tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39675858987413312532024-03-05T23:33:44.837-05:00Written In StoneMany of today's Christians scoff at the Old Testament and say the Law was done away in Christ. This blog is my special place to show that the Law was "Written in Stone" for a reason. Please read these entries carefully. Check ever teaching with the Bible, then follow God's Word, not mine.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-19463641748557295032010-09-08T17:18:00.002-04:002010-09-08T18:09:29.070-04:00Turbulent TimesThe following is a treatment of several things that we are dealing with as September ushers in the beginnings of Autumn. Together they represent some turbulent times.<br /><br />Item One: Ground Zero. One of the big things in the news right now is Muslims pushing to build a mosque at ground zero in NYC. While, Constitutionally, they have the right to do so, allowing them to do this will only further the terrorist agenda. There is the issue of putting up this mosque in an area that has been the site of nearly 3000 deaths due to actions by radical Muslims. I agree with the people who believe they should not be allowed to do so. My reasoning may be a bit different than some others. Most talk about the emotional issue of rubbing the survivors of the victims of that tragic even. This is definitely one point of the issue. The point that I come at this is more historical. Wherever Islam has waged jihad and won they have built a mosque on the holy site of that region. If you don't believe that, tell me what is now sitting on the Temple Mount, the very place where the Jewish Temple was built. The Dome of the Mosque now resides there and, if my intel is correct, it is a violation of the law for Jewish citizens to even stand on top of the Temple Mount. So, historically, we see that radical Islam always builds a mosque on a site of high prominence to raise their victory banner. Don't let them do this. I'm not saying we should hate the Muslims. Some people think that's what I'm saying. It most certainly isn't. We should love them, as Jesus told us to, especially the radical Muslims responsible for much death and hardship. The love of God, as shone through His people, is the only sure weapon against radical Islam.<br /><br />Item Two: Tied in with this is a pastor in Florida who plans on burning Qu'rans on the 9th anniversary of 9/11. Again, this is a display of a lack of love for our enemies. Attacking the Muslim holy book, which incidentally instructs them to follow the teachings of the Bible and proclaims Jesus as the highest prophet of God, is terrible. I want people to realize that this person is acting religiously, not in accordance with the Word of God. This man has even been warned how such an action may cause problems for our military overseas, specifically in Afghanistan. I personally have asked Muslims about what the Bible and the Qu'ran teaches, and showed them that Jesus is God. Incidentally, if Jesus, who the Qu'ran teaches is the highest of prophets, and the Bible teaches that a false prophet is known by a single false prophecy, and Jesus claimed to be God, but their prophet Mohammad teaches that Jesus is not God, then either Jesus is not God, but a false prophet. Yet Islam teaches that Jesus is a prophet yet not God. You can't have it both ways. You either except both or reject both. And if Jesus is a true prophet of God and God Himself, then Mohammad is a false prophet. And if Mohammad is a false prophet on what foundation do you place Islam? Now I can discuss this with Muslims and give my opinions and viewpoints precisely because they HAVE the Qu'ran to check it out. Still, the bottom line is we shouldn't be depriving people of their holy book. What are we going to do about the holy book for Buddhism, who are putting Christians to death in Sri Lanka? or the Hindu holy books because they are putting the Indian and Pakistani Christians to death.<br /><br />Item Three: The economy. Obama and the Democrats, and some Republicans, think that the way out of our economic difficulties is to raise taxes to meet the deficit. Don't they realize that doing this INCREASES our deficit? How? It's really very simple. Our economic strength has to do with how much we, as a people, have to invest and spend. The less the population has the weaker our economic structure becomes. So why in the world would anyone want to take more away from that population. To put it in even more simple terms, if I have an extra $10 then that is going to make its way into the economy. I'm going to buy something and that store is going to have an extra $10 to pay off their debts, maybe hire more employees, etc. When I am taxed, that $10 is automatically reduced t0 around $6, and that's before local and state taxes and other fees that may apply. When all of these fall into place I'm lucky to have $4 left to spend. Where has the $6 gone? It has gone to pay for programs that don't work, are non-existent, to public officials and to the poor who should be out finding jobs. So take away most of the taxes, require healthy people to work for a living and if you're going to put a cap on anything, put a cap on what our Representatives, Senators, Federal Judges and the President and Vice President make. Stop spending all this money like it's growing on trees. It isn't. The working people are tired of having the government's hand picking their pocket and then turning them over to the "poor" to have our pockets picked once again. This is what I call "top down blessings from a bottom up responsibility" which simply means, we as individuals have to stop demanding government pay for this or that, and work it out ourselves. Find ways to get it done, and in so doing we will rely less on State taxes and the states will not have to demand money from the Federal government asking for funds, which will only increase Federal taxes. We have to find people with imagination, vision and insight, not politicians who have forgotten that they are to represent us and that their salary is paid for by our tax dollars. We need people who will show us how to lead ourselves. Democracy is the strongest (human) form of government because we lead ourselves and are not dictated to. This has been changing to the point where Washington, DC now calls most of the shots. We need to severe this bond with the Federal government, while maintaining a healthy trade and communication with them. Then we can once again rise.<br /><br />There is a fourth issue, and that is of turning to God. If all we do is the best we can do and leave God out of the equation then we are dooming ourselves for destruction. If you don't believe me just watch. You can see it happening right now.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-3809799329905376022010-08-15T11:21:00.004-04:002010-08-15T11:27:50.575-04:00Like an Eagle<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ocpeQF_4K2coYAOuaEL3_VYE1tjJuBB_K-l-gvI3Cdyod0j1yGaoTk6Erre2gWKwrV2eKMmrR0xA3iEbGNKVvwl8Jr8CDbENaloC-414Clr4JbYUDuJCsrGZ6vmM0c_CMsYbFxkkDLw/s1600/eagle2.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ocpeQF_4K2coYAOuaEL3_VYE1tjJuBB_K-l-gvI3Cdyod0j1yGaoTk6Erre2gWKwrV2eKMmrR0xA3iEbGNKVvwl8Jr8CDbENaloC-414Clr4JbYUDuJCsrGZ6vmM0c_CMsYbFxkkDLw/s400/eagle2.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505658432696589058" border="0" /></a>Like an Eagle </div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;" align="CENTER">by David Brollier (8-15-10)</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> Teach me your ways oh Lord, I pray. Show me the wonders of Your ways.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;">And I beheld the eagle soaring in the sky, majestic in every way. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> Then the Lord said unto me, “What causes the eagle to rise? Is it the might of his wings?”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> And I replied, “No Lord, but the winds, the currents of winds lift it up.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> The Lord answered me saying, “You have answered well, for it is not the strength of the eagle that causes it to rise, but the strength of My Spirit.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> Then I remembered how the Hebrew word for wind means both wind, and breath, and spirit. Likewise the Greek word for wind also means wind, and breath, and spirit.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “Have I not said in My Word, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts’? Therefore learn My ways from the eagle.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> I watched and all of a sudden the eagle plummeted to the ground with great speed. It turned neither to the right, nor to the left, but was as an arrow of Heaven sent down by the very bow of the Lord. Yet as I watched, and as the eagle neared the ground, it spread out its wings, lowered its talons, and snatched its prey off the face of the earth. With its mighty wings it now made its way back up into the skies. It found a cleft high up in the mountains, and there fed its young, then opened up its wings and it was as if it was lifted from that place and begain once again to circle among the skies.