product since 1980 and now I know why... Apple was on their way into devastating failure when the liberal/homosexual population made them popular... Now the whole world is providing Apple with the perfect platform to do their dirty work...

What's next, a gay App to tell you where to have gay sex? Or maybe a gay App to unite all unrepentant homosexuals in an attempt to influence elections?

I'm disgusted...

More on Harold Camping and Judgement Day

My daughter is currently in her senior year at UF (University of Florida) and while she was waiting for the bus to go home today, an entire ARMY of trucks drove by her plastered with this stuff all over it...

I don't mind a little evangelism, but to be spreading untruths at college campuses is downright wrong...

Preach the Gospel message...

Trying to scare these college students into submission is the wrong way to go about it... When was the last time you tried to convince a NON-CHRISTIAN college kid to do something?

There is no date contained ANYWHERE in Scripture, no matter how hard you twist numbers around or misunderstand Scripture itself. It is NOT POSSIBLE to set any dates about Judgement Day or the end of the world for that matter. Unless of course you think that God is a liar... Wasn't it He that said, "No man knows the day or hour, but the Father only"?

I pray that his campaign does as little damage as possible...

Fishpocalypse ?

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past week or so, it seems as if birds from all over the world are falling out of the sky and fish have started to float to the surface like some kind of Biblically related fish apocalypse!

Dead birds, fish kills prompt doomsday theories, but scientists say they're natural...

Now It's Dead Doves Falling From Sky in Italy

UPDATE: Bible prophecy, the birds and the bees: science responds

There's plenty more to choose from HERE

Do I think it's the Fishpocalypse ?

In a word...

No...

But don't take my word for it...

Do some Google searches yourself and see what you think...

The Number of the Beast

Everybody and their grandma has an opinion as to what the "666" represented in the Bible means.

Revelation 13:18 - Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

I've heard it all:

a) It's going to be a man whose first, middle and last name are 6 letters

b) It's going to be the man whose name adds up to 666 using Hebrew letters

c) It's going to be the man whose name adds up to 666 using Greek letters

d) It's the date that the Antichrist was born: June 1966

e) Since 6 is the Hebrew number representing "man", 6-6-6 represents a false Trinity

f) It's the Pope!

g) even more stuff that we can't prove....

Well, last night I was talking to someone and I proposed a pretty unique "THEORY" as to when the Rapture might take place and at some point in the conversation, we started to talk about the whole "666" thing.

Anyone who knows me (or has read my book), knows that I LOVE the Interlinear Bibles! An Interlinear Bible is the "end all" when you don't understand your "translation" of the Bible. It basically shows you the original word used in either Hebrew or Greek and shows you the EXACT English translation of the word.

Well, I was just curious to see what the Interlinear said about the "666" piece of that Scripture.

Check this out...

The Greek word used for "666" is: χξϝ ᾿ or simply chi xi stigma or Strongs #G5516.

If you read the definition for that word, you come up with: the twenty-second, fourteenth and an obsolete letter. Refer to Strongs # G4742.

Interesting. G5516 refers you to G4742 in order to find out about the "obsolete letter"....

The Greek word for G4742 is στίγμα, or simply Stigma. The definition for G4742: from a primary stizo (to “stick”, i.e. prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership).

Gee, that's interesting.... "A mark incised or punched". They left out, "into the skin"!

So look... Right now, I'm not saying I figured anything out, other than the interesting relationship between G5516 and G4742 with what we actually think we know about "666".

So I did a little bit more poking, and decided to do a small bit of research on Revelation 13:16 which describes one of the things the Antichrist will do...

Revelation 13:16 - He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads...

So now I decided to look up that verse in the Interlinear and what I saw next really shocked me...

The word for "mark", is Strongs # 5480 which is: charagma, which means, a scratch or etching, a carve-effect or emblem (as a badge of servitude).

AMAZING!

666 refers us to, "a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership)"

mark refers us to, "a carve-effect or emblem (as a badge of servitude)"

Isn't it awesome how God always chooses the perfect words to describe everything? Every time I see someone say that the Bible has errors or inconsistencies or contradictions or even that it was written by a bunch of old Rabbi's, I can't help but laugh a little bit and think to myself, "Yeah, a bunch of old Rabbi's got together and crafted the most perfect document ever written AND accidentally wrote in hundreds of Prophesies (most of which have come true already!)

