First off the dictionary definition of lust is "1) intense or unrestrained sexual craving, or 2) an overwhelming desire or craving."
This post was pornography and the Christian man but I've decided the topic needs to be viewed as more than just pornography, but lust in general because the Bible tells us that by merely looking at a woman with lust for her, has already committed adultery in his heart. Matthew 5:28.
WATCH OUT GUYS! this is a big one. It's easy to do, and even easier to hide or cover up, but nothing is hidden from an all knowing God. God sees what is in our hearts and He knows about that girl you work with that you desire so bad but isn't your wife, He knows about that Ex-girlfriend you daydream about even though she is married, he knows about that video online you watch, or that one site where you know you can get turned on, or that gentleman's club you go to when you think no one is watching. He knows, and He will hold us each accountable for our thoughts and actions. 2 Corinthians 5:10
As Christian men, we should always be on our guard against the distractions of the world. We have to guide our own hearts, and not let them guide us. God calls us to live with focus and intently. The Bible always shows us that He is what we need, and that a wondering heart will lead us astray from him. The worst part of a lustful life is living outside the will of God and paying an eternal penalty for a temporary feeling. The next worst part is that lust tears our families apart, it inhibits us from being
Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; 28but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
6Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord- 7for we walk by faith, not by sight- 8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one
may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has
done, whether good or bad
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Thursday, July 10, 2014
End Times - part 1, the rapture
This is going to sort of be a journal of my current study of the end times. I will be taking several topics and walking through them. I would like to say that I am in no way an expert in these topics and am learning about them all as I go. I do not claim to be a prophet, or to be able to see and interpret things any more so than any Christian can. What I do claim is that I am a man who wants to seek to know his Lord and savior better, and to better myself as a Christian Man. With that being said, if you have a thought on these topics, please post a comment to me or email me about it with as much information as possible with references if applicable.
Now that the legalities are out of the way, I'll proceed. Today I want to look at the Rapture of the church. The word rapture is found nowhere in scripture but is generally used to described Jesus Christ's return to gather his children from the earth. The rapture is not the time that Jesus returns to rule the earth, but rather an appointed time when He will call all of His elect to meet him in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is not yet the end, but rather the beginning of the tribulation period, the time of great suffering for all in the world. After this event, the rapture, there will be an even faster descent into sinfulness and evil. Think about it, all of the saints of the world will be gone and all that will be left are the unbelievers.
The time period of the tribulation will be a time of great suffering, disease, famine, natural disasters, pestilence, and most of all the removal of the Christians everywhere. Everywhere we look today we see natural disasters, famine, wars, and wars that could be called "rumors of wars" since there is not a defined war front (think war on terror, it's all around us, we hear about it daily, but most people never actually see it's face or really know it but rather only know what we hear by the ..... rumor mill ). Does this mean that we are living in the final days before Christ's return to conquer the world when he steps on the Mount of Olives as is described in Zechariah 14:2-4? I do not think we are living in those times yet, but I feel it, it is close and that means the rapture is close, and that should excite everyone of us! I believe that Matthew 24:8 shows us that these problems that are happening are only the beginning, they are only the start of the great sorrow of the tribulation.I think things are getting ready to get much, much, much worse.
Some people beleive that the saints of Christ will be raptured before the 7 years of tribulation, some beleive we will be raptured in the middle of it, while some beleive we will have to endure the entire tribulation period. Obviously I beleive in a pre-tribulation rapture and have entertained all the other views but will cover them on another post. For the sake of time I will just sya that I do not beleive God will let us be here to suffer through the tribulation (aka God's Wrath) 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Rev 3:10, I think the rapture will be what sets off the time bomb of the middle east and the attacks on Israel that brings the antichrist to power during the tribulation. There are references to Christians and Christ's elect that appear to be after the rapture, but these people are ones who come to Christ after the rapture and are in a different category of sorts in God's Kingdom of Heaven.
One thing I know for sure is that the time for our Lord's return is near, and as Christians this should excite us! LOOK UP!
Luke 21:28
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB)
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord
Zechariah 14:2-4 (NASB )
2For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
Matthew 24:1-9 (NASB)
1Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."
