The Love of God was the action of sending his Son to die for our sins. It was not done to justify sin, it was to be transformed into Christ’s likeness.
Mark 13: 4-6
4) Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? 5) And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
October 3, 1864
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Abraham Lincoln
By the President:
William H. Seward. Secretary of State
Transcript of President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation from the National Archives, October 3, 1864
As someone who was born with severe dyslexia and was hyperactive, I struggled with formal academia and always had a hard time with testing, depending upon who was teaching.
Sometimes I would be at the head of the class, and other times completely bomb out!
To complicate matters for me, I had the highest intelligence rating of all my siblings, yet did poorly in the public schools to include my SAT testing at the time, so I worked in manual labor instead of attending college. My parents were overly concerned, and overly protective, in that they tended to suffocate and suppress me as a person well into my 30s!
As a result, my confidence and self-esteem were severely damaged! My social skills also suffered being made to feel like some sort of mental defective; when in truth, I was not! I can recall after my time in the Coast Guard meeting a young lady at the Maritime Museum wanting to go out with me, she was lovely and was also a Bio-Chemist, but I was so very intimidated and conditioned to see myself as a barely functional fool, that I froze at the opportunity, expecting a deep rejection. The older men who tried to encourage me simply thought me nuts!
About that same time a “senior aid” came on board, he was an alcoholic to some degree and not as capable as I was in understanding shipboard maintenance nor mechanical engineering, but he was much older than me, and I could plainly see was after my job and wanting to make me subservient to him. This really burned me up, and he even tried using physical violence in an effort to get me to submit! Yet I was having no part in it, besides, I was in my prime, and he was an old man,
What he did do, was to try and undermine me on every level despite his ignorance of shipboard maintenance. As an example, I had set up a professional painter’s brush, roller, and cleaning station within the paint locker. The brushes and rollers were suspended above the paint thinner in which they were cleaned, and the unit was sealed and self-contained. Prior to all this, these brushes simply sat in old coffee cans with thinner scattered around the ship. The City Painters were the ones who showed me where to order the cleaning equipment. Then my detractor went to the ship’s Captain saying “I had a fire hazard”, so I had to abandon my cleaning system, and go back to the real fire hazard of having open cans lying around the paint locker! Excuse me for saying that my detractor was a black man and the spineless leadership at the museum was white, fearing political ramifications if they simply dismissed his unfounded rants against my job performance. It was not racially motivated (as I was accused of), it was simply that I often didn’t agree with the man and found it hard to even like him!
This continual undermining I experienced has made me very defensive while attempting to maintain my hard-fought status in the world. This “luggage” which everyone carries to some degree, eats at my guts when I feel it’s happening again to me! There will always be someone who is more capable and more groomed than you, but the trick is to accept who you are within the competition and continue to simply move forward; without getting oneself into knots about others!
The world is not a fair place, and social politics concerning others will always be there to rush in and fill the void, Today misplaced “victimhood” based on social status, ethnicity, and opportunity are assessed by those at the top (lawyers): “is but an illusion” to try and make the world a fair place! But the real issue is that you will never displace those who are in powerful positions, you will only serve to create more disadvantage to those who struggle more than yourself!
Excuse me for saying, but “chit rolls downhill”, and if you are raised up to a level beyond what you merit, you have been falsely raised to a power position, even on the backs of the less fortunate than yourself! This all happens despite what race of people you may belong to; and is a trick that “race-baiting – class warfare” politicians use, in an effort to maintain power and control over others, which they claim to be helping! So be not deceived by people who are concerned with helping no one but themselves!
I am guilty myself of being self-absorbed, and of course, it is not deliberate but rather to various extents part of all our natures.
I personally think that Religious self-absorption is the most hideous! The reason for this is that it focuses our attention on particular doctrines and personally held beliefs; that is not usually Biblical, or in some cases what might be called “extra-Biblical”, which is also unbiblical.
How does one discover how far off they might be? The answer is found in the Holy Spirit, the ultimate teacher! At this point, many will stop reading as it sounds like an oversimplification of finding the truth. But in fact, it is the only way to come into a knowledge of the truth!
