Good Times!!

Good Times!!
Featuring The Robbins

Saturday, April 30, 2016

For Christians and Whoever wants to Know the Truth

Awhile back Pastor Craig preached a message about Christians holding other Christians accountable for what is in the Bible. Non Christians should not be held accountable for those same standards. As a Christian you choose to live according to the Word of God so what is written there means more to you than someone who hasn’t chosen to live that way. 
I was raised in a family where most of my relatives and my friend’s dads were ministers, so the Bible has always been present in my life. I know we are taught not to judge, but to love and pray for those who do not choose to be Christians. And that is what I have done all of my life. I often have non-Christians challenge me on my beliefs and I only defend what the Bible says about what actions are called sins.
Let me be clear before anyone wants to cast stones. I do not claim to be a perfect Christian, one who never makes mistakes. I do sin, but I do know who my Savior is and I know that He forgives me of my sins, just as He does for anyone. 
There have been times in my life when I am so close in my walk with the Lord. Then there have been other times that I feel there is some distance between us. I do know though that even when I walked away He was never very far behind me. He promised never to leave me, nor forsake me. Even in my darkest hours and loneliest times God was right there waiting for me to reach out to Him. 
For the past few months, I have done pretty well considering that my mom just passed away in March. My father and sister just passing away a couple of years before and my mom ill since; there are a lot of things that have fallen into my lap to be responsible for. Well yesterday I had a very low day, like going thru a valley. Yet when I woke up this morning I felt inspired.
I woke up with a message on my heart. I believe that I have a battle cry God has placed on my heart to share with others. 
Here is the lesson some may have heard before and some not. If a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or be aware of threats that occur gradually. This is how satan works to destroy society and Christians. He slowly puts situations out there that might ruffle the feathers of some Christians about homosexuality and such. If Christians respond because it goes against our beliefs we are labeled as haters and persecuted for standing up for what we are taught from the Bible. 
Daily, Christians are being put up to the test if they would take a bullet, metaphorically, for Christ or not and many are failing. He laid down His life for us, why don’t we love Him enough to do the same for Him? Not one person on this earth can offer us eternal life, only God. So I choose God over everyone else. 
Mark 8:38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
Take the wool off of your eyes and do not fall for the tricks of the devil. He is evil and sly. No we can not always change the world, but we can start with our corner of it. People say if we boycott places because they have done something to offend our beliefs it won’t make a difference. I say yes it does! Money speaks volumes to a business and if enough people stop spending their money at a business it will fail. Just standing up for what you believe speaks volumes and actions can speak louder than words. God knows our hearts and anything we do to show our love to God and defend His Word is what truly matters. 
If I take a stranger into my home and he has lice I am going to help him get rid of that lice because I do not want to get lice. I can tell you that he doesn’t like to have lice either and he will be happy for me to help him get rid of it.
Same is the non-Christian that comes into the House of the Lord. They come in looking for relief from what is afflicting them. We as Christians are going to accept them and thru Christ help them get rid of their sin. 
A lot of Churches nowadays take in the sinner, but are afraid of offending them so they let them keep their lice, so the lice spreads and infects the Church. This is wrong. 
John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. 
Do not fall victim to he that is of this world. 
Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. 
This world was created by God and we were all put here with the intent to one day leave here and go be with Him in Heaven. First we have to want that. God gave us the choice to live according to the Word and choose Him and His Son to be our tour guide in this life here on earth. So when we choose to be a Christian we take on the commitment to have faith in the direction God leads us. Even if we stumble and get lost we need to take the initiative to get back on track with Him. He encourages us to help others find their way to Him so they also can be a part of His greater plan for their lives too. So we need to be praying for fellow Christians as they try to stay on track and for non-Christians to find their way to God. 
We need to defend the Word of God. That comes first. Even if it offends someone. When you do not stand up for what you believe then no one knows what you believe. 
I want the world to know that:
I believe that Christ is the Son of God. I believe in the Word of God. I will always choose God before Man. I believe that God created the world and He has prepared a place called Heaven for those that believe in Him and they will not perish, but will have eternal life!
Do not let the father of lies, satan keep you from the joy and peace that God can give you here on earth and in Heaven for eternity!