1 Thesalonians 5:1-9
1But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: 5for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him
Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Now that the legalities are out of the way, I'll proceed. Today I want to look at the Rapture of the church. The word rapture is found nowhere in scripture but is generally used to described Jesus Christ's return to gather his children from the earth. The rapture is not the time that Jesus returns to rule the earth, but rather an appointed time when He will call all of His elect to meet him in the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is not yet the end, but rather the beginning of the tribulation period, the time of great suffering for all in the world. After this event, the rapture, there will be an even faster descent into sinfulness and evil. Think about it, all of the saints of the world will be gone and all that will be left are the unbelievers.
The time period of the tribulation will be a time of great suffering, disease, famine, natural disasters, pestilence, and most of all the removal of the Christians everywhere. Everywhere we look today we see natural disasters, famine, wars, and wars that could be called "rumors of wars" since there is not a defined war front (think war on terror, it's all around us, we hear about it daily, but most people never actually see it's face or really know it but rather only know what we hear by the ..... rumor mill ). Does this mean that we are living in the final days before Christ's return to conquer the world when he steps on the Mount of Olives as is described in Zechariah 14:2-4? I do not think we are living in those times yet, but I feel it, it is close and that means the rapture is close, and that should excite everyone of us! I believe that Matthew 24:8 shows us that these problems that are happening are only the beginning, they are only the start of the great sorrow of the tribulation.I think things are getting ready to get much, much, much worse.
Some people beleive that the saints of Christ will be raptured before the 7 years of tribulation, some beleive we will be raptured in the middle of it, while some beleive we will have to endure the entire tribulation period. Obviously I beleive in a pre-tribulation rapture and have entertained all the other views but will cover them on another post. For the sake of time I will just sya that I do not beleive God will let us be here to suffer through the tribulation (aka God's Wrath) 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Rev 3:10, I think the rapture will be what sets off the time bomb of the middle east and the attacks on Israel that brings the antichrist to power during the tribulation. There are references to Christians and Christ's elect that appear to be after the rapture, but these people are ones who come to Christ after the rapture and are in a different category of sorts in God's Kingdom of Heaven.
One thing I know for sure is that the time for our Lord's return is near, and as Christians this should excite us! LOOK UP!
Luke 21:28
But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB)
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord
Zechariah 14:2-4 (NASB )
2For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
Matthew 24:1-9 (NASB)
1Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down."
3As
He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him
privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
4And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. 5For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many. 6You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.1 Thesalonians 5:1-9
1But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: 5for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night: and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him
Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Trusting in God
So lately I've really been wondering why it is that time and time again God shows us his love for us but many times we are too blind to see it. We fall into the trap of thinking we get something because we deserve it but in actuality we deserve nothing but death and a sinners he'll and eternal separation from God! I've recently had this smack me in the face because I remember thinking depressing thoughts about how I was "stuck" in a job and would never be allowed to progress beyond the level I had reached, that I would never be able to provide more than a low standard of living for my family and that I would not be able to let my children play sports or do any activities. I thought if I wanted them to have opportunities then I would have to work 80 hours a week and never see them.
I should have just trusted God, and let him work as He does, he wants to give us the desires of our heart as long as our desires are His. What I mean by that is my desire to advance my career has never been motivated by wanting to make myself of higher standing than my peers, but I want to provide for my family better. I don't want to live paycheck to 5 days before paycheck like we have, I don't want to have to decide between me eating and my family eating. Don't get me wrong, I thought I deserved a promotion, a raise, better schedule etc. but I now realize that I don't deserve any of that stuff.
I left the job where I was and went chasing my dream of bettering my career to better my film but what I found was that it was just more headache and began to regret not FULLY trusting God to give my family what they need or what I thought I deserved. I thought I'd go get it and things would be great, But God said NO and took me on an 8 month journey of hardships and trials until I finally realized that the problem was me all along, I felt entitled to something I wasn't entitled to.
One day I was thinking, and God opened my heart and showed me he mistakes I had made. I begged him to forgive my unbelief, to change my heart and make it more like His. It began slowly, but sped up quickly. I'm not there yet but I know now that I have to trust Him completely, whether with my career, family, finances, future, relationships, anything.
