Voting- Humility Lost

*Again I must open with a warning, I am going to write about politics, and I am going to do it based on what should be guiding our thought life and what should be guiding our actions…Gods word. I did so 4 years ago here and really nothing has changed.

“Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, 

Who have upheld His justice.

Seek righteousness, seek humility.” -Zephaniah 2:3

Humility lost

Your word O Lord be ever present, in thought, in deed to the very depths of me.

You shall not give your glory to another, and it is You who have called us to righteousness. Holy because You are holy. 

Forgive us of pride, for it is pride that keeps us out of truth and out of righteousness. To You be the glory alone, and let us be humbled in Your sight.

Politics and religion, two dirty words nobody likes to bring up in conversation because they are opinionated subjects. Here is the thing though, I am a very black and white person, I am a person that doesn't normally speak or write for the sake of an “opinion” I speak/write in truth. Truth is not something that is relative, truth is not an opinion it is either true or it isn’t, and I get that statement is hard to understand in this generation of “What is true for you, is not necessarily true for someone else” but honestly..I don't care what you think…I care about what the truth is.

Let me get some things out of the way right off the bat: 

1. I am not Mr. Political activist, I don’t claim to have all the answers, or to know all the ins and outs of how the political system works.
2. I am not a conspiracy theorist and I don’t think the world is going to end depending on who you vote for. 
3. I am not a loyal Republican or Democrat
4. I am not Mr. Patriotic wave a flag and put the country above biblical standards.
5. I don’t believe this nation is a Christian nation(it hasn’t been in a long time)

I am just your regular common sense view point who loves God and is committed to actually living like it. I looked back at what I wrote on this blog 4 years ago, and I just couldn’t believe how things have become even worse. Where is our humility? I speak to you Christian, where is your humility? I get the world is crazy, and I get the world has its ideals and they are contrary to ours, but why have so many bible believing people become so much like the world? I am appalled at how many believers have rallied behind Donald Trump…

“Woe to the rebellious children,” Says the LORD, “Who take counsel, but not of Me, and who devise plans, but not of my Spirit,” Isaiah 30:5

For all those that hold to the belief that the founding fathers of this country were sincere believers and founded this nation based on Christian principles…what would they think of Trump? MORE importantly what does Your savior think? What does God think? If you actually want Trump to be president of this country you have to do these three things;

1. You have to ignore biblical standards for leadership
2. You have to take God completely out of Politics
3. You have to ignore his lack of humility 

Many people, believers included, think the first 2 points don’t matter anyways. Who cares about biblical standards for leadership, and politics has nothing to do with God…right? I mean we are not voting for a pastor.

I have heard that statement “We are not voting for a pastor” more times than I can count this year. They are certainly right though, we are not voting for a pastor, we are voting for somebody who has the freaking authority to lead our country!! By that statement, you are saying that God doesn’t matter…that somebody who holds the power of leading a country doesn’t need God to do it. Isn’t it ironic, Christians will tell everyone that God is needed, that we need to hold to His word for guidance and direction in every aspect of life…but just not the political aspect? God isn’t needed or welcomed there is HE? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the leader of our country has to be the perfect christian, because there is no such thing. What I am saying, is we shouldn’t throw God out of politics, we shouldn’t treat them like separate issues, because if we honestly believe and claim to follow God, than that means we do that in every aspect of life….in marriage, in friendships, in how we speak, how we act, how we serve, how we do work, and how we lead. If God is our top priority our devotion, that would mean the principles and standards He sets would be something we adore and seek after. We have the privilege to be able to vote for our leader, other Christians do not have that choice, and while generally speaking you are not going to agree with everything a candidate believes or stands behind and you are not going to always have the choice of voting for a believer. We should be seeking Godly character traits, or at the very least a leader with humility and honesty, someone who puts others above themselves, that is the mark of a true leader.

So while we are not voting for a pastor, we are voting for someone who is leading our country, and we should seek to vote without throwing God out of politics like He doesn’t belong.

