America the beautiful?

Any non-bias man who knows anything about the heritage of our country knows that no matter if they like it or not this country was founded on Biblical principles by devout Christians who knew that when a country keeps God 1st it will prosper and when a country removes the teachings of the bible from society it will fail.

I am not going to rant about our national debt, our alcoholism, our drug abuse, or the fact that we as a nation murder over one and a half million babies every year, I do not believe that we as Christians cannot blame the lawmakers, or the public schools, or the other denominations.

We as Christians were commanded by Christ Himself to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:14-16) It is not the worlds job to be a shining beacon of Gods righteousness, its ours, the the prince of this earth is set on destruction and we are shocked and amazed when his children do not act right?
Christians have failed America, we have paid back those Godly men who died before us to give us freedom by sitting by idle while the devil destroys this nation. Great men of God in the past gave their lives for our freedom and we repay them with cowardice. We fear unpopularity, we fear job loss, we fear the faces of those who we are sent to be a witness to, yet God said

Jeremiah 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
Jer 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Jer 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

We have become a religion of cowards in America, we are constantly on the defensive in society today, we act as if because we believe that it is the end times, that that means we dont have to work as hard for God? Shameful Jesus Christ said


Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
This is the ONLY, ONLY place in the bible where we are commanded to "Leap for joy". Yet we fear a persecution here in America that isn't worthy to be called persecution, here no one is killed for their faith, no one is tortured, no one of us in America have been stoned or boiled for our faith and yet we fear the faces of those we are meant to lead to Christ. Those who have gone before us deserve better from us, Christ deserves far better than this, we must wake up and unite in America under the banner of Christ and refuse to compromise and back down, we must have personal revival in our churches before we can expect national revival to happen.

Why Witness?

Growing up (mostly) in church I often heard preaching about being a witness for Christ, it is such a familiar topic in Christianity that many people begin to think they understand what it means to "Let your light so shine". Just before entering High school I promised God I would live for Him and Him alone with my life, in return God called me to be a youth pastor. I was only 15 but I knew what God wanted me to do.

In high school (a public one) I was able to start a bible study during school hours (we were even given our own room), and even lead some of the football players in pregame prayer, I was very outspoken and unashamed of my faith at times in high school (being a 15-18 year old boy) I was a little too "Black and White". I remember one time when a girl walked up to me during lunch and saw me reading my bible, she immediately said "Your not allowed to do that in school" after politely (yes politely) explaining that I could she angrily asked me "Well I don't believe in God so does that mean I am going to Hell?" I looked up at her and with a straight face simply said "Yes". I now know that even though Yes was the correct answer what I should have said was "Yes, but let me show you how you can go to Heaven instead".

Although I was a young Christian I was absolutely in love with Gods word and teaching others about it, sadly though a mixture of hard feelings, and fear kept me from witnessing to some in my school. I didn't struggle with the physical part of fear in high school I was punched in the face twice and slapped in the face three times all for sharing Gods word, my science teacher senior year often ridiculed me and my creation beliefs in class, my English teacher on multiple occasions marked me down for using the bible in my assignments, I had food thrown on me twice, verbal attacks blah blah blah (none of this is persecution, try being a Christian in China) what I struggled with was witnessing to the popular girls (I know that sounds dumb) but its true, my beliefs were especially unwelcome in the popular kids circles.

I always thought that since I witnessed to my friends and even some who I didn't like in school, that meant I was a good witness. I was wrong.

Five years ago today I went to school to find out one of my classmates had hung herself the night before, the absolute first thought in my mind, the thought that often still rings in my head was this.

I had NEVER verbally witnessed to this girl in all the years that I brushed shoulders with her in the halls, for some reason I never  took that step with her or her closest friends.

It was that day that I realized how important it was to witness to everyone, not just by our actions but personally with our words. I did not know the girl well enough to know her spiritual condition and ONLY God knows the heart
Matthew 7:20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
  What I do know is that if that girl died without knowing Jesus Christ as her personal savior then she has spent the last five years burning in a literal and everlasting Hell, and her blood (in at least some way) will be on my hands when I stand before the throne. My inaction, my inability to care enough to talk about Christ one time with her could have been the difference in her eternal destination and I failed.