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “Do you understand what you have seen?” the Lord asked.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “The eagle dropped out of the skies, caught its prey, then brought it to its young. After this it returned to the skies,” I answered.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “You have seen well. Are not My people like this eagle? Do not those I anoint in service do as this eagle has done?” He asked.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “Please, Lord, make this clear to me,” I prayed.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “Those I call, those I anoint to My service I lift up by My Spirit. There they are refreshed and strengthened by Me. There they enjoy My presence and I enjoy fellowship with them. Then at the appointed time I send them forth with a mission, a task, whether great or small, and in their obedience they drop from the heights where I have lifted them to minister to those who are lowly. They are strengthened within their own spirit to do mighty things in My name, to trample upon the lion and the serpent, to proclaim My Word, to lift up those that are cast down, to cast out demons in the way, to bring healing in their wings to those who have suffered. They are empowered by Me, by My Spirit, to bring peace and love and mercy upon the face of the earth, for they are ministers unto Me. Then they enter that place where I again lift them up by My Spirit and bring them to My people, those who are yet young and untrained. With the victories I have worked through them they teach My people, they raise My children in the power of My Word. Then they go once more into that secret place, that place of thanksgiving and praise and are lifted up into My presence. There we fellowship as Father to son, for so they are to Me.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> Then I realized that the ways of God are for his people to humble themselves before Him, that He might lift them up. They wait upon Him as a servant waits upon his masters will, while at the same time enjoying the portions at his table. The Lord then sends them forth with a command, “Do this?” “Say that” and they fly like arrows from the bow of the Lord against the enemy, bringing back the spoils, that which they have learned from exercising their faith in the Word of the Lord, back to his children and teach them. After teaching they rest back in the Lord and He lifts them up once more and are refreshed, for they need refreshing, renewed, for our flesh cannot bear in and of itself the service they were called to. Praise and thanksgiving flow from their hearts, past their lip, and become the music of the Lord. There they wait again until they are again sent forth.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> As I thought on these things the Lord spoke to me saying, “You have been taught of mountains and valleys. Others have stated that it is the mountaintops upon which you find your victories, but I say to you it is on the mountaintops that you bring My victory down into the valleys. Have I not said, ‘Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth’? Know then, that I am Lord of All. In Me you have all the strength you need for any tasks I assign to you. For I lift you up, and I send you forth, and I give you strength to rise on wings like eagles, and strength to walk the streets of the downtrodden. I lift you up and put My words in your mouth for My children. Truly I say then to you, in this I have made the mountains and hills low in your site, and I have filled the valleys with every good thing. I have taken every crooked way, and in My Son, and all those who follow after Him by My spirit, and made them straight.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “What does this mean, Lord? I am slow, and do not understand?”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> “Do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth that many times it is the valley you are in that I have proclaimed to Me your mountain, for there you will learn to wait upon Me. You will learn to rest in Me and I will lift you up, but those things you see as mountains, those victories you experience, you experience not on the mountains, but in the valleys. Just as light can be more clearly seen in dark places, so also can My strength in you be more clearly seen in the valleys. Therefore I have made both mountains and valleys one thing to you. I have set before you a path that I have made straight, walk in it, or there shall be valleys that you enter that I do not want you to go through, and mountains rise up in your way that I would not have in your way, but that I may bring you back to Me I allow even these valleys and mountains to exists so that even in them I may, in you, raise up those valleys into the Heavens, and bring low the mountains that you may walk safely over them.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"> Then He spoke again before the vision left me saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;"><br /></p>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-29287694293354442372008-01-09T01:44:00.001-05:002008-11-11T20:25:28.525-05:00Poor in Spirit"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 5:3)<br /><br />These "Be Attitudes" of Christ are really Christ's commentary on the Law of God. So we have a unique view of all the teachings of the Law in this very famous sermon of Jesus.<br /><br />The first "B" is "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Most people would at least hesitate at such a teaching. After all, who really wants to be poor? Yet, Jesus isn't talking about physical poverty here, He's talking about spiritual poverty. By this I'm not talking about spiritual depravity, but a humbleness of one's spirit. Let us examine this a bit.<br /><br />Those who are rich in spirit are proud. They are, "full of themselves" as we say. The problem with a rich spirit is that there isn't any room for God or the many blessings He wished to give us. When we humble ourselves before God, then we become poor in spirit. We create a place for God and His blessings. <br /><br />There's a song where a person is wondering why they aren't receiving any blessings. Then after some struggles he realizes, "You could not fill hands that were already filled." I had a discussion with my son when he was little that was simply amazing. We were drinking a couple of cokes and I decided he was old enough to learn how to look at things in a positive light. You probably all have heard how a glass can be seen as half empty or half full. It's the way we view this that either brings us under depression or makes us victorious. We'll as I'm explaining this to my son, I'm also drinking my coke. Finally, just as I make my last comments, I set down the empty glass. My son not only understood what I was saying, but took it to another level. "Look Daddy!" he said. "Your glass is full all the way to the bottom." I was stunned. He had spoken truth in a way that I hadn't even seen. I learned from my son that day, as it is written, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mightest</span> still the enemy and the avenger." (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ps</span>. 8:2)<br /><br />Look around you. The world is in a mess. Why? Because we have turned away from God. We are full of ourselves. We have no room for God, but even little children who don't live in Christian homes are more pure in heart than most adults. They, being poor in spirit, are rich in God. We also read in Rev. 2:9a "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)". This was to written to the church at Smyrna. Compare this with this passage, "Because thou <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sayest</span>, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">knowest</span> not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Rev. 3:17)<br /><br />So where do you stand? Are you poor in spirit? Have you divested yourself of your own desires so that God may fill you with His riches? Or are you clinging to those fleshly desires to the point of your own dissatisfaction? God wants to bless you, but the choice He leaves up to you.<br /><br />David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Brollier</span>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-3732236545591859142007-11-13T23:00:00.000-05:002007-11-13T23:20:28.305-05:00You Will Not CovetThis is the last of the Ten Commandments, but it's pretty inclusive. The word covet means "to want ardently (esp., something that another person has); long for with envy," and has synonyms of, "desire, envy, wish for; see envy, want." What's more, covet is a verb, not a noun or an adjective. It mean you are actually doing something. When the word "covet" is used, I think it is all too often vague for most of us, but when we change it to "desire" or "want" this commandment takes on a life. It seems like a strong hand strangling the very life out of you. For who doesn't have wants, desires, goals, ambitions? How many of us have wanted something simply because someone else had one?