Once I had the realization that I needed to change, it happened. The doors began opening and in a matter of less than 2 weeks I was back at my old job and advancing beyond what I ever thought possible. We're not going to get rich from this position, but I have a chance to help people in there most helpless time, while making enough money to gives family what they need and a future to maybe give them what they want too.
In numerous places the Bible tells us to do things like sell all that we own and follow Christ. I don't think we have to sell our homes, cars and possessions but the meaning behind it is that we should rely solely on our Lord in everything and that's a difficult thing to do if we are more concerned about things here than eternity. Part of being a husband, father, and man is providing the necessities that my family needs, that's my job, that's a true calling of EVERY father or husband. My work only provides a means to do so. We don't have to sell all our possessions but if we did I guess we would have no choice but to trust on him fully, that's why it's crucial that we never stop striving to keep our hearts on line with God and His will.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (Matthew 6:20 NASB)
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:21 NASB)
"Keep your eye on the prize and look up, your redemption draws nye"
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Pushing the homosexual agenda in the church
I know I will likely take some flack for this post, but ya know I do not care.
Recently I have been reading about different ways that people are trying to infiltrate the Christian church to push their LGBT agenda. I am here to tell you that the homosexuals among us will suffer judgement for their perverse actions.
Recently I have been reading about different ways that people are trying to infiltrate the Christian church to push their LGBT agenda. I am here to tell you that the homosexuals among us will suffer judgement for their perverse actions.
Now before you say "you can't do that, you're not supposed to judge people, that's not very Christian" well that is yet another perversions of God's word. I could post numerous references but here is the jist of it. We are not to judge outside appearances, but we are able to judge a persons actions according to God's word and using His standard and not our own.
John 7:24 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
Matthew 7:1 1"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
6"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
I could make arguments on my own, but I chose to let God's word guide my thinking. In no way am I condemning anyone to Hell but I am saying that by knowingly choosing to live in an immoral life that God has described as an abomination they will be judged according by God. You cannot have the Holy Spirit in your heart and continue to live in a rebellious and sinful relationship. Promiscuous or committed Gay relationship does not matter, it is all wrong!
Leviticus 18:22 22You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. 23Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.
Leviticus 20:13 13If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.
Romans 1:26-27 24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Simply put, God designed men and women to be with each other. Homosexuality is a sin; but as you can see in the verses above so is covetousness, drunkenness etc... What I am saying is noone is born a drunk, a thief, or jealous of covetous of his neighbor. In the same way, noone is born Homosexual. it is learned or taught or chosen. Just like the other sins God can set you free from it if you just confess your sins and turn from them, just like he has set so many others free from their sins. This is not a judgement I am handing out, I have friends that are homosexual and I don't want to lose them but I have a duty as Christian man to stand firm on the infallible word of God.
As men of God we all need to stand firm and show the world what it means to be a Christian We have a duty to call sin what it is, SIN. That's what homosexuality is, SIN, and we have a duty to our God, ourselves, our country, and our families to call it SIN. Sometimes being a man of God is not fun, sometimes people will be mad but truth is truth and we are never wrong to stand on the word of God.
We can stop this perversion, and oprevent the same end as Soddom
to do so we must:
-Stand on the word of God and proclaim the truth fearlessly at home at work and in public
-Love the sinner and hate the SIN, and show them that homosexuality is a sin and like any sin they can be delivered from it by Jesus christ
-Show our family, especially our children what it means to be a man who will stand up for what God has said even when unpopular. While teaching them the truth when the world teaches them lies
-Be constantly ready to defend our position, because the evil one in this world will fight the truth consistently every time
6"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
I could make arguments on my own, but I chose to let God's word guide my thinking. In no way am I condemning anyone to Hell but I am saying that by knowingly choosing to live in an immoral life that God has described as an abomination they will be judged according by God. You cannot have the Holy Spirit in your heart and continue to live in a rebellious and sinful relationship. Promiscuous or committed Gay relationship does not matter, it is all wrong!
Leviticus 18:22 22You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. 23Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion.
