With so many people in American society today claiming that the government must do something about anything they view as a problem, I think a quick review of government role and God's role in our personal and public lives is in order.
The role of the American government is to clearly delineated in the opening statement of the Constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The people gave limit power to an elected body to pass laws to accomplish the above objective. The elected body is Congress and state legislatures and these governmental bodies are suppose to pass law that work for the good of the people. Now a law is nothing more than a rule that one must follow, or be held accountable by the government and fined, jailed or both. Most laws completely remove your right to choose or grossly limit that right. For example you have the ability to drive a vehicle at 100 mph, yet the government(for the general good) limits you to a speed limit. You really don't have much of a choice. In some circles there are people who feel the government should control your choices from the time you are born until you die, (it is referred to as cradle to grave government care). For example there has recently been put out to the public, the idea that obese children are being abused by their parents feeding them to much and that the government should step in and do something like take custody of the children. The government now tells you that you must purchase health insurance or you will be fined or taxed into submission. I do not think this is what is meant by "promote general welfare", just as I suspect that government "entitlements" were not what was thought of this was written.
So to sum this up in a simple sentence: Some people in the government don't think you are smart enough to manage your own life and therefore they must provide for you everything and what you receive from them is what you must be happy with. We are from the government and we are going to help you.
Compare that to God, who says, I love you and want what is best for you. I have made a way for you, but you are certainly free to refuse my way and go your own. I gave you everything that you needed and then provided a way to live a mostly happy, healthy and prosperous life. Through Jesus I provided you a free way out of sin and death, all you had to was accept it. By putting My kingdom first and using your talent, time and money, I will bless you and you will prosper, but you are free to refuse my offer. If you put my Kingdom first and give of your finances, I will give more back to you, no it will not be instant, but it will come. If you serve me I will make you a light in your world for freedom and grace. You will have the chance to tell people about what I can do and how many blessing are in your life because you serve me. No it will not always be easy and sometimes it will be scary and difficult, but it will never be boring. I even can provide healing for your physical body when needed, no health insurance required and no co-payment needed. That being said, I created it all and I keep it all going and moving in the right direction, if I take my hand off of something it spins in to chaos. Take a look at the countries that have turned their backs on me, how did it work out for them?
America was born from the desire of men and women to be free and to be able to worship Me and serve Me, I guided it and I blessed it and I prospered it. Now the government want to claim the credit and the people who don't want Me in their lives deny what I did for America some of them even deny that I exist. I will remove my hand one day and if you think it is bad now, just wait. The other option is better, repent, turn from your wicked ways and I will heal your land. The choice is yours, choose wisely. I love you.
FATHER GOD, JESUS the SON and HOLY SPIRIT, all three in one.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
What Would Jesus Say About Same Sex Marriages?
Recently a friend of mine sent me a link to a magazine article from a Christian magazine and the article was written by a pastor who was concerned about the legalization of same sex marriages in New York; with the question WWJD or what would Jesus do? I have thought about that and prayed about that for a few days and I here now offer my humble opinion on that topic. I make no apologies that I write this from a Pentecostal Christian view point, one might could subtitle this "What should the Christian Church Do About Same Sex Marriages".
God delivered to Moses a large body of laws for the people of Israel to live by, some of these laws were for spiritual living and holiness, some of them were for general health of physical living, and some of them were for moral health and all were important.
Now Jesus fulfilled the spiritual laws required for holiness and salvation, and you and I are no longer under the Old Covenant that requires an animal sacrifice for the atonement of sin, Jesus paid that price once and for all. PETA would down our throats if we were still doing animal sacrifices.
Jesus did not abolish the Laws of God, He completed and fulfilled them. Matthew 5:17. Jesus made it clear that the moral and physical health laws that God gave Moses were not to be abolished. They were for the good of the nation, now I know some of them seem silly today, because we now have chemicals to kill mold and drugs to treat diseases, so maybe some of the physical life laws don't apply as much today as they did 4000 years ago.
That being said the moral life laws, I believe are still as applicable today as they were when they were given. Leviticus chapter 18 gives clear instructions about sexual relationship(whom you are NOT suppose to have sex with), verse 15 clearly refers to homosexual relationships. Matthew 5:27-28 deals with adultery and then 29-30 instructs us to take serious action to avoid sin and temptation. Matthew 7:1-5 deals with judging others when you yourself have sin issues to deal with. I have put down a foundation lets build a clear statement from this.
We have no record of Jesus ever officiating a wedding service nor a funeral. We do however have Jesus confronting the church leaders for not doing good on the Sabbath, and being hypocritical towards the laws of God. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and His disciples picked grain to eat on the Sabbath all in direction violation of the tradition of the elders of the temple. I have never found a law in the Bible against healing or feeding yourself or someone else on the Sabbath, yet church leaders condemned Him for healing people on the Sabbath.
