The End for America!

28. July 2011 by PawBill.

I truly believe the good times as I have known them are coming to an end for the present generation of Americans.  But what do I know?  I am just an old man who has not only enjoyed the freedoms and opportunities available in the United States but has also been protected by the Holy Spirit of God since birth, although I did not recognize this protection for many years.  Whether that was God’s doing or mine I do not know.  You many have that protection too, but the only way to find out is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to indwell you.  There is no other way that I know and through my Blogs, spirit.theindwelling.org and blog.northloopcottage.com, I have tried to encourage my readers to “Give God a Chance.”

America decided many years ago to deny God.  After all, man is a god unto himself or so he believes.  Civilization’s intelligent and strong in physical statue have always turned from God to pursue the desires of their human hearts; they have controlled and dominated the “less fortunate” for their own benefit since the beginning of time.

Man’s very nature if not controlled will always desire the sensuality of life —human lust, greed and sexual immorality. For instance, at various times in history a married man or woman would not violate their marriage vows no matter how great the temptation of the flesh confronting them.  This is no longer true in today’s society.  Marriage vows are quickly forgotten when the “he or she is not fulfilling my needs” syndrome is allowed to fester in one’s mind.

Morality in America vanished with the growth of the movie industry and the Christian’s acceptance of “just a little nudity does not harm anyone.”   With “just a little” God was gradually cast aside by a godless minority while the “religious” majority lavished in their godless life styles and did nothing to stop their idolatrous relationship with the materialistic riches of America.

Homosexuality and marriage between two non-heterosexual partners is now being legitimized by both the religious and non-religious.  Today’s society seeks to redefine the written word of God to justify immorality and as an appeasement of their conscience. 

The Biblical Christian’s stance is well defined in the Holy Bible. I was pleased to see Bryant Wright’s, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, recent refusal to not compromise the teachings of Biblical Scripture regarding sexual purity; this happened  during a meeting with a coalition of homosexual leaders and allies.  “When the Scripture is so clear about sexual purity, for us to compromise … that is just something that we’re not going to be able to do,” replied Wright to a request to engage in a dialog to compromise scripture.  See article by: Michael Foust, Associate Editor of Baptist Press, “Gay leaders meet with SBC president,”  The Christian Index, Volume 190, Number 12, June 15, 2011, page 8, www.christianindex.org.

“Should we love homosexuals? Absolutely! Should we smile at their sexual perversion? Absolutely not!”  responded Dr. J. Gerald Harris, Editor, The Christian Index,  in his editorial “The gay community must be loved, not just tolerated, The Christian Index , Volume 190, Number 9, May 19, 2011, pages 4-5, www.christianindex.org.

What now must happen for America to recapture its past glory?  God gave us the answer in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV):  “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

If you want God to return we must respond to his calling by following His instructions given in 2 Chronicles above.  We must also return to Him in faith and belief and restore His Ten Commandment to their rightful place in America from which they were removed by our godless Judicial, Executive and Legislative branches of government.

You can find the commandments in the Biblical book of Exodus, chapter 20.  They are very simple but powerful in their concept.  The first three commandments are the ones most find hard to accept.  Admitting that there is a supreme creator, that is called God, goes against man’s desire to be free from any and all restrictions.  God gave man the freedom of choice—free to do as he pleased—but that freedom came with a warning:  Live without God and face the realities of the human desires of the flesh(survival of the fittest) or permit God to lead you by showing you,” the way, the truth and the life.”

“Total freedom in God requires that you have faith, trust, respect and belief in Him as God.  Gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood are inanimate objects that man fashions into gods, but they are not gods.  They cannot speak or hear and they cannot satisfy the human need for a relationship with the creator of life.”  The government is not a god and neither are other men or women.  The modern day cell phone has become a god to many in the world.

Once you accept God for who He is, the other remaining seven commandments are pretty basic to maintaining a peaceful civilized life.  God knew man needed a day of rest each week for the rejuvenation of his soul and spirit.  Neglect the body’s needs for rest and suffer physical and mental anguish. 

You should honor your father and mother.  Why, especially if they were mean, cruel and non-loving?  If you had parents of this nature, forgive them in your own mind for their transgressions and move on with your life.  Let God deal with them in His own time and manner and don’t make their problems yours.  If you have a loving relationship with your parents, honor them with your time, resources and understanding as they age.  As your children see you care for your parents, so will they likewise care for you.

The final four commandments really need no explanation.  It is wrong to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, to lie and to covet or desire things that do not belong to you.  Unfortunately, many living in today’s society were never exposed to these commandments in their youth.  If you are not taught these at home, at church, at school or by example you may not realize they are wrong.

