Eyes to See

 

"But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness !"        --  Matthew 6:23

I guess I thought as soon the former evil president was off the scene, people who'd followed him would come to their senses.  I thought the sounds of head-smacking, and cries of "WHAT WAS I THINKING !?!?," would resound throughout the land.

 

I was particularly hopeful the many deceived Christians...who know what "repentance" is, and how it's done...would turn back from their politics of lies and hatred.

 

The "Christian conservative" movement has quoted God's command from II Chronicles 7:14 so often, for so many years...against all those ungodly "other people:" abortionists, gay-rights activists, and "liberals"...that I hoped it might have lodged in their hearts...

 

...that if they truly desire God to "heal [our] land," it might come into their thinking that He requires "the people called by My name" to repent of their sins.  And I hoped they would.

But if what I've heard and seen from "conservative Christians" the last few days, from Franklin Graham on down, is any indicator, "Evangelicals" are as deceived as ever: indeed, more willfully insistent on being deceived, now that their cherished Liar suffered political defeat.

 

(Hasn't it been clear from their start that "conservative Christians" are more about politics than godliness ?  The vast number of their votes elected the "conservative" presidential candidate in 1980, over his Christian opponent.)

God says He will send "strong delusions" on "...those who refuse to love the Truth,"...and will PERSONALLY ensure that they will believe the lies of "the man of lawlessness (II Thessalonians 2:8-12)...and follow him to destruction.

That could well be the spiritual dynamic operating when Evangelicals' greatest "Super-Star" leader compares his departed sleaze-president to Jesus, to bash the "Judases" who politically "betray" him.

How profound is the darkness today over, and within, "conservative Christian" Evangelicals !  And how eternally irremediable for all who who know Who Truth IS...and willfully choose lies.

God, keep the hearts of those who truly love You stayed always on TRUTH !!

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Franklin Graham: no comment necessary

"The Rev. Franklin Graham compared the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump to Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus to the Roman authorities.

In a Facebook post...in which Mr. Graham praised Mr. Trump at length...the minister declared 'shame, shame' on those GOP lawmakers who 'joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in impeaching President Trump yesterday.'

'The House Democrats impeached him because they hate him and want to do as much damage as they can,' said Mr. Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

'And these ten, from his own party, joined in the feeding frenzy. It makes you wonder what the thirty pieces of silver were that Speaker Pelosi promised for this betrayal,' he said."

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/14/franklin-graham-compares-republicans-voting-trump-/

 

An Open Letter to Kansas' Republican Senator Roger Marshall

Thanks, Senator, for your response to my earlier e-mail on "Everything."

In your reply, you say "Laina and I will be at the inauguration of our 46th President Joe Biden and will do everything in our power to work with him..."

 But isn't it rather hypocritical to attend the inauguration of a man you've publicly claimed was not legally elected President ?

And should we believe that you will honestly try to "work with" a President whose legitimacy you publicly question ?

I don't for one minute buy, as you wrote, that "it's time to move on." What you're saying is that wrongs (or sins, or crimes) that were done (at least those done by the former president, and your party) should have no consequences.

Senator, the lies and crimes of yourself and your faction have had DEADLY consequences for our country and ALL our people. How is it you think there should be NO consequences for those who told us lies, and committed crimes against us ?

Senator, it's time to be honest. It's time to repent. It's time to publicly ask forgiveness of those you've harmed: and honestly "work with" the current President to heal the sick, do justice and do mercy, speak the TRUTH, and heal our land.

You may have heard a Christian quote this scripture: "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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14).

You've claimed to be a Christian, called by Christ's name. If that's so, I trust you'll do what God says His people should do to "heal their land:" confess, repent, and turn away from the political lies and crimes you've so-far followed.

Steve Hicks

Prayer of Thanks

Father God:

THANK YOU that we again hear Your desires for us publicly proclaimed as our leaders' aspirations for our people and our nation.

Thank You, Father.

But You know, and we know, how weak-willed we can be, foolish and wayward.  Join Your Spirit and Your power to Your aspirations for us, in us: and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Last Prayer

I've prayed often these last 4 years for the man who was then president, as scripture commands us.  One last prayer today for him, now that he is at last our EX-president.

This has to be the bitterest day of his life, exposing him before all the world as (in his own terms) a “big LOSER.”  So maybe this is the moment at which he can finally hear God speaking to him.

IF he will examine his heart for the ways that have brought on him what he considers this bitter failure, and will repent those evil ways, his soul and his life might yet be saved.

So I pray this last time that he will honestly examine his heart, and repent before God.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Inauguration Day

God says not to trust in man. Even if He didn’t, no wise person would. All human beings are fallible. The best of us make harmful mistakes: even the most upright of us may WILLFULLY turn from righteousness.

So this is not about the man himself: he is fallible and will make mistakes: but I’m hopeful in the things on which our new President has set his heart.  Foremost, his sincere faith in God; his belief in Christ’s teachings, and his determination to do as Christ commands.

