Rob Bell - Love Wins

The bible warns us to beware of false teachers, our eternal destiny depends on what we believe. And Rob Bell is definitely a false teacher.

2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people. In the same way, false teachers will come among you. They will introduce destructive opinions and deny the master who bought them, bringing quick destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow them in their unrestrained immorality, and because of these false teachers the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will take advantage of you with lies. The judgment pronounced against them long ago hasn’t fallen idle, nor is their destruction sleeping.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

1Timothy 1:3 command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

1Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth. 20 Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

2 Peter 2 False Teachers and Their Destruction 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

2John 9 Anyone who does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.

Romans road to salvation - NLT 10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

God is sovereign. God is just. God is Holy. Yes God is love but if Jesus, on the cross, cried out "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me" because God the Father had turned His back on the sin (our sin) that was upon Jesus, what makes us think that He wouldn't turn His back on those of us that continue to sin.

Fear God. God will judge everyone at the last day (and that day is fast approaching) and He has the power to cast those who continue in unbelief and sin into eternal torment.

The Judgment of the Dead Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

I pray that people will read the bible for themselves and know the truth and not be lead astray by the false teaching of Rob Bell. His heart may be in the right place but his teaching isn't.

The Goodness and Severity of God

Romans 11:22 Behold the goodness and severity of God. A.W. Tozer - If man will not take God's goodness then he must have God's severity toward all who continue in moral revolt against the throne of God and in rebellion against the virtuous laws of God.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your (God's) throne; love and faithfulness go before You.

God's Lovingkindness

Why would Jesus bleed and die for us if not out of His goodness and lovingkindness.

The Goodness of God

God loves us so much that He would rather see us enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire / hell. He is absolute goodness because He is absolute love.

Like a loving Father He disciplines His children because He loves them, He is good to them and He knows what is best for them. Because He knows all things, past, present and future, He knows what is best for us more than we know ourselves.

Did God out of His goodness will the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the southeast Asia tsunami, floods in Pakistan and Australia, earthquake in Haiti?

Will the earthquake and tsunami make people turn to the One and only true God that can save them from the eternal fires of hell?

God loved the people of Nineveh. He sent the prophet Jonah to warn them of impending destruction. When they repented He was merciful and didn't destroy them.

When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham pleaded for those cities and asked God if there were only 10 godly persons living there would He destroy it. God said even if there were only 10 godly people living there He would not destroy it. There were not and God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

Pray that the Japanese, and the rest of the world, would repent and turn to the one and only true living God, Jesus Christ, who can save them and heal their land.

Sovereignty of God

God is sovereign over all the earth, over all of nature, over all creation. There is nothing that can happen that He does not cause or allow to happen.

Giving thanks in all circumstances

Talking to a friend last night made me realize I was feeling sorry for myself. I am so blessed, I know I am, people tell me they want what I have, and my friend said it was the assurance I have knowing, without a doubt, how very much I am loved by my God and Saviour Jesus Christ. I have such great joy in this knowledge and am always smiling.

I had been focussing on the fact that I have been alone for 20 years and prior to that married a few times to alcoholic men who left me for other women. I am estranged from my daughter and granddaughter, my Mom passed away last year and I've never been close to my brother and sister and since becoming a christan we're even further apart. My darling grandsons are soon getting to the age where they want to hang out with their friends and not their grandmother, which is of course a natural progression.

I have never had close friends because most of the women I had trusted in my life betrayed me, one with my last husband. I had one best friend who died 4 years ago. We had been friends for 38 years and I have missed her.

In talking to my friend last night I said I think the reason I have such love in my life is because He is my only source of love. She said she wished she didn't have so many family members and that I was blessed to have just me and God. I know my grandsons love me and I am thankful for that.

I was feeling sorry for myself thinking that there were 1,000 people at this man's memorial and there would maybe be 10 at mine. I don't know why that should bother me because if they're at my memorial that means I'm with Jesus.

The bible says to give thanks in all circumstances and for the past week I haven't been doing that. Until last night when I thanked God for loving me so much. When I sing that song 'be my everything' He really is my everything and I am so blessed.

Mourning

A month ago a family was devastated when the husband/father was killed in a head on car accident. The wife has been blogging her journey since that day and it breaks my heart as she pours out her pain on paper. And I ask God why not me. She has four young children to care for and raise without her husband. Her grief is overwhelming. Her pain almost too much for her to bear. And yet You are walking with her every day Lord. I experienced grief 20 years ago and the pain is healed, my children are grown, nobody needs me any more. I know what it's like to think you can't go on without that person, the incredible, agonizing heartache. I met her the day she buried her husband and I can't help but cry for her loss. When I first read her story I wondered why not me instead. Why take a young man from his family who needs him, who loves him, who wants him. I am so ready to be with Jesus and my family doesn't need me any more.

