"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3: 16-19 NKJV
I've read that verse so many times and asked the same questions. How God sent his ONLY son into this world so that I might be saved, but why me? That Christ would eradicate the very sins that condemned me, but why me? Furthermore, I would be forever found guiltless in the eyes of God. Again, why me? What was so special about me that would make the creator of all the universe take the time to ensure my very salvation? I am not a king, a politician or someone of vast importance in this world, yet God saved me, why? Were there not others more worthy than me? For I know the transgressions that I commited and God must not be happy with me, right? For I know that God despises evil, and was I not born into sin? Surely God must be obligated to punish me for all that I've done? However, if I myself have had those questions, I can imagine the questions someone else must have.
"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
John 17: 20-23 NKJV
Eventually I came to that realization we do when the light bulb finally comes on and we see the light in front of us. For the heart and soul of the oft quoted scripture in John 3:16 is Love! For God so LOVED the world. Again, in the garden Jesus prays along those very same lines. That God has LOVED us as He loved His only Son. For Christ did not come to condemn the world, but to save it. We have done ourselves a disservice by giving God a punishment mentality. Yes, we were once sinners, but it is through the love of God that we are now innocent in the eyes of God. As is his nature, it is satan who condemns. His desire is to drive a wedge between God and His children. Remember, he who believes is NOT condemned. Therefore, we can trust that, when we come before our heavenly Father to ask for His forgiveness for some shortcoming that satan is accusing us of, that His answer to us will be, "What sin, child?" We can now be content that our Heavenly Father has loved us as He loved His only Son.
~Scott~
Sunday, March 6, 2016
One Moment In Time
But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them,"Why do you seek the living among the dead? "He is not here, but is Risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
Luke 24: 2-9 NKJV
It's funny that as the women came to the tomb of Jesus that morning that they had all but forgotten the words of His resurection. Of course, one can hardly blame them after all that had taken place those past few days. Their dear friend had just been crucified by the hated Romans. Of course, He had predicted all of these things woud happen. They NEEDED to happen in order for His destiny to be achieved. He could not utter those final words "It is finished" without His selfless sacrafice. For He did this all for us. However, in the grief of the moment, His friends had forgotten some of the most important part of His teachings. This is where God stepped in for a gentle reminder. As if their eyes were opened, once the angels reminded the women of the words of Jesus, they recalled what He had said.
Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Knowing tthat Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6: 3-9 NKJV
As Paul tells us here in Romans 6, there was alot more happening that morning than these women realized. This death of Jesus was ultimately for their own benefit. Oh, yes, He had told them all of this. As I've stated many times before, I certainly don't feel like I myself have ever died as of yet. However, here is the proof right in front of us. To personalize this a bit, if I have been united with Christ in the likeness of His death, then certainly I shall be in the likeness of His resurection. It is in Romans 6:7 that Paul gives us yet another reminder. For it is "he" that has died that has been freed from sin. One needs to relalize that, in scripture, when refering to our Lord or Jesus, that the name is capitalized to show it's importance. Therefore, if verse 7 refers to he who has died, he is refering to US! In other words, "For I who has died has been freed from sin!" We can rest assured that the sin nature that once plagued us no longer has dominion over us, for Christ has dealt with this issue once and for all.
~Scott~
Luke 24: 2-9 NKJV
It's funny that as the women came to the tomb of Jesus that morning that they had all but forgotten the words of His resurection. Of course, one can hardly blame them after all that had taken place those past few days. Their dear friend had just been crucified by the hated Romans. Of course, He had predicted all of these things woud happen. They NEEDED to happen in order for His destiny to be achieved. He could not utter those final words "It is finished" without His selfless sacrafice. For He did this all for us. However, in the grief of the moment, His friends had forgotten some of the most important part of His teachings. This is where God stepped in for a gentle reminder. As if their eyes were opened, once the angels reminded the women of the words of Jesus, they recalled what He had said.
