Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Mr. ROBERTSON McQuilkin Teaches Mr. Pat ROBERTSON

http://www.joniandfriends.org/help-and-resources/other-resources/promise-kept-story-roberston-muriel-mcquilkin/

How interesting that exemplary Mr. McQuilkin's first name is the same as Mr. Pat's last name - ROBERTSON! This is definitely a God connection, and Mr. Pat NEEDS to view ROBERTSON's video on servanthood, genuine Christ-centered love and marital commitment!  I sent Muriel's and Robertson's love story to Pat Robertson of the famed Christian 700 Club in Virginia Beach, VA.

This is in response to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsaqfP87Z58

Monday, September 12, 2011

Roe v Wade is terrorism too!!!


Ten years ago on September 11, 2001 we saw two horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We know almost 3,000 human persons were killed on that one day. I have mourned and prayed along with most of the world over this tragic loss of human life.
I have also listened to and read statements by world leaders, religious leaders, celebrities, and organizations about how precious human life is. I have listened as they called our nation to prayer and talked about God blessing our nation. I have even seen groups like Planned Parenthood and N.O.W. talk about the tragic loss of human life.
I have watched as true American heroes were honored for their bravery, and rightfully so.
With all due respect and sympathy for those who were killed on 09/11/2001—a day that is being remembered everywhere—I say that we are missing the bigger picture.
I call to your attention to another “day of infamy” we all should mourn, 01-22-73. This is the day that personhood was stripped away from the most helpless and the youngest American people, preborn children. More than 53,000,000 Americans have been the victims of cruel disregard for human life because of a decision made that day.
I do not understand how organizations like Planned Parenthood can talk about this tragic loss of human life and at the same time destroy children every day.
I do not understand how Congress can come together in one day and pass legislation that will allow us to put an end to one form of terrorism, and yet ignore the plight of so many helpless children. I do not understand how our Government talks blocking the funding of terrorist organizations yet they fight to keep funding for Planned Parenthood. Hundreds of entertainers pooled their talents to raise money for the victims and their families of those killed on 09-11-01, but those same “artists” have helped raise money to promote the deaths sanctioned on 01-22-73.
I, too, have the utmost respect for the firefighters and policemen and EMTs who risked their lives and worked so hard to save others’ lives; I would call them true American heroes. It is great that our government has called them heroes and is honoring them. But at the same time, the government persecutes other men and women who have given most of their lives to defending human life. Joseph Scheidler is one of my greatest heroes; he is an unsung hero who has given decades of his life to fight for the lives of precious little babies. He is being sued and called a “racketeer” for his selfless, heroic work on behalf of the babies. And there is “Doc,” a very elderly man who sat outside an abortion mill in Portland, Oregon, for hours, nearly every day, witnessing to the truth and offering help to young women until the day he died. Why are these true American heroes not being honored for their work?
I am in no way trying to minimize what happened on 09-11-01, but I do want to bring the attention of the world to what is still happening as a result of the events of 01-22-73. Our generation has lost over one-third of its brothers and sisters, and we cannot let this go unrecognized by so many Americans any longer. The world has had a wake-up call and has felt the impact of the loss of thousands of lives. The world needs to see the devastation that has been wrought on a generation that has lost millions.
President Bush acted in an honorable way in his commitment to ending terrorism. He has stepped up to the plate and has united this country behind him. I only pray that our current President would also take a stand against other acts of terrorism being carried out every day in this country, a terrorism that continues to claim thousands of precious human lives daily. I pray that Congress would vote unanimously to empower the President to put a stop to this terrorism.
As I mourn with our nation on the tenth anniversary of 09-11-01, I also mourn over our nation’s callous attitude toward the fateful decisions made on 01-22-73. I cry over the fact that the events of 09-11-01 inspire thousands to fill Yankee Stadium for a prayer service, yet, when we ask people to pray for those who will be lost to abortion, only a handful show up. I am angered by organizations that can call life “precious” one day, and the next, fight for the right to kill babies. I weep for those who shed tears and raised money for one group of people who are suffering but empty their wallets to help destroy another group of people.
I know that what I have written here may anger or upset some people, but I hope and pray that it will anger you too that babies are being murdered, and that our country does not shed tears for them. As for myself and all of us here at Stand True, Priests for Life and the Gospel of Life family, we will shed tears for all human persons who are killed, born and preborn alike. The 19 terrorists who crashed their planes into those buildings stripped away the personhood of thousands. The abortion industry has stripped away the personhood of millions. Our job is to restore personhood to every single human being no matter how small.
LifeNews.com Note: Bryan Kemper is the president of Stand True Ministries, a pro-life group that reaches out to youth and young adults. He is the author of a new book, Social Justice Begins In The Womb and Director of Youth Outreach for Priests for Life.