Isn't our Lord awesome?!

Preaching at the Pub?

Something really wonderful happened last night and I felt like sharing it...

As many of you know, I just finished writing a book and I'm in the process of working with marketing people and a publicist and one of the things I'm doing is giving out 50 signed copies of the book to close friends, family and other people who may be in a position to assist me in doing the Lord's work.

I have a friend, who just a few short years ago was a youth Pastor. Today, he has fallen away and as a result, spends most of his life dealing with tribulation. He can quote Scripture and you can tell that he really loves the Lord, he just can't seem to "walk the walk" so instead of seeming like a hypocrite, he has tried to remove himself from God's sight. (you and I know he can't do that, but that's not the story...)

This friend of mine also happens to be a big drinker. He goes to the pub every night and averages about 15 beers every single day. Yes, WE know he has a drinking problem and I think deep down inside he knows he has one too. The only problem, is that he's in denial and he's dug his heels in good.

Well, I've had his copy of the book sitting on my desk now for about 2 weeks, but our schedules don't seem to mesh lately. Even when I cancel plans to be where he is, somehow his plans get changed and we keep missing each other.

Last night, I asked God, "Lord, he really needs to read this book and I know that the only place I can meet with him, where I know for certain that he'll be, is the Pub. Should I go to him there?" Of course God didn't waste any time and told me I should, so I did.

I get there and he's sooooo happy to see me. It was like he hadn't seen me in years! He asked me what I was doing there and I told him that I had a small gift for him. I handed him the book and he started to weep. You see, he knew that I had been writing the book. In the world that he associates himself with these days, everyone is always talking about what BIG things they're up to and nothing ever materializes. I suppose that when he heard about me writing the book, he forgot that I wasn't part of THAT world and he thought that I was just making stuff up too.

Early on in the book writing process, I had told him that he was one of the inspirations of the book, so handing him a copy of the finished book with a personalized message in it for him made him bust out in tears of joy. He jumped out and gave me a real, loving hug. The kind that men will rarely give another man. He proceeded to tell me how much it meant to him and proceeded to show it to everyone in the Pub telling them, "See this book? My friend over there wrote it and I was his inspiration!"

Of course now I'm sitting down with my head hanging a little bit low. Here I am, a member of the clergy, sitting in a bar and having someone who's on his 7th or 8th beer bragging about me AND the book.

So people started to come over, one by one asking me if I was really the author of the book and if I was really a Minister. I told them that I was and then the really drunk guy comes over and at the top of his lungs says, "HEY... You're a Pastor?" And I said yes. He then says, "HEY... What's a Minister doing in a bar?"

So I now have better than 90% of the people at the Pub looking INTO MY EYES and awaiting my answer. I looked back at them, and right into THEIR EYES and said, "Hey... Jesus himself spent time in bars with drunkards, prostitutes and tax collectors!" And they were like, "what??" And I said, "Sure... Think about it.... Jesus was trying to find people who needed him the most. Where would he find those people, IN CHURCH or at a bar?" Everyone was like, "WOW... YEAH... THAT'S SO TRUE... etc..."

What started out as a trip to quickly drop off a book turned into a FOUR HOUR impromptu Bible study! IN A BAR! I've never heard of anyone doing anything like this before and I can assure you, I certainly had NO INTENTION of staying more than a couple of minutes.

Right before I was leaving, the owner of the Pub came over to me and said, "Come back when you get your first shipment of books. I want you to sell them HERE!" I almost fell down!

What an amazing God we have! Can I get an Amen?

Question about "Sin" Answered

Q: "I hear it said all the time, that 'We, as Christians, will continue to sin until we get through the Gates of Heaven.' Where exactly is this found in the Bible? This concept is deniable and I have not been able to find any scripture to support that we "WILL" continue to sin. Please tell me the Biblical reference for this statement. Perhaps I am mistaken."

A: Sadly Brother, I see this question all too often. Most people love to read the Gospels and 1 Corinthians over and over again and don't spend a lot of study time on the rest of the Epistles. Paul goes on one of the most UNFORGETTABLE tirades about this exact issue in Romans.Romans 7:13-25 - Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God --- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

That should sum up the answer to your question...