It is impossible for you to keep all of the commandments, but  God in His mercy sent His son Jesus to die on a cross for your sins knowing that the desires of the flesh would prevent you from keeping all the commandments every day, hour, minute and second of each day.  If you will accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, you can live forever in the heaven Jesus is preparing for you.  Please note, unless you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you cannot be with Him in His heaven.  You may be able to go to another heaven, but not to the one He promised to those who believe in Him.

You can have the peace that surpasses all understanding that God promised.  It, however, is up to you.  Jesus Christ stands at the door and is knocking. Want you let him in? 

As recorded in the book of Isaiah, chapter 1, verses 18 through 20, “’Come now, let us reason together’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

America must return to Jesus Christ.  It is as simple as that!

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

 Visit: www.twitter.com/closetchristian 

 Copyright © 2008-2011 by: North Loop Cottage LLC / NorthLoopCottage.com / TheIndwelling.org.  All rights reserved

 Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain); NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Posted in Religious, About America, Is there a God | No Comments »

Is Your Eternal Life in Jeopardy?

28. July 2011 by PawBill.

What you don’t know or fully understand about Biblical Scriptures of the Holy Bible can place your present and future eternal life in jeopardy!  Hollywood does not understand, the Network News Media does not understand, Christians, in name only, do not understand, President Obama does not understand, followers of Islam do not understand and even many pastors or “Men of God” do not understand the ramifications of Biblical ignorance and man’s refusal to believe in the Biblical God, the “I AM THAT I AM” of Exodus 3: 14 KJV.

Why this lack of understanding is so prevalent in today’s world is remarkable when one can but look around at the vastness of the universe and the beauty of the earth. God’s prophets of old revealed the end times that man would live through from the beginning of time as told in Isaiah 46:10-11 NIV: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning.”

There is no excuse for ignorance.  The Holy Bible is the road map for Salvation. If you are not a Biblical Christian but you claim Christianity on your own terms or you are satisfied there is not a God and there is not a future life after death, you have rejected the God of the Bible and you will face judgment for your sins.  Continue in your unbelief. Perhaps your hope or lack of hope in an eternal life can be found in someone or somewhere else. But why listen or hope in today’s ungodly men when eternal life can be found in the Trinity of the Bible—God the father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. If you do not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you have no hope.

There is soon coming a time of judgment, and those without Jesus Christ will face a tribulation of “hell on earth.” Consider the following prophetic descriptions of what is to come to those who do not have Jesus Christ:

“…ugly and painful sores will break out on the people who have accepted the mark of the beast or who worshiped his image” Revelation 16:2 NIV. “The sun will scorch people with fire but they will refuse to repent and Glorify God” Revelation 16:8-9. ”Men will gnawed their tongues in agony and curse the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they will refuse to repent of what they had done” Revelation 16:10-11 NIV. ”Out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.  During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them” Revelation 9: 4-6 NIV.  Emphasis added by author.

Yes, God knew the end time catastrophic events that would plague the earth—earthquakes, asteroids and the resultant Tsunami’s, famines, and pestilences that would result.  God also foretold and understood the actions of man and Satan. Man still rejects God’s words of wisdom and continues to believe the lies of Satan, a created being just as man was a created being.

God’s Disciple and Prophet, John, reveals to us in the book of Revelation, Chapters 6 and 8:1-5, what I call the “grand overview” of end time events that will occur during the soon coming “seven year tribulation period.”   These events are called The Seven Seals.  Within the Seven Seals there will be Seven Trumpets and Seven Vials that reveal exceedingly excruciating details of pain, death and destruction that were introduced and described / revealed in the Seven Seals.  More learned scholars will differ in my assessment as to the actual sequence of events and that is expected given my limited scholarly education, nevertheless the end results or outcome will be the same.   The grand overview of the Seven Bowls, in my restatement, is as follows:

1.    There will come a time of world conquest by one that will be called the Antichrist, Revelation 6:3.

2.    Peace will be taken from the earth and man will murder one another, Revelation 6:4.

3.    Famine will come and there will be a shortage of food, Revelation 6:5-6.

4.    Death will come and one fourth of the earth’s population will be killed by the sword, famine, plagues and the wild beast of the earth, Revelation 6:8

5.    Christians will be murdered because of the word of God and their testimony, Revelation 6:9-11.

6.    There will be a great earthquake with every mountain and island being moved, Revelation 6:12-14.

7.    God will make His presence known with another earthquake and a great hail storm (hail may weigh as much as 100 lbs, Revelation 16: 21), Revelation 6:15-16.