Or do you not know that as many of us were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Knowing tthat Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6: 3-9 NKJV
As Paul tells us here in Romans 6, there was alot more happening that morning than these women realized. This death of Jesus was ultimately for their own benefit. Oh, yes, He had told them all of this. As I've stated many times before, I certainly don't feel like I myself have ever died as of yet. However, here is the proof right in front of us. To personalize this a bit, if I have been united with Christ in the likeness of His death, then certainly I shall be in the likeness of His resurection. It is in Romans 6:7 that Paul gives us yet another reminder. For it is "he" that has died that has been freed from sin. One needs to relalize that, in scripture, when refering to our Lord or Jesus, that the name is capitalized to show it's importance. Therefore, if verse 7 refers to he who has died, he is refering to US! In other words, "For I who has died has been freed from sin!" We can rest assured that the sin nature that once plagued us no longer has dominion over us, for Christ has dealt with this issue once and for all.
~Scott~
Saturday, March 5, 2016
My View From The Mountain
1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV
There has been an abundance of books in the past decade or so based entirely on what it takes to be a man in America. From the rough riding, Teddy Roosevelt type to the all emotional, in touch with his feelings modern man. It's no wonder, then, that there are plenty of men out there still unsure of whether they've made that step into adult manhood. After all, there are plenty of voices around them telling them what they need to do to achieve this milestone in life. Which path is the right one to follow? Add to that a certain segment of our society who are quick to jump and criticize anyone who even attempts to declare their manhood. American men, you see, are violent, agressive, heartless and overtly greedy. There can be no place for that in our nation they tell us! Men have started wars, attacked women, created the dreaded Wall Street and overall destroyed our society. How can anyone aspire to be a man in the face of this onslaught? There can be only one explanation for this gender war, to degrade and downplay the male of the species! There, I said it. All anyone needs do is look at our modern society to see the effects of this. We now have a entirely new generation of what they call "gender confused" young men. This makes me want to wretch!
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 2:27 NKJV
Who has ever thought of God as being gender confused? I know I haven't. However, if we see men as being part male and part female, we see the very same in our Lord! For the book of Genesis tells that we are created in Gods own image. Once again, we are faced with that pandoras box of how we interpret Gods word. Yet, it is my belief that Gods word needs no extra interpretation, it is all right there in front of us. Remember, it was God himself in the body of a man, who died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Was Jesus Himself gender confused? I'll jump out on a limb and say NO! I believe that this is less about what it takes to be a man and more about people wanting to CHANGE the behavior of men. Somewhere in the halls of some liberal college faculty lounge, someone came up with the idea that the agressive, dominant male was no longer needed in our society. No, our kinder, less agressive society needed softer teddy bear types. The great Arnold Shwarzeneger would have called such a person a "Girly man!" We even see this in our own White House, where our community agitator in chief Barack Hussein Obama travels around the world bestowing the virtues of the feminine male. It's no wonder, then, that every backwoods third world cesspool of a nation feels no threat from the United States, this is by design!
In the end, my story, in Iraq and afterward, is about more than just killing people or even fighting for my country. It's about being a man. And it's about love as well as hate.
Chris Kyle ~ Former Navy SEAL Sniper
There are countries and regions throughout this world of ours that celebrate that time in a young mans life when he steps into manhood. Whatever happened to that in America? Yes, the tradition yet continues today as fathers prepare their sons for that point in their young lives through hunting, fishing, mechanical work and just leading them into adulthood. There is something to be said about that relationship between a father and son as a boys father guides his son into the world of being a man. These lessons are not lost on our younger generation. They are lessons which I, as a boy, never received from a father who wasn't there. However, I have no problem shouting from the mountain that I AM A MAN!
~Scott~
A Matter Of Trust
"Let not your heart bee troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Fathers house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do now know where you are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me."
