as i travel thru ThisPilgrimLand

Dutch Sheets Now Gets Behind Newt

Last time I checked, the people who Dutch Sheets and his New Apostolic Reformation friends  get behind don’t do to well in elections.  Ask Rick Perry and Sarah Palin how the god that these heretics worship keeps his “word.”

Here’s the link to the story.

Apostle Dutch Sheets Endorses Newt Gingrich, Will Join Campaign’s National Faith Leaders Coalition

A Test

Here’s a test for you to take.  I’ll go ahead and admit that I failed it after I thought about it.  Let me provide some info about this test before it’s presented.

This test really stems off the back of a frequently debated issue in Christianity regarding the afterlife.  ”Will individuals recognize one another in Heaven?”  Without delving too far into the issue, there are a multitude of Biblical passages that suggest that through thought and possibly sight, Christians will be able to recognize loved ones in the Heavenly realm.  More convincing though, is the fact that there are no passages to suggest that Christians will not have some sort of recognizing faculty equipped.  For certain, Paul in his letter to the Thessalonian church, believed that he would be able to recognize those members of that church who he loved dearly and had passed away, at least at the resurrection day (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

One of the arguments against this position is that there is to be no sadness in Heaven.  Our psyche and logic as humans tells us that if we can recognize those whom we love in the afterlife, then we would surely miss those who have not been saved by Christ’s redemptive power.  This is where the test comes in.

If you are a Christian, ask yourself who you would be the saddest over if you did not see them in Heaven.  Now take a piece of paper and number it 1 through 5 (CLICK HERE OR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST FOR PRINTABLE TEST DOCUMENT).  Write down the five people who you will be the saddest over if they are not in Heaven.

Done?

Now, review your list and as you do so, ask yourself one question:  How many of those people are my actual, physical neighbor?  Whether you live in a large apartment complex with many neighbors or in a rural setting with only a few neighbors within your proximity, how many of the five are your neighbor?

Before I wrote this I did this experiment myself and I failed.  None of my top five were my neighbor.  Yet, in my neighborhood I am surrounded by people who I know have souls in jeopardy.  Some are followers of occult like religions posing as Christianity.  Some of my neighbors are once faithful Christians who have fallen away and have actually sought my advise and assistance at times in regaining their footing in their Christian walk.  Some are simply non-believers.  They are all my actual physical neighbors though and possibly the people who I should be the saddest about should they not make it to a Heavenly home.

The Holy Spirit led Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 10:24:  ”Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”  As a Christian saved by God’s grace, how could there be happiness knowing that I have not extended that same grace and the true gospel of Jesus Christ to those I am closest to on almost a daily basis?  How can you?

I hope that you took the test above and that you passed much better than I did.  If not, revise your list so that it is more in line with Biblical teaching.  Pray for one another that we will begin to seek the good of our neighbor’s souls.

CLICK HERE FOR FOR PRINTABLE TEST DOCUMENT – MSWORD

What We Appeal To

When I think back to my childhood, I remember the primary reason that I did not want to use bad language.  I am not sure of the origin(s) of this reasoning but to this day, it rings true in my mind.

The instruction I recall was that one does not use bad language because it makes you look stupid.  The idea was that it showed a limited vocabulary and that people who can’t speak English well must use swear words to fill in the blanks.  Since my youth, I have linked swearing with stupidity.

It has worked.  I do find that many times people who curse a great deal a very stupid.  In fictional movies and books that I read or watch, many times the authors pose the less than intelligent characters to swear more than others.  Whereas many saw the fact that every other word out of Tony Soprano’s mouth was a curse word as a fact that he was a bad person, I saw it as a fact that he didn’t go to college.    To this day, I link cursing to ignorance.

Now as a Christian man, I still feel the same way, but I wonder about the motive behind this.  If I am not using bad language because I don’t want to seem stupid, is that actually bringing glory to God or to myself?  In other words, was the motivation for not swearing an act of Christianity or an act of vanity?  Would I rather not look stupid or do I want to be a Christian?

While there are several scriptures dealing with the words that Christians use, Ephesians 4:29 stands out to me.  Here Paul writes:

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

From this passage I find that not using bad language because of how it makes me look is not in line with Paul’s teaching.  Rather, Paul reminds us that the words we use should be meant for others, not ourselves.  In one way, our words are meant for our neighbor.  Paul wants us to build up our neighbor with our words and through his use of the word “corrupting” he is telling us that words of poor quality can not accomplish that goal.  That goal is the subject of the second individual that our words are meant for.

As Christians, our words are meant to bring glory to God.  More specifically, Paul is reminding us that our words are meant to bring grace to our neighbor and through building up and edifying our neighbor as situations arise, we are bringing glory to God.  As Christians, we should know that through grace and grace alone is God able to shed His holy influence upon people.  It is through the grace extended to us upon Calvary that we are brought right in the sight of God. Paul exerts us to remember this in our speech and to bring glory to Him through showing others the grace we have been shown.  While living and basking in that wondrous grace, what need does the Christian have for anything rotten or unwholesome to express their feeling?

As a Christian father my prayer is that I can teach my children to not use corrupt speech because of the grace they have been taught and hopefully shown by their mother and I.  Would it do harm to teach them an extensive vocabulary and show them that the most popular and common words are curse words used by mostly simpletons?  I think not.  However I pray that I can teach my children and that God will continue to help me to choose my words wisely so that together we may bring glory to Him.

Back Again

It has been one month today since I last posted on this website.  For those who make an effort to read the content on this site I apologize.  The past month has been one filled with matters that have prevented me from spending any time writing.  I believe that trend has changed as of today and I can once begin writing again.  Happy New Year!!!!