America is collapsing not because we have failed to fight our enemies, but because we have forgotten God, and in doing so, have made Him our enemy. Sure, we vehemently claim Him as our own but live day to day like He’s not there or doesn’t care what we think or say or do – like America is God’s home and we have some divine right to reside here forever.
Read the rest of Paul Proctor's article.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Revival--fasting
We want revival; we plead and fast for people to read their Bibles more, to worship more truly, to witness their faith regularly. But there is a wrong fast and a right fast.
The wrong fast: God speaks to Israel:
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
(Isaiah 58:3-5)
The people were fasting, but there were no results, no blessings, no change. Why? It is because they would not obey the laws that God had given. Their mouths pled, their eyes shed tears, their bodies ached for revival, but there was none because they would not obey God.
The right fast: God speaks to Israel:
"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, (Isaiah 58:6-9)
See the difference? This is a description of those who are LIVING a life according to God's rules. It is not just clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless. It IS those who are living God's way and this manifests itself by helping others.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:10-14)
Some of His rules:
10 To do's—do
1. Good to them that hate you (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27)
2. To others what you expect of them (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31)
3. Violence to no man (Luke 3:14)
4. Good (Luke 6:35; Romans 13:3)
5. This (put God first) and live (Luke 10:28)
6. All to God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17, 23)
7. All things without murmuring and disputing (Philippians 2:14)
8. Those things seen and heard in me—Paul (Philippians 4:9)
9. Your own business (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
10. Work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5)
The wrong fast: God speaks to Israel:
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD?
(Isaiah 58:3-5)
The people were fasting, but there were no results, no blessings, no change. Why? It is because they would not obey the laws that God had given. Their mouths pled, their eyes shed tears, their bodies ached for revival, but there was none because they would not obey God.
The right fast: God speaks to Israel:
"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, (Isaiah 58:6-9)
See the difference? This is a description of those who are LIVING a life according to God's rules. It is not just clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless. It IS those who are living God's way and this manifests itself by helping others.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:10-14)
Some of His rules:
10 To do's—do
1. Good to them that hate you (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27)
2. To others what you expect of them (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31)
3. Violence to no man (Luke 3:14)
4. Good (Luke 6:35; Romans 13:3)
5. This (put God first) and live (Luke 10:28)
6. All to God's glory (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17, 23)
7. All things without murmuring and disputing (Philippians 2:14)
8. Those things seen and heard in me—Paul (Philippians 4:9)
9. Your own business (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
10. Work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5)
Monday, August 31, 2009
We Truly Need Revival
Ingredients for revival
A1 Definition of Revival
B1 Nebulous
C1 Stephen Olford says, “Revival is an invasion from heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God.”
C2 Vance Havner once said that, “Revival is the church falling in love with Jesus all over again.”
B2 Emotional
C1 A moving of the person to tears; “I love Jesus more”.
C2 Short lasting. When the emotions die down, so does the “revival”.
B3 Scriptural
C1 (Return to Life) Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? (Psalms 85:6)
D1 Revive has the idea of make alive again
D2 It can be compared to a spring died up from drought, now having water again
D3 It can also be compared to spring when the dead, brown grass becomes green
D4 It carries the idea that we are dried up, brown and only have a potential for living, but with good weather and water come to life again.
E1 Water can be equated to the Holy Spirit
E2 The food and fertilizer can be equated with the Bible
D5 It is the work of God
E1 Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! (Psalms 80:18-19)
E2 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!
(Psalms 119:25)
C2 (Refreshing, literally “recovering of breath”) Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (Acts 3:19)
D1 Being out of breath for any reason, you can breath again
D2 Conditional
E1 Repent (change your thoughts, desires, words, and deeds)
E2 Be converted (Barnes writes: “The word means properly to “turn; to return to a path from which one has gone astray; and then to turn away from sins, or to forsake them.” It is a word used in a general sense to denote “the whole turning to God.”
