Evil Abounds

This world is in turmoil just as the Bible predicted....Evil has been unleashed to a new level that we have never witnessed before & it will continue until the Prince of Peace returns to earth & sets up his Kingdom...Who would have ever dreamed that we would live to see the Atrocities of ISIS? American's cannot continue to stick their head in the sand & pretend that ISIS isn't already on American soil...they are here according to our CIA.

God has been kicked out of almost everything by those who don't believe in God but continue to fight against someone they don't believe exists...America has gone down the road of Socialism & that is a dead end street that leads to nowhere according to history...everything under the sun is now worshiped as being politically correct & those that don't believe in being politically correct are labeled as racists & hate mongers....wrong is called right & right is called wrong.

Is there still hope for this country? I believe so as long as Americans that love this country & are sick & tired of taking a back seat to those intent on taking away our rights will rise to the occasion & take back our great nation.....some are trying to wipe our American history off the map so the new generations can be brain washed into believing whatever these Socialists tell them about anything. 

We kill our unborn on one end of the spectrum & more & more we hear about Euthanasia on the other end of the spectrum.....(Killing off the elderly & disabled).....These are the people that the "elite powers to be" proclaim are unfit to contribute to our society. Didn't Adolph Hitler do the same thing?

A wise man once said in his Gettsyburg address, "That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (Abraham Lincoln) The sleeping giant of this generation has awaken & we will take our country back so get used to the idea

TOXIC WORDS

One of God’s most beautiful gifts to mankind is speech. Speech distinguishes people from animals. Isn’t it a tragedy that mankind would take that beautiful gift of speech and misuse it by cursing, abusing and misusing the name of God Himself? Some will say, “Well, I just curse a little.” That is like saying, “I just kill a little.” or “I just commit adultery a little.” We are living in a filthy, vulgar, rotten-talking generation. To speak right, we must think right. Rejecting thoughts that oppose themselves to godliness will remove the temptation for ungodly speech.

We need to watch our thoughts for they become words. Our words become actions and our actions become habits. If we can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. We should never define a person by their shortcomings; everybody has some assets. Even a broken clock is correct two times a day. Some people are so insecure that they can only feel good about themselves by tearing down others with their criticism. If we look for the best in people and not the worst, we will always find something good in everyone.

Words never die. The Bible is full of stories and instances of false accusations being made against godly people. False accusations can derail a career, disrupt unity and wreak havoc in a person’s life. We need to make sure that we have our facts straight before we accuse another person of anything. Once our words have been spoken we can never take them back. The words we speak and what we think about needs to meet God’s standards and should be acceptable to Him. There is no finer test of true Christianity than the ability to control our words. 

We take poison into our beings when we say or repeat unkind words about others. Speaking without thinking is tantamount to swallowing deadly poison. Now, poison will either kill us or make us deathly ill. We must always assume what we say will be quoted. It is offensive to God and should be to all of us when we worship and praise Him, sit under the teaching of His word, enjoy the fellowship of believers and then we threaten the unity of the Holy Spirit by our words that reveal bitter hearts.

Death and life are in the power of the words we speak. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) NIV If we use our words properly, there will be a tree of life. But if we use our words improperly, then the result is death. Whichever way we use out tongue we can be sure we will eat the fruit. If the words that come out of our mouths are evil, we know the heart is evil. We do not get bad fruit from a good tree, nor can we have good fruit from a bad tree.  The Bible is very clear. We must master our words. There are no blurred edges. “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23) NIV Calamity is a strong word and the Bible uses it deliberately. Calamity means a disaster or dire distress.  King David wrote, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.” (Psalm 141:3-4) NIV

TOXIC WORDS

Much can be said about a person’s character by the words they use. Robert Frost, the poet, once said, “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and cannot and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” Dynamite is stored and moved with great caution because of the knowledge we have of the power it possesses to destroy. Likewise, Christians have something as powerful as dynamite. Yet, very often it is handled as if there is no danger at all. It is the words that come out of our mouths. We need to examine the importance of controlling the words we speak

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What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Careless words reveal the true inner character of the speaker. Careless words show what sort of person we really are. Toxic thoughts left alone become the toxic waste that sinks into our heart. They will eventually contaminate our whole life. They affect our self-image and out attitude towards life and others. When something is “toxic” it is poisonous and it can harm us. When we constantly dwell on wrong thoughts, these thoughts become “toxic” and these “toxic” thoughts become “toxic words.”