I truly hope that she was saved and has spent the last five years in Heaven with Christ but I do not know, all I know is that from that point being a witness was more than a bragging right, or a habit, it is now real to me, it is now important, its life and death every time.

So please do not keep your silence, lift your voice to all you meet, because the next chance you may have to witness may be their last chance to listen.

Quotation Mark Christians

In the future you may notice that I often put quotation marks on the word Christian and Christians, this is no mistake. I know that I am no perfect Christian, no one is, and therefore I try to always give others the benefit of the doubt when they claim the name of Christ. With that said I hold the name of Christ in very high regard, He is my personal savior as well as the savior of the any who will call upon Him (Romans 10:13). Christ was perfect and we are far from it, I know that when I sin I become ashamed because others know that I bear the name Christian.

When I use the term "Christian" in quotation I am not simply referring to Christianity as a whole, I am referring to those who claim the name and say "I don't think its wrong to drink" "I don't think we should judge". When I use the word "Christian" in quotations I am referring to the spineless "Come as you are, leave as you were" pastors who are afraid to preach the truth of the gospel. Instead they preach only love, compromise, and Heaven but neglect to warn their followers about Hell, Sin, and the coming judgement.

I am not a doom and gloom person, and I do not look for fights and disputes, but I do believe that ninety percent (or more) of those who claim to be Christians do more harm than good to the cause of Christ just by saying "Yea I go to church, Im a Christian". We have all met the "Christians" who think drinking is fine in moderation, or abortion is ok if the woman was raped. It is these "Christians" who live and even teach contrary to what Gods word says with no remorse that I have, and will always reffer to in quotation marks.

I believe that if you claim the name of Christ then you MUST walk as He walked.

1st John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1Jn 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
I do not intend to offend anyone with any post at any time. I merely intend to preach the glorious gospel of Christ without compramise. I pray that if some "Christian" stumbles upon this post that they instead of being offended will dust of a good ole King James bible and see for themselves the truths of the Gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galations 4:16
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them

Home?

Last year my wife and I were offered a one month free trial from Netflix, we decided to try it out and months later we found ourselves watching too much television. We canceled our account and for months now have happily been back to having two T.V. channels on an antenna. Recently I received an email from Netflix titled "Come home to Netflix".

That email got me thinking, what has the American home become today? At many houses "Family time" has become a time to sit around the 50+ inch T.V. and watch Biblically and Morally questionable (and more often than not) absolutely sinful T.V. programs. Shows that promote Homosexuality, Rebellion, Free Love, Drug abuse, Disobedience to parents, and more. Shows that promote hatred of Gods law and His people.

As of this T.V. season it has been reported that full frontal nudity on prime time television rose over one thousand percent. On cartoon network now there are cartoon characters dropping F-Bombs after 9 P.M.

Yet the T.V. remains the most gathered around item in the house.

 

Gods word in the households of many "Christian" families has become a last resort, if my ten favorite shows are not on, and my T.V. is broken, my videogames don't work, my computer is fried, and there is no other reading material in the house, then Gods word is picked up and read as if it were a fairy tale. I believe it is high time that God fearing Christians stop gathering around the T.V. and start gathering around Gods word. Instead of rushing home to catch the game or your favorite show, rush home to spend quality time with your family around Gods word. One Television provider now boasts that you can record hundreds of hours of your favorite shows, yet the "Christian" doesn't spend more than ten minutes a day reading one chapter of the bible, or sixty seconds a day in prayer.

God said in second Peter 3:10-12
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
 
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
When my savior comes back I do not know what I will be doing, I hope and pray that He comes while I am teaching, or preaching, or witnessing, studying His word, or singing His praises. I do not know when He is coming back but I do know that if He comes during prime time, many of those who claim His name will think "Why didn't He wait for a commercial?"

Lets stop "Coming home to Netflix" and start coming home to God word.