D3 Blessings if conditions met
E1 Sins blotted out
F1 We must confess and forsake our sins
F2 Bible tells us what is right and wrong
E2 Times of refreshing, that is, revival will come
A2 Revival Happens
B1 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)
C1 Contrite
D1 An Attitude
D2 Webster 1828 states: Literally, worn or bruised. Hence, broken-hearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God; humble; penitent; as a contrite sinner.
D3 This is the opposite of being proud. It is seeking God instead of seeking science, counselors, or ourselves.
D4 It is praying for help, for strength, for guidance, for obedience to God's rules.
D5 It is used in the Old Testament 3 times including: At your command we die and turn back to dust, (Psalms 90:3) [You turn man to destruction, And say, "Return, O children of men." (Psalms 90:3)]
E1 It is translated “destruction” and “dust”
E2 It is an attitude of abasing ourselves, that we do NOT have all the answers.
D6 Barnes comments: The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “Thou turnest man to “humiliation;” which, though not the sense of the original, is a true idea, for there is nothing more humiliating than that a human body, once so beautiful, should turn back to dust; nothing more humbling than the grave.
C2 Lowly spirit
D1 An humble attitude and action
D2 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. (Proverbs 3:34)
E1 Two positions
F1 Scorner: not a believer, but a mocker
F2 Humble: a believer,
E2 Reward in accordance with attitude
F1 Scorner gets scorned
F2 Humble gets favor
D3 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
D4 Wikionary
E1 Near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage.
E2 Thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; lowly; weak; modest.
B2 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
C1 God's people
D1 Those who are saved in the Biblical sense
D2 Those who worship the true God
C2 Conditional
D1 Humble themselves
E1 Turn to God for answers instead of themselves
E2 Realize who is King (Jesus Christ) and submit to Him
D2 Pray
E1 Plead to God for His mercy and blessing
E2 Persistent in prayer
D3 Seek my face
E1 You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." (Psalms 27:8)
E2 Seek is to diligently look for
E3 I want to find you, Lord.
E4 I want your blessing, Lord.
E5 I want to worship you, Lord.
E6 He seeks us first, then we seek Him.
D4 Stop sinning
E1 Obedient
E2 Obeys God's laws, rules
E3 God sets the standard of right and wrong
E4 The New Testament is for the Christian
F1 There are over 1,000 rules for us
F2 We need
G1 want to obey
G2 pray for help to obey
G3 and obey His rules
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Psalm 101
Promised Faithfulness to the Lord
A Psalm of David.
I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.
A1 Singing
B1 To God, not myself, government, or others
B2 The subject of praise is mercy and justice
A2 Perfect
B1 Does not mean sinless
B2 Means complete; in all areas seeking to obey God's rules and do God's will.
A3 In my house
B1 In private, I will obey as well as in public
B2 Before my family I will also.
A4 There will be holiness in my life
B1 Holiness is a separation from the world's ways and worldview
B2 Holiness is a separation to God, His ways, and worldview
A5 Secret slanders
B1 God knows all things, even the thoughts of my heart
B2 God is not pleased and will punish
B3 We have been warned
B4 We need to confess our sin and repent, that is, not do it any more
B5 God is merciful
A6 God watches those who are faithful to Him
B1 Faithful is to obey from the heart, not just outwardly
B2 These will live with Him in heaven
B3 Our job will be to serve God
C1 His yoke is easy and burden is light
C2 We better learn this now before it is too late
B4 We can't fool God
C1 He knows the one who is a fake in serving Him
C2 Judas did not fool the Lord Jesus
B5 God does not like liars
C1 He does not lie
C2 He will punish liars
C3 It often appears that people tell lies more than they tell the truth
A7 God will not have the wicked in His presence
B1 They will not be in heaven
B2 The wicked are those who
C1 Openly rebel
C2 Secretly rebel, that is, they outwardly obey, but inwardly disobey
Colors
Do we really appreciate colors? Are we thankful for them? Here is a link to a great, short, video on colors. I cannot embed it here; I wish I could.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Is The End Near?