Friday, September 2, 2011

THE VOICE by Donald Miller, Lauren Winner, Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet and Chris Seay


I am exceedingly disturbed over THE VOICE. Why exactly, I ask you, do we NEED a completely new Bible translation for today? “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!” ~Hebrews 13:8. What about that simple declaration is so difficult for you emergent village people to decipher? He NEVER changes! It is not He who needs to mold to people. He WILL NOT transform Himself to fit the narcissistic, unholy requirements of the heretical postmodern church. Get with the program. It’s people who need to mold to His holy example! Does this ring a bell? “Be ye holy as He is holy.” Oh, silly me, I forgot, THE VOICE has no doubt altered that precept found in 1 Peter 1:15 of God’s Holy Word. The worst part of your pathetic attempt to rearrange THE WORD OF GOD, and “improve upon it”, is that you are leading others to hell, along with yourselves! Does the adage “Misery loves company” fit with your diabolical scheme from the pit of hell? Woe to you! Let me guess, Bart Ehrman, Frank Schaeffer and Rob Bell were participants in this “new and improved” translation. Am I correct?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

THE GOOD SAMARITAN DOG

One of the most shocking reports I ever read appeared in the Indian Express several years ago. On the front page was a photo of a little boy, half naked, lying on the sidewalk of a busy street. Next to the boy was a dog. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a female dog, and the little boy was actually sucking her milk. The caption read, "This Dog Is His Mother." The three-column article went on to describe the heartbreaking agony that homeless children face as they try to survive on their own. ~an excerpt from NO LONGER A SLUMDOG by K. P. Yohannan


How much we can learn from dogs! That dear dog was the Good Samaritan to that precious little boy, made in God's image! So many humans heartlessly passed the dear little boy without a care, while the dog lovingly mothered him!

Friday, July 15, 2011

THE HOOK OCTOBER 2005 FANTASY WOMEN SOW DISCORD

Works of art to be ogled at, women are not.  Made of flesh and blood, they have feelings, aspirations, and dreams.  Our society evaluates the sexual attractiveness of women by creating uncommon, unearthly standards of beauty, causing many to consider they are inferior.  We all suffer when women are dishonored by allowing themselves to become immodest slabs of meat on display for all to enjoy.  Wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, and daughters are wounded when significant males in their lives view nude bodies of indiscriminate women.  Males become mesmerized with the so-called ideal specimens, who do not nag or have any expectations of them, who appear to stare longingly back and desire them from screens or glossy, airbrushed pages.  Creating fantasy worlds for men, these models cause divisions between men and the women who truly care for them.  Sex was designed by God to be intimate, not anonymous.  And folks wonder from whence comes disrespect for, neglect of, and violence directed at women?

The centerfold layout of your issue mimicking the dishonorable, heartless, selfish publication Playboy, was despicable.  Glorifying public nudity and bringing the knowledge of such careless behavior to the attention of local residents is irresponsible and inconsiderate.
 Miss October is not representing exemplary conduct, and to suggest that Charlottesville and the University of Virginia should be proud of such corrupting behavior is narrow-minded.
 How we spend our time shapes who we are, and how we build the persons we are is cause for social concern.  At all times we must ask ourselves whether what we are doing is loving or wise.  Are we putting the needs and feelings of others above our own, or is the pursuit of our own pleasure the measure of our lives?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A Sociopath Walks Free

Wow, a diabolical sociopath walks free? How can this be? If she had aborted Caylee, she would be free. Now, after killing her own flesh and blood at age two, Casey Anthony is free! Any rational person would see there is no difference in killing an unborn baby or a two year old. Then there's Peter Singer of Princeton declaring nobody is a person until age two.  So, apparently now all murder is legal in the sunshine state, not just abortion, but lying is still illegal.  What a disadvantage to the prosecution to have a jury not educated in the fine art of psychopathy.  Had they been well versed in it, they NEVER would have allowed such an evil woman to be set free back into society.  As all the experts on psychopathy teach, we all need to educate ourselves on psychopaths, sociopaths, character-disordered, antisocials - whatever ya wanna call them or not call them, for many are afraid of labels.  How dangerous, irresponsible and idiotic that is!  Among us in quantity, their number is growing at an alarming rate due to our narcissistic culture, looking out for numero uno.  So many are praising our judicial system.  I laugh in the face of that foolishness.  

