Losers

Luke 15:4-7

4 " What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  5 "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  6 "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  7 "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. NASU

The church has become too complacent with losing people. The church is not the leaders of your church or the teachers or the choir no it is you, each and every one of us. Without the people in the in the audience (the congregation) where would the next church leader come from, or the next teacher or the next choir member/director come from?

There won’t be any new ones. That is the fall of the church. We have stopped caring if people stop coming to our church. I know I am one of those people. I have been on both sides. I have not pursued the people that have left my church nor have I been pursued.

We have become too “politically correct” to chase after the ones that have quit coming. After all they are just quitters, they never were part of “us” and they don’t want to be bothered by us. It is best to just let them go. Go where? To hell?

As the parable says; one sheep is lost. If one of your possessions (livestock, pets, money, etc.) was lost would you not search for it? Would you let a predator devoir it?  I think not. You would find it, save it and restore it.

That is the problem; we don’t own the people that walk away. But that is exactly what we need to do “own them”. I’m not talking slavery here but ownership in the sense that we own where we work, our school or even our church; that is my job, my school and my church. The people that walk away are your family, your brother or sister.

I know that brothers and sisters fight and sometimes don’t want to be around each other but don’t let someone else hurt them. That is the ownership I am talking about. We need to make a nuisance of ourselves being sure that our siblings are safe. If they go to another flock is that flock okay? It could be but we won’t know unless we find out where they went. Is your brother or sister wondering in the wilderness lost and alone, or is the person that left not even related. Have they walked away from Christ?

We cannot make everyone see the light of Jesus and some will choose to go their own way but I want to do everything I can. They are loved and care for not only by God but by all our brothers and sisters.

We need to own up to the fact that if we don’t do it, it won’t get done.

Shush

Psalms 46:10

10 " Cease striving and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

NASU

Psalms 46:10

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

NIV

I think that the western society in particular is a very controlling society even to the point that we have the audacity to tell The GOD of the universe what to do. We need to STOP and remember who GOD IS.

I included two different versions of the Bible. One (NASU) is known as a word for word translation where as the other (NIV) is referred to as a thought for thought translation. I did this to show that even though there are different words used the meaning remains the same. Since there is a difference I looked up the original Hebrew word used in the Psalms. That word is OT:7503 *raphah (raw-faw'); a primitive root; to slacken. So what do you need to loosen up on?

Each of us have an idea as to how something should come to be, what is to happen and/or how we want it be. I have found myself carrying it to the point that even though I pray that the Father’s (GOD’s) will be done, I am not ready to accept the fact that whatever I am praying about or for is exactly how GOD sees it. We pray for God to give us this or that, to make something happen and for advice. These are not necessarily “bad” things to pray about. Scripture tells (commands) us to pray without ceasing. So is this a contradiction in the Bible? NO!

I’m not telling you to stop praying nor does the Bible. I am telling you to stop telling GOD what to do. In all the accounts of Jesus praying to His Father GOD, did he once tell God to anything? Yes, Jesus did ask for the cup to be taken from Him but only if it was truly GOD’s will. Jesus trusted GOD’s will to the point of death without question. That is what I am trying to get across. We need to let go of our prescribed notion that we know what is best for us. Satan uses this belief to destroy us, by causing doubt in our trust in God. Satan puts the thought in our head as to how much God cares if He doesn’t give us what we want, how we want it and when we want it. That sounds we are spoiled.  

God knows and cares for you.

*Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

Halloween, so what

Proverbs 8:35-36

35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord.

36 "But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death." NASB

Halloween is only surpassed by one other holiday, Christmas. Why is that, what makes Halloween so big?

It is quite simple; it is the high holy day of death. You can pretty it up and add sweet names to celebrations but that doesn’t change its  meaning.