I read this article Sunday, 23 Aug 09. While definitely no written from a Christian viewpoint, there seems to be reminders of the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. This is only the conclusion to a long article. The original can be found here. The reality of world crisis and the hope of world peace will look for a false Messiah.
As George Orwell wrote, “Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”
The more people that think for themselves; the worse it is for the cartel. People, free thinking individuals, are the greatest threat to this cartel and their war of position. That is why the answer and solution to exposing the supra-hegemonic war of position, challenging and triumphing over the New World Order, lies in the free-thinking individual. The challenge is global and globalized; the solution is local and localized. The problem is conformity and controlled thought; the answer is individuality and free thought.
While humanity is faced with such monumental crises the likes of which in scope and size, we have never before faced, so too, are we faced with the greatest opportunities for an ultimate change in the right direction. While people are controlled and manipulated through crisis and disorder, so too can people be awoken to seeing the necessity of knowledge and critical thought. When one’s life is thrown into disorder and chaos, suddenly observation, information and knowledge become important in understanding how one got into that situation, and how one can escape it.
With this in mind, while facing the potential for the greatest struggle humanity has ever faced, so too are we facing the greatest potential for a new Enlightenment or a new Renaissance; an age of new thought, new life, new potential, and peace. No matter how much elites think they control all things, life has a way of making one realize that there are things outside the control of people. With every action, comes an equal and opposite reaction.
We may not reach a new age of thinking and peace before we enter into a new age of oppression and war. In fact, the former may not be possible without the latter. People must awake from their slumber; their immersion in consumerist society and pop culture distractions, and awake to both the malevolence of world systems and the wonder of life and its potential. Through crisis, comes control; through control, comes power; through power, comes resistance; through resistance, comes thinking; through thinking, comes potential; through potential, comes peace.
We may very well be entering into the most oppressive and destructive order the world has yet seen, but from its ruins and ashes, which are as inevitable as the tides and as sure as the sun rises, we may see the rise of a truly peaceful world order; in which we see the triumphs of individualism merge with the interests of the majority; a people’s world order of peace for all. We must maintain, as Antonio Gramsci once wrote, “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”
As George Orwell wrote, “Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.”
The more people that think for themselves; the worse it is for the cartel. People, free thinking individuals, are the greatest threat to this cartel and their war of position. That is why the answer and solution to exposing the supra-hegemonic war of position, challenging and triumphing over the New World Order, lies in the free-thinking individual. The challenge is global and globalized; the solution is local and localized. The problem is conformity and controlled thought; the answer is individuality and free thought.
While humanity is faced with such monumental crises the likes of which in scope and size, we have never before faced, so too, are we faced with the greatest opportunities for an ultimate change in the right direction. While people are controlled and manipulated through crisis and disorder, so too can people be awoken to seeing the necessity of knowledge and critical thought. When one’s life is thrown into disorder and chaos, suddenly observation, information and knowledge become important in understanding how one got into that situation, and how one can escape it.
With this in mind, while facing the potential for the greatest struggle humanity has ever faced, so too are we facing the greatest potential for a new Enlightenment or a new Renaissance; an age of new thought, new life, new potential, and peace. No matter how much elites think they control all things, life has a way of making one realize that there are things outside the control of people. With every action, comes an equal and opposite reaction.
We may not reach a new age of thinking and peace before we enter into a new age of oppression and war. In fact, the former may not be possible without the latter. People must awake from their slumber; their immersion in consumerist society and pop culture distractions, and awake to both the malevolence of world systems and the wonder of life and its potential. Through crisis, comes control; through control, comes power; through power, comes resistance; through resistance, comes thinking; through thinking, comes potential; through potential, comes peace.
We may very well be entering into the most oppressive and destructive order the world has yet seen, but from its ruins and ashes, which are as inevitable as the tides and as sure as the sun rises, we may see the rise of a truly peaceful world order; in which we see the triumphs of individualism merge with the interests of the majority; a people’s world order of peace for all. We must maintain, as Antonio Gramsci once wrote, “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.”
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