satan is as busy a worldly prince as is William!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

THE LINDY BAIN LOOP IN CROZET, VIRGINIA

New cross country trail honors WAHS coach

WAHS cross country trail
Credit: Submitted photo
Western Albemarle High School cross-county team members and others gather near the sign for the school's new course in Old Trail Village. The course, which was unveiled on Sunday and is open to the public, is dedicated to the WAHS boys cross-country coach, Lindy Bain (third from left).
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Lindy Bain didn’t see his name right away after the wrapping was pulled from the sign for the new Western Albemarle High School cross country course in Old Trail Village.
As the audience of more than 70 people began to clap, the boys cross country coach looked up a few more inches. The new 3.1-mile course, which is open to the public, was dedicated on Sunday as the Lindy Bain Loop.
Kim Connollypresident of the Friends of Western Albemarle Cross Country, said the people who donated money for the new cross country course kept suggesting a name for it.
“They said, ‘you have to name it for Coach Bain,’” Connolly told the crowd.
Present and past colleagues and students said Bain deserved to be honored for the work he has done with students over the years. Bain, who is in his 24th year of coaching at Western Albemarle, said after the reveal that he had no idea that the Old Trail Course would be dedicated to him.
“It’s probably a good thing they didn’t tell me or I would have tried to talk them out of it,” Bain said, laughing.
The course will give Western Albemarle cross country athletes a place to practice and hold meets.
Gaylon Beights, Old Trail’s developer, joked that part of the reason he agreed to have the course in Old Trailis to prevent the students from running in the road.
Student-athletes said the trail at the high school is a bit treacherous. Calvin Wheat, who ran with the team for four years before graduating on Friday, said the newer trail appears to be less steep.
“Our times might be better,” Wheat said.
Katie Farina, a junior and a girls cross country team member, said she is hoping that the new course will allow the team to host an invitational at home next school year.
William Tillery, a 1982 Western Albemarle graduate and a former assistant track coach, said the addition of the course will be a benefit for the students, the residents of Old Trail Village and the greater community.
Tillery said Bain has been his mentor for 11 years.
“The opportunity to work under him is something I will never forget,” Tillery said.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The antichrists Among Us

Our hostile age charges the Gospel with falsehood, oppression, limiting moral freedom, meddling where it doesn’t belong, and much, much more. In reality, it is our secular age that is the wellspring of lies, which oppresses our generation with half-truths and outright lies, which destroys morality in the name of license, and which, through its meddlesome government and schools, demands to control and rule in every area of life. It is not we who are guilty of screwing up the world, but all who are the enemies of Christ.  ~T. M. Moore


As Chuck Swindoll speaks of American cults in his excellent book Improving Your Serve, consider the pyramid to narcissism:


I
Me
Mine
Myself

"You deserve a break today."  "Have it your way."  "Do yourself a favor."  "You owe it to yourself."  "If it feels good, do it."  "Look out for numero uno."  “You only go around once, so you have to grab for all the gusto you can! Why settle for less?”

Saturday, June 25, 2011

On Homosexual (NOT gay which means lively and vivacious) Unions

"This is NOT about denying rights.  It is about upholding a truth about the human condition.  Marriage is NOT simply a mechanism for delivering benefits:  It is the union of a man and a woman in a loving, permanent, life-giving union to procreate children.  Please DON'T vote to change that.  If you do, you are claiming the power to change what is not into what is, simply because you say so.  This is false, it is wrong, and it defies logic and common sense."  ~Archbishop Timothy Dolan

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Is Scotty McCreery an Idol, a Hero or Merely a Boy?

With all the hoopla swirling around Scotty McCreery since he won American Idol last week, it's given me pause to reflect on the significance of earning such a title in our corrupt culture.  Given the nature of the production and his age, is seventeen year old Scotty truly a model of excellence?  For his age, he appears to be a thoughtful boy, and those who know him attest to the uprightness of his character.  His mom chaperons and guides him wherever he goes.  She is older, but is she wiser as she has led her impressionable young son into participating in such worldliness?  What has Scotty done that has presto-chango turned him into an instant hero?  Has he selflessly saved lives?  Has he sacrificially laid down his life for another?  What heroic act has he performed?  Has he displayed distinguished courage?  Can we admire him for his brave deeds and noble qualities?  Realistically, how noble can one be at age seventeen?  Has he earned the title of Prince?  Have years of experience of walking with Jesus made him a mentor, a sage or a counselor?  He certainly has attained fame, recognition, fortune, and popularity.  It's evident that he is regarded with blind admiration, adoration and devotion, but does that make him someone exemplary, or is he a mere image of something visible but lacking in substance?  Is he a figment of our imagination - a fantasy of what we want him to be?