I have studied my Bible for over 40 years, within the time frame I have been taught what I call extra-Biblical teachings, and like I said, they are not Biblical and oftentimes off balance. This is what so-called cults do, they use the scripture and customize them to their particular stick.
It is very important to have “good” Bible teachers. Even from the time of the Apostle Paul, many ministers struggled to have teaching explained within the proper contexts. Nowadays are certainly no exception! Many well intention people (and institutions) preach questionable doctrines as being from Christ, these are the ones Jesus referenced in Matthew 24:5,KJV: “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.”
Jesus is speaking about false teachings “particularly” in the “end days” – and not just people claiming to be the Messiah or Savior! This passage describes a spiritual delusion, not just an intellectual one. All glory belongs to Christ the Lord, and not the teachers in other words. Ask yourself, how many have claimed to hold the truth, yet have deceived many?
It takes the Lord time to show us the places that we lack understanding, and I have found that one of the biggest obstetrical in my life has been well-meaning, yet deceived people themselves! This is why we must trust in the Lord, and lean not to our own understanding! That brings me to the point of walking by faith, and not by sight. It is too easy to be instructed by others “the way”, but ultimately we must discover this for ourselves. I am not speaking about some type of pluralistic philosophy based on relativism, I am speaking about being led of the Lord into all Biblical truths!
I have found that the first thing that must go is my introspective self adsorption to leaning to my own understanding. Only then is it possible for the Lord to show us himself and his absolute designing of the events and perceptions we may often misread?
Again, this is a very personal thing that all true believers need to yield to in our lives, as the Lord will not force His will upon anyone! This is not about rigid religious customs, ceremonies, or scriptural dogma, it is about yielding ourselves to Christ!
The problem is that many false teachers walk around today wanting people to follow them. Yet we must not; as that place of spiritual understanding and reproof belongs only to the Lord alone! Yes, there is correction and reproof from Elders in the church, but even being put out of the body, is so that ultimately the Lord will show us what we need to learn! That’s the only way anyone can truly learn anyway, as it’s our spiritual condition the Lord is concerned with, not our doctrine per say.
I once had a brother tell me that he could not teach me any more of the Lord. That was one of the most liberating moments in my life, although I didn’t realize it at the time. This was a painful point in my life, that the brother was removed I had known so well, however, it was so that the Lord himself could show me even greater truths; and by no small part in using even more mature brethren to help me grow in my understanding!
We used to say in street ministry, “don’t put God in a box – he won’t be able to teach you anything!” This holds particularly true concerning bad Bible teachings from people and institutions!
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Just over a year after returning home from active duty at Ft. Bragg, NC. And just joining back up with my old unit, I suffered a massive heart attack which I was not expected to survive. However, Jesus my Lord lay shoulder to shoulder against me on that day of 02/06/2005, at the very moment my heart stopped beating!
Do you know Jesus? Without him, only deep loneliness and darkness would have occurred to me at that moment; and perhaps maybe I wouldn’t have had a second chance at life?
The Bible tells us, that without Christ we all would be doomed to hell upon our deaths! This great love of our heavenly Father was in sending his only-begotten son to die on a cross in our behalves!
Don’t be foolish if you have not personally come to Christ, as I am speaking about an eternity apart from such great love with everlasting suffering in a lake of fire, with Satan and all his demons!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus was next to me when my heart stopped!
* Click on picture to see larger image.
Always be careful to not put yourself above others. This has always plagued mankind throughout history!
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Long videos don’t upload too well for me, it starts with 8 levels of whiteness on, and for selfish reasons, I wanted to post my call at 9:40 in. I’m hoping Will won’t mind…(2/19/2021) The subject is: “If you could ask every American you would find out that 90% wish Pres. Trump was still there. What was done to America will go down in history as a dark time for the country.”
I called into Unite America First at 9:40 to encourage Will that can never leave you nor forsake you! There is no place our consciences can go to get away from Christ, (even in death) to be separated from Him, once we indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. Anyone who doesn’t understand this truth as written in 2 Corinthians 5 in the Bible, has a limited understanding of the scriptures taken in contexts; and my Near Death Experience is proof of it – “even if one were raised from the dead, they still won’t believe”!