The Christians that are voting for Trump, will vote for him because they will ignore his lack of humility, and they will ignore his lack of God. They will make the excuse its voting for the lesser of two evils…

I covered the myth that is “Voting for the lesser of two evils” 4 years ago, again what does God think of evil? Does He consider lesser of evils? Evil is evil any way you slice it, that statement is a statement of fear too. For far too long people have ridden that train to the ground, the fear that you must vote R to keep D out of office or visa versa. 

Why have we become a country without humility? Believers are to be the example of this, we are called to show that we have ultimate reliance upon GOD.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12

If we don’t live according to His word in every aspect of our life, then what are we even living for? What is our purpose? 

Our life is supposed to be transformed and renewed in Christ, How can one who holds to Christ support Donald Trump? I am not even speaking upon his lack of belief in God, I am speaking about his total character is the complete opposite of what we are called to be, how can you support that? Now, you may be asking yourself; “Why am I just ragging on Trump”..because he has the evangelical vote…and I see more Christian support for him than I do Hillary. So back to the “Christian chosen one”…

Christ tells us in John 7:24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” And we are suppose to judge the fruit, identify false hood by their fruit Matthew 7:16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” 

This is directly at those who would say “You cant judge Donald Trump” first of all, you are making a judgement about him in voting for him, and second I can judge him, in fact infant-Christian…we are called to judge by the fruit. Donald Trump claims to be a believer and will flat out lie about it and that doesn’t bother any of you, why? because he’s a good business man? he's a freaking con artist….a snake oil salesman who will say whatever you want to hear. It would be fine if Donald Trump were honest about his belief in God, and had a little humility, just a freaking ounce of humility and ability to lead. However, not only is he not a believer he is a flat out liar about it. He claims to be Christian, and yet has never asked forgiveness from God because he doesn't need to. Yeah, that is who I want to lead my country..a person who thinks He is not accountable to God for ANYTHING he does.

Those who vote Donald Trump again either reject the need for God in politics, don't care about biblical standards for leadership or are completely naive. I guess Paul Washer was right about Christianity in America…it is not Gospel hardened it is gospel ignorant.  We completely throw God out of this country, don’t care if our leadership is accountable to Him, and we wonder why this country is totally backwards and is lacking in humility. 

Trump is not the answer for this countries ills, Repentance and GOD is the answer, Trump is not going to fix this country, if elected he will be the punishment of this country that it deserves. Trump is mentally disturbed and self centered, to the point that I honestly believe he has a narcissistic disorder. I understand the popularity of Trump, amongst the worldly, I don’t understand it for the Godly.  

I know God is in control, I believe in Divine Providence; God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things. 

I will honor who ever receives the position, because Gods word says I have to, but I wont vote for Trump nor will I vote for Hillary, because I can not do so in good conscience ….because neither of them are fit to run this country, and neither stand by principles that I respect.

We need humility as believers, we need to humble ourselves before GOD, we need to submit our worries, our stresses, our fears, our vote to HIM. God is our ultimate authority not man. I will be voting third party again, and there are plenty of options. Voting third party is not a wasted vote, and it is a vote that goes against both parties because both parties are corrupt…

I am not  for someone who should be in Prison(Hillary) and I am not for someone who should be in a mental institution(Trump).

Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote … he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.
Samuel Adams

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. 

Proverbs 29:2

“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

2 Chronicles 7:14

Love Without Reason

“Loving without reason”

Love, it’s a complicated topic. Sure, it may be easy to describe the feeling or interpret it to our own accord. However, Love as the bible describes it, and loving as we are called to, thats a whole different issue. For how do you even begin to “Love your enemies” as Jesus says to, how does one begin to “love your wife as Christ loved the church”. We all know the scriptures but are we really ready and willing to actually live them out. It is easy to love your enemy if they love you first, and it is easy to love your wife and sacrifice yourself for her when she makes it easy to, but what about when she disrespects you? What about when your enemy sets you up for failure, or throws you under the buss to move ahead of you and take that bonus or job you have been working hard for?