<br /><br />Parents, here is a good teaching tool, but you must learn to live the truth of it as well. When a child says, "Aw, come on. All the other kids have one," tell them that they are guilty, already, before God for coveting something that is not their's. "All the other kids get to go to dances!" young Mary whines. "Oh, so you would covet this before God? You would give away the treasures He has to have what they have?" Now, you know they're going to bristle at this. So be gentle with the way you use it. The Law isn't meant to clobber people and beat them down. It is meant to train and teach. And if they must make mistakes to learn, do you, as parents love them any less? So it is with God. We will be looking at this in future posts. For now, teach, train, guide your children, and yes, yourself, so that you don't want something because someone else has it.<br /><br />Confession time! I remember back when everyone had CB radios. My dad had one, of course he is an amateur radio operator to begin with. Then my brother got one. I felt I NEEDED one. I've actually had two or three. They were mildly amusing and helped time go by on long trips. But did I really need it? No, I got it because others had it. I coveted what my dad and my brother, and what seemed like everyone else had. If you must covet something, covet this, a closer walk with God, a love from Him that controls the way you think about yourself and others, and moves you to reach out and give. Covet this and you will do well. Covet the things of people and you will always, always, find yourself ensnared by them to one degree or another.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-86343495423476427082007-11-13T22:36:00.000-05:002007-11-13T22:58:10.163-05:00You Will Not Bear False WitnessIn Exodus 20:16 we have a commandment which people have translated to mean the same as "Thou shalt not lie!" Now, while I agree that lying is a sin, bearing false witness is specific kind of lie. In the legal profession, it is called perjury, a prosecutable offense even in our courts.<br /><br />Some of you may be breathing a sigh of relief, thinking I've finally come across a sin that you are not guilty of. Do you ever judge a person? Have you ever said, "Why doesn't that idiot get in the other lane if he wants to drive so slow?" or "Ms. Jones is a real pain in the neck as a teacher"? These are judgments which we have no right or authority to make. When we say things like this we often know they are lies or at the very least, exaggerations. Either way we have perjured ourselves before a Holy God, who alone is Righteous, having the authority to be Judge over all.<br /><br />Perjury o being a false witness is the same as being a hypocrite, isn't it? It is a direct attack on someone else, using the weapon of the tongue. When we attack another we might just as well attack Jesus, for He who answered them, "When saw we thee an hungered and fed thee? or thirsty and gave thee to drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took the in? or naked and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee?" to which Jesus replied, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Likewise He says to those who reused any such help, "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not unto me."<br /><br />We know that there are no levels of sin, for sin is disobedience to God. Yet this disobedience is an attack on God. Watch, therefore, what comes out of your mouth, for it will reveal what is in your heart. Better you should fill up your heart with good things, feasting on the Word of God, and spending times of fellowship with Him who is love. Then when you do open your mouth, good will come out, not evil. You will not perjure yourself before your God.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-59728437156725375202007-10-31T09:49:00.000-04:002007-10-31T09:50:31.690-04:00You Will Not StealThis is another of those commandments that, on the surface, you will either feel shame because you have or are stealing, or reassurance because you are not. That's the surface, however. When you look more deeply into it things get a little more harsh. Our perceptions of right and wrong are usually wrong to one degree or another. They have become dulled over the centuries so that a statement like, “Thou shalt not steal” means only one thing. I mean, it's obvious, right? It deals with stealing. The problem is that we tend to feel that if we only take some paper or pencils from the office, that's really not stealing. We put a value on the word. We also limit the word to just taking material objects, when it can be applied to so much more.<br /><br />Stealing is taking something, anything, regardless of size or value, from another. When we view this commandment with this definition we realize that all of us have broken the Law. Now there will be a few hold-outs. Some who, in the righteousness of their own understanding, will say, “Nope, I'm not even guilty of that.” Well, let's see if I can refresh your memory. Can you account for all of your time? Have you spent time with your spouse, children, or parents the way you should, or have you been lazy or selfish, doing mostly what pleases you? I don't know of anyone who has been so perfect in handling their time that they have not stolen time from their families. How often we watch a movie where a child or parent watches the other die and grieve deeply because they never got to say, “I'm sorry,” or “I love you.” Money you can pay back. Items stolen you can replace. Time, however is a thief of all of us. It robs us and we cannot get that time back, nor can we get time back to make things right when we waste our time and rob time from our friends and families. What about the time we spend with God? Even if we get to Heaven, by the mercy of Jesus Christ, and His blood, and have eternity to praise God, we cannot get back that time that we should have had with Him. We cannot find those quiet hours of prayer we desperately needed in this life. We cannot possibly praise God enough, even if we were to start now and praise Him throughout eternity. <br /> <br />There is another, perhaps more practical aspect of our time stealing from God, which God Himself had His servants write in His Word. In Malachi 3:8 we read, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings.” What we have, all of it, is a blessing from God to be used to bless others as He has blessed us. Not to recognize that is an insult to God. Not to tithe is robbing, not just God, as it says here, but all the people of God. Not being open to hear His voice and give beyond that ten per cent, which is what an offering really is, is to rob Him of His chance to bless us, and our chance to bless Him.<br /><br />With each commandment we find yet another way in which we have sinned, another reason for God to condemn us. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, says to those who receive His Son, “Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14) Let us therefore live a life of service to Him in all gratitude, praise, worship and thanksgiving, not out of command, but out of love for Him who so greatly loved us.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-85828639642935176402007-09-24T00:34:00.000-04:002007-09-24T01:26:26.650-04:00You Will Not Commit AdulteryThose words are from Exodus 20:14. Jesus quotes from this in the Sermon on the Mount, saying, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:27,28) He equates sexual lust with the act of adultery itself. As I've been trying to point out, the keeping of the Law is something that must be kept in the heart. <br /><br />To understand how relevant these words are today, think of all those, men and women, who are caught up in pornography. They may never go out and actually have sexual intercourse with someone, but according to Jesus, they are guilty, just as if they had. A lot of guys will say something to the affect of, "It's just natural to lust after a naked woman." Really? Is it really natural to go out and find places where you can look at a naked woman? Because in order to lust after her, you'd have to look at her. Unfortunately, the Internet has become <span style="font-weight:bold;">the</span> place to find pornography of every possible description and perversion. Women get caught up in this on two fronts; there are those who enjoy looking at pictures of naked men, and there are those who like to pose naked for men. Think of all those "Cam" sites where you can call a woman on the Internet and she will do all kinds of things so you can see her on your computer.