The full video is on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PigMBWoYsBc
In its purist form, we have no power over sin – unless we “allow” God to intervein in our behalf!
The natural mind understands NOT the things of God…
The elect, providence, the cross, running the good race, saved from sin, eternal life, regeneration, sanctification, Holiness, redemption, leaven (puffed up) and the contexts of sound doctrine cannot be completely understood by the natural mind alone. Rather it is by “Faith Alone” through the atoning blood of Christ that we are made complete.
If we attempt to grasp our faith in Christ by intellect alone, we will become frustrated in discovering we have no power over sin! Yet, more often than not many believe they play apart in their redemption – and eternal security by works; and yet works without faith is dead!
It has been my experience that Salvation is in “quantum mechanics” or a Spiritual issue, (as it is conceived in the mind of God) and therefore has no beginning and no end, so it cannot be grasped through our natural understanding of the scriptures alone, but only by faith which also is spiritual and God inspired.
I believe Paul understood this, and is why he preached Christ, and Christ Crucified “alone” then instructed the brethren to move in faith beyond what is elementary.
Yet men still contend and are content to argue the essence of what Christ has already accomplished at Calvary! In my opinion, this is because men refuse to try and fathom the infinite love and mercy by grace our heavenly father has given to all who would believe on the only-begotten son of the living God, who suffered on a cross and given as a ransom for all who would put their faith in him.
Salvation seems to be a never-ending argument (like many others) in using men who founded many different “denominational” positions and beliefs’. Often the later imperfect founders are scrutinized for their brutality in pushing their beliefs on others, “and rightly so”. Yet this does not negate nor diminish the power of the Gospel in any way shape or form!
By FAITH, we are saved by GRACE, and not of ourselves, that any man may boast.
We are Bridesmaids and are to remain FAITHFUL, not out of fear but because of our love for Christ. Are they’re those who will be lost: absolutely – but not because of their human efforts, it is simply because they would not remain faithful to Christ – and Christ alone for salvation. This boils down to the heart, not dogma nor our personal failings, but rather our love for the Bridegroom. Which is all based in God inspired faith, not religious works of the flesh.
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Is a tool of Satan in manipulating our emotions to carry a burden around that we need not be carrying. So, we seek relief by trying to atone for it! Yet the Bible teaches that we are only accountable for our own sins alone before the Lord, and that Christ shed his blood for the sinner that we might be set free! If we confess OUR SINS, he is faithful and just to forgive us, as we are redeemed by the atonement on the cross alone, and not of our own efforts!
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Who will be on top? That is the consistent question I have experienced with every human being within my life, and it is a carnal need to reign over others.
From sibling rivalries to the workplace, from the job site to the pulpit, from ethnic groups to politicians, it always the same power struggle – especially in an election year.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
People used to be a little more gracious and even respectful of their fellow man and (woman). Children used to look up to older and wiser people – even the elderly… but not so much nowadays.
The content of one’s character used to make the difference; and it was not just in hollow words, but rather in action. As a whole, most people who merited a position – as a doctor for example, had to pay the price of hard work and study to rise to the top of their professions, and they could not skip corners while doing so.
Once you start compromising with meriting a position for the appeasement of others – you have just destroyed the integrity of that position earned. I was a marine engineer, so I will start first with the field which I am most familiar with.
I started off learning to be a sailor, I was taught the ropes by my father. As a teenager I experienced a hurricane while at anchor in a cove of my family’s sailboat. The hurricane force winds picked up a two-man lifeboat tied on back and used it just like a kite above us. I tried to pull it back down, but my Dad just grabbed he knife and cut the line, sending it rolling over the water like a tire rolling downhill! When we got back into port the next day boats from marinas were beached and crushed in all fashions, I am sure costing the owners millions of dollars.
My point is, I had to learn how to be a sailor first by experience and then by some more formal training I learned later in the Coast Guard. I bounced back and forth from my shipboard positions from a boatswain’s position to an engineer. Each time I learned more and more what I was doing and became more proficient at whatever it was I focused upon.