John 14: 1-6 NKJV
The original title for this post was going to be "A simple matter of trust." I scratched that idea when I considered just how difficult our trust can be at times. Better than that, where is it that we place our trust? Do we trust in things we can plainly see with our own eyes? Can we trust in something we have heard to be true, yet we've never seen? My mother had a saying for these things whenever I would ask her why she believed what she did. She would smile and say "I just know that I know." If you ask me, THAT is the definition of faith! For someone to trust in something they have never seen and accept it as fact in their hearts. We trust in the air around us, and we know that it is there. We trust in the coming dawn, even though we have no guarantee of tomorow. Yet, despite the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find it difficult to place our trust in God at times. That was me. How could I? I couldn't see God, even though the evidence of His presence was all around me. And If I couldn't see Him, how could he exist? Still, His word tells me that He is, and that he rewards those who seek Him.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV
I believe that it is in those times when we doubt that we are obviously "Leaning on our own understanding." We know the truth, yet we do not acknowledge it. We see the forest in front of us, yet we do not acknowledge that our Lords presence is throughout His creation. There were more than a few hikes I took with my friend Dennis this past summer where he would bring this point up. God, he would tell me, is evident in all of His creation. At first, he may as well have been talking to a deaf man. How could God be in that tree? That rock? That river? Well, when I finaly lifted my blinders, I realized that, indeed, if God created all that we see, then His fingerprints are on all that we see. The majesty of all that we see is only there due to Gods creation. Is it that far of a leap, then, to consider the truth of John 14:1? It is here that Jesus his disciples that He would ultimately come for them after His death. Of course, the doubting disciple Thomas would question our Lord on this. It would be later, after the resurection of Jesus, that this same Thomas would still doubt, until shown the wounds of his Lord. Seeing, then believing.
I have seen two things that cannot reconcile. A man dead without question, and this same man alive again. I pursue Him, the Nazarene, to feret the truth.
~Clavius~
In the film "Risen" the Roman Tribunus Clavius sets out on a hunt for the very man he had witnessed the death of, Jesus of Nazareth. It is Clavius, in fact, who ordered the spear put into Jesus as he died on the cross. Imagine his shock, later, as he witnesses the appearance of this very same man whom he oversaw the execution of. Still he struggled to believe. Are we not like Clavius? Knowing the truth, yet not believing? Or do we find ourselves akin to the disciple Thomas, we see yet do not believe. We cannot argue that the evidence of our Lords presence is all around us. We just know that we know.
~Scott~
John 14: 1-6 NKJV
The original title for this post was going to be "A simple matter of trust." I scratched that idea when I considered just how difficult our trust can be at times. Better than that, where is it that we place our trust? Do we trust in things we can plainly see with our own eyes? Can we trust in something we have heard to be true, yet we've never seen? My mother had a saying for these things whenever I would ask her why she believed what she did. She would smile and say "I just know that I know." If you ask me, THAT is the definition of faith! For someone to trust in something they have never seen and accept it as fact in their hearts. We trust in the air around us, and we know that it is there. We trust in the coming dawn, even though we have no guarantee of tomorow. Yet, despite the words of Jesus and the prophets, we find it difficult to place our trust in God at times. That was me. How could I? I couldn't see God, even though the evidence of His presence was all around me. And If I couldn't see Him, how could he exist? Still, His word tells me that He is, and that he rewards those who seek Him.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV
I believe that it is in those times when we doubt that we are obviously "Leaning on our own understanding." We know the truth, yet we do not acknowledge it. We see the forest in front of us, yet we do not acknowledge that our Lords presence is throughout His creation. There were more than a few hikes I took with my friend Dennis this past summer where he would bring this point up. God, he would tell me, is evident in all of His creation. At first, he may as well have been talking to a deaf man. How could God be in that tree? That rock? That river? Well, when I finaly lifted my blinders, I realized that, indeed, if God created all that we see, then His fingerprints are on all that we see. The majesty of all that we see is only there due to Gods creation. Is it that far of a leap, then, to consider the truth of John 14:1? It is here that Jesus his disciples that He would ultimately come for them after His death. Of course, the doubting disciple Thomas would question our Lord on this. It would be later, after the resurection of Jesus, that this same Thomas would still doubt, until shown the wounds of his Lord. Seeing, then believing.