Leviticus 20:13 13If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.
Romans 1:26-27 24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Simply put, God designed men and women to be with each other. Homosexuality is a sin; but as you can see in the verses above so is covetousness, drunkenness etc... What I am saying is noone is born a drunk, a thief, or jealous of covetous of his neighbor. In the same way, noone is born Homosexual. it is learned or taught or chosen. Just like the other sins God can set you free from it if you just confess your sins and turn from them, just like he has set so many others free from their sins. This is not a judgement I am handing out, I have friends that are homosexual and I don't want to lose them but I have a duty as Christian man to stand firm on the infallible word of God.
As men of God we all need to stand firm and show the world what it means to be a Christian We have a duty to call sin what it is, SIN. That's what homosexuality is, SIN, and we have a duty to our God, ourselves, our country, and our families to call it SIN. Sometimes being a man of God is not fun, sometimes people will be mad but truth is truth and we are never wrong to stand on the word of God.
We can stop this perversion, and oprevent the same end as Soddom
to do so we must:
-Stand on the word of God and proclaim the truth fearlessly at home at work and in public
-Love the sinner and hate the SIN, and show them that homosexuality is a sin and like any sin they can be delivered from it by Jesus christ
-Show our family, especially our children what it means to be a man who will stand up for what God has said even when unpopular. While teaching them the truth when the world teaches them lies
-Be constantly ready to defend our position, because the evil one in this world will fight the truth consistently every time
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Alcohol and the Christian man
This is a topic that is and always will be close to my heart. I talked in a previous post about how I ran from God's will and became a drunkard, but also some of my most valued friends from my childhood have fallen for alcohol and drugs and can't seem to find their way out.
I remember when I was drinking heavy, every night and sometimes when I'd wake up, I thought I was having fun and living life to it's fullest. Looking back on those days, they were the darkest time of my life. I can now see clearer and realize that they were dark times because God had hidden his face from me because I had turned my back on him. It wasn't until I began living in accordance with His will that I realized just how bad things were, and thankfully we have gracious God who welcomed his prodigal son back with open arms.
In Biblical times we have all read about drinking wine, as in when Jesus turned water into wine. This would seem to say that drinking alcohol is ok. I have heard some say that they drunk wine in those times because it was the only way to purify water to drink, but this is incorrect since alcohol dehydrates the body. I could explain why but the medical details do not matter, all I'll say now is it acts like a diuretic so they couldn't have solely drank alcohol and lived for very long. The other argument I've heard is that the wine in those times did not have alcohol in it, this might be possible but I'm just not sure, but even if it did my points below are still valid and make this point useless since Jesus commands us to live a life described below.
I can say for sure that from life experience alcohol is a tough mistress that will leave you hollow and empty inside after it's ravaged your life. It will take your body and make it ill, it will try to contain your mind and entrap your soul. I can also say that the long term health effects of it are bad, with the exception of small amounts of red wine though the same cardiovascular benefits can be attained without the alcohol (google resveratrol).
The Bible teaches in numerous places that over-consumption of alcohol is wrong, Ephesians 5:18 shows that we should not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery, and debauchery is defined as- Excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. It would seem that some consumption of alcohol is acceptable but I'm here to say that the only acceptable use is for legitimate medicinal purposes, and that we should strive not only to avoid alcohol but in all things to be Holy, and set apart from the things of this world. If we look deeper into the scripture we can find more verses like the ones listed below, but I am going to dive deeper into Ephesians.
If we take the above verse in context her is what we find the following and we'll take it one verse at a time. Ephesians 5:15-20- "15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
"15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,"
We as followers of Christ are called to be more than just people following a set of rules, we are to be Holy and set apart from the world. Not to be drinking alcohol and partying with the world Isaiah 5:11-12, we are to be the example. We should strive to be the type of person that when the lost see us, they think "I don't know what he has, but I want it" we should be the light shining in a dark world (Matthew 5:14, Phillipians 2:15). We have to strive every day to maintain our "witness" and our reputation whether in public or private because the world will use anything it can to take down a follower of Christ.
