IS ANYONE POINTING A FINGER AT YOU?

We should not finger-point, unless we are using that finger to point out scripture. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"  2 Tim. 3:16-17.

Or, to point the way to salvation, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me" John 14:6.

UNITY OF THE CLIQUE?

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” Ephesians 4:1-6.

A WORD TO PREACHERS

(excerpt)
Eccles. 12:9-11- Our Record

The Word of God teaches that fitness is required in those that minister. One cannot read the letters of Paul without being impressed with the need of spiritual gifts to minister the Word of God. The ability of putting before others what is on our hearts grows with the using of the gift as the plowshare becomes brighter not by sitting idle but by making repeated furrows in the ground. But there can be no greater mistake than to suppose that the more one stands and talks on the platform the better he will get at a gift he doesn't have. It is very sad to see one that has a ready way of speaking occupying the time of a meeting for thirty to forty minutes with what could have been easily said in twenty minutes or less. Such a person confounds talking with ministering and natural talent with spiritual gift.

Meditation - He gave good heed - He pondered as the Revised Version has it in verse nine. Paul's word to Timothy comes to mind here when he told Timothy to meditate on these things. When the portion over which we are exercised as to ministering is pondered, its hidden beauties open up to our souls and prevents our preaching from being just a wilderness of words that tends to spiritual penury. Meditation is the great need of the present but in the rush and bustle of life it is being neglected; nor does it appear that conditions are likely to improve with those that entangle themselves with the world. Those who are in the greatest danger of neglecting meditation and prayer in regards to ministering to the Lords people are those who have a ready way of speaking - trusting to that fact and the fact that they have done so many times before with the result being that the spiritual minded realize that there is a lack of weight in what has been said. W.J. McClure, 1917-2007 
http://www.plymouthbrethren.org/article/4395

THE DECLINE of CHRISTIANITY?

[…I am obliged to say plainly, that I fail to see that all the external improvement of the last forty years, is accompanied by any corresponding growth of practical holiness! There is no decrease in the total idolatry of recreations, or the extravagant expenditure of money, or self-indulgence of all kinds. On the contrary, there is far less repentance, faith, holiness, Bible-reading, and family religion! If this state of things is not a most unhealthy symptom in the condition of a Church, I know not what is! …The leading idea of many minds in this day appears to be, that it does not signify much what a man believes or teaches about what are commonly considered the principal verities of the Christian faith. A wave of extravagant liberalism in religion, as well as in everything else, is sweeping over England. Concerning the Trinity, the Divinity of Christ, the atonement, the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, conversion, justification, the inspiration of Scripture, the future state, and the like—it seems to be agreed that men may believe as much or as little as they please, and nobody is to find fault. The only question you are to ask is, whether a man is 'earnest, sincere, and zealous,' and if he is, you are not to ask anything more. It is thought very narrow and illiberal to say that any opinion in religion is false, or that anybody is unsound in the faith. Distinct and positive statements about anything in Christianity are thought downright uncharitable. All the old dogmas are to be held back, and never to be put forward in a solid, tangible state—or to be put forward in such a foggy, misty manner that, like a half-developed photographic plate, they are never to come out distinct, sharp, and clear. I challenge anyone who observes closely the pulpit utterances of this day, or reads speeches which touch religion, to deny the accuracy of what I have just said.] ~ (J. C. Ryle, "The Outlook" 1886).

Written in 1886 and addressing the prior 40 years!
Has it gotten better, or worse?

CHRISTIANS AND POLITICS

I am prompted to write this because of a post I saw on another blog, the subject of which was something I have been thinking about for a long, long time. Politics! …the most sanctimonious, self-centered, self-serving, self-righteous, two-faced, backstabbing, anti-God goings-on in the world (in my opinion). I would hope to raise more questions than ire, but I believe the Bible speaks to this. The aforementioned blog essentially said that we should vote for Mike Huckabee because he is Christian. Now, I want to premise my thoughts by saying if God wanted Mike Huckabee to be President, all the professing “Christians” in the world could stay home on election day and Mike Huckabee WOULD be elected! Does any REAL Christian doubt that?

GRAMMAR IN THE BIBLE

Verbs, nouns, direct objects, adjectives, aorist Greek, present perfect tense, future progressive, ad nauseam. No, I am not going into any English grammar dissertation. But I do want to express a point with regard to our understanding.

If you are an uneducated person, as I am, (a relative thing, no offense intended), reading the Bible in the Greek language would be a hilarious exercise in futility. I appreciate the English language is difficult enough to understand, in any venue, but with regard to Bible reading, it is important to have a QUALITY translation (very important) that is easy to read (within reasonable consideration)… not JUST something that is easy to read. What do I mean by that? Suffice it to say that if you do not have a high enough standard of "quality" then you are probably "drinking in diluted milk"… if you're lucky.

JUDGE NOT?

"It is better to have eyes for beauty--than for blemish. It is better to be able to see the roses--than the thorns. It is better to have learned to look for things to commend in others--than for things to condemn. Of course, other people have faults--and we are not blind to them. But then, we have faults of our own--and this should make us charitable!" ~ J.R. Miller, 1894.

FORNICATION - WORD STUDY

Society has long accepted the definition of "fornication" as, "illicit" sexual intercourse. Illicit presumably referring to, "out of wedlock". However, we seem to have come to a point (not recently) where society now has done away with the term "illicit" and replaced it with "consenting." The Encarta ® World English Dictionary now defines fornication as, "consenting sex involving somebody unmarried: sexual intercourse between two consenting adults, who are not married to each other." It expands on the meaning in reference to the Bible to include, "sexual behavior considered immoral: in the Bible, sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married, or any form of sexual behavior considered to be immoral."

MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF obama

Should be official presidential portrait....

CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE

“…And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”  Acts 11:26
The word “Christian” may have intended to mean, those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, or it may mean those who ARE like Jesus the Christ. With the former, one would not necessarily be demonstrating what it is to live as a Christian. With the latter, there would be no doubt. If Jesus were physically among us (as then), I presume He would still be as controversial as He was. But, as with those who then heard His Word and understood His Gospel message, and were enlightened to Him being the Son of God, and saw His convicting example, so the world, too, today would recognize the example of a Christ-like life. The reality is that the responsibility of example falls on true believers. I do not say “the Christian community” because as a whole, ecumenism has messed things up. The world of Christianity today is just that…The World IN Christianity! It is a mortal compromise.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

The Chronicles of Narnia series is touted as a "Christian" story, declared to be so because there is a "gospel" message in it. The theme of Father/God sending or "offering" Savior/Son is very prevalent in the media arts. Some of the more recent novels and movies with "messianic messages" include SUPERMAN, STAR WARS, MATRIX, THE GREEN MILE, even BAMBI.

UN-BELIEF AND FALSE BELIEFS

There is a sin of unbelief.
Paul, speaking to the Jews in Heb. 3:12 said, "Take heed, brethren (Jews), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God". It is indeed an evil heart which refuses the Truth and Promises of God.

ALL WE NEED IS LOVE

I would like for us to read some verses having to do with Love…

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" Deut. 6:5

"And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself" Matt. 22:39

"Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" Rom. 13:10

"But You have, in love for my soul, delivered it from the pit of corruption, for You have cast all my sins behind your back" Isaiah 38:17

"For God so loved the world (kosmos), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16