Halloween is a "religious day" but it is NOT a Christian day. Tom Sanguinet, former high priest in the Celtic tradition of Wicca (witchcraft) said "The modern holiday we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ New Year. It was a time when the "spirits" (demons) were supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting the earth planet." He went on to say, "Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have or will do that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus."

What is the man talking about, you might be asking yourself? Let me explain. The origin of Halloween is the Celtic Festival of Samhain, lord of death and evil spirits. Long before Christ (at least 2000 years), Druids in Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany and other Celtic countries observed the end of summer by making sacrifices to Samhain. The Celts considered November 1st as being the day of death because the leaves were falling, it was getting darker sooner and

temperatures were dropping. They believed Muck Olla, their sun god was losing

strength and Samhain, lord of death, was overpowering him. Further, they

believed that on October 31st Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. These spirits had been confined to inhabit animals’ bodies for the past year, as punishment for their evil deeds. They were allowed to return to their former home to visit the lving on the eve (Oct. 31) of the Feast of Samhain. Druid priests led the people in diabolical worship ceremonies in which horses, cats, black sheep, oxen, human beings and other offerings were rounded up, stuffed into wicker cages and burned to death. This was done to appease Samhain and keep spirits from harming them. It is clear to see that HALLOWEEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CELEBRATION OF DEATH.

Which brings me to my next point. How were these sacrifices obtained? Druid priests and people would go from house to house asking for fatted calves, black sheep, and human beings. Those who gave were promised prosperity and those who refused to give were cursed and threatened. In addition, it was likely that all of the "wandering spirits" would get hungry. If you set out a treat for them, they would not trick or curse you. Hence we have THE ORIGIN OF TRICK OR TREAT. "Trick or Treat is a reenactment of the Druidic practices. The candy has replaced the human sacrifices of old, but it is still an appeasement of those deceptive evil spirits. The traditional response to those who do not treat is to have a trick played on the. When you give out Halloween candy, you are, in essence providing a sacrifice to false gods. You are participating in idolatry" says the former high priest of Wicca, Tom Sanguinet.

Did you know that even the Jack-O-Lantern has its origin with these pagan practices? In the book Occult Conceit the author says on page 190, "The candlelit pumpkin or skull served as a signal to mark those farms and homes that were sympathetic to the Satanists and thus deserving of mercy when the terror ("trick or treat") of the night began." Further, an old edition of The World Book Encyclopedia says "The apparently harmless lighted pumpkin face of the Jack-O-Lantern is an ancient symbol of a damned soul."

What about COSTUMES? They originated with these terrible Druid death rites also. As people and animals were screeching in agony while being burned to death the observers would dress in costumes made of animal skins and heads. They would dance, chant and jump through the flames in hope warding off the evil spirits.

http://home.computer.net/~cya/cy00061.html (Dark side of Halloween)

Have you ever wondered where the heinous pagan worship rituals of the Druids originated? I have. As it turns out it goes all the way back to Nimrod, who built Babel or Babylon. He conceived a one world government model in rebellion against Jehovah-God and went about to establish a one world government in the land of Shinar (which is today known as Iraq) and institute a pagan worship system that rejected the Lord God Jehovah. The primary false god worshipped was called Baal (Syrian & Phoenician), Bel (Assyrian), Moloch or Molech (Ammonites), Ra or Re (Egyptian) to name just a few. Here is why that is important. The American Book of Days says, "Many of Halloween's customs are derived from the ancient Baal Festivals. Other customs originate from the taking of omens from the struggles of victims in the fires of druidic sacrifices." Alexander Hislop wrote, "The worship of Bel (Moloch) and Astarte was very early introduced into Britain along with the Druids, the priests of the groves. From Bel, the 1^st of May is still called Beltane in the Almanac; and we have customs still lingering at this day among us, which prove how exactly the worship of Bel or Moloch had been observed…" The reference to "lingering customs" refers to Halloween.

http://www.logosresourcepages.org/HalloweenBook/history.htm

This column is extra long since I am much convicted about the celebration of Halloween. No I am not over reacting. You may say that is just the origin no one celebrates Halloween in that manor any more. The references I gave you beg to differ. Do you realize that “Wicca” is the fastest growing religion among the youth?