The immanency of these events is growing “just as the birth pains of a woman in child birth increase in frequency and severity prior to her delivery.” There is hope for the future. However, that hope can only be found in Jesus Christ. Would you like that hope? God’s plan of salvation is a gift; there are no works involved.  In other words, your good deeds do not have to outweigh your bad deeds.  Simply believe and accept God’s calling in your life.  The HOW is explained in the following:

Note: If you are a frequent reader of this blog you may have read the January 2011 post entitled, “Is God Calling You” that follows. For those who are seeking God, prayerfully read and believe in the Spirit’s calling that will be beckoning you to repent and believe.

Question, is God’s spirit calling you to repentance and salvation?  Do you feel that gentle tug in your heart and soul asking you to allow Him to come into your life and set you free from the physical and emotional bondage that has bound you to a life of emptiness, bitterness, despair, loneliness, dependency, depression, or just a feeling that there is more to life than you have found?

If you are hearing God’s beckoning call, then answer His call in faith and belief as you read the following “Plan of Salvation:”

·        Confess that you are outside the will of God, Romans 3:23 KJV, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; (All bold and underlined text added by author for emphasis.)

·        Realize that at your death an eternity without God is your future, Romans 6:23 KJV, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord;”

·        Believe that Jesus Christ by his sacrificial death on a Roman Cross paid your sin debt, Romans 5:8 KJV, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us;”

·        Believe that Christ rose from dead. Confess, believe and repent of your sins. Romans 10:9 KJV, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved;”

·        Believe that by Grace you are saved through faith, Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast;”

·        Believe that by your confession of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and by believing in God you will have everlasting life, John 5:24 KJV, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life;”

·        Rejoice that you have found salvation through Jesus Christ, Romans 10:13 KJV, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If you are willing to believe upon and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, tell Him now by saying this simple prayer and begin a new life in Him:

“God, I know I have been outside your will and that I do not of myself deserve eternal life. I believe Jesus Christ paid my sin debt for me by dying on a cross and then by His rising from death and the grave showed His defeat over both hell and the grave.  I now place my trust and belief in Jesus Christ alone.  I thank you God for your forgiveness, grace and salvation.  In the Holy name of Jesus I now allow the Holy Spirit to indwell me and to give me a new spiritual birth with a ‘Spiritual Heart’ to replace my ‘spiritual human heart.’ Thank you Jesus, Amen.“

Your trusting in Jesus Christ has now saved you and made you a child of God. Find a fellowship of believers, be baptized to announce to the world your new found life, and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit that will indwell your life and provide you comfort, grace and reveal to you the purpose of your life.

Commit the scriptural references outlined above to memory One day you may have the opportunity to explain God’s plan of salvation to someone else that is hearing the Spirit of God’s call.

I hope you will accept God’s plan.  AMEN!

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

Visit: www.twitter.com/closetchristian 

 

Copyright © 2008-2011 by: North Loop Cottage LLC / NorthLoopCottage.com / TheIndwelling.org.  All rights reserved

 

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain); NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Posted in Religious, Is there a God | No Comments »

Christian: Speak Out Against Unrighteousness

19. July 2011 by PawBill.

 

Biblical Christians have a mandate to speak out against all unrighteousness and to proclaim the salvation message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you agree or do you see “speaking out” as offensive and arrogant?  I hope you agree but if you don’t and you find speaking out an unwelcomed characteristic of radical Christianity, you’re the person I’m trying to reach, especially if you claim a belief in God and the afterlife.

I find my mandate in Ezekiel 3:17-21 NIV: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them a warning from me.   When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.  But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.  Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die.  Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin.  The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.  But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

While these words were spoken to Ezekiel by God and were words of warning to him concerning his witnessing to the Israelites, my heart is burdened to apply these words to my life and to become a watchman for this generation.  Of what value is the word of God to you if you keep it to yourself and do not share the good news of the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ to a dying generation of lost souls?

Biblical Christians, I believe, are “watchmen” as defined in Ezekiel.  Christianity as the term applies to the religious practices and beliefs in today’s world of those who confess Jesus Christ but who do not possess Jesus Christ is but an apostate charade of “feel good religiosity.” Chameleons and “Closet Christians” of the faith have allowed the godliness of immorality to invade and destroy the good and decency of America.

But what is the difference between Biblical Christianity and Christianity. Biblical Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the pathway to heaven can only be found in Him. Biblical Christians worship the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit—and their God is the God of the Holy Scriptures, “I AM THAT I AM” of Exodus 3:14 NIV—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Biblical Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the only way to heaven is found in the belief and acceptance of the Gospel Message—Jesus was born of a virgin, died on a cross for your sins and was raised from death on the third day and will one day return for His faithful followers.  Biblical Christians believe they are indwelled by the Holy Spirit when they profess their sins and find forgiveness, salvation, grace and redemption in the Gospel Message; the indwelling Spirit is their “lifeline,” the source of wisdom, strength and knowledge that will lead them into eternal life. Biblical Christianity is a religion of love and compassion and is not a religion of hate and bigotry.

