Slop or Salvation? Which will it be

Why do a lot of people claiming the title of "Christian" constantly try to see just how close to the line they can walk, what all they can still "get away with", and still "make it to Heaven"? Is there really that much audacity in the church?!

This is the same thing as a newlywed pushing his or her limits with their new husband/wife, by trying to see just how much contact they can still keep with their old boyfriend/girlfriend! "So, is it alright if I still go out on a casual date with them honey? What about an occasional kiss, would you be OK with that? Uh, honey, is it alright if I spend the night with him/her every once in awhile? I swear, I'll sleep on the couch!......" What do you think the new husband/wife would think about that?!

Do people realize how offensive and hurtful it is to GOD, for them to continually look back to what he supposedly saved them out of, and they want to hang around the pig pen fence, lean as far over it as they can and even breathe in deeply the stench? SOME even have the unmitigated gaul to think he's OK with them WILLFULLY jumping back over the fence and wallowing around in the slop he pulled them out of....but yet they still expect him to accept them right along with those who cling to him and want nothing to do with sin and rebellion- those who love him too much to WILLFULLY hurt him, although they do occasionally fall victim to temptation. 

The true children of God will occasionally wander over too close, and maybe get their feet muddy- but they will be repulsed by it, because GOD is repulsed by it- he cleanses and restores them, and they welcome it!  But there are some who love sinfulness so much, they continually run back to it, they want God to approve of it, they try to justify it by twisting his word- this is the sign of a heart that has NOT been changed, a spirit that is still dead in sin.  Are YOU repulsed by sin?  Do you hate the things you used to love?  Or are you trying to hold on to God with one hand and reach back to the pig pen with the other?

Obama has plans for YOUR children

‘We must educate our children to become like young Egyptian people’ - Barack Obama

The following is an excerpt from Egyptian School Textbooks....

Studies in Theology: Tradition and Morals,  Grade 11, (2001) pp. 291-92 … This noble [Qur'anic] Surah [Surat  Muhammad]… deals with questions of which the most important are as follows:  ‘Encouraging the faithful to perform jihad in God’s cause, to behead the  infidels, take them prisoner, break their power, and make their souls humble -  all that in a style which contains the highest examples of urging to fight. You  see that in His words: ‘When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield strike  off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly.  Then grant them their freedom or take a ransom from them, until war shall lay  down its burdens.’
Commentary on the Surahs of Muhammad,  Al-Fath, Al-Hujurat and Qaf, Grade 11, (2002) p. 9 … When you meet them  in order to fight [them], do not be seized by compassion [towards them] but  strike the[ir] necks powerfully. … Striking the neck means fighting, because  killing a person is often done by striking off his head. Thus, it has become an  expression for killing even if the fighter strikes him elsewhere. This  expression contains a harshness and emphasis that are not found in the word  ‘kill,’ because it describes killing in the ugliest manner, i.e., cutting the  neck and making the organ – the head of the body – fly off [the  body].

Teaching  Egyptian schoolchildren anti-infidel jihad hatred is clearly a long, ongoing,  and ignoble tradition even within the modern era.  As the scholar E.W.  Lane reported after several years of residence in both Cairo and Luxor  (initially in 1825-1828, then in 1833-1835).....

"I  am credibly informed that children in Egypt are often taught at school, a  regular set of curses to denounce upon the persons and property of Christians,  Jews, and all other unbelievers in the religion of Mohammad."

The following is (part of) a typical curse on non-Muslims, recited DAILY by Muslim schoolchildren:

"....O God, destroy the infidels and  polytheists, thine enemies, the enemies of the religion. O God, make their children orphans, and defile their abodes, and cause their feet to slip, and give them and their families, and their households and their women and their children and their relations by marriage and their brothers and their friends and their possessions and their race and their wealth and their lands as booty (reward) to the Muslims...."

The study of the jihad is part of the curriculum of all the Islamic  institutes. In the universities of Al-Azhar, Najaf, and Zaitoune, students are  still taught that the holy war is a binding prescriptive decree, pronounced  against the Infidels, which will only be revoked with the end of the world[.]  … The (Muslim) Prophet did in fact say … and his words have not expired: “I  came with the sword[.] … Jihad is engaged now and to the day when the last  handful of men of my nation will be called to fight the ‘Antichrist!”