<br /><br />And it's not just limit to pornography either. Today's fashions are ridiculously obscene. Men are getting to see a whole lot more than I could have imagined when I was a kid. Some women are blissfully unaware of how tempting they look. It almost seems as if current fashion trends were set by hookers downtown.<br /><br />Is Jesus really serious about this command then, seeing we are practically bathed in naked and near naked people? Consider the words following two verses, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." (Matthew 5:29,30) Now I don't see anyone gouging their eyes out because it "offends" them, or cutting off their right hand, for that matter. That doesn't mean Jesus wasn't being extremely literal in what He was saying. If pornography has become such an addiction that the only way to free yourself from it is to gouge out your eyes, Jesus is saying, "Do it! Better that then have your whole body thrown into hell." <br /><br />Being practical about this, however, we would have to admit that we are all guilty of committing adultery in some manner or another. Gouging out our eyes would only leave everyone blind. Jesus provides another solution. In the book of Romans we read, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1,2) In otherwords, instead of gouging out your eyes, take your <span style="font-weight:bold;">whole body</span> and offer it up to God as a living sacrifice. Let Him take care of it, transforming you into the image of His Son. You do this by the constant renewing of your mind. Again, as Paul writes by the power of the Holy Spirit, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5)<br /><br />Okay. Makes sense, at least more sense than cutting my eyes out, but how do I do this? By doing three things; First you must establish a relationship with God through His Son, then you are counted as family. The Father in Heaven no longer sees your sins, but His Son's righteousness. Second, you spend time with Him in prayer, for it is in prayer that you get to know God. You get to know His mind, that the way He thinks may become the way you think. Third, you spend time in the prayerful study of His Word. Many Christians fail at one or both of these last points. When this happens, it is like going into battle naked. You are without protection against the enemy, but worse, you have cut off communication from headquarters.<br /><br />Therefore, let Jesus become your Commander in Chief, the Captain of the Hosts of Heaven, not just some vague "savior" figure. Spend time with Him, so as a soldier in His army He can train you, teach you and cloth you in His armor. Then open up that precious Bible and let the living waters of God wash over you, as it is written, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it (your mind) with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:26 emphasis mine)<br /><br />We have committed grievous crimes against the God of Heaven, yet in a mercy and a love that cannot be measured, He extends forgiveness of all these sins. He took them upon His own body, that is upon Jesus, and nailed them to the cross. Let us leave them there and follow Him. Let us rejoice that the Father no longer sees us in our fallen state, but in the purity and perfection of Christ. Our best form of worship to Him then is to obey the Law, no longer because God commands us, but because we know that doing so will please Him. Let our love grow that this might be accomplished by the working of His Holy Spirit in us. - David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-10899052142547640192007-09-19T17:31:00.000-04:002007-09-20T23:13:15.872-04:00Meet Stephen Todd JonesAs part of a "Blessing Tour" <a href="http://www.disturbingreviews.blogspot.com">Disturbing Reviews</a> has asked many of us to make posts for Stephen Todd Jones. There are many like him, so I am hoping that this will not be confined to just Stephen, but any Christians out there who are facing hardships will find encouragement in these posts. - David Brollier<br /><br />Stephen Todd Jones is a writer and poet from Virginia Beach, Virginia.<br /><br />While a sophomore at Liberty University, he sustained injuries in a car crash that left him in a wheelchair, and this perspective forms the basis for much of his writing. Through his poetry, he gives us a window into his world and his faith. <br /><br />Why Not Internally?<br />By Stephen Todd Jones <br /><br />Why do you not peer inside yourself,<br />Revealing what you see in review<br />As relates to the simple, yet complex<br />Matter that indeed is you;<br />Why do you not evaluate your own self<br />In light of that true indeed here<br />In order to best prognosticate what <br />Lies in an eventual year?<br />You may not like what you see inside,<br />Turning your gaze that way.<br />Oh, is that the reason behind avoidance<br />Of looking inside? Okay...<br />I see your reasoning though avoiding<br />That makes no less sure<br />The demons and devils, residing within,<br />As more than conjecture.<br /><br />This unique poem points to a problem that a lot of us have. We can find the faults in others easily, but within ourselves, well that's something we aren't ready to deal with. The problem is what faults we find in others are usually those we have in ourselves, so we don't help matters, but make them worse. Plus, we avoid dealing with the problems (demons and devils as he puts it) in our own lives. Let's start to look inside, at our own hearts before we go about judging others.<br /><br />In keeping with this poem I'd like each of us to wrestle with our own salvation, in fear and trembling, so that God may hear our broken heart and bring healing to our spirit, soul and body. I offer the following for Stephen, and all the other “Stephens” out there:<br /><br />One step at a time,<br />I keep on walking.<br />One step at a time,<br />the road is long,<br />but I'll keep on walking,<br />one step at a time,<br />and it won't be long,<br />'til I find my way home.<br /><br />This chorus to a song I wrote encourages us to walk in a victory we neither see nor feel, but one which we must struggle to maintain. I could give all these Bible verses about how we are healed by the blood of Jesus, but chances are you already know that. What is commonly left out is that we have to wage our own war through these trials to see these things come to pass in our lives. In the meantime, I want him and all those also struggling to know that there are many people praying with and for you. For they are going through the same things. Yet, all who have chosen Him as our Fortress, shall one day find ourselves standing before Him in His perfection, made holy by His precious blood. Until then, we press on towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.<br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-356980269130249472007-09-08T00:25:00.000-04:002007-09-08T01:08:53.403-04:00You Will Not KillPeople have argued and debated the meaning of the word "kill" here for a long time. I remember, growing up as a boy, I would hear people say, "It refers to pre-meditated murder." I guess that's true...to a point. I grew up believing that way, and that serving in the military would be an honor. (One that was snatched from me due to health reasons). Yet there is more to this.<br /><br />When we read these words in Exodus 20:13 we tend to get tunnel vision. Jesus tears away the blinders causing this tunnel vision in His Sermon on the Mount. Notice what He says in Matthew 5:21,22, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."<br /><br />This isn't a popular teaching today. In fact it wasn't very popular back then either. How soon we have forgotten the Words of our Lord. Let us examine what Jesus is saying. First He states the obvious, that the way they had been taught was so strictly literal here that it only applied to murder. Sound familiar? Notice that the way it was being taught was <span style="font-weight:bold;">not</span> that those people would be in danger of going to Hell. The teachers of the law tried to soften the meaning of the law by saying those who did kill would be in danger of the judgment. Okay, that includes Hell, but the absence of naming it made it more palatable to the people. Jesus wasn't concerned about whether it hurt our feelings or not, but stuck with the issue. Jesus said that whoever is simply angry with his brother is in danger of judgment. He says that whoever calls his brother Raca, which means "worthless" would be in danger of the council. Yet whoever says, "Thou fool" will be in danger of Hell.<br /><br />How often have you thought or said, "That person's a fool"? Have you ever called someone an idiot? Have you been so angry with someone that you screamed obscenities at them? What Jesus is saying here is that if you have you have broken this commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." That's an awesome statement. Calling someone a fool, an idiot or stupid has been part of my past...and I'm afraid I may stumble and make mistakes like that again. The law says I am guilty of murder. I am without excuse.