I have seen two things that cannot reconcile. A man dead without question, and this same man alive again. I pursue Him, the Nazarene, to feret the truth.
~Clavius~
In the film "Risen" the Roman Tribunus Clavius sets out on a hunt for the very man he had witnessed the death of, Jesus of Nazareth. It is Clavius, in fact, who ordered the spear put into Jesus as he died on the cross. Imagine his shock, later, as he witnesses the appearance of this very same man whom he oversaw the execution of. Still he struggled to believe. Are we not like Clavius? Knowing the truth, yet not believing? Or do we find ourselves akin to the disciple Thomas, we see yet do not believe. We cannot argue that the evidence of our Lords presence is all around us. We just know that we know.
~Scott~
Friday, March 4, 2016
The Man Inside
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Matthew 28: 19-20 NKJV
One of the most difficult teachings to grasp is the fact that our Lord Jesus resides today within these bodies of ours. Believe me, with this I have struggled often. Despite the evidence in sripture that this is indeed the case, we still struggle. I find it interesting that in Matthew 28:19, as Jesus prepares to depart, at least physically, from the presence of the discipes he loved, that he tells lets them know that he will be with them until the end of the age. Not to take anything away from the scriptures, but I've felt recently that perhaps Jesus would have been better off telling his followers that he would be "In them" until the end of the age, but that's just my take. Either way, I'm sure there would be those who would continue to struggle with the truth. One thing that I am certain of is that I know that I am not alone in this.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 NKJV
Here in 1 Corinthians 6, once again the evidence of the truth of Christ smacks us squarely in the face! Yes, He is our risen savior who has paid our terrible sin debt in full, but that is only the first part of His story. Indeed, we needed to be saved, to have our sinful past eradicated. For the apostle Paul tells us in Romans that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Again, in Romans 3:10, Paul tells us that there is "None righteous." It is against this backdrop that Christ gave himself for our sakes, to be the sin atonement that was required. For the penalty He paid was our own. Again, it is at this point in the story where we get lost sometimes. For once that atonement for our sin was accomplished by Him on that cross, the issue of the sin spirit also needed to be dealt with. THIS was accomplished through His resurection. As it stands now, our sin debt has been satisfied as well as the sin spirit which we were born into, all though Christ! At times it is a hard truth to see, this Jesus living within us.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
Again, the evidence is there in front of us if we seek it. You may find it a little hard to accept, I did. Others have as well. That dosen't mean that it's not true, just that we haven't realized the full extent of the gift we've been given.
~Scott~
Matthew 28: 19-20 NKJV
One of the most difficult teachings to grasp is the fact that our Lord Jesus resides today within these bodies of ours. Believe me, with this I have struggled often. Despite the evidence in sripture that this is indeed the case, we still struggle. I find it interesting that in Matthew 28:19, as Jesus prepares to depart, at least physically, from the presence of the discipes he loved, that he tells lets them know that he will be with them until the end of the age. Not to take anything away from the scriptures, but I've felt recently that perhaps Jesus would have been better off telling his followers that he would be "In them" until the end of the age, but that's just my take. Either way, I'm sure there would be those who would continue to struggle with the truth. One thing that I am certain of is that I know that I am not alone in this.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 NKJV
Here in 1 Corinthians 6, once again the evidence of the truth of Christ smacks us squarely in the face! Yes, He is our risen savior who has paid our terrible sin debt in full, but that is only the first part of His story. Indeed, we needed to be saved, to have our sinful past eradicated. For the apostle Paul tells us in Romans that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Again, in Romans 3:10, Paul tells us that there is "None righteous." It is against this backdrop that Christ gave himself for our sakes, to be the sin atonement that was required. For the penalty He paid was our own. Again, it is at this point in the story where we get lost sometimes. For once that atonement for our sin was accomplished by Him on that cross, the issue of the sin spirit also needed to be dealt with. THIS was accomplished through His resurection. As it stands now, our sin debt has been satisfied as well as the sin spirit which we were born into, all though Christ! At times it is a hard truth to see, this Jesus living within us.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV
Again, the evidence is there in front of us if we seek it. You may find it a little hard to accept, I did. Others have as well. That dosen't mean that it's not true, just that we haven't realized the full extent of the gift we've been given.