The sacralized hatred inherent in jihad is still being  inculcated as part of the formal education of Muslim youth in Egypt, the most  populous Arab country, and throughout the Arab Muslim and larger non-Arab Muslim  world.

A PEACEFUL PEOPLE?

It is said of many Islam supporters (our president for one) that Muslims are, for the most part, a peaceful and loving people.  They say that the violence which has called the world's attention to Islam only represents a few extremist groups, and is NOT characteristic at all of true Islam.  Yet every Muslim, if at all devout, holds to the teachings of their "Holy Qur'an" (the exact term used by Barack Obama, when referring to the Muslim 'bible') without deviation.  They claim that a true follower of Islam is NOT taught to hate, to kill Christians, Jews, or others who do not worship Allah.  Here bellow are just a few passages taken directly out of the Koran that seem extremely contradictory to this false impression that America's sworn enemy wishes to portray, and dupe people into believing.  Remember, they believe, revere, and follow these teachings......


Surat Al-Baqarah

2:190-193 - Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.
And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers (in ALLAH).
And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Fight them until there is no more fitnah (persecution) and until worship is acknowledged to be for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.


Surat An-Nisā'

4:89-91 - They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah. But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper.
Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty or those who come to you, their hearts strained at [the prospect of] fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them.
You will find others who wish to obtain security from you and [to] obtain security from their people. Every time they are returned to [the influence of] disbelief, they fall back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them. And those - We have made for you against them a clear authorization.


Surat At-Tawbah
9:5 And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

9:29-36 - Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture - fight until they give the jizyah (taxes) willingly while they are humbled.
And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!
They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah , and also the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him.
They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah refuses except to perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.
It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah dislike it.
O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert them from the way of Allah . And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment. - (those who do not follow Allah)
The Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their flanks, and their backs, it will be said, "This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard."
Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve lunar months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous who fear Him.


Surat Muĥammad

47:4 - So when you meet those who disbelieve in battle, strike their necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either confer favor afterwards or ransom them until the war lays down its burdens. That is the command. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them Himself, but He ordered armed struggle to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the cause of Allah - never will He waste their deeds.

Rightfully dividing the Word of Truth

One of the things that is responsible for more damage in the body of Christ today is the twisting and mis-interpreting of scripture- and the teaching of it to others!  The Word itself instructs us to STUDY it for ourselves, so that we will correctly interpret, and teach it correctly (2 Timothy 2:15)

One of THE MOST commonly twisted and mis-interpreted, actually mis-QUOTED scriptures is 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

I have heard this scripture mis-quoted for years, even by some "seasoned veterans" of the Bible- just a few minutes ago, I saw it again in a Facebook re-post, by a world-wide known Pastor.

GOD NEVER SAID HE WOULD NOT GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU COULD BEAR.  This scripture has nothing to do with burdens, heartbreak, stress, or any other such thing.  This scripture is dealing with the issue of SIN, and the temptation to give in to it.  It is really quite self-explanatory.  What it is saying is, when we are tempted to sin, that temptation is something that many others have faced also:  and that there is no excuse for giving in to that temptation, because God has made a way of escape for each and every one of us, when we are faced with temptation.  We will not be able to stand before him and say "God!  It wasn't my fault!  The temptation was too great, and I couldn't resist (or, I couldn't bear it)!" 

Matthew 11: 29, and 1 Peter 5:7 tells us that the Lord wants us to come to him, for REST during the times of trial.  He will help us, He will strengthen us.  But if we expected him to immediately take every burden off of our shoulders the minute WE felt we couldn't handle it, we would never develop all the characteristics that trials develop in us!.....
 James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5
“Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you will be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
“We also rejoice in our suffering because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.”  

And then, the ultimate reward -James 1:2 ...."“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

Joel Osteen and the Mormon Church

by Pastor William Shifflett 

www.reasoningtreechurch.org

If you’re an Osteen fan please don’t read these words in a defensive posture or you will certainly miss the point. I’m not out to be overly critical of the man or his style of motivational speaking but as a shepherd I am supposed to warn the sheep and a recent event makes me more mindful of that responsibility and of the need to make some comments about Mr. Osteen.
My wife and I were watching a video about the marks of a cult which included a clip from Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace that was recorded in late  2007 as the presidential candidates were vying for the attention of the American public. Joel Osteen was the participant and he was asked by Chris Wallace whether he thought Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and a practicing Mormon, was a Christian. Joel’s response was “In my mind yes, he believes in Jesus Christ.”
Now I don’t know Mitt Romney but I do know that if he is a good Mormon then he cannot be a Christian. Let me defend myself again by saying this is not an unfair criticism of Joel Osteen, it is a recognition of how little Joel really knows about Christian faith and worldviews. For those who might be equally confused here are a few reminders of what Mormons believe.