Don’t we honestly make justifications for our love? We love these verses in the bible that tell us to love our enemies and love and sacrifice for our wives, but we are quick to make justifications for why we do or don't do them. What makes the gospel compelling is not only what is said but the actions that were lived out, Jesus said humbling and difficult things, but He didn’t just proclaim them He actually did them. We love receiving the love of Christ, which is total sacrifice…total undeserved grace…a love that loves without reason, because we are so undeserving it is overwhelming when we receive the love of God, when we truly can see our own sin, how selfishly motivated and how wrong we are in the eyes of GOD the Holy and righteous Judge, and yet we are granted that forgiveness, that mercy and grace that is completely contrary to what we actually deserve, because what we have honestly stored up for ourselves should be wrath and indignation but we are granted the opposite, are we not in awe and amazement? We know that is love without a shadow of a doubt because it comes undeservedly so….we know it is forgiveness because we are getting opposite of what we actually deserve, and we know its something we can not earn for ourselves….we can’t buy the love of God with what we have to offer, we can’t earn it with good works, because no good works can overshadow who we are by nature in and of our own doing.

This is my purpose in this rant; “Love without reason” For example: if you love your wife because she is perfect…first of all you are delusional because she's not, but if you love her because of what she does for you…that is not love…that is loving what is being done for you, your loving on feeling and as long as that person or thing continues to make you feel that way you will love them/it but once it stops you won’t…that is not love. If that was love God would of stopped loving us a long time ago. Love is expression and devotion above opposition, love is a work, it is difficult to do and it takes effort, it takes surrender, and to love in the way the bible describes it takes the renewing of your mind and living in the spirit.

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

It takes a humble mind, one that will sacrifice their own well being for someone else…that is love. It’s easy to love others when they agree with us, when we are like minded, when we have the same goals and ideals, as believers we are called to a higher calling of love. We are called to show a difference, and we have the opportunity every single day to show grace, the same forgiveness and grace that God showed us. If we really believe God is in control it makes it easy to love our enemy…we would know God will look out for us, instead of seething with jealousy over a promotion of someone we consider an enemy…what if we swallowed our pride and congratulated? Even if they stepped over us to get ahead…

What if when our spouse disrespects us we show a difference and don’t do it back? What if we actually 

….Love without reason..

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

let him turn away from evil and do good;

    let him seek peace and pursue it. 

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:9-16

Disciple of Christ III

These things I have spoken to you,

that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation;

but be of good cheer

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

I've talked about being a "Disciple of Christ"

mainly about dying to self, and that generally speaking

it's not hard to be a follower of Christ. I want to get across

the fact that by saying "It's not hard to be a follower of Christ"

I do not mean... you will not face difficulties/tribulation.

You see generally speaking I don't think people

have a problem with "accepting Christ". Honestly who would

seriously have a problem with someone dying for every wrong

they ever did or will do, who would have a problem with someone

saying; give me your worries/burdens...answer? NOBODY...

that's probably why so many people claim to be "Christian"

because they have no problem with someone forgiving their

wrong doing, they just want to continue living selfishly and still

be of Christ. The problem is being a "Christian" and being "Selfish"

don't go hand and hand, as again that kind of gets in the way of

"Dying to self"

To get back on point about difficulties/tribulation, People seem to think

(Specially still on the bottle Christians) that when you become a

"Christian" all tribulation all struggles just magically disappear,

like all because "you decided" to follow Christ that He will just

heap blessing after blessing upon you and no trouble will

come your way. All because you decided to be "Christian" and you

go to "church" and you "Tithe your 10%" and you have your little

"Jesus fish bumper sticker" that God is just going to bless you with all

that your little heart desires. Don't get it twisted once again, I'm

not saying God doesn't bless people, I'm saying if you think

life will be all sunshine and lollipops and you deserve some kind

of credit for being "Christian"...pshhh.. THINK AGAIN, as a matter of fact

where are your priorities? are they on the things YOU want? are they on

the hope that you will go through no struggles? OR are they where they

should be... ON GOD ALONE...no matter what trouble/burden

that comes your way.

The fact is, trouble is going to come your way,

struggles are going to come and go...it's about what you do

when that struggle comes that defines you and your faith or

lack there of.

When things come around and knock us down, when tribulations come

as "Christians" we should remain positive, after all...things happen for a reason,

God is bigger then any worry/stress or tribulation that comes our way.

I've probably said this 100 times but why not 101...