Our nation’s greatest needs are exactly what Christ commanded of us all: heal the sick, show mercy to the poor and aliens, “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and love one another.

I trust all honest Americans, even (if any) among “Christian conservatives” and Republicans, wish these things for our country.  I trust all honest Americans will join in doing God’s will for our suffering nation.

Amen !

Definitions

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

God defines everything else (and every “thing” IS “everything else”). The nature of reality, of “good” and “evil,” of mankind, what is right and what is wrong...even satan. Every “thing” has its definition in reference to the One Who created it: and each created being by our relationship to Him.

(Even atheists, like a man leaning hard into a strong wind that stops blowing, would fall flat ..."mean" nothing...if there were actually NO God to give their denial of Him substance.)

God frequently gives us exact definitions in words. I quote some of them constantly: what IS the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:10 and Romans 14:17), who IS Jesus and “what” (actually “Who”) IS Truth (John 14:6), what true worship IS (John 4:23-4), who satan and his followers are (John 8:44). God’s “I AM” means that whatever He says a “thing" is, it absolutely, entirely, always, IS.

Some of God’s definitions are not in “A = B’ format, but “between the lines,” or even by negation, for everyone with “eyes to see.” For example, we can know that He defines “wisdom” as understanding His will, since Ephesians 5:17 contrasts "understanding God's will" with “foolishness.”

So I’ve always wanted to ask some Christians what they make of Acts 4:34-35.

“…there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

I’ve always wanted to ask those Christians so terrified of “socialism” that they choose instead to follow liars and murderers, what they make of the fact that the first Christians, newly filled with God’s Spirit, practiced all-out “socialism” ?

Of course, God’s not giving a human-political definition of what it IS to be a Christian. No one can get there by politics, and God's definitions are NEVER man’s definitions.

But I’ve always wanted to ask those manipulated by fear of “socialism” where they get their definition of it ?

Obviously, not from scripture.  In scripture, Christians' life in the Spirit looks exactly like the (unattainable by human POLITICAL "works") ideal of “socialism."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Integrity in Politics

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

“…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” -- Matthew 7:17,18

INTEGRITY is the way Jesus says it is. People, and their “fruits” (words, thoughts, and deeds) are either “good” or “bad.”

Satan has especially led American Christians away from Jesus’ teaching through politics…in two different directions. Either that politics is not “spiritual,” and Christians shouldn’t dabble in it. Or that we can support political liars and murderers..and still be “good Christians” in God's eyes by going to church, praying, reading the Bible, and "talking the Christian talk."

Every person produces political “fruit” if they live in human society…even those who self-deceive that “I don’t do politics.” And every person brings forth political fruit of “righteousness, peace, and joy” (the Biblical definition of the Kingdom of God in Romans 14:17)…or of lies and murder (Jesus' definition of "children of the devil" in John 8:44).

God doesn’t judge by political party…that's man's stupid way of sorting out what "side" people are on. But we choose what soil we will grow in: and the soil we grow in determines whether we produce good or bad fruit.

And the fruit produced shows if the tree is good, or bad.

Amen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Spiritual Warfare

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

As near as we understand, Isaiah 14:12-15’s “taunt” to “the King of Babylon” describes the angel lucifer’s (“shining one”) attempted rebellion against God.

In those few verses, he five times asserts “I WILL,” against GOD’s will: most notably, “I WILL raise my throne above the stars of God,” and “I WILL make myself like The Most High.”

That was also the temptation satan held out to Eve: assert your own "I WILL", and “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5)

Jesus came proclaiming the “Kingdom of God:” He said the will of GOD rules right NOW “on earth as it is in heaven.”

The question is, as always, if we believe Jesus.

Let's.

God’s Kingdom is “righteousness, peace and joy” (Romans 14:17). Jesus said satan and his rebellious “children” show who they are by their love of lies and murder (john 8:44).

Can the issue of spiritual warfare be any clearer ?

Can the issues for America right NOW be any clearer ?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Democracy in the Bible

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

 

"Democracy...from Greek demokratia...from demos, 'the people,' and kratos, power or rule'..."

 

 "When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, 'Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.'

"Aaron answered them, 'Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.^'  So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool.  Then they said, 'This is your god, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt'...

Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt...I have seen these people,' the Lord said to Moses, 'and they are a stiff-necked people.  Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.' "     --  Exodus 32:1-4,7,9-10

 

 

"So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, 'You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.'

But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.  And the Lord told him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.' "     -  I Samuel 8:4-7

 

 

"So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, 'Whom do you want me to release for you ?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ ?^'  For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death...the governor said to them, 'Which of the two do you want me to release for you ?' And they said, 'Barabbas.^'  Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ ?' They all said, ^'Crucify Him !^'  And he said, 'Why, what evil has He done ?'  But they kept shouting all the more, saying, ^'Crucify Him !' "

                                                                                                 --  Matthew 27:17-18, 20-23