What really started to annoy me after my time in the Coast Guard was human politics. I often think about the (liberal) leadership of the men who hired me at the Maritime Museum, they loved my work as it made them look good to others; their vessels being well painted polished and most importantly functional. Then came the social programs, senior aids set up by the City, youth training and work for the more unfortunate high school students.
For the most part this was fine with me, and I was able to develop some deep friendships in generally guiding people in different tasks of deck maintenance, and an understanding of basic shipboard piping systems and machinery.
One day an old inland buoy tender took on some water rather quickly; I grabbed Patrick who was a rather big kid, and he helped me haul dewatering pumps to the scene, and running the equipment as I frantically resealed the seems leaking between the planks!
Patrick and I were very satisfied with what we had achieved in saving the old boat from sinking! But then came in the “Who’s going to be on top” political posturing; I couldn’t believe the results when the museum supervisors returned the next morning. It turns out there was a big scene made on the pier in front of patrons of jumping up and down by the woman who took care of cleaning inboard. It seems in my rush to grab Patrick to dewater the boat, that he was sorely missed in his deck swabbing routine!
I was called to the office; it seems they wanted me to apologize for saving our little inland buoy tender from sinking! First it was the museum director which I explained I simply had no choice but to act immediately to save the boat. I thought it was settled; until the assistant director called me into his office. I told him the same story I told the director; but tears soon fell from my coworker _ and I was told “now, now, look what you made her do”!
The next problem of “who going to be on top” was from an older man, a veteran of WW2 in Saipan. Our relationship started off well enough, but he was a very proud man who knew little about seamanship, engineering or maintenance, in which I was instructed to perform years prior to the gentleman showing up on site. Incidentally, the old inland buoy tender later sank at the pier – as I was pulled off from taking responsibility for it!
I don’t wish to get too personal, but he liked to drink; I guess like many an old veteran who have seen the horrors of war. But all I knew at the time was that he wanted my position aboard ship. I showed up two hours earlier and left two hours later than the rest. But I didn’t mind, I needed the job, and loved the old ships, and never had challenged the wisdom of my supervisors. I was still young strong and dumb – as far as what I was forced to do, and sometimes beyond safety standards of the day (like going up in the rigging without a safety harness), yet I did what I was told to do in my 20’s. One day I had to organize a paint party aloft (on a raft) in painting the side of our submarine. The problem was I had a student who refused to out on a life jacket, so I let him board our raft without it. That was a big mistake, yet nothing was said and we went to painting. If memory serves me correctly, the raft hit a wake from a power boat. The big kid suited up in work coverall fell overboard; and to make matters worse, I soon discovered he could not swim!
I knew enough not to jump in after him, (for fear he would pull me under with him) so I grasped for him as he surfaced for air. It was only upon the second try that I was able to grab him as I knew where he would surface the second time!
I pulled him aboard the raft, and we secured operations. The good Lord was with us that day, for if the teen had drowned, well I’m not sure what would have happened to me or the supervisors of the museum. I can tell you one thing however: they were not happy that OSHA was called in the next day! The Captain was hit with the safety violations that were consistently overlooked, and as the inspectors exclaimed; we have heard it all before, “I’ve sailed the Seven Seas” nonsense!
It only got worse for me, the senior aid who lived aboard was given charge over me; I resented how he sharp-shot all that I did, and I was even asked by him “what project I was going to do the next day”, then he started the job himself to purposely undermine me. One day I was told to go do a job by the old soldier, and I did it. When I got back, he asked me if I had any questions? I said, Yes, why couldn’t you have done that job? With that he picked up a wooden chair and came after me; nothing happened to him, but I was told to wear my hard hat! Real funny hu? Have I mentioned all the workforce was Black besides myself, it shouldn’t make any difference, but it enevidably did. The next day the senior aid (who was not even a City Employee) was made the work supervisor, he started ranting and raving about his perceived racism on my part. I think, it was simply a case of me not liking (the stunts that he pulled on me at every opportunity to aggrandise himself). So we all just sat and listened to our new boss of the job, as I looked over to another black man who I worked with quite frequently.