"16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
When we drink, we are not productive, we are wasting time. Gods word tells us over and over again that we are to be useful, and not lazy or slothful. Being drunk is useless time, we cannot be productive because we are impaired. (Galations 5:19-22, Proverbs 19:15, Ecclesiastes 10:18)
"17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."
As Godly men, we should show our judgement to be wise, prudent, and sober at all times. We obviously cannot be sober and drunk at the same time and we cannot make wise and prudent decisions while under the influence of alcohol.
"18 And be not drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery; instead be filled with the Spirit;"
As I said before we are to be Holy in the eyes of God, we should not be chasing a fleeting high, but rather we should seek God more and be filled with the Holy Spirit which is better than any high or buzz you could ever get otherwise.
"19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"
We should praise the name of Jesus Christ in all things, we should be singing songs and melodies throughout our entire live. I know for me, when I listen to Christian music, hymns, or praise music they get stuck in my head. I'll walk around singing them all the time and even sometimes wake up at night with them running through my head. It would seem awful difficult to sing these songs, or to praise God when drunk, and thus we should avoid the things that would hinder our constant worship and praise of our Lord.
"20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
When a person drinks, it is often to escape from the pressures of life, to forget for a time the things we tend to worry about. The Bible teaches us that we should not worry about the things of this life (Matthew 6:25-27, Matthew 6:20-21). We should turn to God and give thanks always, not hide in a bottle of brew. God has given us the solution to life worries in Jesus Christ, and focus on living for Him instead of for today.
This is just what I've learned studying this subject to date and I'm sure there will be more as time goes on. To summarize, I believe that we as Christian men should refrain from all things not advantageous to the Kingdom of Christ, and we should not waste time on alcohol and useless indulgences. I do however feel that it is ok to take a medicine that has alcohol in it, but only if we need it to feel better and work toward our heavenly goals.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
Proverbs 23:20-21: "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."
Isaiah 5:11-12 "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands."
Galatians 5:19–22: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith"
Ephesians 5:18- "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
Philippians 2:15- That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world
Matthew 5:14-Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Proverbs 19:15- Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
Ecclesiastes 10:18- By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
Mathew 6:25-27:"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:20-21: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I remember when I was drinking heavy, every night and sometimes when I'd wake up, I thought I was having fun and living life to it's fullest. Looking back on those days, they were the darkest time of my life. I can now see clearer and realize that they were dark times because God had hidden his face from me because I had turned my back on him. It wasn't until I began living in accordance with His will that I realized just how bad things were, and thankfully we have gracious God who welcomed his prodigal son back with open arms.
In Biblical times we have all read about drinking wine, as in when Jesus turned water into wine. This would seem to say that drinking alcohol is ok. I have heard some say that they drunk wine in those times because it was the only way to purify water to drink, but this is incorrect since alcohol dehydrates the body. I could explain why but the medical details do not matter, all I'll say now is it acts like a diuretic so they couldn't have solely drank alcohol and lived for very long. The other argument I've heard is that the wine in those times did not have alcohol in it, this might be possible but I'm just not sure, but even if it did my points below are still valid and make this point useless since Jesus commands us to live a life described below.
I can say for sure that from life experience alcohol is a tough mistress that will leave you hollow and empty inside after it's ravaged your life. It will take your body and make it ill, it will try to contain your mind and entrap your soul. I can also say that the long term health effects of it are bad, with the exception of small amounts of red wine though the same cardiovascular benefits can be attained without the alcohol (google resveratrol).
The Bible teaches in numerous places that over-consumption of alcohol is wrong, Ephesians 5:18 shows that we should not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery, and debauchery is defined as- Excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. It would seem that some consumption of alcohol is acceptable but I'm here to say that the only acceptable use is for legitimate medicinal purposes, and that we should strive not only to avoid alcohol but in all things to be Holy, and set apart from the things of this world. If we look deeper into the scripture we can find more verses like the ones listed below, but I am going to dive deeper into Ephesians.