YOU DON'T PROVE YOUR FAITH WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING RIGHT

YOU PROVE IT... WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING ALL WRONG.

"An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance IN trouble, which is very different. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High . . . there shall no evil befall thee" - no plague can come nigh the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet, but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, there is nothing for you to fear."

Men who before they were saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become "fushionless" after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy? He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more strength. God never gives strength for to-morrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God."

My Utmost for HIS highest

August 2nd

Difficulty is a part of life, troubles/worries... oh we all get our share,

and things obviously don't always go how we want them to,

but when you are in that moment when you are faced with

adversity, the key is just surrendering to God. Like the good saying goes:

"What doesn't kill you,makes you stronger"

Now this is all meaningless if it's just a nice "thought",

actions speak louder then words.

Seek to live for God, stop crying about the things that

seem to be going wrong and realize you have been

given everything you will ever need. How about

caring for someone else, showing love to someone

and lifting another up, instead of wondering why

"God is not blessing you". Do you not know that we

are called to show the love of Christ, how can you show

that love... when all you do is worry about yourself?

The truth is, Love as we know it, our love is imperfect,

hence why you need to "Die to self" and live for Christ,

live to the Holy Spirit inside of you... that knows how to truly love.

It's like Love has become about requirements I.e

I'll love you if you do this,that or this. Here's a question for you,

what did YOU do... to deserve Gods love?

Yeah, think about that one. (by the way, the answer is NOTHING.)

Further more people have no problem showing love to those who

show love back, but guess what? we are called to have more love

in us then that..

"But if you love those who love you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. "

Luke 6:32-36

Forgive as we are forgiven, Love as we are loved...simply said,

but not easily done. It's not impossible though, people always like to say

"Well, we can't be like Christ! if we could he wouldn't have had to die

for our sins"

you are right, indeed we can not be perfect, you know what we can do

though? DIE TO SELF! we were crucified with Christ! stop thinking about

what "I can't do" and what CHRIST Can do through you!

Those who love those who love them, and those who love

only to receive something in-return should think long and hard,

and should be thankful that the God they claim to follow

wasn't and isn't like that.

A real Disciple of Christ, A real "Christian" doesn't have to walk around

saying "I'm a Christian" you will know them by the love that shines through them. NOT BY WORKS, no no no...NOT BY WORKS....but by the Love

of Christ that overwhelms their whole being.

Muhammad and his Religion

The following will offend I'm sure of it...

I write to you this question...

is Islam and Christianity essentially one in the same?

think about that, let it sink in...

I know, it's a really stupid question if you actually

happen to know what being a Christian is.

The thing is, the world we live in would have you believe

that being a Muslim being a Christian...well they

are the same thing, and not only is that false

but it is completely ridiculous.

A couple months ago I watched a film called

"The truth about Islam". Now I've never

associated Islam and Christianity,

meaning I never thought

"Oh generally they are the same thing"

I always thought they were quite the opposite,

and what has annoyed me is everywhere

I seem to look everyone compares

Christianity and Islam like they are the same thing.

Even the Government wants you to believe that,

remember after 9/11 how much fuss was made about Islam?

It's like out of nowhere this huge campaign of

"Islam is a religion of peace" came across the country..

Government officials and the President himself was claiming

that "Islam=Peace" and it's the same as any other religion,

they have the same values and blah blah blah.

It just seems like the world itself is so scared to offend

"Islam" and quick to come to it's defense, but yet

not so quick to defend Christianity.

Think about when there was/is murders or cult groups

killing in the name of Christ, completely giving

God and Christians a black eye...

where was the government officials then?

where was anyone to say "Hey, thats not

really what a christian is about...

Christianity is a religion of peace"

So I figured I'd better look into this "Islam"

so I can at least have my facts straight when I

correct someone comparing the two, like

everyone seems to do now a days.

I always figured how can you compare someone

like Jesus Christ to Muhammad ? So I just so happened

to watch "The truth about Islam" and I'm thinking...