~Scott~
Thursday, March 3, 2016
That Trump Card
It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblence to the first.
~Ronald Reagan~
For those who are not aquainted with my political leanings, I am a diehard conservative. I long for the days of old where hurt feelings were almost nonexistant and people talked about God other than in church. Where stores always closed on Sundays and families spent more time together than they do online. Yes, I long for the goood old days. Where the United States was a respected and feared nation, not the imperialistic nightmare our current president makes us out to be. Even in the dark days of the administration of James Earl Carter, I believed we had hope as a nation. Then, of course, along came Ronald Reagan. People today speak of terrorism as if it is something relatively new. These same people should read of such terror attacks in the 1970's as Munich, Entebe and a few dozen airliner hijackings. For it was in the 1970's that the United States and Isreal stood alone against a rash of Arab terror attacks. We all recall Yassar Arafat, the cold blooded terrorist murderer turned statesman whose flunkies killed hundreds in their quest to be seen as relevant. Through all of this killing and hatred from peace loving Arabs, the United States stood strong. Until now.
In the past few years, something has changed in this country. I used to be able to count on the liberal democrats to do their best to destroy the moral fabric of this country I love, now I fear the Republicans are following suit. It is a well known fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we are reminded of this fact daily by our so called politicians. I feared there was nobody strong enough to take on the demoncrats at their own game. Enter real estate mogul Donald Trump. Almost overnight, Trump has put our political system on its ear! Why is that? Well, there is one simple explanation for the success of Donald J Trump, and we see it every day in our own government. Americans, real Americans, are sick and tired of the corrupt, business as usual American politician. This man will make each and every sound bite sound good, until he is elected to office, then his true colors will come through! Time and again, men we have elected to political office have betrayed their constituents as they become all too cozy in the lobbyist infested rooms of our capital buildings. Their message to us is both arrogant and disrespectful, "Don't question us, we know what's best for you!" Well, Americans have suddenly and loudly responded with a loud BULL$#@%!!
As if waiting for a savior to appear, the American public has embraced the brash, no nonsense New York businessman. His slogan of "Making America great again" has touched a cord with people who are fed up with politics as usual. Suddenly, there is a man who does not speak in the politicaly correct language of the liberal left, and people LOVE IT! Years upon years of the encroachment of liberalism on our great society have produced a backlash I have not seen too often in my lifetime. The American people are speaking, and it's not good for the democrat front runner Hillary Clinton who suddenly looks more and more like ten miles of bad road. Seriously, the years have not been kind to this woman. Then, as if this comedy of political errors could not get any more entertaining, now Republican leaders have suddenly joined forces to attempt to discredit Mr. Trump. Why is that? I'll tell you why, Donald Trump is not in the political back pocket of the lobbyists that Americans have such a dim view of. For Donald Trump is financing his own campaign. We all know that Trump is filthy rich, he doesn't need anyones money! This is also what scares the career politicians in Washington.
It amazes me still how people will shrink back in horror at the thought of a Trump presidency, while blindly accepting the liberal crap of the Obama administration. Really? Isn't it time for a new direction? I am personally more afraid of how far the republican establishment will go to stop Trump than I am of trump himself. They fear this man for a reason, we must ask why that is. I will personally continue to support Mr. Trump in any way that I can. I don't see him as the lesser of two evils, but as a man such as myself, who longs for how things used to be.