<br /><br />So what about serving in the military? Let me answer a question with a question. Can you go to war against someone without hating them? If you can, then I suppose you could serve in the military. If you can't (which is most of us), then even your honorable duty in protecting our country will be counted as murder. Please understand I am in no way putting down the military or asking people to force a withdrawel of our troops in Iraq. I am not saying we should be so self-righteous here that we leave our borders and our people unprotected. I'm just stating the obvious, where there is hate it is seen by God as murder. No war has been fought because they loved each other. It's fought because countries hate each other. This is murder. <br /><br />Now God is a just God, a righteous God, and we seem to forget that to Him, sin is sin. The person who yells at his neighbor, "Hey, stupid! You want to get your kids out of my yard," is just as much a murderer as those serial killers we read about. When you assassinate someone's character it is the same to God as if you had physically killed them. With God there is no "wiggle" room. There is no bargaining. <br /><br />What are we to do? All of us have at least called someone names from a hatred that was in our heart. All of us have said things that we regret. The Law of God condemns us. We are lost. We look to God and say, "God, I can't keep your law, not even these simple things that I thought I could keep. What am I to do? I don't want to go to Hell. I don't want to die. God, help me. Is there something that can save me, something I can do to balance the scales out." God answers, "There is nothing you can do to balance the scales because even your good works are filthy in my eyes. I cannot stand to look upon them. However, I have sent My Only Son to take upon Himself the punishment for all of your crimes. If you will receive this, My outstretched hand of mercy, all your sins shall be forgiven. I will not even remember what they were, so great is my mercy towards you. The work you could not do, the sacrifice you could not offer, My Son has done for you. All you need to do is to believe on Him, receive the life He gives to you and let His words live in you. Then you will escape punishment. Then my wrath shall not touch you. For your debt has been paid."<br /><br />What about it friend? Have you ever called someone an idiot, a fool, "stupid"? Have you harbored hatred in your heart for someone? Do you see that the Law condemns you? Look then to the cross and see that His love has paid your penalty. You need not be in danger of Hell, but know you are a child of God, a citizen of Heaven. Would you accept this offer from him today? Write me if you have questions. I will be happy to answer them as best as I can. - David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-11734388867380636372007-09-07T02:02:00.000-04:002007-09-07T02:16:43.085-04:00Honor Your ParentsUntil this commandment all others have address our vertical relationship with us and God. To complete this, however God shows us that there are horizontal commands that need to be addressed as well. "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother," is the first of these. It is first because your parents are the first circle of human relationship that you understand. But it goes much deeper than that.<br /><br />You see God has set Himself up as our Heavenly Father, so the first 3 commandments deal directly with Him. The 4th is how we are to respect and honor Him. So He has set the stage for us to honor our parents. These are thos special people God has given to us that we might understand Him. Tragically both sides of this equation has been so broken that God has to use others to teach us of Himself. There are parents who are abusive or negligent and apathetic towards their children. Then, there are those children who are intentionally rebellious and abusive to their parents. Clearly God's commandment means nothing to them. While grace is freely given to all, God still requires us to get this right. Why? Because the most precious thing you have been given is your children. And the most precious thing they have is you, their parents. If you truly loved your children wouldn't you do all that you could to secure their salvation? If that is so, love them as God loves you. Then as they honor you, they honor and come to know God as their Heavenly Father.<br /><br />I remember a girl weeping when someone was talking to her about God being the Heavenly Father. She was abused as a child and couldn't make the connection between a loving God and the abusive father image she had. If was as if someone had just told her that if she would accept Jesus then God would abuse her, because that is how she understood what the word "father" meant. This command teaches children to become righteous parents to their children so the concept of God as father is comforting, not threatening.<br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-13369189754210466212007-09-03T21:16:00.000-04:002007-09-03T21:56:54.944-04:00Remember the SabbathThe next law is going to cause a stir. God says "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11)<br /><br />First let me say I am not trying to cause division, nor am I trying to be legalistic. I am simply trying to state and teach what God says, even if that means saying some things that are a little uncomfortable to me.<br /><br />I was basically born and raised in a Christian church, a Christian family, went to a Christian college and began a Christian family of my own. In all that time I have heard people defend Sunday worship in favor of Sabbath worship quote from Romans 14:5, "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." If they would go on they would see that those esteeming one day above the others were the Jews who persisted in lifting up Sabbath worship, and that those who did not accept this law of Sabbath worship did so only because everyday was as a Sabbath. There is no mention of worship on Sunday replacing worship on the Sabbath.<br /><br />Some historical/Biblical references to Sabbath worship show us that Jesus worshiped on the Sabbath, as did His disciples. Paul also worshiped on the Sabbath. Look through the Book of Acts and you will see that "the day of worship" was the Sabbath. We get confused because we have been taught confusion. God is not the author of confusion. Did the first church meet throughout the week? Yes they did. In fact we are told in Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." <br /><br />The Sabbath is mentioned not only in the Law of God, but in the prophets, and the New Testament writers as something that will be observed in the end times. Jesus also spoke of the holiness of the Sabbath, saying, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:" (Matthew 24:20) He also defended the Sabbath when others accused Him of breaking it.<br /><br />What is the Sabbath? Many Christians will say it is Sunday. They will usually be quick to say that the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, but the Christian Sabbath is Sunday, the "Day of the Lord", celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now I'm all FOR celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Without it there could be no real salvation, no true gospel message. Yet, GOD defines the Sabbath this way, "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:" and the reason God gives us for doing so is this, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."<br /><br />The Sabbath worship is intended to help refocus our minds on the Lord, to remember that He alone is Creator. Jesus says that He is Lord of the Sabbath. God says that He set aside the sabbath and "hallowed it", that is God made it holy. When we do not keep the Sabbath we are not following the example given to us by Jesus, we are not allowing God's blessings to fall upon us because we have created our own sabbath, which is at odds with the one God, through Jesus, created and made holy. If you wish to use the argument that all days are holy, do you work on these other days? We are not to work on the Sabbath for it is holy. <br /><br />I will openly admit to weekly breaking this commandment. Even if I went not to work on the Sabbath, I find that I do not know how to keep it holy. Nor do I know how to keep any day holy. Perhaps that is the whole point. Keeping the Sabbath keeps us on track with God. He makes holy those who receive His holiness.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-35832570919590899222007-09-02T05:23:00.000-04:002007-09-02T05:24:00.371-04:00Written in Stone<table align=center><tr><td><embed src='http://www.toufee.com/movies/Movie.swf?target=how to make flash' loop='false' menu='true' quality='high' scale='noscale' salign='lt' bgcolor='#FFFFFF' width='350' height='350' id='Movie' name='Movie' align='middle' FlashVars='movieID=40671188614252&domainName=toufee' allowScriptAccess='samedomain' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' > </embed></td></tr><td align=right><font size=1 face=verdana><a href='http://www.toufee.com/how to make flash/blogger/' style='text-decoration:none' target='_blank'><font color=black>Get your own flash movie here!