What it’s all about

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

What’s next, America?

Psalms 60

1  O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

² Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.

³ Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

⁴ Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

⁵ That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

⁶ God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

⁷ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

⁸ Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

⁹ Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

¹⁰ Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

¹¹ Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

¹² Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

A message for our times

ISAIAH, Chapter 1

1. The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

² Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

³ The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

⁴ Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

⁵ Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

⁶ From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

⁷ Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸ And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

⁹ Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

¹² When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

¹⁵ And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

¹⁷ Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

¹⁹ If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

²⁰ But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

²¹ How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

²² Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:

²³ Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

²⁴ Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

²⁵ And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:

²⁶ And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

²⁷ Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

²⁸ And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.

²⁹ For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

³⁰ For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

³¹ And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Happy New Year, 2019

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Lamentations 3:22-24 King James Version

Thanks to Graphics Fairy for the free image. Click here to go the website.

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Words: Thomas O. Chisholm
Music: William M. Runyan

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

Click here for a wonderful a capella version.

Remember

Today is the 15th anniversary of the attack on American soil by terrorists in New York, Pennsylvania  and Washington, D.C.

 

It matters.

And if we want to survive as a nation of free people, we need to act like it matters.

 

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

 

We don’t live in Mayberry any more

Merriam Webster defines Persecution as –
1: the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
2: the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed

This is no longer the same country that the Pilgrims came to seeking religious freedom. It isn’t even the same country in which I was born.

I am not saying that the harassment in America is analogous to what Christians in North Korea or virtually any country in the Middle East (and several in the Far East) suffer. We know the difference between full blown persecution and what’s happening to Believers in the United States. They live under life threatening persecution. We are being harassed and annoyed. But it is stepping up quickly and now involves government prosecution.

I pray that it doesn’t get worse, but we would be foolish not to have our lamps trimmed.

Psalm 124

1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5. Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Save

Trust

God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I Corinthians 1:9

Save

Letters to the Saints

Can you imagine writing a letter that’s as long as the book of Galatians in the New Testament? What a rarity to receive even a 3 page hand-written letter, much less pages and pages.

But, of course the letters in the New Testament were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that puts them in a whole different category from casual missives relating recent activities.

Some modern translations or versions of the Bible don’t include the term Epistle or even Letter, but that’s what the following books literally are – letters to the churches in those places:

Paul wrote:

Romans (to the believers in Rome)
I & II Corinthians (to the believers in Corinth)
Galatians (to the believers in Galatia)
Ephesians (to the believers in Ephesus)
Philippians (to the believers in Philippi)
Colossians (to the believers in Colosse)
I & II Thessalonians (to the believers in Thessalonica)
I & II Timothy (to Timothy)
Titus (to Titus)
Philemon (to Philemon)

Unknown Author
Hebrews (to the Hebrews)

James
James (to the 12 tribes scattered abroad)

Peter
I & II Peter (to the believers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia)

John
I, II and III John (only III John is addressed to a specific person or place: Gaius)

Jude
Jude (to the sanctified)

Many Christians have a favorite Bible verse; I would be hard pressed to name a specific verse, although there several passages which are particularly special to me.

But I do have a favorite book in the Bible: the Epistle of James.

James writes in such a clear and straightforward way. Unlike with Paul (sometimes), I don’t have to guess at his meaning.

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:3

(An unpleasant truth, but true nevertheless.)

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12

Once Joe and I had an odd little conversation with a stranger while we were shopping. She joyfully related that she’d heard a Christian speaker teach that God allows us each one vice. That was a rather stunning statement and utterly false.

Our Heavenly Father is holy and sent his perfect Son as the sacrifice for our sins. No where in scripture is there an excuse for sin. Even one.

James says that we are blessed when we endure temptation, not winked at when we indulge.

Vintage Christmas Cards IX

This card was printed onto double folded paper and has an embossed edge framing the shepherd on the front. My guess is that it’s postwar 1940s.

Thieves and Robbers

Since the pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas got into a brouhaha over Mitt Romney, I’ve been thinking about the differences between Christianity and other religions.

Jesus said some pretty tough things about how to get to heaven.

In this age of inclusiveness and tolerance, His words are shocking.

They are a plumb-line. (Amos 7:7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand.)

John 10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.” “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7 (New American Standard)

A thief? A robber?

I can just hear the modern admonition: “But Jesus, you have to be nice!”

“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.

But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.” (Amplified)

Well.

How terribly politically incorrect Jesus is.

You may ask: The one who claimed to be the Son of God … you mean that He doesn’t place a moral equivalence on all religions and beliefs?

Right. That’s what He said.

He is the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16

Only begotten. Jesus and Lucifer are not brothers (a tenet of Mormonism).

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.” Matthew 7:15

There are more false prophets now than at any time during my life. Big ones (who form their own multi-million member following); and small ones, individuals who have a Colorform Spirituality (I”l take yoga and reincarnation from the Hindus, philosophy from Buddhism, earth worship from American Indians, etc.).

Jesus clearly said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:6

God doesn’t grade on a curve. I’m not going to heaven because I’m better than Hitler, or that I’m a “pretty good person”. Nobody is going on those terms.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23

Women don’t get there by being called up by their husbands (another tenet of Joseph Smith). We get there by confessing our sin, accepting and believing in Jesus.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9

We all fall short – every single one of us.

And that’s why we need the Savior – to bridge that sin chasm between us and a perfect God.

Therefore, it’s Jesus + 0 = heaven.

It’s God’s heaven and he made the rules for admission.

Go here to read more about the differences between Christianity and Jehovah’s Witness.

For information about Mormonism, go here

and

here.