~Scott~
~Ronald Reagan~
For those who are not aquainted with my political leanings, I am a diehard conservative. I long for the days of old where hurt feelings were almost nonexistant and people talked about God other than in church. Where stores always closed on Sundays and families spent more time together than they do online. Yes, I long for the goood old days. Where the United States was a respected and feared nation, not the imperialistic nightmare our current president makes us out to be. Even in the dark days of the administration of James Earl Carter, I believed we had hope as a nation. Then, of course, along came Ronald Reagan. People today speak of terrorism as if it is something relatively new. These same people should read of such terror attacks in the 1970's as Munich, Entebe and a few dozen airliner hijackings. For it was in the 1970's that the United States and Isreal stood alone against a rash of Arab terror attacks. We all recall Yassar Arafat, the cold blooded terrorist murderer turned statesman whose flunkies killed hundreds in their quest to be seen as relevant. Through all of this killing and hatred from peace loving Arabs, the United States stood strong. Until now.
In the past few years, something has changed in this country. I used to be able to count on the liberal democrats to do their best to destroy the moral fabric of this country I love, now I fear the Republicans are following suit. It is a well known fact that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we are reminded of this fact daily by our so called politicians. I feared there was nobody strong enough to take on the demoncrats at their own game. Enter real estate mogul Donald Trump. Almost overnight, Trump has put our political system on its ear! Why is that? Well, there is one simple explanation for the success of Donald J Trump, and we see it every day in our own government. Americans, real Americans, are sick and tired of the corrupt, business as usual American politician. This man will make each and every sound bite sound good, until he is elected to office, then his true colors will come through! Time and again, men we have elected to political office have betrayed their constituents as they become all too cozy in the lobbyist infested rooms of our capital buildings. Their message to us is both arrogant and disrespectful, "Don't question us, we know what's best for you!" Well, Americans have suddenly and loudly responded with a loud BULL$#@%!!
As if waiting for a savior to appear, the American public has embraced the brash, no nonsense New York businessman. His slogan of "Making America great again" has touched a cord with people who are fed up with politics as usual. Suddenly, there is a man who does not speak in the politicaly correct language of the liberal left, and people LOVE IT! Years upon years of the encroachment of liberalism on our great society have produced a backlash I have not seen too often in my lifetime. The American people are speaking, and it's not good for the democrat front runner Hillary Clinton who suddenly looks more and more like ten miles of bad road. Seriously, the years have not been kind to this woman. Then, as if this comedy of political errors could not get any more entertaining, now Republican leaders have suddenly joined forces to attempt to discredit Mr. Trump. Why is that? I'll tell you why, Donald Trump is not in the political back pocket of the lobbyists that Americans have such a dim view of. For Donald Trump is financing his own campaign. We all know that Trump is filthy rich, he doesn't need anyones money! This is also what scares the career politicians in Washington.
It amazes me still how people will shrink back in horror at the thought of a Trump presidency, while blindly accepting the liberal crap of the Obama administration. Really? Isn't it time for a new direction? I am personally more afraid of how far the republican establishment will go to stop Trump than I am of trump himself. They fear this man for a reason, we must ask why that is. I will personally continue to support Mr. Trump in any way that I can. I don't see him as the lesser of two evils, but as a man such as myself, who longs for how things used to be.
~Scott~
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
A High Price To Pay
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6: 6-10 NKJV
I was glancing the other day at the net worth of some notable Americans and came upon something both interesting and upsetting. The section of the website worldsrichpeople.com has a list of a few of the worlds richest pastors. A few of these so called men of God I list here.
~ T.D. Jakes with a estimated worth at 18 Million!
~ Rick Warren with a estimated worth of 25 million!
~ Billy Graham has a estimated worth of 25 million!
~ Joel Osteen is the money bags of the group with a net worth of 40 million!
Why is this so upsetting? Well, first off, these are men of God! How can a man like Joel Osteen honestly pass a collection plate onn any given Sunday morning and ask people to give to his church? My first response to that would be, "ok, you give all that you have THEN come to me and ask!" If there was any honor left in pastors of our nations churches, it was lost on these four. It was in reference to men such as these that Jesus proclaimed it harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why do you think that is? Well, because I believe that God is not the first love in men such as these. Our Lord does not want to be second place in our lives. It's either God or money, man cannot serve both! For the scriptures tell us, he will love one and hate the other. So, Pastor Jakes, Pastor Warren, Pastor Osteen, where is your heart? Is it in the millions of dollars you've accumulated from the collections of others? How many people have had to go without just to add to your pile of money?
