shapedbytruth

The difference between acting or pretending and lying…

When you are acting in a play or pretending, everyone knows you are acting or pretending.

It becomes a lie when you are deliberately trying to fool someone or even yourself

We need to keep in mind that what people need is the Gospel, NOT the Government.

If we do not govern ourselves, then society demands that some govern for us.  Laws don’t exist because of good people, laws exists because of people who do not govern themselves.

The only role of Government is to protect life, liberty, and property

Keep in mind, that a Government that has the power to legislate your morality today, has the power to legislate someone else’s morality tomorrow.

For example, our legislature has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which allows for American citizens to be arrested on suspicion of terrorism and held indefinitely.

 Because our Government can define and redefine what a terrorist is, it is simple enough for them to come along and add to the definition: “Christian Fundamentalist”

MERCY – Not getting what you deserve. We have all sinned, we all DESERVE death and hell.

GRACE – Getting what you do not deserve. When we repent and put our trust in God and His word, then we are blessed by God and receive what we do not deserve.

LOVE – putting others ahead of yourself, self-less-ness, no greater love than to lay down your life for another

HATE – the opposite of LOVE is self-ish-ness, hate can be a component of love: love God, hate sin.

Throughout history, governments have used religion as a tool to motivate people to fight for them.

So many wars have been “holy wars”

Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world.

I’ve even heard people say that “God is on our side”.

Baloney, the question we need to ask is, “Are we on God’s side?”

While signs and wonders were part of the fulfillment of scripture to validate the identity of the messiah.

Notice that after Jesus, signs and wonders followed them that believed and were a confirmation of the Apostles preaching

While God still works miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.

In the future, the anti-christ will use lying signs and wonders to draw people away to hear a false gospel.

In both the old and new testaments, a good principle to follow is that when the title “God” is used, it refers to the Godhead working together in unison. Other instances, either by the words used or by the context, you can see where a distinction of the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit at work.

Rules and regulations without relationship leads to rebellion

Eph 1:17-23


That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the:
– spirit of wisdom
– revelation in the knowledge of Him

that the eyes of your understanding will be enlightened so that you may know what is the
– hope of His calling
– riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints
– exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe

toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power which He
– worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead
– seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places
– far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
– put all things under His feet
– gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

we are told to “occupy till He comes…”

how do we occupy?

1. be a witness to all the world
2. be a good steward
3. be watchful
 – His coming will be as a thief in the night to those who are not watching for Him
 – watch that you do not fall into sin
4. be not deceived (don’t be fooled)

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.'” So Aaron held his peace.

-Leviticus 10:1-3

When we come before God, it must be on His terms. He is the Creator of everything. He is Holy, Righteous, Good.

All the time I hear, “Well, I just can’t believe in a ‘god’ that would do such and such”. When people hear things in the Bible that demonstrate God’s Holy judgement, they balk. They think that their limited human judgement is superior to God’s all-knowing, all-seeing judgement.

Instead of seeking to understand what God was doing in a particular instance, they instead create a god of their own imagination. This imaginary god that they are comfortable with does things they way the person thinks they should. This false image of their own creation is what they worship and thereby have violated the first two commandments.

We should focus on what God has told us to do, instead of trying to see what we can get away with.