I'm sure everyone who knows this family has been asking God the same question, why? People ask God all the time why. When my second baby died I asked God why. Why does He allow suffering? It's a question people ask all the time. I can only say that He didn't keep His own Son from suffering. God loves us so much and He is concerned about our ultimate destiny that He may use suffering to draw us closer to Him.

As I read her journey I weep at the depth of God's love for her as He leads her through each day. I know she can't see it now but God heals all wounds. People say that time heals but it's God that heals and thankfully she knows God and even through her pain is trusting Him.

God heals the brokenhearted when we trust in Him. God says blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. I can read His comfort in her words.

Fox's Book of Martyr's

Unbelievable, indescribable the tortures Christ's followers have endured throughout the past 2,000 years. At one point I put the book down and couldn't read further all the atrocities committed against true christian believers.

The Catholic pope named anyone a heretic that did not bow down and submit to his teaching and authority. He is not the ultimate authority. Jesus Christ was, is and always will be.

Catholics call themselves christians but don't know the truth for themselves, only what the priest tells them and the priests are committing blasphemy teaching idol worship.

How can the Holy Spirit come upon someone who doesn't have a relationship with the only name that saves, namely Jesus Christ.

"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Is Catholicism evil?

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

The Catholic pope forbid priests to marry and commands that catholics abstain from meat on Fridays.

I've never met a Catholic who knew Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, only ones who converted from the deadness of Catholicism to the true faith in Jesus Christ in evangelical christianity.

Talking to a friend this week speculating who the antichrist might be. He suggested a muslim. I suggest it's going to be the pope.

Catholic church history

Idolatry is forbidden yet millions of catholics bow down and worship the pope. The first and second commandments of God are "You shall have no other gods before me" and “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below and You shall not bow down to them or worship them."

300 AD Roman Catholic church instituted prayers for the dead. The time to make the right choice is before you die. Once you're dead it's too late to save your soul.

375 AD Worship of saints and angels. Even the apostle John, when he bowed down to the angel in Revelation 22:9 the angel told him he must not do that, that he was a fellow servant with him.

431 AD Worship of Mary as Mother of God begins.

593 AD Doctrine of purgatory introduced. I guess this is how they explained praying for the dead. Nowhere is this spoken of in the bible.

709 AD Kissing the Pope's foot came in - now if that isn't a case of idolatry I don't know what is.

440 AD Celibacy became a law for priests of the Catholic church. God created woman because He saw Adam alone in the garden and said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

1079 AD Celibacy of priesthood enforced by Popes Hildebrand and Boniface. Maybe if they didn't have the strict law of celibacy and lived as God originally created man, woman to be a helper for man, there wouldn't be all the problems of sexual abuse in the church.

1220 AD The adoration of the wafer (host). The Pope holds a Monstrance or Ostensorium which is used to display a round wafer of bread, called the host, which is used in what is called the Mass. Interestingly a picture of a Monstrance in the Vatican's museum shows the letters SFS in Hebrew and Greek represent the numbers 666. The bible says this is the sign of the devil. Does it not make you wonder about the connection? The Pope sometimes holds up the sunburst monstrance with the host encased for the congregation to adore and venerate. Virtually any time the monstrance, a pagan sun symbol, is viewed by the congregation, they kneel in submission. A Catholic cannot walk past this sun symbol without acknowledging it by kneeling and or making the sign of the cross with their hands.

1229 AD The bible was now forbidden to laymen. In 2004 Costa Rica children were punished by the Catholic church if they were caught reading a bible.

1997 AD Recommendations to proclaim Mary as co-Redemptrix of Humanity, making her co-redeemer with her Son, Jesus Christ. I can only imagine Mary crying out from heaven saying NO!

Did I mention that in 438AD it was decreed to be unlawful to disagree with the beliefs of the Catholic Church.

And you don't want me to get started on the Inquisition. Reading Fox's Book of Martyrs has left me utterly speechless at the unbelievable, indescribable, horrific attrocities executed against the Protestants by the Catholic Church. Yet the Protestants joyfully went through torture and died knowing the truth that they would be raised to life with Christ.

In Revelation 21:8 God said the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” The Catholics seem to worship everyone, the pope, Mary, saints, angels.