I concur that he has moxie as a singer, but he has simply cultivated a God-given gift.  Without that, he would never have made it onto the stage of American Idol.  Can we admire him for something with which God has blessed him?  At opportune moments, Scotty does appear to give God the glory for His success, but is this genuine, and how can a seventeen year old understand all that entails?  How can we tell at his young age?  The statistics prove that most freshman in college, who purported to be Jesus' disciples while still in high school, fall away from their Lord, Master, and Saviour into lives of narcissism.  Is Scotty simply parroting his parents' faith as they've guided and instructed him to do?  Will the faith he proclaims to have in Jesus remain as the trials, persecutions, sufferings and pain of this life inevitably come?  How will he react to shattered dreams?  Will he allow Jesus to refine him into deeper purity and holiness or will he fall away from his first love?  Jesus' own words in Matthew 7:14 are quite sobering, " But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Will Scotty be included among the few to find eternal life?  That remains to be seen, does it not?  He's still only a boy.  Scotty will require much guidance from those older and wiser in their walks with the Lord.  Many prayers will need to be prayed on his behalf.  Many hours must be spent by Scotty in Bible reading and study.  Even then, there is no guarantee that Scotty will "endure to the end" as Jesus says in Matthew 24:13 must occur, for one to acquire eternal life. 


As Timothy 4:12 declares,  "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."  I pray this verse exemplifies Scotty's young life.  If it does, and his heart is right before God as he matures, maybe one day Scotty will be a hero and a mentor to his children and grandchildren, as well as to others.  That is yet to be determined.






Thursday, May 26, 2011

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol

Should we truly be proud that Scotty McCreery participated in such a raunchy show? And, a hero, really?  What has Scotty done that is heroic?  The Bible says we are either friends with Jesus or with the world. We can't have it both ways. American Idol is so far from family viewing!  Our addiction to entertainment has neutered our minds and trivialized our hearts. Beyonce, J Lo and Gaga (she is NOT a lady) all dress, move and sing like they're prostitutes. Stephen Tyler is a womanizer.  Of course, it's what our sex-crazed culture wants, but Christians have no business indulging in such sleaze, do they? Sadly, I was duped into viewing a couple episodes due to all the hoopla over Scotty, since he's from where I live, but I VOW TO NEVER WATCH IT AGAIN! JESUS IS NOT PLEASED WITH AMERICAN IDOL! Will fame and fortune change Scotty like it changes most who attain it? Consider the example of Jordan Sparks! Observe how Carrie Underwood sings Jesus Take the Wheel, but also the filth she sang on American Idol.  This does not compute.  Consider how the fathers of these women feel about their little girls exposing all for the world to view!  Do we want our husbands, sons and fathers viewing the flesh that God created to be sacred?  God calls His people to live set-apart from the world, not to partake of its sinful pleasures.  Talk is cheap, and many who proclaim Jesus as Lord do not mean it, and many who do mean it initially, fall away when yielding to the temptations of this fallen, corrupt world. :(  We're not supposed to live as much like the world as possible while hoping to still slide into heaven one day.  We're called to be as much like our Master, Saviour and Lord as possible!  We're called to seek His will, not our own as we surrender all to Him!  We must engage our brains to think for ourselves, taking every thought captive to Christ while doing so!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Lord, You're Holy by James

Chorus: 
Lord you’re holy, Lord you’re holy and we lift you up and magnify your name (twice) 

Verse 1: 
I look around and I see, all the works your hands have made, the awesomeness of you, and how your love will never fade, mere words cannot express what I feel inside, I can’t describe your glory divine, but as a token of my love, this is what I’ll do, I lift my hands and cry, Lord 

Chorus: 
Lord you’re holy, Lord you’re holy and we lift you up and magnify your name (twice) 

Verse 2: 
There’s not enough words that I can say, to tell you how much, I appreciate, all the wonderful things, you’ve given me, your love and kindness, your tender mercies, 

Choir: It’s my desire, to praise you 
Lead: I want to praise you Lord 
Choir: And to tell you how much, I love you 