Jesus confronted the church leaders for this type of action, condemning others while in sin themselves, that is why we have Matthew 7:1-5, please note that Jesus was not saying "Do not judge the difference between right and wrong", He was referring to passing judgement on other people and their sin, while you are neck deep in your own sin. For many years this piece of scripture has been thrown at anyone (include the Christian church) who commented on someone else involved in sin or wrong doings. I have had that thrown at me in the past. I think Jesus is going to confront the church leaders about not speaking out about this sin issue and all the others.
Jesus would be calling the church to stand up and speak the moral and Holy Truth to this issue. No more namby pamby, don't won't to hurt your feeling, everyone must feel good preaching. The truth is God finds it to be an abomination to His holiness and Jesus is God. The message is clear and should be loud and strong, NO! Turn from you sin, confess and be healed, flee from this or the end result will be a devil's hell for you.
Alexis de Toqueville a French political thinker and historian wrote the following in his analysis and description of American life, Democracy in America, published in 1835.
I think Jesus would ask "Where is my Church?" "Where are my people?" Then He would weep as He did for Jerusalem. Yes I think Jesus would call it what it is, a sin and then He would call the sinner to repentance and tell them to go and sin no more. Yes Jesus loves the sinner and hates the sin, what a great example to the church today. Love the sinner and hate the sin, stand strong for holiness and God's loving law. Be loud and strong, preach the truth in love, but never back down.
May God richly bless you today.
God delivered to Moses a large body of laws for the people of Israel to live by, some of these laws were for spiritual living and holiness, some of them were for general health of physical living, and some of them were for moral health and all were important.
Now Jesus fulfilled the spiritual laws required for holiness and salvation, and you and I are no longer under the Old Covenant that requires an animal sacrifice for the atonement of sin, Jesus paid that price once and for all. PETA would down our throats if we were still doing animal sacrifices.
Jesus did not abolish the Laws of God, He completed and fulfilled them. Matthew 5:17. Jesus made it clear that the moral and physical health laws that God gave Moses were not to be abolished. They were for the good of the nation, now I know some of them seem silly today, because we now have chemicals to kill mold and drugs to treat diseases, so maybe some of the physical life laws don't apply as much today as they did 4000 years ago.
That being said the moral life laws, I believe are still as applicable today as they were when they were given. Leviticus chapter 18 gives clear instructions about sexual relationship(whom you are NOT suppose to have sex with), verse 15 clearly refers to homosexual relationships. Matthew 5:27-28 deals with adultery and then 29-30 instructs us to take serious action to avoid sin and temptation. Matthew 7:1-5 deals with judging others when you yourself have sin issues to deal with. I have put down a foundation lets build a clear statement from this.
We have no record of Jesus ever officiating a wedding service nor a funeral. We do however have Jesus confronting the church leaders for not doing good on the Sabbath, and being hypocritical towards the laws of God. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and His disciples picked grain to eat on the Sabbath all in direction violation of the tradition of the elders of the temple. I have never found a law in the Bible against healing or feeding yourself or someone else on the Sabbath, yet church leaders condemned Him for healing people on the Sabbath.
Jesus confronted the church leaders for this type of action, condemning others while in sin themselves, that is why we have Matthew 7:1-5, please note that Jesus was not saying "Do not judge the difference between right and wrong", He was referring to passing judgement on other people and their sin, while you are neck deep in your own sin. For many years this piece of scripture has been thrown at anyone (include the Christian church) who commented on someone else involved in sin or wrong doings. I have had that thrown at me in the past. I think Jesus is going to confront the church leaders about not speaking out about this sin issue and all the others.
Jesus would be calling the church to stand up and speak the moral and Holy Truth to this issue. No more namby pamby, don't won't to hurt your feeling, everyone must feel good preaching. The truth is God finds it to be an abomination to His holiness and Jesus is God. The message is clear and should be loud and strong, NO! Turn from you sin, confess and be healed, flee from this or the end result will be a devil's hell for you.
Alexis de Toqueville a French political thinker and historian wrote the following in his analysis and description of American life, Democracy in America, published in 1835.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her ample rivers - it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits ablaze with righteousness did I meet the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.
Americas' pulpits need to be ablaze again, the fire has died in many places to a very low coal barely burning and in other places the coals are completely cold. This the real tragedy in this whole story.I think Jesus would ask "Where is my Church?" "Where are my people?" Then He would weep as He did for Jerusalem. Yes I think Jesus would call it what it is, a sin and then He would call the sinner to repentance and tell them to go and sin no more. Yes Jesus loves the sinner and hates the sin, what a great example to the church today. Love the sinner and hate the sin, stand strong for holiness and God's loving law. Be loud and strong, preach the truth in love, but never back down.
May God richly bless you today.
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