The Captain came down the ladder and was terribly angry that no work was being done. Then he immediately was told by the senior aid that I was a racist; then my coworker spoke up (who was also a senior aid) exclaiming – “Captain, I never had a problem with Roland”! He saved my job that day, and I am most grateful to the man who stood up for my character when I most needed him! Sometimes perception is everything, but it may not be the truth – but only a perception. Racism has always been a problem with humanity, just take World War Two as an example, it was filled with racism on all sides.
Unfortunately, it is inherent in the hearts of fallen man, and has always been divisive. And like any noble undertaking, it takes work within individuals of all ethnic groups and cultures to overcome. No one despite their “virtue signaling” is above falling victim to this condition, if for no other reason than growing up in a specific culture, or perhaps just insensitivity towards others; which is often the result of youth. Politicians use it to swing votes, tyrants use it as a mien to sow discord and cause political uprisings, and all for that same old reason — WHO WILL BE ON TOP.
I was a trained Equal Opportunity Representative to the Commander while in the Army, we were taught when cultures collide, people divide. I was chosen (I believe) as a favor from our Black First Sergeant, in a predominantly African American unit. He understood my character and he also understood the stress soldiers would have, some of which would use racism as an excuse to get out of being disciplined for shirking from their responsibilities. I later became a Chaplain’s Assistant which also required Equal Opportunity training.
The Bible teaches that Nation is translated ETHOS (in the Greek) and is where we get the term Ethnic Group from. In Matthew 24:7 “For Nation will rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers’ places” – [9] Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. prior to the return of the Lord.
In the end of days the Bible speaks about wickedness and lawlessness, perhaps this “New World Order” championed amongst many politicians who are pushing for this (“new world orders leader”) – who will eventually pose as God before the end of the age?
This is what Satan has always wanted; to be GOD upon the earth, and I suspect he will soon be getting his wish – at least for a short time, prior to 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Peace on earth, Good will towards men – from another fallible human being…
When one sees themselves as alway in the right, the need to forgive and love others as yourself fades away, this is commonly referred to as legalism! Matthew 24:12 speaks to this, and why folks have no more use for others!
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The Righteous Live by FAITH – Not by sight. In other words, what you believe does not affect the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit within you. Remember, we are God’s work, and not our own, once we have been sealed for the day of redemption!
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Oswald Chambers teaches on his April 7th devotional the following quote…
As the disciples were commanded, you should also say nothing until the Son of Man has risen in you— until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you truly understand what He taught while here on earth. When you grow and develop the right condition inwardly, the words Jesus spoke become so clear that you are amazed you did not grasp them before. In fact, you were not able to understand them before because you had not yet developed the proper spiritual condition to deal with them.
Our Lord doesn’t hide these things from us, but we are not prepared to receive them until we are in the right condition in our spiritual life. Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). We must have a oneness with His risen life before we are prepared to bear any particular truth from Him. Do we really know anything about the indwelling of the risen life of Jesus? The evidence that we do is that His Word is becoming understandable to us. God cannot reveal anything to us if we don’t have His Spirit. And our own unyielding and headstrong opinions will effectively prevent God from revealing anything to us. But our insensible thinking will end immediately once His resurrection life has its way with us.
“…tell no one….” But so many people do tell what they saw on the Mount of Transfiguration— their mountaintop experience. They have seen a vision and they testify to it, but there is no connection between what they say and how they live. Their lives don’t add up because the Son of Man has not yet risen in them. How long will it be before His resurrection life is formed and evident in you and in me?
It is headstrong and hypocritical to say that; others use the Bible to teach what they want, yet you yourself do the very same thing! (Romans 2:1-5)
How tragic to think that you are so spiritually spot on in your understanding, that you simply discard the discernment of others who have tried to share with you.
It is frustrating and almost laughable when we see a Bible study leader who “thinks” that they are so “very exclusively sanctified” in Christ; that no one else can move their heart towards seeing God move, beyond anything bigger than their own Cognitive Dissonance!