If we take the above verse in context her is what we find the following and we'll take it one verse at a time. Ephesians 5:15-20- "15See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;20Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
"15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,"
We as followers of Christ are called to be more than just people following a set of rules, we are to be Holy and set apart from the world. Not to be drinking alcohol and partying with the world Isaiah 5:11-12, we are to be the example. We should strive to be the type of person that when the lost see us, they think "I don't know what he has, but I want it" we should be the light shining in a dark world (Matthew 5:14, Phillipians 2:15). We have to strive every day to maintain our "witness" and our reputation whether in public or private because the world will use anything it can to take down a follower of Christ.
"16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
When we drink, we are not productive, we are wasting time. Gods word tells us over and over again that we are to be useful, and not lazy or slothful. Being drunk is useless time, we cannot be productive because we are impaired. (Galations 5:19-22, Proverbs 19:15, Ecclesiastes 10:18)
"17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."
As Godly men, we should show our judgement to be wise, prudent, and sober at all times. We obviously cannot be sober and drunk at the same time and we cannot make wise and prudent decisions while under the influence of alcohol.
"18 And be not drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery; instead be filled with the Spirit;"
As I said before we are to be Holy in the eyes of God, we should not be chasing a fleeting high, but rather we should seek God more and be filled with the Holy Spirit which is better than any high or buzz you could ever get otherwise.
"19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"
We should praise the name of Jesus Christ in all things, we should be singing songs and melodies throughout our entire live. I know for me, when I listen to Christian music, hymns, or praise music they get stuck in my head. I'll walk around singing them all the time and even sometimes wake up at night with them running through my head. It would seem awful difficult to sing these songs, or to praise God when drunk, and thus we should avoid the things that would hinder our constant worship and praise of our Lord.
"20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
When a person drinks, it is often to escape from the pressures of life, to forget for a time the things we tend to worry about. The Bible teaches us that we should not worry about the things of this life (Matthew 6:25-27, Matthew 6:20-21). We should turn to God and give thanks always, not hide in a bottle of brew. God has given us the solution to life worries in Jesus Christ, and focus on living for Him instead of for today.
This is just what I've learned studying this subject to date and I'm sure there will be more as time goes on. To summarize, I believe that we as Christian men should refrain from all things not advantageous to the Kingdom of Christ, and we should not waste time on alcohol and useless indulgences. I do however feel that it is ok to take a medicine that has alcohol in it, but only if we need it to feel better and work toward our heavenly goals.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
Proverbs 23:20-21: "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags."
Isaiah 5:11-12 "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect for the work of his hands."
Galatians 5:19–22: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith"
Ephesians 5:18- "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
Philippians 2:15- That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world
Matthew 5:14-Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Proverbs 19:15- Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
Ecclesiastes 10:18- By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
Mathew 6:25-27:"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6:20-21: But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Why a "Manly" Christian blog
The obvious question at this point, is "Why would you have a Manly Christian blog? Men are rough and tough, not the type to read a blog"
My answer is this...
I was searching for a men's Christian blog, but never found one that really hit on what I think we need to hear as men. I believe that God has ingrained instincts into men, as well as women as to certain characteristics. I believe it's time that the men of this generation stand up and assume their roles, not to demean women but to improve everyone. I disagree with anyone who says men are only rough, tough, and that they should be like the cowboys in the old westerns. I think men are alot more complicated than we are given credit for. We should be able to lead our families with confidence, teaching them moral character, and teaching our sons how to be good men.
I believe that men are the God ordained leaders of the home, and that men need to rise up from the useless level that many are and begin to lead there families. This doesn't mean men are the boss, but the best way I can simply describe it is the way I described it to my wife. I think men should stand up and build our children's character, shape their morals, guide their hearts. Teach them how to be upstanding Godly people. I believe women can assume roles and perform the same job as a man, but it's not their job. --It is the job of men to stand up to the stresses of the world, to fight for their families so the women and children do not have to.-- I believe that the role of women in the family is to nurture the children.
I realize these are not going to be popular ideas, and I do not mean to imply that a woman should be barefoot and pregnant, but I am an advocate of a division of power and resources.
Now before anyone gets any ideas that men are to be the "boss" of the woman, that is NOT true. God teaches in the scripture that a man should love his wife as he loves his own body, you care for your body, you protect your body, you nourish your body, you work to maintain your body. (Ephesians 5:22-33) This is the way we should care for our families and wives. We should care for them, we should nurture them, we should nourish them, we should work each and every day to maintain them and the relationships with them.