</font></a></font></td></tr></table><img width=0 height=0 style="visibility:hidden;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/counters/dBFII5RbVxUc8nBdc3bMDTvNxh8YPCZT0EgEosybDqow9-jqWuWOe3w7Ix4IMsv79Og5ACmvMMR3XAVNnQZ-TGnZEotQoscOT6n740qEUxXyQUBk_HH-FWr0b5OldpaO.tif" >Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-80353010016006205732007-08-31T21:41:00.001-04:002007-08-31T21:41:51.957-04:00Written in Stone<table align=center><tr><td><embed src='http://www.toufee.com/movies/Movie.swf?target=online movie maker' loop='false' menu='true' quality='high' scale='noscale' salign='lt' bgcolor='#FFFFFF' width='550' height='270' id='Movie' name='Movie' align='middle' FlashVars='movieID=40671188593725&domainName=toufee' allowScriptAccess='samedomain' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' > </embed></td></tr><td align=right><font size=1 face=verdana><a href='http://www.toufee.com/online movie maker/blogger/' style='text-decoration:none' target='_blank'><font color=black>Create flash movies in minutes at Toufee.com</font></a></font></td></tr></table><img width=0 height=0 style="visibility:hidden;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/counters/dBFII5RbVxUc8nBdc3bMDTvNxh8YPCZT0EgEosybDqow9-jqWuWOe3w7Ix4IMsv79Og5ACmvMMR3XAVNnQZ-TGnZEotQoscOT6n740qEUxXyQUBk_HH-FWr0b5OldpaO.tif" >Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-84903061477290662382007-08-31T15:07:00.000-04:002007-08-31T15:30:35.258-04:00Name Above All NamesWe sing the song, "Jesus, Name above all Names", but do we really mean it? The 3rd Commandment is concerned with how we treat the name of God. Vain speech is improper to begin with, but making God's name no more than an adjective to spice up your sentence is an insult to Him. What society, and most of the church, is not breaking this 3rd Commandment, although I know many Christians teach that. I know of many Christian organizations teach this. And while I do not advocate the use of profanity, I caution the church against turning God's name into something that is profane.<br /><br />"How can we do that?" Some may ask. It's quite simple. All you need to do is use God's name with the same disrespect you would use any other word you wouldn't think twice about. How about expressions like, "Lordy me, look at how big you've grown," or "For the love of God, can't I get at least one break here?" There are others. We hear these and pass over them, thinking them to be little more than misuse of the English language. I tell you the truth, whoever speaks the name of God without the intent to bring glory to Him or point others to His glory is guilty of breaking this commandment of God. They are "using the Lord's name in vain," that is without thinking, and without giving Him His proper place of honor.<br /><br />Too many worship services today are empty and hollow before God. His name is spoken, but only to increase the feeling they have during worship. Isaiah spoke of being a man of unclean lips of a people of unclean lips. (Isaiah 6:5) Jesus said a time was coming and now is when men shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:23) I tell you that both exist, and they exist within the walls of our church buildings. There are those who worship God with their hearts and in in all truth. The name of God is precious to them. You will find them weeping with joy, or perhaps dancing in the Spirit. At the same time there are those who worship worship. They have no idea of the Holiness of God and profane His name by calling out upon Him that they might "feel" better. They want church services to be times of comfort or praise, but it isn't true praise coming out of their mouths. They are vain words spoken so they might feel better and appease their god of worship. <br /><br />It is easy to fall into this category. It is easy to worship with your mouth and not your heart. I pray that you might worship God with all your being, with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of you mind, with all of your spirit, with all of your strength, so that from your innermost being may flow words of praise and glory and honor unto the Almighty.<br /><br />David BrollirDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-77214180570028896682007-08-30T20:27:00.000-04:002007-08-30T20:30:53.669-04:00Message to False Teachers about HellSatan has an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, and one of the more deadly of them is that Hell does not exist. While you teach that it does, you incorrectly take the horror out of Hell by stating that we, as physical beings, will not suffer a literal eternal punishment. You stated, "The punishment is eternal, meaning that it is permanent and complete." Then go on to talk about how the body will be either<br />decomposed or burned up and thereby be permanent. You will not stand guiltless before God when people come before Him for Judgment and find that both eternities,<br />Heaven and Hell, are literal. <br /><br />You make your mistake by assuming mankind to be a physical being. But God's Word says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Gen. 2:7) Which shows us that the body was made physical, but the life within the body was from God and is eternal. Like God, yet it a much more limited sense, we are spiritual creatures. In 1st John 3:2 the Bible goes on to further clarify this saying, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." This teaching is echoed also by Paul in 1st Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."<br /><br />There are many more Scriptures I can give you, but know this, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb shall be the Passover, which also, God proclaimed to be a feast kept unto Him forever. While the Scriptures above talk of the everlasting life of those who are in Christ, there are many more which speak of those who will live in eternal death apart from Christ. Think about what you said. The worms don't die because they turn into flies. But don't these flies die? So the worms (maggots) DO die, but they die as flies, not worms. Are you trying to tell me that God considers worms of more esteem than the creation made in His own image? <br /><br />From a purely logical standpoint I can argue the existence of Hell and the eternal punishment for those choosing to go there. I am a retired correctional officer. I have seen murderers given "Life Sentences". This is what God is doing. The Lord God<br />Almighty loved us so much that He chose to become a man that He might pay the debt of sin in sinless man, that is Christ, for sinful man, which is all of us. Those refusing such an act of mercy by the Judge will be condemned for the death of Jesus Christ and sentenced to "Life in Hell without parole." There is no dying there, save that death is the separation from God. In that sense, they were dead long before they were Judged. <br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-295859378854057062007-08-29T20:32:00.000-04:002007-08-31T15:07:30.493-04:00The Beginning of Wisdom"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever." (Psalm 111:10) <br /><br />One of the things that is missing in our society, yes even in our churches, is the fear of the Lord. I recently heard a person use this phrase as just an exclamation, "For the love of God." How can we say things like this and not know we come under judgment? Have we forgotten that God is God? Have we been so indoctrinated into thinking that the Ten Commandments have nothing to do with us any more, so we can break them as we please? This is really scary when you stop to think about it. When was the last time you heard it preached in church that we should "fear the Lord"? Off and on I hear it mentioned, but I have always rationalized it to mean, we fear hurting His name and reputation. Let's look at that.<br /><br />When we come to the Lord we acquire a new name. We become children of the Almighty. If we truly respect our Heavenly Father then we would turn from sin, because it brings dishonor to Him. As His children our love should be so great for God that we fear of bringing dishonor to Him. This is a very valid explanation of the fear of the Lord, right?<br /><br />Only partially. We still haven't reached the point where we seem to have a clue who He is. I think we equate God with some of the other false gods, like Zeus, for instance. Our tiny little minds have difficulty comprehending the greatness of just who God really is. The Bible calls God the Father, the Creator, the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty, and many other names. Lord, is a name that is a majestic title. God is so much greater than we could ever comprehend that it SHOULD fill us with fear. Not just fear that we dishonor His name, but fear that we are judged against His perfect righteousness. We are condemned by that righteousness. The Law of God condemns us. Yet how can we begin to understand God if we do not study the Law?