This is not Spirituality at all, but simply stubbornness and bull headed when even the closest of brethren are powerless to help, until one repents from such a comfortable yet prideful position of the mind, the one who is so blinded in their own conceits! (Proverbs 26:12), (Romans 12:16)
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It’s a good thing that I don’t make my videos to receive a thumbs up! Plato said: “No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth” … And Plato did not even know Jesus Christ! Yet it is the fallen human condition which Plato recognized.
The pollens now out, and I’m dealing with my Sinusitis – oh, what I would give to be a smooth talker!
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All of those who have been indwelt by the Holy Ghost and sealed for the day of redemption need to understand that NO man is saved of their own efforts, while being sanctified in Christ – by Grace (alone).
Anyone who condemns their brother or sister in whom the Lord has started a work within, also condemns the Holy Spirit’s work of Christ within others.
Satan is the only one in the scriptures who is called “the accuser of the brethren” so it is important we understand NOT to be taken in by such teachings!
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I dedicate this video to a “diamond in the rough” old waterman I knew,
who never compared himself to others.
We would often speak about the Lord while fishing.
See you again my brother!
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Cognitive Dissonance or Gobbledygook … Do we really Seek the Lord in all things? Do we go to Him when we don’t understand his way in our lives? Or are we content within our own conceits, biases, concepts, and dogmas? Most people will choose the ladder, and it takes great humility to seek the Lord, so that he can show us his greater will in our lives, and understanding by faith. This issue here is our hearts, and not just our understanding between our ears, Amen?
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As, Christ will never leave us nor forsake us! A dear brother I knew once told me NOT to follow a “prescriptive religion” about Christ, but rather Christ himself. Absolutely correct, yet we must be aware that oftentimes our perceptions of who Christ is to us, and the workings of the Holy Spirit within us, are understood in the light of scripture, instead of just our “perceptions” as we grow.
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Like little children, we are powerless, handicapped and disabled to enter in with Christ within our human (or natural) abilities.
Rather, we are totally dependent in faith on the love grace and mercy of our heavenly Father, who provided his Son Jesus in our behalves!
Without Salvation by Grace alone in what Christ has done, we are powerless to enter into the kingdom of heaven by simple childlike faith. This is why many will be gathered up and cast into the fire to be burnt, as they had not believed upon the only name which we might be saved; Jesus Christ.
Filed under A wicked world, Age of Delusion, Bible, Continual Grace towards Sanctification, Deception, Disciples of Jesus Christ., Evangelism, False Brethren & ant-Christ's, False Church, False Teachings, Holy Spirit, Lordship Salvation, Lost - Found & the Wicket, Pride, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Spiritual - not natural understanding
You have heard it said that “one man’s cult is another man’s religion”… This is only true to the natural mind; however, the Bible teaches in Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
Our relationship with the Lord is key, as in Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”. This is not “necessarily” speaking about fleshly desires of the heart, rather it is speaking about being shown the infinite mercy, love, and truth in being grounded in the Lord, and sometimes in receiving what we desire.
This is a spiritual condition which only the Lord can show us, (often in doctrines) and is not found in the futility of our natural understanding.
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Proper understanding of the Holy Spirit’s attributes; is the critical part of being able to “discern the spirits” accurately. Without understanding the Holy Spirits attributes correctly – as given to us within scriptures, we have handicapped our discernment.
Jesus said: The greatest of all the Commandments is to love God first, then others as yourself. This is the first step in discerning the Holy Spirit from false teachings about the Holy Spirit. This first commandment covers a multitude of other commandments, to include the proper discernment when dealing with others.
I struggle to make this point in my video, we must have a balanced understanding of who the Lord is, and how the Holy Spirit functions. If we are ignorant of this proper relationship between men and God, we are at a much greater risk of being deceived by a “silver tongued Devil” which deceives many!
Below I have pasted some verses in helping others understanding with the identifying attributes of the Holy Spirit.
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In this video, I’m attempting to contrast the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit” with our natural tendencies, in missing key factors when making proper judgments concerning others. We must be careful we haven’t overlooked our own fallibility when identifying the Holy Spirit within others.