I am calling for accountability to men, to provide their part, to work to keep their wives hearts and minds, to keeps their children’s heart and to shape their children’s character.
I believe if men would step up and assume their responsibilities, the divorce rate would drop significantly.
I believe that every man reading this blog has the same thoughts
I believe that if men would work to keep their families together society would see a decrease in crime and a revival of common decency and respect
I believe that if we ever want a strong country as in years past, men will have to step up and guide the character of our families and guide them back to God
I believe in the past 50 or so years men have backed down and taken a back seat, taken a role of being passive and letting single mothers and daycare centers raise our children while just simply paying child support and living immoral lives
I believe too many men are not involved in their children's lives and don't put enough priority on maintaining their families and relationships with their wives.
Most importantly I believe that if the men of our country and world would stand up and stand firm in our convictions, and teach our families and children how to be real men and women of integrity.... then we would see our world transformed and made better than ever. I believe we can do this, and we can change the world but it has to start in our hearts and needs to start NOW!
Society today is drowning in a sea of filth, as a result of generations of men not rising up and fulfilling their role to teach character and lead their families. If we as men will turn from our gluttonous, proud, and self centered ways then God will heal our homes, families, country, and world.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour then land,, or if I send pestilence among my people, and My people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will hear their land."
My answer is this...
I was searching for a men's Christian blog, but never found one that really hit on what I think we need to hear as men. I believe that God has ingrained instincts into men, as well as women as to certain characteristics. I believe it's time that the men of this generation stand up and assume their roles, not to demean women but to improve everyone. I disagree with anyone who says men are only rough, tough, and that they should be like the cowboys in the old westerns. I think men are alot more complicated than we are given credit for. We should be able to lead our families with confidence, teaching them moral character, and teaching our sons how to be good men.
I believe that men are the God ordained leaders of the home, and that men need to rise up from the useless level that many are and begin to lead there families. This doesn't mean men are the boss, but the best way I can simply describe it is the way I described it to my wife. I think men should stand up and build our children's character, shape their morals, guide their hearts. Teach them how to be upstanding Godly people. I believe women can assume roles and perform the same job as a man, but it's not their job. --It is the job of men to stand up to the stresses of the world, to fight for their families so the women and children do not have to.-- I believe that the role of women in the family is to nurture the children.
I realize these are not going to be popular ideas, and I do not mean to imply that a woman should be barefoot and pregnant, but I am an advocate of a division of power and resources.
Now before anyone gets any ideas that men are to be the "boss" of the woman, that is NOT true. God teaches in the scripture that a man should love his wife as he loves his own body, you care for your body, you protect your body, you nourish your body, you work to maintain your body. (Ephesians 5:22-33) This is the way we should care for our families and wives. We should care for them, we should nurture them, we should nourish them, we should work each and every day to maintain them and the relationships with them.
I am calling for accountability to men, to provide their part, to work to keep their wives hearts and minds, to keeps their children’s heart and to shape their children’s character.
I believe if men would step up and assume their responsibilities, the divorce rate would drop significantly.
I believe that every man reading this blog has the same thoughts
I believe that if men would work to keep their families together society would see a decrease in crime and a revival of common decency and respect
I believe that if we ever want a strong country as in years past, men will have to step up and guide the character of our families and guide them back to God
I believe in the past 50 or so years men have backed down and taken a back seat, taken a role of being passive and letting single mothers and daycare centers raise our children while just simply paying child support and living immoral lives
I believe too many men are not involved in their children's lives and don't put enough priority on maintaining their families and relationships with their wives.
Most importantly I believe that if the men of our country and world would stand up and stand firm in our convictions, and teach our families and children how to be real men and women of integrity.... then we would see our world transformed and made better than ever. I believe we can do this, and we can change the world but it has to start in our hearts and needs to start NOW!
Society today is drowning in a sea of filth, as a result of generations of men not rising up and fulfilling their role to teach character and lead their families. If we as men will turn from our gluttonous, proud, and self centered ways then God will heal our homes, families, country, and world.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour then land,, or if I send pestilence among my people, and My people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will hear their land."