Lead: Cause you’re worthy of all, all the glory 

Choir: You’re worthy of all, the praise 

Lead: 
And you’re worthy of all the praise, I don’t know why you would love me, why you would show me, so much mercy, why you would suffer, and die for me, way back, way back, on Calvary, but I 

Choir: But I, I thank you 
Lead: I thank you, somebody help me thank him 
Choir: I thank you 
Lead: Jesus, I thank you Lord 
Choir: I thank you 
Lead: My heart cries thank you, and I give you all…. the praise…… 


Choir & Lead: 
Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty, Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense, Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything (Repeat x’s) (S-A-T) 

Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy is your name 
Sopranos: Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous 

Altos: Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty 

Tenors: Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense 

All: Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything 

Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy is your name………………………… 

Choir: 
Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty, Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense, Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything 
Holy, Holy, Holy is your name………………………… 

Choir: Holy 
Lead: My God is Holy 
Choir: Holy 
Lead: The Angels cry Holy 
Choir: Holy is your name………………………………………...Holy 
Lead: My heart cries Holy 
Choir: Holy 
Lead: So Holy, Holy, Holy is your name………………………. 
Choir: Holy is your name……………………………………………………

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Prince William and His Bride Katherine

So many are wondering whether or not Prince William and his lovely bride will stay married.  Comments have been made such as, "Royal wedding, check, but will the marriage itself be royal?"  I've heard myriad critical comments concerning their big day on April 29, but my take on their union is a bit different.

What a supreme blessing it was that upwards of one third of the planet's population viewed Catherine's four minute walk down the red-carpeted aisle in fabled Westminster Abbey.  We beheld marriage the way God created it to be between one man and one woman.  They gave a black eye to the homosexual community - take that Elton John.  The Scriptures that were read, the glorious music played in accompaniment to the lyrics sung by both sweet and powerful voices, the vows exchanged, the prayers offered up, along with God's magnificent Maple trees adding their natural beauty, all lifted Jesus up before the audience of the world.  William's and Catherine's love for each other was evident to all, and as long as they keep Jesus at the centre of their royal marriage, their bond will remain unbroken.

Friday, April 1, 2011

April Fools Day

For babies, today is April Drools Day.  For those who like bling, it's April Jewels Day.  For those in authority, it's April Rules Day.  For groovy dudes, it's April Cools Day.  For CPOs and swimmers, it's April Pools Day.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Suffering helps young people stand firm in their Christian faith

Young adulthood has become the religious pit of the life course for most Americans.  Children are more likely to end up committed to Jesus as young-adult believers if their parents integrate Christian faith into daily family life.  Adolescents who are made fun of by peers for their Christianity are more likely to end up as serious believers as young adults.   Family, friends, sex, education, and various types of suffering play significant roles in how successful the next generation of young people will be in avoiding the lukewarm path being trod by many of today’s emerging adults.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

GOODBYE LILY KATHERINE by Ginny Bain Allen

GOODBYE LILY KATHERINE

In my daughter's womb
Grew her gift from above.
We readied a room
For her wee one to love.

On our merry way rejoicing
To a glorious celebration.
Expecting our flower’s arriving
Jesus' tears hid the sun.

God had bid her go
Before we said, "Hello."

Goodbye budding life.
Goodbye shattered dreams.

Goodbye precious babe lying still in our arms.

Goodbye sweet nursing and soft cries.
Goodbye to rocking and lullabies.

Goodbye wonder and curiosity.
Goodbye to kissing who you would be.

Goodbye to hearing "Dukes" and "ma-ma" too.
Goodbye to discovering wonderful you.

Goodbye snuggling you to our hearts.
Goodbye tore our lives apart.

Goodbye to our pure Lily Katherine.
Goodbye ‘til we meet you in heaven.


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

For Emily, Concerning My Forgiveness of My Daughter

How ultimately sad and perplexing it is for a young woman the same age as my daughter to be so cynical and confused over the sad truth about abortion, as well as the necessity for and exceeding blessing of forgiveness.  Emily, of course every abortion ends a precious life, created in the image of God.  Where did you ever get the notion that I consider the abortion that ended my grandchild's life as insignificant, not murderous and not sinful???  The killing of my own grandchild was excruciatingly painful for me, for it was a personal experience I will NEVER forget.  At the same time, how could you expect me to not forgive my own flesh and blood for the heinous act she committed against God???  But by the grace of God, there go I!  We are all commanded to forgive others, lest we will be in danger of losing the forgiveness of God.  At the same time I am devastated over the loss of my grandchild, a person I was robbed of knowing in this life, I will always love my daughter, come what may!!!  Would you prefer I had kicked her to the curb, when she most needed my love and nurturing?  She repented, returned home to Jesus and to me as the prodigal, leaving behind the darkness and bondage of sin that held her blind and deceived.  As Jesus did, I welcomed her home with open arms and a heart filled with gratefulness to God.  Our story shines with the glory of God's redemption and healing in the midst of deep pain and overwhelming sadness.   Sadly, you cannot, yet, understand the difference between loving the sinner while abhorring the sin.