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it iis easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19: 21-24 NKJV
How do you think our Lord Jesus would react to men such as T.D Jakes, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen? Better yet, how would these rich men react if Jesus asked them to give all they owned and follow him? Now, I've never met any of these overpaid charlatans, but I'm guessing that it would be VERY difficult for any of them to part with their wealth. For if they truly believed in their hearts that their wealth was not more important than God, they would have given of their riches long before this! Now, to be fair, I don't know what charitable donations these self proclaimed men of God have made. What I do see is their extravagant wealth which conjures up images of Pharisees of old. Now, the bible definately warns us about the love of money, for God wants to be our true love. Others will argue that scripture does not warn against earning wealth, and from what I've seen I agree. However, it is how we treat our wealth that God may take issue. It is in 1 Timothy 6:6 that the wise old apostle Paul tells his young apprentice Timothy that it is indeed the LOVE of money that is the root of all sorts of evil! In fact, Paul goes so far as to suggest that others have "strayed from the faith in their greediness."
In the end, it is all about the heart of the individual. Some of the richest people in the world are also the most charitable. However, when it comes to the compensation one should receive from shepherding Gods flock, the price demanded by these few individuals seems too high. Obviously, as they oversee the offering from their congregations each Sunday, their conscience has taken a permanent vacation!
~Scott~
1 Timothy 6: 6-10 NKJV
I was glancing the other day at the net worth of some notable Americans and came upon something both interesting and upsetting. The section of the website worldsrichpeople.com has a list of a few of the worlds richest pastors. A few of these so called men of God I list here.
~ T.D. Jakes with a estimated worth at 18 Million!
~ Rick Warren with a estimated worth of 25 million!
~ Billy Graham has a estimated worth of 25 million!
~ Joel Osteen is the money bags of the group with a net worth of 40 million!
Why is this so upsetting? Well, first off, these are men of God! How can a man like Joel Osteen honestly pass a collection plate onn any given Sunday morning and ask people to give to his church? My first response to that would be, "ok, you give all that you have THEN come to me and ask!" If there was any honor left in pastors of our nations churches, it was lost on these four. It was in reference to men such as these that Jesus proclaimed it harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Why do you think that is? Well, because I believe that God is not the first love in men such as these. Our Lord does not want to be second place in our lives. It's either God or money, man cannot serve both! For the scriptures tell us, he will love one and hate the other. So, Pastor Jakes, Pastor Warren, Pastor Osteen, where is your heart? Is it in the millions of dollars you've accumulated from the collections of others? How many people have had to go without just to add to your pile of money?
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. The Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it iis easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19: 21-24 NKJV
How do you think our Lord Jesus would react to men such as T.D Jakes, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen? Better yet, how would these rich men react if Jesus asked them to give all they owned and follow him? Now, I've never met any of these overpaid charlatans, but I'm guessing that it would be VERY difficult for any of them to part with their wealth. For if they truly believed in their hearts that their wealth was not more important than God, they would have given of their riches long before this! Now, to be fair, I don't know what charitable donations these self proclaimed men of God have made. What I do see is their extravagant wealth which conjures up images of Pharisees of old. Now, the bible definately warns us about the love of money, for God wants to be our true love. Others will argue that scripture does not warn against earning wealth, and from what I've seen I agree. However, it is how we treat our wealth that God may take issue. It is in 1 Timothy 6:6 that the wise old apostle Paul tells his young apprentice Timothy that it is indeed the LOVE of money that is the root of all sorts of evil! In fact, Paul goes so far as to suggest that others have "strayed from the faith in their greediness."
In the end, it is all about the heart of the individual. Some of the richest people in the world are also the most charitable. However, when it comes to the compensation one should receive from shepherding Gods flock, the price demanded by these few individuals seems too high. Obviously, as they oversee the offering from their congregations each Sunday, their conscience has taken a permanent vacation!
~Scott~
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