• The Bible is only God’s Word if it is correctly translated, which means
  the way they say it should be translated. Anything which contradicts
  Mormonism is of course in their view wrong.
• Because the Bible is filled with error the gospel has been perverted and
  this is why Joseph Smith was given the Restoration of the Everlasting
  Gospel.
• Mormon doctrine says that Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers of God.
• Mormons believe The Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three separate and
  distinct gods. Thus they believe in polytheism, i.e. many gods.
• Mormons believe in eternal progression that men can and will become gods
  themselves. God the Father was once a man, he has a physical body as does
  his wife. Jesus was the offspring of physical union between God and Mary.
• Jesus’s death on the cross provides resurrection but not atonement for
  all sins. This must be done by works.

Does Mitt Romney believe in Jesus Christ? Certainly. But if he is a good Mormon it isn’t the Jesus of the Bible. Joel Osteen’s comments reveal his ignorance of Bible truth and provides but one more reason for discerning Christians to turn him off.

Money Transfer!!!

"Does the Bible teach the transfer of wealth from the wicked to the righteous?"

by:  Pastor William Shifflett
www.Swordpoints.org

This false but extremely popular teaching has absolutely no basis in Scripture. You may not know that in the New King James version the word transfer appears only in 2ND Samuel 3:10 in reference to the people giving the Kingdom of Saul to David. The word transferred appears only in 1ST Corinthians 4:6 where Paul is drawing an illustration between himself and Apollos. I have heard more than one teacher of this view say that “God says he is going to transfer the wealth of the wicked to the righteous” but obviously He must be using a different word. One of the key verses used in support of this doctrine comes from Proverbs 13:22 which says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” From this verse with a few other unrelated verses tossed in proponents argue that God is going to give the church this wealth in the last days. What can we say in response?

First consider the similarity between what this verse says and how Jesus approaches the concept of giving. Jesus says “lay up treasure for yourselves in heaven.” When we give we are storing up riches in heaven. But we won’t have access to those riches until we actually get to heaven. The wicked on the other hand are not setting aside for eternity and that is the contrast we should draw. In Luke 12 Jesus shares a parable that conveys this same idea. Those who are laying up treasure in heaven will benefit in the end. Those who are not will see all they have done pass out of their hands.

“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:16-22

The teaching rises from a fundamental flaw that argues that ALL Christians should be rich. It fails to take several other factors into consideration. First wealth is relative. Bill Gates is wealthy to me, but to a Haitian who makes about $90 per year I am Bill Gates. Second it fails to consider that only in America and other developed countries can the wealth we enjoy even be contemplated. The average daily wage on planet earth is $2.

Third and most serious is the absolute mishandling of Scripture to support the position. Larry Huch uses a passage of Scripture from James 5 to validate the claim that ALL Christians should be (not could be which I agree with wholeheartedly), should be rich. Yet James 2:5 says that God chose the poor to be rich in faith (not wealth). Jesus rebukes the Laodicean church which had come to such a place of financial strength that they lost the sense of their need for God. (Revelation 3.)

Finally Larry Huch himself says that this so called transfer of wealth happens when the Lord returns and not before. In speaking of the James 5 passage Huch says;
“Now it is extremely important that you understand what God is saying here, because this is the key to the end-time transfer of wealth. ‘The cries of the reapers [workers/laborers] have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.’ I think many times people mistakenly read this ‘The Lord of the Sabbath’ But the word is Sabaoth which means ‘leader of a great army or mass. In the very last days when the Lord comes for His glorious bride, who will be without spot or blemish, there will be no poverty or sickness. We will cry out to the Master Avenger, and He will take the wealth from the wicked, those who have kept it back wages by fraud, and put it into the hands of the righteous.” ( 10 Curses that Block the Blessing p.98 Bold emphasis mine)

I hope that you can see the contradiction. The whole purpose of Huch’s book is breaking curses including the one that is preventing your financial wealth. Yet in trying to bring this liberty he says it doesn’t happen until Jesus comes.