"Jesus came to lay down His life so that the very ones who killed Him, who represented all of us, could be forgiven because of the price that He paid in the hell of a world that does not recognize His voice."  ~Ravi Zacharias

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Abby Johnson's UNPLANNED

Hallelujah!!!  Another of Planned Barrenhood's finest, their superstar Abby Johnson, has come over to the "dark" side and joined pro-lifers!!! Her much-acclaimed book UNPLANNED is hot off the presses today and has already reached number 11 at Amazon this morning!!! Please purchase a copy to help put UNPLANNED at number one on all Best Seller lists!!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Blessings, Hugs and Happy New Year to all!

Blessings, Hugs and Happy New Year to all!

With the recent news report that monkeys have morals, supposedly further “evidence” that humans have evolved from them and that there is now conclusively no need for God, I write out of the awesome fear I have of my Almighty Creator, the holy fear He commands us all to have.  As the Bible declares, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  ~Psalm 111:10  I reiterate what I said last year, what a person believes about God is basic to everything else.  Like the slogan touted on buses around our nation's capital during the 2009 Christmas season, it's impossible to "just be good for goodness sake."  Only with Jesus living in us can anyone be good, for He is the only one infallible - the only one good.  The Lord said in Genesis 8:21, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood."    Those in the postmodern church, whose leader is Brian McLaren, assert that a new kind of Christianity is needed.  Really?  Why?  What was so wrong with my grandparents’ church?  Attempting to portray half a Saviour, bringing only His love to the lost, hurting world, without at the same time illuminating His love with His truth, is the scheme afoot in the postmodern church.  Do you believe the Word of God or not?  

There are three absolute truths you absolutely need to believe if you're going to be a Biblical, Body of Christ, Christian:
1.  The Bible, in its entirety, is the true and inspired Word of God.
2.  God exists and is exactly as the Bible describes Him to be.
3.  Jesus is THE only way for us to get to be with His Father in heaven.

The Old Testament is specific in its predictions of Jesus.  It contains 332 specific predictions about the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Messiah - all made hundreds of years before His birth.  In 1958, a scientist named Peter Stoner looked at the probability that just 8 of the 332 predictions of the Messiah could've been coincidentally or accidentally fulfilled in one man, much less a man who actually proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah.  He looked at the probability of each of the eight individually, and then added up the probabilities for all eight.  His mathematical conclusion, verified by the American Scientific Affiliation, was that the chance of all eight being accidentally fulfilled in one man was 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.  Not much chance of it being coincidental, huh?  Even the lotto gives you better odds than that!  Take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them out across the state of Texas.  They would cover the entire land surface of the Lone Star State two feet deep.  Now mark one of these silver dollars - paint it red - and toss it into the stack.  Mix it up really well.  Finally, blindfold someone and tell her she can walk across the state as far as she wants, but then she's got to bend down and pick up just one silver dollar.  And it has to be the red one on the first try.  That's how likely it is that eight messianic prophecies could've been randomly fulfilled in anyone, much less the one who claimed He really was the Messiah.  Multiply this out to 332 Old Testament predictions that were precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and what do you have?  You have proof of the divinity of Old Testament prophecy.  The Bible is the divine and true Word of God.  What it says is true.  How can I say that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to God? Because the Bible says so.  If you're going to make it out there as a Christian in this culture, you're going to have to believe with all your heart that the Bible is true.  Everything hinges upon it.