Gossip is particular toxic. The toxic words of a gossiper are like a deadly cancer, which spreads a deadly infection. Gossip destroys people, tarnishes more reputations, breaks more friendships and splits more churches than anything else. Gossip is told quickly, heard quickly and spreads quickly. Worst of all gossip is quickly believed. People will confess to theft, adultery and even murder but hardly anyone confesses to gossip. It is wise to avoid people who gossip. Suppose we put one “rotten” apple in with a barrel of “good” apples? That one “rotten” apple will cause all the “good” apples to rot.

As the moral climate of our society has been deteriorating, lying and deceit have become major problems. God considered lying to be such a serious matter that He included the avoidance of it as one of the Ten Commandments. “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) KJV Satan is the origin of every lie. Lying has a snow balling effect. Unless it is stopped, it becomes fatal. One lie leads to another and then another lie to try and cover up the previous lies. God warns us about lying. The Bible tells us that God has sealed the destiny of “liars.” “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with brimstone and fire.” (Revelation 21:8) KJV Notice that God uses the word “all.” If a person steals they can return the item. However, if a person spreads lies about someone the far reaching effects can never be undone.

A divisive person who speaks divisive words is a troublemaker. They sow discord, stirs up trouble within families, friends, on the job and especially in churches. Those who speak divisive words are usually jealous of another’s success and will say anything to try and discredit that person. When we encounter a person who speaks divisive words we need to identify them and use the Bible as our guide in dealing with them.  Apostle Paul didn’t mince words when he wrote about a divisive person. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful. He is self-condemned.”  (Titus 3:10-11) NIV Our words and our actions are a reflection of our character and faith

 ANGELS

The study of angels is a fascinating subject. Everything God wants us to know about angels is found in the Bible. They are one-way messengers from God “to” us and they are “never” our messengers “to” God. No one in Scripture ever prayed to an angel and neither should we. They are not go-betweens or mediators between God and us. Jesus is the only one empowered for that role. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 2:5) KJV

It is a breech of the first of the Ten Commandments to worship any manifestation of angelic presence.  “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” We are never to worship angels. Our worship belongs only to God. We should never confuse angels, whether visible or invisible with the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity. Angels do not indwell us.  Only the Holy Spirit seals us and indwells in us when He has regenerated us. The Holy Spirit is all knowing, all present and all-powerful. Angels are mightier than men, but they are not gods and they do not possess the attributes of the godhead.

Angels are not omnipotent. Omnipotent is having unlimited or universal, power, authority, or force. Scripture affirms that “all power” belongs to God. The earliest manifestation of God’s power is seen in the creation of the world in which we live. Jesus’ power was evident through the many miracles He performed. He had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. There are many other verses in the Bible where God reveals this powerful aspect of His nature.

Angels are not omnipresence. Omnipresence means being present everywhere at once.  Only God is omnipresence. Even though angels are created beings they are limited by space. They cannot be present everywhere at once. An angel, object or person can only occupy one place at a time. King David tells us that he could not escape the presence of God. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 1:397-10) NIV

Angels are not omniscient. Omniscient means a state of being all knowing. The attributes of all-knowing and unlimited knowledge belong to God alone. “For God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:20) NIV. Angels cannot read the mind of any human being nor do they know the day and hour when Jesus will return to earth. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) NIV

Angels can see and observe events on earth. They rejoice when one sinner repents. Jesus said,” In the same way, I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”(Luke 15:10) NIV Isn’t it exciting to know that we have a heavenly host of angels watching and celebrating with us at the moment one sinner repents and receives the gift of salvation?

DEALING WITH CONFLICT

Conflict is a controversy, disagreement or opposition between people. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24-25) NIV With these words, Jesus described the dangers of conflict. If conflict is left unchecked and unresolved, it can tear apart an organization, a family, friends, a team, and a church. The Bible is full of incidents of conflict. It can be found from Genesis to Revelation. The scope of conflict covers a time from “before” the foundation of the world until the “end” of this age. If we will study the various examples of conflict in Scripture, we can understand much about human nature, about how God’s laws and principles work and about the consequences of behavior, which contradicts God’s plan. Conflict is always constantly being waged between Satan and God’s people. Read: (Ephesians 6:13) KJV

Lies and deception are the basis of many conflicts in the Bible. Conflict was first introduced to us in the Bible in the third chapter of Genesis. The serpent was a creature used by Satan to tempt Eve. Satan’s goal was “dominion” over everything, including God. God’s goal was to create a race of people with whom He could have fellowship. Satan used lies to convince Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. The result was sinful behavior by Adam and Eve. The” blame game” started that day. Notice the hypocrisy of Adam and Eve when they shifted the blame for their own sin. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. (Genesis 3:12-13) KJV This conflict introduced by Satan drove a wedge in the relationship between humans and God.