I could go on but not wishing to be redundant I will conclude with just one more striking question. If the prosperity teachers believe God is going to take the wealth of the wicked and give it to the righteous why do they keep asking the righteous for money????

WHOSE Conspiracy???

After much thought, I have come to a conclusion: I believe that one of satan's most powerful weapons today is conspiracy theories!  If you read enough of them, you will start to believe them- and the problem is, they all say something a little different!  They are one of the enemy's number one sources of CONFUSION. His favorite battle field is the human mind. Fear, paranoia, and (extreme) suspicion are very effective tools in his hand, and can make a person crazy~ don't fall into his trap! 

The Bible says "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" Isaiah 26:3

There's no harm in being alert, being informed.  In fact, the Bible also admonishes us to do that, all through the Gospels, Jesus warned us to WATCH, to BE AWARE, and Paul in his letters warned us to BE SOBER and VIGILANT..... there is a major difference however, in being "on our guard" and being a nervous paranoid wreck!  Think about a soldier- they MUST keep their wits about them in the heat of battle- if they fall apart and get hysterical, they are most assuredly a sitting duck for the enemy!  

I realize that we live in an evil world, and that wicked minded men are everywhere, especially within the circles of high authority and power positions.  I am sure that there is a LOT that goes on behind closed doors that we, the general public, do not know about- that's probably a good thing actually.  

It is easy to get caught up in searching out these stories and reports of intrigue, mystery, scandal, and top secret activities- the human mind is naturally curious of what is hidden.  But we are instructed by the word of God to not waste our time, because these are evil days we live in (Eph 5:16)  God wants us to be good stewards, of everything he's blessed us with, and that includes our time.  We can get so involved in this pursuit, we can easily start to neglect the whole purpose of our redemption- the rescuing of other lost souls in the grip of the enemy!  Also, we can neglect GOD, and communion with him- why he created us to begin with.  

These last days ARE evil, and they can be terrifying at times.  The Bible says in Luke 21:26 "Men’s hearts will fail them for fear and for looking upon those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."...... but 2 Timothy 1:7 says  "God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind".  It's high time that God's people realize who they belong to.... and discover, and LIVE DAILY in the 91st Psalm!

I'm reminded of a little chorus we used to sing:  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Philipians 4:8 - "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

What soes the Bible say about an out of body experience / astral projection"

"What does the Bible say about an out of body experience / astral projection?"
www.gotquestions.com
Information about the "out-of-body” experience is both vast and subjective. According to Wikipedia, one out of ten people claims to have had an out-of-body experience (OBE), and there are many different types of the experiences claimed. They range from involuntary out-of-body experiences or near-death experiences that happen after or during a trauma or accident, to what is called “astral projection" in which a person voluntarily tries to leave his/her body behind and ascend to a spiritual plane where he/she believes he/she will find truth and clarity.

A few famous Christians have had what might be called, in today’s world, an out-of-body experience, most notably the Apostle Paul. He says in 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, "I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." In the verses preceding this passage, Paul lists his "boasts" or the things that, if he were counting on works and good deeds to secure his salvation, would get him into heaven. Though he seems to be referring to a third party, scholars agree that he is speaking of himself in the third person. Therefore, he is including this apparent out-of-body experience in his list of boasts. The point he is making is that any revelation that comes from outside the Bible (extra-biblical revelation) is not a reliable source, and as Paul says, "There is nothing to be gained by it." This does not mean that his out-of-body experience wasn't real, only that he is not relying on it to give him truth or really to benefit himself or other people in any way.

An involuntary out-of-body experience or a near-death experience, like the Apostle Paul's, should be treated in the same way as a dream in the life of a Christian—an unexplained phenomenon that may make a good story, but does not give us truth. The only place we find absolute truth is in the Word of God. All other sources are merely subjective human accounts or interpretations based on what we can discover with our finite minds. The book of Revelation, or John's vision, is an exception to this, as are the prophecies or visions of the Old Testament prophets. In each of those cases, the prophets were told that this was a revelation from the Lord, and they should share what they had seen because it was directly from the mouth of God.