PS: Even if your own dad said, "DON'T DO IT AGAIN!", isn't that the same as, "Go and sin no more"? How often do we disobey our parents even though we shouldn't. I think maybe you're reading into what Jesus said as a finite understanding as opposed to a logical understanding. Knowing we should "sin no more" and actually NOT sinning anymore is as far as the East is from the West. .

It's next to impossible not to sin! Think about this statement from Jesus: Matthew 12:36 - But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. We're going to have to account for every idle word? WOW!

Not sinning is what we all should strive for, but in the end, we have to be mighty thankful for the Blood of Christ!

Qur'an Burning

I've been meaning to post something about this, but I've found myself oddly without a Biblical position on this until now.

Think about it, Allah is the Pegan moon god (Satan). Their book is based on the ramblings of Mohammed the murder, whose parents were supposedly slain by Christians and who was supposedly oppressed by the Jews. The Koran is a book of death to anyone but those who worship their false god.

So the only real Biblical position one could take, is:

Matthew 5:43-48 - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

It's my opinion, that as a Pastor, he should NOT BE THE ONE LEADING THE CHARGE... If a member of his congregation did it, that would be one thing (still wrong though), but for the Pastor to be doing it himself, shows a thorough lack of discernment.

The book is DONE!

Not going to spend a lot of time on this right now, but I just wanted to let everyone know that as of today, the book is COMPLETED.

I'm going to be finalizing my choice of book manufacturer this month and I hope to have some pre-release copies available before the end of October.

Faith healing - Real or Bunk?

At the forefront of my mind are the words:

James 5:15 - And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

and

Mark 11:23-24 - For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

And while I never doubt that, I must say that until today, I never really gave much time or attention to faith healing.

Now I'm not talking about our brothers or sisters who make a living, supposedly healing people, I'm talking about asking and receiving.

Last night, I went to bed with my throat looking 99% like this:


During my prayer before bed, I actually did something I have never done before. After I was done doing all of my normal praying, I made a special request. I said, "Father, I never pray for myself, nor do I think that I'm worthy of Your ear, but I have a special request. If You really don't need for me to be sick, please lift this sickness from me. If You do need for me to be sick, then Your will be done."

I woke up this morning, and after being awake for about a half hour, I realized that my throat wasn't dry and scratchy anymore, so I went and got the flashlight and looked in the mirror and my throat pretty much looked just like this picture:


I love Him so much I could bust!

All the Glory to God!

This dog is smarter than most Americans...

Is the Sabbath day a day of "Worship"?

As we all know, "The Sabbath day" goes back to Genesis 2:2 - And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. This said that "He rested" on the 7th day. If I understand God's Words and don't read into them, this becomes a model for us. But allow me to continue.

Here, I believe Jesus gives us some valuable insight into the Sabbath, Mark 2:27-28 - And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." If I read these verses and don't read into them, that says that "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath". If the Sabbath was truly made for us and we truly were not made for the Sabbath, then the Sabbath day is NOT a day of worship AT ALL.

In my forthcoming book, I cover this topic and suffice it to say, "If God is indeed our Heavenly Father, don't you think that your Father would want to hear from you MORE THAN one day per week? Don't you think that your Father would want to spend a lot more time with you than for just one hour while you're in some building with a bunch of people? If you truly love your Father, you'd want to spend a lot more time with Him. Therefore, don't be concerned with, "which is the Sabbath?", because that's the day God created for you, so that you could rest. Be more concerned about how much time you spend with your Father, who we should be worshiping every day!" I go into a bit more detail in the book...

This is the way that The Holy Spirit has revealed this to me...
I hope that someone finds this useful...

Jesus to be made fun of on American TV?

I've been following this for about a week, it's gaining some momentum...

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1035054

Here's a snip:

Christian groups are rising up as a team to oppose a new Comedy Central program that denigrates Jesus.

The main character of the animated project is Jesus, who lives in New York and is intent on breaking ties with his "powerful but apathetic father."

Need I say more?

Emergent Church against the US National Anthem

If you want to know what's going on in the sick minds of these people, take a look here: http://www.jesusradicals.com/

While you're there, you can read about how they're trying to stop a local college from playing the US National Anthem. Yeah, apparently it, "glorifies war and violence"...

The division within Christianity is almost WORSE than the division among the rest of the world...

Jesus must be crying...