The reason conflict resolutions are so difficult is that we are hesitant to place ourselves in uncomfortable situations. First, we must be “willing” to resolve the conflict. We cannot know peace with God unless we are at peace with one another, and we cannot know peace with others unless we are at peace with God. Sometimes we are unwilling to humble ourselves and admit that we may be wrong or do what it takes to resolve conflicts. The longer we wait to resolve conflict, the harder our hearts can get. We should never let days, weeks, months, or even years pass by without resolving conflict. If we do, we will always be the loser.

Honesty is the best way to resolve any conflict.  We must stop the “blame game” and humbly acknowledge our own faults by being honest. It is hypocritical to blame someone else for the whole problem when we can’t see our own faults. We need to take action quickly. As time passes, the facts get distorted. It isn’t long before we can’t remember what we did or said. If we believe that someone has done anything to hurt us or harm us we are to go to that person in “private” and talk to him or her about it. We should never allow resentments to ripen into a secret malice or wound, which is the most dangerous inwardly. Jesus never said we are to gossip about our conflicts with others. He did say, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his faults, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” (Matthew 18:15) NIV The best time to resolve a conflict is today!

WEEDING OUT THE POISONOUS ROOT OF BITTERNESS

Bitterness is known in the Bible as spiritual poison. It can be an unseen enemy, growing like a tumor in our mind and spirit. It can affect our mental and physical condition. It is easy to blame God and others and allow bitterness to take root in our hearts when things go wrong in our lives. We are given a warning in (Hebrews 12:15) NIV. ”See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no “bitter root” grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Bitterness works underneath the surface in people. It starts out as a small seed of hurt. This seed can grow fast and fester into a very dangerous thing. We can learn a valuable lesson from the weeds in our yard and garden. If the weeds are left alone when they first appear they will eventually grow out of control and take over the yard and garden. They will choke out the good plants. If bitterness is left alone, it will take control and wreak havoc in our lives. Like the weeds, bitterness has to be dealt with as soon as its roots appear in our hearts.

Bitterness is really when we harbor anger and un-forgiveness towards others. Even Christians can get hurt. Holding on to hurt is like grabbing a rattlesnake by the tail. We will get bitten. The poison from the rattlesnake can cause physical death. As the poison of bitterness spreads through our personality, spiritual death will occur. The way we deal with our hurt makes all the difference in the world. If that hurt is not handled in the right way, bitterness will take root in our spirit. In the end it will be “bitterness” and not “being hurt” that will destroy us. There is no joy, no creativity and no positive power flowing through our lives if we become full of bitterness. Bitterness can cause physical problems. In his book, “None of These Diseases,” S.I. McMillan says, “Anger, left alone, will show itself in at least 50 diseases.” Dr. Norman Wright, a professor of psychology at Biola University in California and a Christian writer agrees with McMillan.

We can become bitter against ourselves. This happens when we live in self-pity. We feel rejected, we wallow in self-pity and our self--image is poor. It may be because of some sin or failure in the past. We realize that if we had to do it over again, we wouldn’t do it for a million dollars. But we can’t “un-ring the bell.” So we go along in life nursing a grudge against ourselves. We soon learn that bitterness becomes a heavy burden and we have a hard time forgiving ourselves. We must accept the fact that we are not perfect and must learn to forgive ourselves. We need to “reject self-pity” and instead be quick to give thanks for “all the blessings” in our lives.

Forgiveness is liberating. Things will occur when the forgiveness process is complete. Harsh feelings may be replaced by feelings of love, concern or empathy towards those who have hurt us. Our negative feelings will disappear. We will find it much easier to accept the people who have hurt us without feeling the need to try and change them. Our concern about the needs of other individuals will outweigh our concerns about what they did to us. Un-forgiveness is devastating to our spiritual, emotional and physical health. However, emotional and physical life. Forgiveness is for our benefit, “forgiveness” brings health to our spiritual and this is good news!

READY OR NOT SOMEDAY IT WILL ALL COME TO AN END

 There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things we collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Our wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what we owned or what we owed.

Our grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. Our hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where we came from or what side of the track we lived at the end.  It won’t matter whether we were beautiful or brilliant. Even our gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the values of our days be measured?

WHAT WILL MATTER

·        What will matter is not what we bought but what we built, not what we got but what we gave.   

·        What will matter is not what we learned but what we taught.

·        What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate our example.

·        What will matter is not our competence but our character.

·        What will matter is not how many people we knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when we are gone.

·        What will matter is not our memories but the memories that live in those who loved us.

·        What will matter is how long we will be remembered, by whom and for what.

·        Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

CHOOSE TO LIVE A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Source: Michael Josephson