A voluntary out-of-body experience, or an “astral projection,” is a different story. A person trying to achieve an out-of-body experience in order to connect with spirits or the spirit world is practicing the occult. There are two forms of this. The first is called the “phasing” model, in which the person tries to find new spiritual truth by accessing a part of the mind that is "shut off" during everyday life. This practice is connected to Buddhism or postmodernism and the belief that enlightenment is achieved from looking within oneself. The other form, called the “mystical” model, is when the person tries to exit the body entirely, his/her spirit traveling to another plane that is not connected to the physical world at all.

The Bible explicitly warns against occult practice, or sorcery, in Galatians 5:19-20, saying that those who practice it will not inherit God's kingdom. God's commands are always for our good, and He commands us to stay far away from occult practices because there is great potential, when trying to access the spiritual world, of opening oneself up to demons who can tell us lies about God and confuse our minds. In Job 4:12-21, Eliphaz describes being visited by a lying spirit in a vision that tells him God does not regard humans and that He doesn't care for us, which is false! The phasing model is also futile, according to Scripture. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?" and 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 says, "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." It is futile to search for infinite wisdom inside the finite mind of man.

One concrete example of this comes from the popular book 90 Minutes in Heaven by Pastor Don Piper. Piper describes what is, in essence, an out-of-body experience he had after a severe car accident, during which he believes he died and went to heaven for ninety minutes. Whether or not Piper did actually see heaven or spend time there is debatable, and in the end nobody but God knows. However, there is a serious problem, theologically speaking, with the conclusion Pastor Piper draws from his experience. He tells the reader that, now that he has "been to heaven," he can speak comfort to grieving people at funerals "with more authority" than he could previously. Piper's motives are correct: he wants to give people hope. However, it is dead wrong to say that his own subjective experience will give him more authority to administer the hope of heaven than the perfect truth of Scripture would do.

In conclusion, whatever sort of out-of-body experience we are talking about, the main point to remember is that an out-of-body experience will give us neither truth nor knowledge. If an involuntary out-of-body experience occurs in the life of a Christian, the best approach would be to consider it in the same category as a dream—interesting, perhaps, but not a source of truth. Christians are to find truth only in the words of God, as Jesus prays in John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."

Recommended Resource: The Truth Behind Ghosts, Mediums, and Psychic Phenomena by Ron Rhodes.

"What does the Bible say about channeling?"

"What does the Bible say about channeling?"                                             www.gotquestions.org

The Bible is explicitly clear in its handling of channeling and contacting the dead. Scripture has a well-documented view of the practice of mediums, channeling, and fortune-telling. Leviticus 19:31 states: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them…”. Leviticus 20:6 says: “I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.” Deuteronomy 18:12 says that consulting mediums or channeling the dead is “detestable.” Clearly, God sees these practices as sinful and completely without benefit.

Saul, a powerful king of Israel, finally reached the end of his tragic fall away from God when he involved himself in channeling. Saul chose to seek answers from a medium when God didn’t provide him the answers he wanted. In 1 Samuel 28:6-20, Saul asks a psychic to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel. His grave error is mentioned later in Chronicles 10:13-14, which emphasizes that Saul’s involvement in it was wrong: “he [Saul] was unfaithful to the Lord, he did not keep the word of the Lord, and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord…”

As Christians, we ought to seek God’s answers to our questions. Praying or “channeling” any other being is idolatry. Praying to any dead person, including the Apostles, Mary, and so forth, is not so very different that holding a séance and asking a dead relative to help us. Most so-called mediums are actually frauds who use memory tricks, planted accomplices, and special effects to fool people. Those that are not frauds are cooperating with dangerous spiritual beings. Satan’s henchmen are adept at appearing as helpful spirits, making it easy for them to confuse and corrupt people who open themselves up through channeling.

Recommended Resource: Jesus Among Other gods by Ravi Zacharias.

THIS, but not THAT?!

Do you believe a TRUE born again believer should smoke crack?  NO???  Why not?  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it's a sin to smoke crack, does it?

Do you believe a TRUE born again believer should sniff glue/paint?  NO??? Why not? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it's a sin to huff, does it?

Do you believe a TRUE born again believer should snort coke?  NO???  Why not?  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it's a sin to snort coke, does it?

Do you believe a TRUE born again believer should do speed?  NO???  Why not?  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it's a sin to do speed, does it?

Do you believe a TRUE born again believer should smoke pot?  NO???  Why not?  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that it's a sin to smoke pot, does it?