If every other way that people use to try to get to God is wrong, then what is the most loving and kind thing to do for them?  Is it to just let them go on living in ignorance and misery, even though you know they're wrong and you have the truth that would rescue them?  No, that is NOT love.  It's actually an act of love for a Christian to stand up and say, "You know what?  What you're doing and what you believe is wrong.”  Yes, it's narrow, and yes, it's intolerant, but it’s also the most loving thing you can do for them, and it’s what God requires of His disciples.  Herein lies the crux of the problem with the postmodern church, what they have dubbed the "Big Tent" - we cannot simply embrace all religions as if they are equal.  THEY ARE NOT!  All paths do NOT lead to heaven!  There is one narrow way, folks, and we are told by Jesus, "few there be that find it."  How sobering!  The heresy the postmodern church teaches sends people to hell!  That is NOT love!  That is NOT the Good News of Jesus Christ!  Here is what exemplary Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one who plotted to assassinate Hitler, said to such heresy, "The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty ... before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God ... The church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned."  Jesus is the only way because he is the only medicine that can cure the spiritual disease that is killing us...sin (John 8:24).

God is love as the Bible declares, but He is also holy.  His holiness is the side many don’t like.  He is the divine Judge.  He points at sin and calls it evil.  And at the end of time, He will finally shut the door, and no one else will be allowed to enter the kingdom.  Those who rejected His holiness in life will not have their rebellion winked at and brushed aside.  They will go into hell for eternity.  You can't understand God without seeing both these attributes - love and holiness - constantly working together.  It was holiness that expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, but love that even in that moment promised a redeemer (Genesis 3:15).  It was holiness that caused God to turn away from His own Son while Jesus hung on the cross bearing the sins of the world; but it was love that had sent Him there, love that held Him there, and love that raised Him from the grave. 

Many, such as Senator Ted Kennedy and Jim Wallis of Sojourners, live by what they've dubbed a social gospel.  Incomprehensibly, they even go so far so to attribute it to Matthew 25 from God's Holy Word.  Many believe if they simply: give the hungry, food; give the thirsty, drink; invite the stranger in; give clothes to the naked; look after the sick; and visit those in prison, they are good and will receive eternal life due to their own good deeds and innate goodness.  The Bible clearly refutes this position. Jesus in John 15 teaches, "I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."  That is precisely what most of Matthew 6 is about.  Jesus was contrasting the religious exhibitionism of the Pharisees with the authentic faith he had described in the Beatitudes. Faith has its primary impact on the heart of the believer.  The Pharisees' religion, by contrast, was mainly "to be seen" by others.  It is the very same contrast the apostle Paul often highlighted between authentic faith and a religion of mere works.  Because Pharisee-style religion is motivated mainly by a craving for the praise of men, it is inherently self-aggrandizing, making it the very antithesis of authentic charity. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'  

Of course, someone can perform good deeds without giving their heart, will and soul to Jesus and His authority.  Since God creates everyone in His image, there is beauty in one and all, whether they have accepted Jesus into their hearts and souls as Lord, Master and Saviour, or not.  Each of us is gifted by Him uniquely to display His characteristics in each one's distinct way.  However, the good deeds that are done without acknowledging Him and giving Him all the glory, will be worthless in God's sight. "We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone.  That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace.  Yet if we have truly understood and believed the gospel, it will change what we do and how we live.  Unlike cheap grace, which means going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn't really matter much how you live, anyone who truly understands how God's costly grace comes to us will have a changed life.  Costly grace changes you from the inside out.  Actions must follow what one believes, else one cannot claim to believe it." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer  When we live for Jesus, out of our faith in Him, we will do good works in His name.  Faith without works is dead.  But works without faith in the One who calls us to Him is for naught.  It will be burned up.  If we bring material bread to the hungry without, at the same time, bringing them the Bread of Life, it is not significant to God.  We must first give thanks and praise to the Maker of the bread, our Bread of Life.  We must bear witness to the fact that He is the giver of all gifts, including bread, and that without Him, there would be nothing to give the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.  Only because of Him do we even have life. Only because of Him do we have the hands, the feet, the mouth, the heart, the knowledge, and the compassion to reach out with eternal purpose to touch the life of another, to make a difference for good in this life, as well as a lasting difference in the next.  It all boils down to abiding in Him.  In Mark 9:41 Jesus says, "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  ~Galatians 5:1  We are free in Christ to do that which is right, to surrender all to Him, His will, His way.  We are not free to go back into bondage in Egypt, back into living for our own sinful will and way.  We are not free to take license in the freedom of Christ to live however we selfishly want to.
 