From everything I have learned about Catholicism I am afraid for the millions of Catholics who will die in their unbelief and idolatry and be consigned to hell for all eternity.

Are you ready for His coming?

Though warned that a flood was coming people lived as though they were flood proof. Then God brought the flood and except for eight people He destroyed by water everyone and everything that lived on the face of the earth. Now people are living as though they are fire proof. There will be fire and brimstone when He returns. Why do people not believe that He will again destroy the wicked and the unbelievers. People are living in unbelief that because He is a merciful, gracious, compassionate, loving God that He will forgive everyone. Only those with faith in and a relationship with Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, Son of the Most High God will survive His coming.

Joy

Joy doesn't have anything to do with happy circumstances; it has to do with looking into the face of God and knowing He's all you'll ever need. Stormie O'Martian

Jesus was speaking to the church, to those who overcome

Jesus said...

To the one that overcomes I will grant the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.

To the one who overcomes He will give some of the hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written on it.

To the one who overcomes and who keeps His works until the end, to him He will give authority over the nations.

The one who overcomes will be clothed thus in white garmets and He will never blot his name out of the book of life.

To the one who overcomes He will make a pillar in the temple of His God.

To the one who overcomes He says He will grant him to sit with Him on His throne.

Jesus was speaking to the church 2000+ years ago and is still speaking to the church today. Will you overcome? Jesus says we will have tribulation but He tells us what we will have if we overcome. He says he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Are you listening?

God is not a warm fuzzy god who will allow sin and wickedness to enter heaven. He is holy and just. He can not and will not allow unrepentant sinners and unbelievers into His eternal kingdom. He has sent prophets throughout millenia to warn us about what is to come. His final revelation is a prophetic message to the church, a warning that Jesus will return, and I believe soon, maybe even in my lifetime, and that we all need to be ready. Are you ready?

Beatitudes of Revelation

Most people know the Beatitudes from the sermon on the mount. How many of us know the seven beatitudes of Revelation. One friend once said she had never read the book of Revelation because she was afraid to. Sure end times events can be scary but what's scarier still is to not know your bible and what to expect so you can't be led astray. Throughout history there has always been false prophets and Revelation tells us there is one who is part of the unholy trinity, satan, the antichrist and the false prophet. For millenia people have been led astray by false teaching. The only way to not be led astray is to know the truth. If you don't read what God's word says to us in Revelation how will you discern the truth from the lies spoken by the false prophet. No matter what you think you know and believe now, if you succumb to the teaching of the false prophet you are doomed for eternity. Revelation is not scary if you are a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship

Three hindrances to discipleship are:
Material comforts
Family and friends
Our job

Christ must reign in our hearts without a rival. All other loves and loyalties must be secondary. God is my first love and in 2004 I put aside everything else to follow Him and He has blessed me because of it.

Joy

Joy doesn't have anything to do with happy circumstances, it has to do with looking into the face of God and knowing He's all we'll ever need.

Polygamy case going to court

Chief Justice Bauman should watch the following video, as should anyone trying to legalize polygamy on LDS religious grounds. LDS archaeologists and anthropologists trying to prove Mormonism actually disproved everything Joseph Smith and other Mormon prophets said as religious fiction. These same people later converted to Christianity.

http://sourceflix.com/the-bible-vs-the-book-of-mormon/

What is God's Will?

The will of God is that we:
Fear God;
Believe in His Son;
Be sanctified;
Rejoice always;
Pray continually;
Give thanks in all circumstances;
Respect those appointed to be in authority over us;
Respect all people;
Love the family of believers.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. 1Thess 4:3

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:16-18

For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority — whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 1 Peter 2

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life. John 6:40

The Beatitudes

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Pride - Don't live with regrets

Listening to a story on the radio about a father who was dying and he asked the nurse to call his daughter. They hadn't talked for a year and when the daughter got the news she rushed to the hospital only to find she was too late, her father had died just before she got there. Through her tears she told the nurse the last thing she had told her father when they had a fight a year before was that she hated him. She said she didn't really hate him, she was angry and let her pride get in the way.

How many of us get upset at something someone has said to us so we ignore them, don't talk to them, don't see them then when we find out they're dying wish we could make it up to them.

Several years ago my sister and I stopped speaking to each other over something, for two years. We were both too proud. When I finally called her we were both so happy to talk to each other neither one of us could remember why we had stopped talking in the first place.

Don't live with regrets. How many of us are too proud to say I'm sorry or I forgive you or ask for forgiveness? Pride - a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.