The violence of Islam

Any questions about the violence of Islam are answered here. http://rzim.org/global-blog/nabeel-qureshi-in-the-huffington-post-do-the-roots-of-jihad-lie-in-the-quran

Thoughts for Easter week

Holy Week Friday: Behold the Man Upon a Cross

There are many events on Good Friday that are worthy of reflection, but the centerpiece of Good Friday (and the centerpiece of the Christian faith) is the cross. When we gaze upon the cross, what do we see? What should we see? We are confronted by the following four truths when we gaze at the cross:

People Hate God

Jesus said, “If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.” (John 15:24) Something we often fail to consider when gazing at the cross is the blackness of our own hearts. It is shocking to think that when God the Son took upon himself flesh and drew near to us, we killed him. God crucified at the hands of sinful men proves with unmistakable clarity just how much man, in his fallen state, hates God.

People Love Their Sin

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19) How can people hate God? How could a good, loving, holy, perfect God end up being crucified by an angry mob? The Bible tells us why… We love our sin. Jesus came into the world to make an end of sin, and because we love our sin, we made an end of him.

God Hates Sin

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5) When Christ who knew no sin, became sin for us on the cross (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), the Father poured out his wrath on the Son. Isaiah says God was pleased to crush him (see Isaiah 53:10). The cross is the ultimate demonstration of the Father’s righteousness. He does not take sin lightly.

God Loves Sinners

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10) While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. This is why Good Friday is called “good.” At the cross, God demonstrated his holy displeasure toward sin while simultaneously lavishing his love on sinners in the process. God’s love saved us!

Respond:

Spend time today praising and thanking God for his amazing love and awesome holiness that was displayed on the cross. Marvel as you consider how God loved you and Christ died for you even while you were a God-hater. Pray for the grace to hate sin like God hates sin and to love people like God loves people. Consider reading or listening to the hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” to prepare your heart.

Watch and Listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDujmtyAVk

Read:  http://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us/

The problem with the modern day church

I realized here lately that most leaders in the church congregations to be dumber than the congregation.  This applies to a whole lot of things, both on the job and in the church. You are never supposed to know more than they do. If you try or learn anything they look at it as a offense and affront to their authority. All they want is to go through the motions they are not really interested in learning and growing. They just want to go to church and sooth their feelings and go on with their lives. Like Amos 8:11 said the famine in the end time will be lack of hearing the Word of God and that is so true! We are seeing this everyday but wonder why we're not being effective. It's because the church itself will not discipline  itself and read The Word. The Scripture 1 Corinthians 3: 1&2, that says you can only have milk and not meat, you have to go back to the basics when you should be teachers yourself! Applying this to the modern day church, we will never have the effect Christ wanted to have on the world, because they don't know the Word. You cannot share the Word if you don't know the Word. This is from sheer laziness and a lack of love for God. This is unbelievable! This is why Randy and Mack both responded to me like they did. I don't know why this challenges their knowledge and authority? Everybody should know as much about the Bible as I do. I am not a Biblical scholar by any means, but they ought to at least have a layman's working knowledge of the Bible. They want to go to class, set through sermons and go on with their life and act like nothing's changed! There is no true desire for the Word of God in their lives. Without the Word of God, there is no church. You're simply a social organization like the Masons or the Rotary Club or any other you care name. This is not what the church is. If there is not a strong desire to glorify and honor God there, what are we doing then?

I'll Stay in my pew!

I go this from AFA.

People are funny when they come to church.  Some sit in the same pew every week and heaven help you if get in “their spot.”  Some will barely let the preacher finish praying before they are out of their seat headed for the door.  Some spend more time looking at their watch than listening to the songs, the Scriptures, or what the preacher has to say.  Sometimes, we spend so much time trying to “play church” that we forget the whole reason we are there in the first place.  I am one of those people.

Recently in worship, God decided to show me the importance of a true relationship with Him.  It was communion Sunday, and I was ushering.  I went row by row, guiding the folks to the front.  When I got close to the end of my section, I noticed a visitor who I had not seen before.  I touched him on the shoulder and said, “You are up next.”  He turned and said, “No thanks, I’ll just stay in my pew.”

Participating in communion requires a personal decision. I obviously couldn’t force him, so I moved on.  His words have stuck with me for a while though.  I don’t want to overlook the fact that there could be some denominational reasons for him not wanting to receive Communion.  However, I got the impression that he didn’t wish to participate.  Something similar happened a few weeks later with someone very close to me.  They visited our church to hear my wife speak but refused communion.  Some will jump to 1 Corinthians 11:27 for the explanation.  To that, my answer is Romans 3:23.  Not some of us, all of us.

I am a sinner.  I am as Paul said, the chief of sinners.  Do you remember when you first accepted Christ as your Savior?  How on fire you were?  The proverbial “charge the gates of Hell with a water pistol” mentality?   That is a key part of salvation, the beginning of a new creature.  However, it’s not the end.  In reality, Christianity is a lifelong journey toward the goal of being more and more “like Christ.”