<br /><br />People, now is the time to get alone with God and humble yourselves before Him. Ask God to break the hardness of your hearts so that He might reign in and through you to His glory. Seek the fear of the Lord, for in finding that you will find the beginning of both wisdom and understanding. How do we do this? By keeping His commands. Why does it say that? Because we can NOT keep His commands. So by keeping them we realize His Holiness and our unrighteousness. Through keeping His law we come face to face with what it really means to fear the Lord. Maybe then we can properly serve Him.<br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-33986872629697627962007-08-26T09:18:00.000-04:002007-08-26T13:21:26.868-04:00Tree Withou BranchesThis post may be a little more disturbing than the others if you have thought of the Bible as just a book. Even if you have been trying to live a good Christian life it may be of a shock to you, but it's really not something I can keep to myself, and it is supported by the very words of Jesus.<br /><br />It was in the middle of the night and I was trying to get back to sleep, without much success, when I suddenly saw a tree without branches. The image was imprinted upon my mind just as clearly as if I were looking at any object in the room. There it was, a strong tree, yet every single branch had been cut off and lay at the base of the tree. Then, even more to my amazement, I heard God speaking. "This is My Church," He said. "Unless they be grafted back into My Son they shall be cast off." I didn't have a tape recorder with me and even if I did I doubt it would have captured the holy words of the Almighty as He spoke to my heart. Still, it has always seemed that I shortened this sentence to what it says above. I felt at the time that He wanted to say, "...they shall be cast off forever into the Lake of Fire." Of this I cannot be sure, but I leave it with you so you will understand the impact God's Words had on me.<br /><br />One thing bothered me. I didn't see a single branch that remained in the tree. They were all cut off. Was God saying that He couldn't find anyone who was faithful? So I asked him why all the branches were cut off. His answer was more startling than if He had said it was. This is what God said to my heart, "It is so that no one can say this vision is not for them."<br /><br />I have tried to be faithful and relay this vision to as many people as I could over the next several years. I received a few responses from people saying that they bore witness that what I had seen and spoken of was the true Word of God. Yet it was the email of someone whose name I forget that directed me to John 15. Here Jesus talks about being the True Vine and we are the branches. Here we see the Father cutting away every branch that does not bear fruit. And here also we read how our life comes not from within us, but from the Vine. All who try to live apart from the Vine are fruitless and cut off. If they remain so they are gathered together and thrown into the fire. <br /><br />I mention this so that you will know that Jesus taught this same teaching before I had the vision. While mine was of a tree and Jesus used a Vine for the illustration, they are in every point exactly the same. So what does that mean to me? What should it mean to you? It means that you must tend to your own salvation with fear and trembling. Forget the doctrines of eternal security of those who believe you can lose your salvation. Instead focus on the truth of the teachings of Christ, which were once again echoed in this vision, "If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you shall produce much fruit." This is the point of the vision. This is the will of God. We are to bear fruit for His Kingdom. If we are not bearing fruit, we are not doing His will.<br /><br />Let me qualify this so some of our present day Pharisees won't twist it around to mean something it does not mean. Bearing fruit does not always mean winning souls to the Lord. In fact, Scripture plainly says that only He can save. The job of lifting Him up, that is the fruit. Living in love, joy, peace, goodness (See Gal. 5:22) that is the fruit.<br /><br />But what has this to do with the Law? That is a fair question. What need do we have to be part of that Tree (or Vine as Jesus puts it in John 15)? It is the Law that teaches us that apart of God there is no life. The Law of God is perfect, condemning sin in sinful man ("Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." Romans 7:13) It is by the Law of God we realize that we have been cut off from the Vine (or Tree) and lay waiting to be cast into the fires of Hell. In such a state our need to be "saved" is born. The wrath of God is plainly seen through the Law, but grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. It is then the Law that directs us to Jesus that we might find a Savior. It is through the Law that we realize we have been cut off from God and need to be grafted back into His True Olive Tree. It is the Law of God that sends us running into the arms of our Loving Christ, that His blood might not merely be a covering on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of God (See Hebrews 9), but the very lifeblood that flows through our veins, seeing we are the Body of Christ ("Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1st Corinthians 12:27). And in doing so find that Christ completes and fulfills the Law in us, not as something done in the past, but as something done moment by moment through the power of the Holy Spirit, as God said to Moses, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." (Leviticus 17:11) For to the priests of God at the time of Moses, the blood was "given to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls", but now, having made of Himself that Perfect Lamb of sacrifice, offered up Himself upon the altar for our souls. We testify, and bear witness that it is through this precious blood that we now have peace with God ("And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" Ephesians 2:16) and it is through this blood that we have also been made into "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15) This "one new man" is Christ, of which He has fashion out of us His Body, the Church. It is through this self-same body that His blood runs freely, cleansing us of every sin, a continual offering, through one act of a loving God. It is through the Law that we have found Him. And this blood is that which gives to us nourishment to our souls, life, peace with God. It is the sap that runs through the Vine which bears fruit unto our Heavenly Father. That is what all this has to do with the Law.<br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-65772791432597046712007-08-24T18:51:00.000-04:002007-08-24T19:25:08.819-04:00Only One GodInterestingly enough there are three major religious groups that believe in only one Supreme God over all; they are Islam, Judaism and Christianity. I've purposely juggled the order there so you don't know which I favor. The fact is that "religion" is man-made. As such it is opposed to God, but we will get to that in a minute.<br /><br />Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism all believe in many gods. (Buddhists may argue this point. If they do, concede you don't know enough and move on. Don' let them pin you into a debate.) I have met people who believe in the Norse gods, as well as pagans who believe in "the lord and lady" a duality over a pantheon of demi-gods. There literally isn't room for me to mention all the religions, much less all the various gods these people worship.<br /><br />The question then is who is right? I find it unique that those believing in many gods are willing to accept other religions that believe in many gods. For instance, Buddhists are tolerant of Hindus, yet both are very intolerant of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Why is that? Is there something about us that puts them off? Maybe it's the way we dress. Whatever it is they are not about to wander into the land of only one god, for that would mean they would have to admit their gods are false.<br /><br />The thing is, when they are intolerant of monotheistic religions (religions believing in one God), they are actually affirming this to be true. Let me explain. I'm a mystery writer so I like all that CSI stuff. Suppose a CSI working a crime scene comes across a foot print. He looks at it and says, "Looks like a large foot, maybe a size 14." The detective says, "No, that's a size 12 at best." Does the CSI argue the fact. Do they spend the next decade arguing what size boot the foot print left? No! The CSI takes a ruler out of his crimescene kit, lays it along side the print and takes a photograph. He later compares that measurement with a chart of shoe sizes. Whatever he comes up with is what he has to go with, because he knows that is correct. So, when a polytheist (person who believes in more than one god) comes up against the Truth, they argue, not because they think they are right, but because they know they are wrong. Their argument is the ruler next to the foot print. Biblical text tells the correct answer. They can't live with that answer so they try to argue against it.