 

Biblical Christians can be distinguished from Christians and their “Christianity” in this way: Biblical Christians believe and readily profess to others the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ, and they believe Jesus is the only way to heaven.  Christians, while professing acceptance of the Gospel Message on their own terms, do not live under the influence of the Holy Spirit and do not profess or believe that Jesus Christ is the only pathway to heaven.

 

“Traditional Christianity” is a façade of righteousness that covers over godliness; “they can feel good without being good.”  It is this Christianity that will usher in the compromised apostate religion the coming Antichrist will use to gain control of the world.  Ultimately, this apostate religion will be usurped by the one world religion of Islam (my speculative prediction, of course).

 

So what about you? Are you standing as a “watchman” for this generation or do you feel this is just a bunch of bunk?  You know, there is a real Jesus Christ, and He will be returning soon to either commend or condemn the people and nations of the world.  Will you hear on your judgment day: “…Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” Matthew 25:34 KJV, or “…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41 KJV.

 

Consider yourself warned!

 

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

Visit: www.twitter.com/closetchristian 

 

Copyright © 2008-2011 by: North Loop Cottage LLC / NorthLoopCottage.com / TheIndwelling.org / spirit.theindwelling.org. All rights reserved

 

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain); NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Posted in Religious, About America | No Comments »

Alert: Christians Sacrifice Children

8. July 2011 by PawBill.

  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:13, 22 NIV).

What is the Spirit saying to the churches of the Twenty-first Century?  The Spirit is proclaiming the same message as was told to the First Century churches—Ephesus: repent and return to Jesus Christ, your first love; Smyrna: be faithful even to the point of death; Pergamum: repent of your sacrifices to idols and sexual immorality; Thyatira: hold to what you have and do not tolerate eating foods sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality in your fellowship; Sardis: repent and obey what you received and heard for you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead; Philadelphia: hold on to what you have, keep My commandments and endure patiently; Laodicea: repent and open the door to My knocking for you are lukewarm, and I am about to spit you out (paraphrased by author from the Bible book of Revelation, chapters two and three).

How would Jesus describe your church?  Examine your church and life in light of the words spoken to the churches by the Disciple John through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Open your Bible and read the Spirit’s words to the churches; it is found in the book of Revelation, chapters two and three.

Ask yourself (and answer) the following questions: Would your church and its members knowingly or unknowingly sacrifice children to the spirit of the Antichrist?   Does your church proclaim the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ; is an invitation given to accept salvation at every service?  Do you allow your children to watch ungodly television programming promoting sexual immorality? Do your children often see you drunk or abusing drugs? Do you own a Bible and do you read it regularly? Have your children witnessed you lying, cheating or stealing? Are you living in an adulterous relationship? Consider your answers to the questions asked above and then you decide whether you are sacrificing your children to the worldly spirit of the Antichrist. If the Holy Spirit abides in you, you will know the answer.

As apathetic and self-centered Christian congregations abandon any semblance of integrity and Godly character and enthusiastically embraced the worldliness of Hollywood and America’s “life without God,” is there any wonder that America’s youth have accepted: sexual immorality as harmless, homosexuality as a natural alternative lifestyle, lying and stealing as just a part of life, alcohol and drug abuse as glamorous and lewd and disrespectful attitudes toward you, their grandparents and authority figures “humorous and normal” because it is portrayed that way in cartoons and sitcoms that they regularly watch?  

The list could go on but why I ask? Non-Biblical Christian churches and the majority of their members do not seem to care about being witnesses and disciples of Jesus Christ. Many parents accept their children’s behavior as simply rites of passage. After all, they experimented with the “sins of their generation” and no harm befell them or so they think.  America’s hope is in her children.  Today’s children have not been trained in the ways of Godliness, either by their parents or by their church, but it is not too late and there still remains one last hope.

That remaining hope is for revival to return to the churches of America.  Old fashion gospel revivals of hell fire and damnation—the preaching of sin and forgiveness, the cross, the blood and the Spirit.  When was the last time your church held a revival?  Most congregations of today would not even recognize the Holy Spirit of God as He “moved (convicting men of sin and beckoning them to claim forgiveness, grace and salvation)” within their church. Ask your church leaders about holding a revival while there is still time.

What else is left to be said?  Only God can save America!

Comments to: bt@northloopcottage.com

Visit: www.twitter.com/closetchristian 

 

Copyright © 2008-2011 by: North Loop Cottage LLC / NorthLoopCottage.com / TheIndwelling.org.  All rights reserved

 

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain); NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Posted in Religious, About America | No Comments »