 Wicca may not be Satan worship and marijuana isn’t crack either but statistics show that the use of marijuana leads to harder drugs. You may also contend that there are no longer animal sacrifices. Explain why most animal shelters won’t adopt out cats (black or white ones especially) before Halloween.

Now you can say that you are not participating in those rituals therefore it doesn’t matter. Do you participate in homosexual activities? Whether you do or not doesn’t make it right.

How about adultery or abortion? Lack of participation doesn’t make it right, it just makes it tolerated. What you tolerate today you will pay for tomorrow.

You could also contend that it isn’t a Halloween celebration, it is a

“Harvest Festival”. Guess what, there is a harvest festival that doesn’t coincide with worship of death. It is called “Thanksgiving”.

What about using it to “evangelize” the lost. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Dress-up give out treats and tracts look and act like the world and then tell them that they need to change.

Galatians 2:14b

"If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

NASU

You can say that Jesus reached out to the sinners and you would be right. HE reached out to me. But ask yourself this, did Jesus get drunk with the drunkards or participate with prostitutes? No, He shared the “Good News” with them and showed them the way.

Yes, I celebrated Halloween as both a child and an young adult until I realized the meaning of what I was doing. Honestly I cannot see how I glorified God while participating in Halloween. My hope is to enlighten people about this not so innocent holiday. What you do with this information is up to you but let the Scriptures ask you a question:

2 Cor 6:14-15

14  Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

NASU

May 21st, 2011 Rapture

Matthew 24:36-43 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.  37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.  38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,  39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.  40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  41 " Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.  43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

I may be presumptuous (since I wrote this prior to the end of May 21st) but I do not believe that the rapture of the church has taken place, yet. Now please don’t get me wrong, I know that the rapture will take place, it just has not happened yet. I am not writing this column to draw attention to anyone’s mistake. I am writing this to encourage everyone not to become lax and think that we have plenty of time to get things right with God before His return. 

We see in Matthew 24 that only God the Father knows the return of Jesus Christ (Son of Man). But it does give us some insight. It will be as the day of Noah.

We see in Genesis chapter five and six that a hundred years passed from the time God called Noah to build the ark till the flood came. In that time we assume that generation after generation saw the building of this massive ship and became curious as to what its purpose was. I believe that Noah told them time and time again that there was going to be a flood that would destroy everything that was not in the ark. And as time went on and the ark took time to build, people began to ridicule Noah and think that it wasn’t going to happen. We do not know that the first rain drop fell with the final blow of Noah’s hammer either. For all we know the ark could have been completed long before the first rain drop fell which made people doubt Noah’s prophecy. The people kept living as they did before the ark not believing that there  was any reason to change and perhaps there were those that thought they should listen and get things right with God but they had plenty of time. Just as God predicted, the flood came and only the ones in the ark were saved.

That is the harm with predicting a specific time for the LORD’s return. People lose faith in the prophecy or they think they have plenty of time. Yes we are given hints as to the time but not the exact time. What would it change for us to know the exact moment that Jesus will return? Would you live differently?

If you would I suggest that you start living differently now. I didn’t know that on Easter Sunday 2011 that I was going to break my shoulder in five places. My point is that no one knows their time on earth. The “Rapture” may not come in our life time or it might, the time is close, but when we pass from this life to the other God’s judgment will be the same. We do not know how much time we have rapture or not.

2 Peter 3:9-10 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

The “Rapture”, end of the earth and the return of Jesus Christ our King will come to be as prophesied at God’s time not ours. I believe that God put it so blunt that no one would know the time so that we would not get caught up in trying to figure it out but to be ready at all times.

If you knew the exact time and date that Jesus would return 

and would change anything in your life before His return, 

Change it now!