"Ok...wait a minute they must be twisting

words around in the Qur'an"

Because the movie claims that essentially

the only people living like true muslims are

the radical ones, you know the ones going around

killing everyone?, now that obviously goes against

what we are told over here in the west and that whole

"peace" thing. So I figured I would look in the Qur'an

myself and see if those verses actually say what the

people in the documentary said, and to my surprise

they did. Take the ever popular "Verse of the Sword"

9:5 But when the forbidden months are past,

then fight and slay the Pagans(unbelievers) wherever ye find them,

an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them

in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent,

and establish regular prayers(worship Allah)

and practise regular charity,

then open the way for them:

for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

9:33 It is He(Allah) Who hath sent His Messenger(Muhammad)

with guidance and the Religion of Truth(Islam),

to proclaim it over all religion,

even though the Pagans may detest (it).

8:38 Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief),

their past would be forgiven them;

but if they persist, the punishment of those before them

is already (a matter of warning for them).

8:39 And fight them(Christians,Jews,anyone who doesn't worship Allah)

on until there is no more tumult or oppression,

and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere;

but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.

Those verses are saying Kill whoever doesn't believe

in Allah and Muhammad's "holy word" wherever

you find them, only show mercy if they turn

from their Gods and decide to worship Allah.

It is a Muslims duty to force people into their beliefs,

if someone refuses to worship Allah and claim

Muhammad as a prophet they are to be killed.

Now I know what you are thinking,

"But...but..In the Holy Bible specifically in the Old

Testament God tells the jews to kill people too!"

Yes, specifically the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,

Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

God chose the israelites to work through,

and to bring punishment down upon those

who ignored God aka the "pagans" or "Idolaters".

He told them to destroy their pillars and idols and

to clear them from the land....

This happened to establish the promise land aka Israel..

so yes there is war in the bible.

Does that mean the Bible says Christians

should go around today and kill anyone who doesn't believe?

No of course not! You can't take God establishing Israel

or telling his chosen people (the jews) to fight in war

to mean the same thing. God chose the jewish people to

work through to punish those who worshipped Idols,

(not because they were sinless or better per say)

as he chose to work through the babylonians to punish

his own people.

Read the Qur'an for yourself, But you know what?

lets take all that out of the picture, lets say those scriptures

from the Qur'an are taken out of context. Lets ignore everything

I just said about Islam and say I don't have my facts straight,

because I'm taking verses of war, when there are plenty

of verses in the Qur'an about peace.

The fact still remains that they deny Christ

as the son of God, the fact still remains that

they don't believe Christ died for sins and rose again

and will return again not to bare sin but to bring

salvation to those who are waiting for him.

that in itself makes Islam totally different from Christianity,

it doesn't make any sense to say they are one in the same, when

they both think differently not only about a scripture but

THE scripture that means everything to Christian faith.

All you really have to do is compare Jesus Christ

and Muhammad. Comparing Jesus Christ

and Muhammad is like comparing

apples and oranges, You see

Muhammad was a perfect man(in the religion of Islam),

he was "the perfect Muslim" and of course he

should be considered that since he created

the freakin religion but thats besides the point.

Was Muhammad a man of peace? seriously..

did he live a life of peace? NO..Muhammad was

as peaceful as Genghis Khan,he ransacked jews and killed

anyone who didn't believe like he did...

He was ruthless and cut peoples heads off

claimed it was ok to beat your wife and

have sex with prisoners. He had many wives

and even one who was six years old, yes

Muhammad loved the little Children..

only in a much more perverse way then

Jesus Christ.

Volume 7, Book 62, Number 88; Narrated Ursa:

The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract)

with Aisha while she was six years old

and consummated his marriage with her

while she was nine years old

and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death).

Do I really need to explain the difference between

Muhammad and Jesus Christ? they are exact opposites,

Muhammad is what a muslim considers a perfect man

and would be lucky to live how he did...

I don't remember Jesus killing anyone,

I don't remember him lopping peoples heads off..

I don't remember him sleeping with six year olds

Oh wait so sorry (9 year olds)

Plain and simple Jesus preached love and peace,

Muhammad forced people to believe like he did

with immorality and violence. How can Islam

be a religion of peace when it is founded on

violence?

Jesus died for you

Muhammad would kill you

Hmmm...Muslims and Christians the same thing?

I think not..

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