The postmodern church is more interested in group hugs, warm fuzzies, providing a shoulder to cry on when folks get "real" with each other, telling folks they're fine the way they are instead of preaching the truth, instead of showing lost, hurting people that Jesus can bring them victory in their pain, as well as save them from their sinful selves!  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs.  Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."  Words like diversity, pluralism and tolerance have anesthetized us to the reality of good and evil.  We’re called to love all men in the name of Jesus, not ignore their debauchery in the name of diversity.  Sin is a big deal to God.  So much so that He allowed Jesus to die on a cruel Roman cross to rescue us from its grip.  Tolerance is the cultivation of an attitude of indifference to things we see happening around us.  In the name of peace, we tolerate evil.  In the name of tolerance, we accept sin and call it free enterprise or freedom of sexual persuasion.  We dare not stand up for what we believe for fear of being labeled intolerant, hateful homophobes.   The humanitarian sentiment of the postmodern church makes them give that which is holy to the scornful and unbelieving.  As exemplary Bonhoeffer said, "Costly grace is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.  It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.  Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son:  'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.  The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ.  Grace simply means discipleship."  

The Catholic Church I grew up in in Charlottesville, VA, held an honest-to-goodness tent revival meeting this August.  Lives were changed and rearranged for Jesus Christ as folks from many denominations and differing worldviews gathered together to praise, worship and listen to the Gospel preached in its entirety.  They were not there for a riveting performance, or to be told they are fine the way they are.   They already knew they were living in rebellion towards God, seeking their own way.  In Matthew 9:11-13, Jesus' disciples were asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"  On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  He didn't tell the tax collectors and sinners that they were fine the way they were.  He didn't join them in their sin in an attempt to relate.  He wasn't down with how they were living.  He boldly declared that they needed His healing and His salvation.  Does that sound like a meek and mild Saviour?  Yes, He’s loving, gentle and forgiving, but He’s also a warrior who has zero tolerance for sin!  The people in attendance at The Church of the Incarnation, for the tent revival, were there to hear the Truth proclaimed!  

People calling themselves "Christians" have done terrible things.  But so have people who thought they were reasonable and logical, such as humanists and atheists.  Some would argue that the Christians doing terrible things did them in the name of God.  Obviously, they weren't really Christians, for their comportment clearly did not verify Christ's message.  Selfishness grows from the anarchy seed, the seed of the evil one. satan lashes out on the earth like a madman, setting tribes against each other in Africa. satan devastates many lives through starvation, alcoholism, substance abuse, pornography and children sold as sex slaves.  satan is at work in economic chaos around the world, and the corporate-driven greed of American executives.  satan is at work in the holocaust of violent, non-loving, disrespecting aborting of babies in the U.S. of A., the narcissism, materialism and elitism in America, and the self-absorption we wallow in when we do not ensure our next generation is brought up in a culture with edifying, wholesome values.  satan was behind the psychopathic deeds of Hitler, Stalin, Chairman Mao and Che.  After knowing the history of humankind, how could anyone ever choose to place so much faith in humans instead of in God???  

We seem to forget - perhaps more truthfully, we refuse to remember - that we are the ones who betrayed God, not vice versa.  We are the ones who listened to the lies of the evil one in the Garden; we chose to mistrust the heart of God.  Why, oh why do we have difficulty believing in the God who created the entire universe?  Why do we have trouble believing in the One who sent His only Son to save us from ourselves?  In the same way God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, so He has delivered us from eternal death to eternal life through His beloved Son.  He's delivered us from bondage to sin, bondage to narcissism, into fullness of life lived with and for Him.  If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him.  We experience suffering and temptation because mankind chose to follow satan.  God is reaching out to rescue us.  He made nature to sing His praises, to declare His glory and to love Him.  He made humans with the ability to choose.  He could have ordered our obedience; instead He calls for our hearts.

I Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches us "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."  As is proclaimed in I John 4:8 "God is love," and until we surrender all authority over our lives to Him, we cannot truly love, and we cannot be truly good.  The old hymns and Scripture songs are fraught with powerful meaning.  Singing them instills peace, joy, comfort, strength and hope, as well as ensuring God's Holy Word will root deeply in one's heart.  My grandparents were blessed to hear fire and brimstone preaching, the truth of Jesus proclaimed.  They had the fear of God, unlike those in the postmodern church of today - the church that is supposedly so enlightened....so hip.  JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.  All we need do is get back to His way, authentic Christianity, the Gospel of the Good News!  I pray your family will focus on the One who came to save us from ourselves, the One who made it possible for us to spend eternity in heaven with His Father, the One whose love for us, His arms opened wide, would have held Him on the cross.  True love will be against the world for the world, because true love knows what the world needs most. 

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me
!!!                      ~Downhere