The Bible doesn't mention any of these substances by name, does it?  But, common sense dictates that we as Christians (followers of CHRIST) should refrain from inhaling, injecting, snorting, or swallowing any of them- why?  Because they are harmful to brain cells and other bodily organs, they are mind-altering, they cause a person to do stupid and careless things which can result in serious injury or death (either to themselves or other innocent people), they are addicting which most times leads to financial ruin and the destruction of family and other relationships....  But, what if a person only occasionally engages in these, or other, drugs?  You know, just a little, maybe on the weekends, or after a hard day, just to relax and take the edge off?  Do you believe it's OK for a Christian then?  NO???  Why?  Because of the reasons I just mentioned?  Everybody knows Christians of ALL people shouldn't do drugs!  And, playing with a small match can lead to a raging forest fire, right?

Do YOU believe a TRUE born again believer should drink alcohol?  YES???  You DO?!  Ohhhh, cause, in the Bible, it says just a little is OK, as long as you don't get rip-roaring drunk, right???
So, according to the BIBLE, it's OK for a TRUE born again Christian believer to drink....just a little, maybe on the weekends, or after a hard day, just to relax and take the edge off?.....
Nothing wrong with enjoying a couple of margaritas at your favorite Mexican restaurant, right? Or, throwing back 3 or 4 cold ones with your friends at the Saturday BBQ, or "relaxing" with 2 or 3 glasses of your favorite wine while out with the girls on Friday night?

A BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of .08 is considered legally drunk in the US.  A person weighing 140 lbs with a BAC of .07-.09 will experience: slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgment and self-control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired

Call me paranoid, but I'm not comfortable approaching an intersection at the same time as someone in the following "not slobbering drunk but still Biblically allowable" condition.....

3 5oz glasses of wine - .08 BAC
3 12oz beers - .08 BAC
2 margaritas - .08 BAC
2 frozen daiquiris - .13 BAC 

 The same conviction, and common sense reasoning that keeps you, as a CHRISTIAN (follower of CHRIST) from being a recreational drug user, should (it SHOULD) cause you to want to leave the alcohol alone! A N Y T H I N G  that might (even only slightly) impair your vision, hearing, reaction time, caution, reason... should not be a part of a TRUE born again Christian believer's life- WHY???  Because wiping out a pregnant woman and her 2 other children is not pleasing to GOD.....and yes, there have been MANY fatality accidents where the driver's BAC was .08 or slightly above, check the statistics.  I wonder if the driver of THIS car was just driving home from lunch with friends....

All About Ducks

When it comes to "the Church", unfortunately, the old saying "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck" is a TOTAL falsehood. 1 Thes 5:12 tells us to KNOW those who labor among us, and 1 John 4:1 says to test the spirits, to see if they are of God. 2 Cor 11:13-15 says "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." It is IMPERATIVE that we "walk circumspectly (alert, cautious, careful, guarded)...not as fools, but wisely" as the Bible teaches (Eph 5:15)

There are MANY false prophets and teachers that have infiltrated the ranks, and God's people are being deceived left and right by the twisted truth and outright lies that spew forth out of the mouths of these enemies of the cross! (Phil 3:18-19) This passage says that their god is "their belly"- in other words, their SELF. We see it all around today, in the church- people "worshiping" God ONLY for what they perceive him as- what they've been taught- and that is, a God of passiveness and tolerance, one who would NEVER judge them, much less correct them, a God of blessing, blessing, and MORE blessing, a God who's main purpose in their life is to be their slot machine! You know, insert a prayer or a praise, pull the handle and be showered with abundant goodies! God help us all, that we should be so self-centered, we believe God's MAIN purpose for sacrificing HIS most precious treasure, was so we could live a BLESSED life here on earth. 

READ the Word...KNOW the Word... if the man's words (or woman's) doesn't line up with THE WORD, RUUUUUUN! Turn it off! Throw it out! Don't be so naive that you believe everyone who shouts is of God! The unfortunate fact is, in MANY instances within the leadership of the Church today, there are a lot of DUCKS in pulpits, and in front of tv cameras, that are quacking.....but if we will look closer, with our spiritual eyes, we will see that they are venomous snakes simply doing a great job at imitating a duck!

"The largest free party on earth"

Mardi Gras - Alcohol flowing like a river, girls flashing their boobs to everybody out in the streets, rampant homosexual displays everywhere, orgies, prostitution, out of control vulgarity, riots and property destruction, etc etc......