<br /><br />I don't want non-Christians to think I'm picking on them, because I'm really not. I'm just pointing out a truth. Here's another truth that speaks to those in religions, even Christian religions. Have you let something come between you and God? Is He the first and last thought of your day? Do you really "... love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"? (Matthew 22:37) If your answer is "No" or "Not all the time" then you too are guilty of worshiping a God other than the true and Living God. You are a lawbreaker and we haven't even gotten out of the 1st Commandment yet.<br /><br />So, what are some of these idols we worship? What are the names of some of these false gods? They may surprise you.<br />1. Self - this is the ultimate false god and from it stems all others<br />2. Money - having money is okay, it is when we love it that it becomes a god.<br />3. Things - the same with money, there is nothing wrong with having things, but when things have you, then they are your gods.<br />4. Family - People don't like to see this in my list of false gods, but if family is more important to you than God then they are false gods.<br />I'm sure you get the point. You could go on and on, adding to this list the various desires and things that have come between your fellowship with God at on point or another. These, all of them, are false gods. The worship of them is an abomination to the Lord.<br /><br />Now let me ask you something else. Suppose you have truly repented of your sins and asked Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You have realized that you need a Savior, because without Him you are nothing but a filthy sinner in the eyes of God. One who rightly deserves death. Yet, now Jesus has become your payment for that death sentence. What does it say if you turn back to your old idols of money, things, family, friends, fame, house, position, and so on? What does this say to God Almighty who has purchased you with the blood of His Son?<br /><br />You see, we must always keep the Commandments of God before us that we might walk a straight path and not wander into darkness and wrath.<br /><br />David BrollierDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967585898741331253.post-37269125949104676762007-08-24T02:02:00.000-04:002007-08-24T19:27:09.261-04:00What's In a Name?"And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." (Exodus 24:12)<br /><br />You may be wondering why I chose such an odd name for a Christian site. Good question. It is because we have strayed so far from God's Law that we sometimes forget how important it is.<br /><br />In the passage quoted above we see that the Lord actually did write His commandments on tables of stone. Sometimes I'm amazed at how many of our cliches have come from Scripture. "Written in stone" usually refers to something that cannot be changed. In conversation it usually means that whatever directions, commands, or the like that a person has received is only a guide. The statement usually goes something like this, "I know that your mother and I promised that you would be grounded for a week for staying out late, but it's not written in stone. Show us that you can be trusted and we can reduce that time for you."<br /><br />Two things are being said, most of the time without realizing it. The most obvious is that if it's not written in stone it can always be changed, amended, corrected or in some other way modified. So mom and dad's decision made in disciplining their child can be altered in some way because it is not written in stone. In some ways this is a good thing, for as parents we need to be forgiving, not just mean people always looking to beat on our children. However, taken to the other extreme it is just as dangerous, because it teaches children that there are no absolutes, anything can be changed. Children are masters at manipulation. They know how to pit one parent against the other in order to get these directives modified in their favor. So teaching them that mom and dad's commands are not necessarily written in stone can lead to some dangerous consequences.<br /><br />Why do I say that? Because the other thing that the above illustration says, by its omission, is that some things <span style="font-weight:bold;"></span>are </span>written in stone. Some things are absolute. The Commandments of God are absolute, they are holy, they are perfect, they are just, and they are utterly beyond our capability to keep them. Jesus put it this way, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17,18)<br /><br />Unfortunately for some of you I like the King James Version of the Bible, but I will try to clear things up as we go along. For the longest time I wondered what a "jot" or a "tittle" was. So that you don't have to go searching and worrying about that, it refers to the tiny markings in the Hebrew language that could change a word from meaning one thing to another. Making things simple for those simple like myself, in English it is the equivalent of saying, "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, not one dot over an 'i' or one cross of a 't' shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."<br /><br />We see then that God intended to give to us a perfect law that could never be changed, modified, altered or whatever. To impress this upon the children of Israel to whom it was given, God wrote His law in stone.<br /><br />One might think this is terribly harsh for one who calls Himself a God of love, but it is precisely His love that causes Him to do this. Look at the following illustration.<br /><br />When Columbus made his first voyage across what we now call the Atlantic Ocean, there came a point when the North Star and the compass pointing north did not match. The other men aboard ship with him were beside themselves. How could they find their way anywhere if they could not determine where true north was. Columbus told them to keep a steady heading and take another reading in an hour. That second reading had both the North Star and the compass point of north identical. So what happened? Did north change? Did it alter while they were sailing? No! They were using two different methods of finding north. One was the North Star, the other was the compass. As it turns out the compass remained steady, but the North Star was actually orbiting around a point in space that would have been true north.<br /><br />When we travel through this life we need a means of finding our way, just as did Columbus. Tragically, many come forward with their own little ways of finding "north" so we don't get lost. Once you begin to observe them and study them you find that some of these supposed "helps" actually lead you in the wrong way intentionally. Others keep changing, just like the North Star, so they can fit whatever situation they want them to fit. However, unlike the sailors aboard ship with Columbus, the people following these movable points are not filled with the same dread as those sailors. So they drift off in life unaware that they are more than lost, they are headed for certain destruction. God's Law alone stands as the true compass point of north. The Bible itself becomes a type of spiritual compass so that we can navigate safely to God. <br /><br />One last point for today, while the compass point of God, His true north is absolute, it cannot provide safety. Safety is found only in following the compass point of God's Law to the Cross of Christ. If those sailors actually sailed north history would be much different today. Instead, they used that fixed point to help them sail west. Likewise, the Law shows us where we are going without the mercy of God. It condemns each and every one of us. Knowing that, and because it is perfect, we look not to the Law to save us, but that because of the Law we have a need to be saved. This change in our direction leads us to Jesus, who offered Himself up for us, to die in our place. Knowing where judgment lie, we were able to navigate to the foot of the Cross and there find the mercy of God. It is amazing how many people still miss this and refuse the grace that God offers them.<br /><br />Look to the Law. It is written in stone. It does not move, but remains constant that by it we would see ourselves utterly sinful. In light of that we can then find the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's when our life truly begins, not before.<br /><br />David Brollier<br />Director of Operations for <a href="http://devoted.to/soarlikeaneagle">Soar Like An Eagle Ministries<br /></a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14949239112166623708noreply@blogger.com0