My sin separated me from God.  Had it not been for Christ, I would still be separated from God.  When I sin now, and believe me, I need a fountain of grace each day, it is covered by the one and only sacrifice that would ever be enough.  God is not ok with my sin, nor will He ever be.  The only trump card that Christians have to play is the sacrifice of Christ in our place.

The person close to me refused communion because he is not a Christian.  He has run from Christianity his entire adult life.  He nervously sat through service that day and left as quickly as he could.  He sees Jesus as a judge, not as a Savior.  Deuteronomy 30:15 is one of my favorite verses to cite with discussing Christianity with anyone.  It is simple and straightforward.  “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.”  Jesus is two equal parts:  Savior and Judge.  To the Christian, we will face Him as one or the other.  He is equal parts mercy and justice.  If you do not receive His mercy, you will taste His justice.

The importance of Communion, though, is to remind you that His mercy is free and plentiful to all who seek it.  It’s also to remind you that there is absolutely nothing that you can do to attain salvation yourself.  Outside of the sacrifice of Christ, we are all lost.

In taking the message of Christ to the world, it is that example that we must communicate.  There most definitely is a conviction of one’s sin and repenting.  There must be outward signs of an inward change.  If you bear no fruit, then all you did was eat a little bread and drink a little grape juice.  We cannot lay out a list of rules to a dead person first.  Reason being, the dead don’t know they are dead until they receive the life that Christ provides.  Grace, mercy, and forgiveness of sins must be communicated.  Anything else, and you make yourself a hypocrite because that is the message that Christ communicated to you.

The next time communion is offered, approach it with reverence.  Approach it as what it is:  the sacrifice of One for many.  Invite all who will come.  Encourage, disciple, teach and support even the ones who are different than you.

Christ died so that you could.  When you take of His body and drink of His blood, you take up His mission to the world.  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)”

Tabletalk Magazine Jan. 25 2016

The laws of cause and effect tell us that there must be a self existence cause, a first mover that is not itself an effect but the primary cause of all of the things. Because the heavens declare God's glory Psalm 19:2  a truly rational examination of the universe will never lead to atheism. Tabletalk magazine Jan. 25 2016

Trump 2016? Are we that desperate?

As we are nearing the primary election  I can't help but think to myself, are we so desperate as to put someone like Donald Trump into the president's office?!

I have yet to hear him say anything substantive about any of the problems this nation is facing. How to fix them, how to finance them, or whatever.

What does  his foreign policy look like? What is his answer to the national debt?  How do we stop the deficit? What would he replace the Affordable Care Act with that he wants to abolish so bad? I haven't heard him say anything in the debates, interviews or speeches he has given. He has yet to address any of these issues.

Would somebody please explain to me what makes this man so popular? I know he is saying what a lot of people feel, but it has no practical use as President. He will be dealing with world leaders. We have got to put someone in there who can unite people and not divide them!

We must learn to compromise and move forward as a nation. No one party is right all the time or one person. We have forgotten how to compromise and come to an agreement on something. This nation is at a critical point in its history and if we don't pull out now, we may not be able to! 

This is the only election I can remember that, as a reporter pointed out, where  experience does not matter! You have John Kasich,  a governor and a 18 year member of the U.S. Seanate who worked on the Budget Committee and helped  balance the budget. You have Jeb Bush, governor of Florida, who knows about immigration and dealing with a budget. Yet none of this seems to matter. It has to be about more than a five second sound byte. There has to be substance to what they say and a plan in place and be able to assemble a group of people to execute that plan.

If we don't elect a true leader, this nation will just continue to decline. I love my country and I'm very worried about it, but if we don't repent and turn our hearts and minds back to God and start electing some proper leaders for this country, I fear for the future of this nation!

The Oilfield Bust 2016...AGAIN?!

       Oklahoma is in another severe downturn in the oilfields again!

    This is an exact repeat of what happened in the early eighties!

The OPEC nations have ramped up production to make sure they keep their hold on the market share by flooding the market with cheap oil.

Why hasnt Oklahoma tried to diversify their economy before now?

Why aren't we the trucking Hub of the United States?

We are at the crossroads of America with I-35 and I-40 intersecting in Oklahoma City.

We have the largest inland port at the Port of Catoosa that goes all the way up to the Gulf of Mexico by New Orleans.

We have the cheapest fuel prices and license tags for semi trucks anywhere in the nation.

Only one reason and that is because of the turnpike system. There are too many people are making too much money  selling bonds to keep these refinanced into eternity!

Until the stranglehold on our economy is broken, Oklahoma will never advance economically. We are a one natural resource state. Our economy is built upon oil and very little else.

Until we learn this, we will never break free from the slavery of unstable oil prices. We will constantly be at the mercy of nations who hate us!

Why are we letting  nations who hate us, and our way of life, dictate our economy by adjusting the price of a barrel of oil on the world market?!

I do not see a downside of removing the turnpikes and making them a free road. As one person said, the turnpike system looks like a wagon wheel with spokes coming out of Oklahoma City. If these were free roads, we would be able to attract all kinds of trucking companies here to do business in Oklahoma.

We are better than this! We have been through this before. It seems to me that we have learned nothing. What will it take to wake us up and change our economy?