Galatians 5:22-23 with Hebrews 12:15
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Believers are commanded of God, to love Him and to love others as ourselves; as disciples in promoting the Gospel. Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for our redemption from sin.
The Bible does not say that we should add to – nor take from the basic tenants of the faith, but to simply move forward by faith in what Christ has accomplished in our behalves. You know what’s really disturbing to me, I was once accepted on this YouTube channel, when my viewpoints of the Lord working in my life was from an Armenian viewpoint. I gained allot of followers who were very supportive of me and quick to hear what I had to say!
Many had said that I had more experiences of God than anyone they had known… But now, many look at me as an Apostate, although a very large portion of the body of Christ confirms my theological position on salvation!
It seems to me that many are unwilling to be moved in their beliefs about the Lord’s workings, as it does not fit into one “particular” framework of theology!
I have said before that you cannot put God in a theological box, as he won’t be able to show you anything more within your Christian life, and I am not speaking about going outside of Biblical texts!
It is simply tragic to me that there are so many who will not be moved from a dogmatic positioning as disciples – who should be willing to learn (more) from actual brethren even if they may disagree with some viewpoints “scripturally” from others.
A balance in one’s understanding is greatly needed in using the Bible for reproof and correction concerning other believers. An Arminian viewpoint is fine if that is where one’s convictions lie. Also, a Reformed viewpoint of the scriptures falls well inside of these two different viewpoints scripturally.
Yet many problems arise when we take our personal convictions and overstep what the scriptures teach (or don’t teach) within the confines of our understanding. So, do we condemn our brother for seeking out the Lord in greater sanctification? Of course we wouldn’t, at least not knowingly!
But if we take our personal convictions to an extreme (known as dogma) this greatly reduces our ability to see beyond ourselves and love our brother as we love ourselves; one of the most relevant teachings of Jesus.
Perfect love casts out fear (God’s love). So, to me, fear is the greatest single dividing factor within the body of Christ! The greatest fear being walking away from the Lord as an apostate! This fear, is why the extreme religious viewpoint of Lordship Salvation is so destructive within the body of believers!
It drives a demonic wedge between brethren in creating judgmentalism, legalism, and even hatred of others, be they actual believers, family, friends as well as foe.
This is exactly contrary to the principles we are COMMANDED by Jesus to follow as believers! Religious pride like the Pharisees of old is what this type of thinking produces! And there can be NO room for it as a follower of Christ.
I have even heard my words twisted in this regard, in saying that it is human Pride and Rebellion to NOT follow Christ within the confines of such a rigid legalism as that of Lordship Salvation!
Like I said, Armenian conviction is fine, provided it does not condemn other brethren who may not see their walk with the Lord in the same way. And Reformed (Calvinist) convictions are also fine, as long as we don’t pe-judge others away from the cross of Christ. Even a “Cal-menian” viewpoint is not outside a Biblical viewpoint when applying the scriptures, so we must be careful to discern between our own convictions and sound doctrine.
I do believe that Universalism is unscriptural, if simply for the fact that the lake of fire cannot be ignored in sound Biblical teaching. However, we should never condemn an individual to hell for lacking balance within their natural understanding. With that being said; neither should we allow any distorted view to be “taught” outside the realm of “so called orthodoxy”.
The bottom line is; Jesus Christ (the God-Man) the Son of the living God, was crucified dead and buried, ascended to the bows of the earth, and resurrected on the third day for the remission of sins.
That is the Gospel, and weather real (as given by the Holy Spirit) – or fabricated within the hearts of men, only God knows, and will judge the book of life.
THERE IS NO CONFUSION IN CHRIST!
Allot of people get very upset if you challenge their faith, (and I do too) but what is more important is the truth which is only found in the person of Jesus Christ. I have always gone to Jesus to teach me greater truths, and unlike theology; what Christ shows us stays with you always!
In this video I attempt to explain the difference in man showing you something, and the Lord showing you! It will always be scriptural; but true understanding is always spiritual; thus tying together other parts of the scriptures and creating greater understanding!
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