"SHOULD CHRISTIANS PARTICIPATE IN MARDI GRAS?" should be a no-brainer question.

Do I really need to give scripture references, seriously?!

'Chrislam' - A Spirit of Antichrist

by David Dollins, blogs.christianpost.com

 

I want to address what is beginning to occur in the Church and why it must be rejected outright. It's becoming increasingly 'in vogue' to accept Islam in the Church. Consider a June 24, 2011 article from World Net Daily. "Dozens of churches, from Park Hill Congregational in Denver to Hillview United Methodist in Boise, Idaho, and First United Lutheran in San Francisco to St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church in Honolulu, are planning to send 'a message both here at home and to the Arab and Muslim world about our respect for Islam' with a time to read the Quran during worship this Sunday." It has been labeled 'Chrislam', the attempt by some Christians to find common ground with Islam. One person said it was wrong. Another called it dangerous. God uses stronger words than that. Scripture itself declares 'Chrislam', the mixing of Christianity and Islam, to be a Spirit of Antichrist!


The Spirit of Antichrist was already prevalent during the time of the Apostle John. In fact, he was the one who had the most to say about this demonic influence. In 1 John 2:18, he said, "...you have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists; whereby we know it is the last time". Again, in 1 John 4:3, he said, "...this is that SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, whereof you have heard that it should come; and EVEN NOW ALREADY IS IT IN THE WORLD". The word 'Antichrist' simply means 'against Christ' or 'opposes Christ'. Anything that would be introduced into the Church that would subvert the finished work of the Cross, that is, distract, corrupt, or take away from who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished at the Cross, is a Spirit of Antichrist. I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul, "Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1). The acceptance of Islamic practices into the Church by these and other ministers is giving way to seducing spirits and is teaching the doctrines of devils.

What I am about to show you are the characteristics that the Apostle John himself used to describe the Spirit of Antichrist:

1) The Spirit of Antichrist denies that Jesus is the Christ. In 1 John 2:22, it says, "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist..." The word 'Christ' in the original Greek means 'Anointed One'. In other words, it is a declaration of Jesus as Messiah. Islam rejects that Jesus is the one and only true Messiah. They believe He was a prophet and maybe a type of Messiah, but not the Anointed One. If that's not enough, John goes further by calling them liars.

2) The Spirit of Antichrist denies that Jesus is the Son of God. In 1 John 2:22, the Apostle continues, "He is Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son". Islam rejects that Jesus affirmed He was the Son of God. Furthermore, one well-known Bible teacher said that Muslims believe that the Mahdi is the future leader and that Jesus will return and follow the Mahdi to Jerusalem where He (Jesus) will deny He is the Son of God. Again, in this same verse, John said those who reject His Sonship were liars.

3) The Spirit of Antichrist does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In 1 John 4:3, again the Apostle states, "And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that Spirit of Antichrist..." Did you catch that? Any spirit that rejects God as coming in the flesh is 'not of God'. If it didn't come from God, then it is a doctrine of devils according to the Apostle Paul himself, as stated earlier. Islam rejects that God came into this world in the flesh. This also tells us that the Christian God, who is Jesus Christ, is not the same as the Muslim god, Allah. It also proves that Allah is a false god.

Finally, the following are some of the last words the Apostle Peter would write before, according to tradition, he was crucified upside-down. "But there were false Prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1). For these Church leaders, who are blind watchmen, to bring Islam and the reading of the Quran into the Church is to deny the Lord himself, it is to deny who He is, and it is to deny what He accomplished at Calvary's Cross 2,000 years ago, when He gave His life for the sins of the world! Just as bad, it is an open acceptance of the Spirit of Antichrist, which John said will bring swift destruction and ultimately, yet sadly, the damning of the soul.
What should the Church do now? We must get back to proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation without fear of reprisal. We must defend and preach the deity of Jesus, that He is the one true God and there is no other. Then we must also boldly proclaim the Holy Scriptures, not the Quran, as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

Everyone should be free to practice their religion in the way they choose. What this is about is defending the truth of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished at the Cross, and preserving the purity of the Church against the infiltration of false doctrine. The Early Church Fathers (e.g., St. Polycarp, St. Irenaeus) defended the Truth against heresy, so why don't we?