Saturday, June 8, 2013
My testimony
My testimony:
I was 8 years old, and we had recently left a church congregation because they alienated us by judging what was on the outside, when God only judges what is on the inside. We still went to church, though it was sporadic and different congregations, we had no church roots and without roots the tree wilts. Despite this analogy, I watched Billy Graham on a tv service and felt the call of Christ weighing on my heart.... I knew what I needed to do.... I prayed the prayer he gave at the end of his service, then ran upstairs to tell my mom. I prayed a prayer, and I thought that was all I needed, but in all honesty I prayed the prayer because I didn't want to be hot for all eternity. I didn't realize that what I needed was a personal, life changing relationship with the one true God of heaven and earth.
It wasn't until I was 16 that a friend "tricked" me into going to church with her by saying a mutual friend would only go if I went with them, and she did the same to him. That was one time I am glad she lied because it changed my life.
The church was boring, and dry, but had a very active youth group and I wanted to be a part of it so I kept attending regularly. We took frequent outings, to go to Christian concerts, ride go-carts, or camping etc. One night we gathered together to go a "Judgement House" at a local church, and I realized that I needed to accept Christ as my saviour, not out of fear of burning in hell but out of a desire to spend eternity in the presence of God in heaven.
That night I prayed the prayer, and I knew that I wasn't trying to avoid a punishment that I deserve, but accepting the love being offered to me by the grade of God. I knew that I deserved hell, and that I could only be allowed into Heaven thanks to the blood that was shed on the cross by Jesus Christ. I became a Christian that night, and I know that I'm saved now by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ I was a changed person, my morals soon changed, my beliefs changed, and I had a greater desire to do right.
As I said in the "My story" post, I had attended Johnson Bible college but dropped out and began living a sinful lifestyle. I backslid.... I ran from God, and He let me.... but only to a point. I had gone from living a life in God's will to living a hedenistic lifestyle, in defiance of God. The feeling of closeness I had with Him was gone, for that time. I knew all along I was wrong, but I was confused and scared to release control of my life to Him.
I was 18 when I left the Bible college, and it wasn't until I was 25 that God finally said enough. I went out on Saturday night and got drunk with an old friend. While we were out we saw a guy we went to high school with, and he invited us to a cabin party, so being the wild ones that we were, we hopped in the car and went. Now I'll make the long story short and say that there was more there than alcohol, and we were the strangers.
When people are on the types of drugs that were there, they can easily become violent, and they did. I left with some broken ribs, numerous bruises and cuts. My friend was beaten with a 2x4 pretty bad. A girl that tried to help us was attacked by a drugged up crazy guy that jumped on her car and brokr the window out while driving down the mountain.
After that experience, I decided to turn back to God, and also go back to school to finish my EMS training and become a paramedic, as well as quitting my daily alcohol consumption cold turkey. Once I began working as a paramedic I met my now wife, and from the moment I met her, I knew she was the one, I knew she would be my wife. After what seemed like a short time, we were married, strangely enough on the anniversary of me and my friend being beaten up, though she picked the date and I had never told her when it happened or the significance of that date.
We both needed a home church to "put down roots" with, and we have found a Bible believing church, where God is free to work and people come hungry. He is doing things with this church and amazing things are happening. Lives are being changed, really changed.
God let me run for several years, being drunken and promiscuous, living for today with no thought of tomorrow or eternity. I wish I could have that time back and give it to Him, but I can't and that’s ok because I believe He will use it and is using it to His glory.
On a side note, my friend that was with me too they other road and dove deeper into partying and using drugs. He's still on them and wasting his life..... there is not a day I don't think about how seeing him do that breaks my heart. I had to cut ties with him several years back. We were best friends for 15 years, like brothers.
Now that the introductions are out of the way, I will continue on with my guides to becoming a Manly Christian. Mind you, I am not the perfect Manly Christian but as I learn and study, I will bring it here and pass on what I learn.
yours in Christ,
Bill Higgins
Romans 8:28- "And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who are called according to His purpose"
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