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RECAP NEWSLETTER - 6/13/4 Issue 10 Everybody in their life make choices that affects or colors subsequent choices and direction in life. Some make major mistakes throughout life because of decisions that they had made earlier in life. The decision to drink alcohol has ruined many a life, filling decades with sorrow and regret. The same is true in the spiritual realm. The moral compass that people choose for their life, in a large sense, determines later choices. The Bible states that the very beginning of knowledge is fearing God. Everything in one's life boils down and starts with this one criteria. Do you fear God? Fearing God is not the same thing as believing in God. Fearing God is a conscience awareness of God and His Word which affect our actions and life. It is remarkable that the verse says that fear of the LORD is just the beginning. Fear of God instills in us a desire to know God greater. Properly fearing God and desiring Him first in our life will draw us to read His Word, meditate on it, and pray with our Heavenly Father. As we get the heartbeat of Christ aflame in our lives, Christ has a greater hand to guide us and help us make the right decisions in life - hence, knowledge. The passage calls all those who despise wisdom and knowledge the word fools. If we do not actively pursue fearing God as we should, or put it off till some other time, we are shortchanging ourselves! Psalm 147:5, talking about God, proclaims, "his understanding is infinite." If we do not communicate with God, whose knowledge and understanding is infinite, especially when we have it at our proverbial fingertips, of course we are fools! Proverbs 1:22 says, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" Of course, there are an abundant number of people who prefer simplicity in the realm of knowledge and wisdom. The Bereans, had such an appetite for God's Word, that they searched the Scriptures for the truth! Knowledge that comes from God is applicable to EVERY aspect of life! Do not relegate God and His Word to only providing help in religious or spiritual matters! God does not just have an exhaustive commentary on religion, but His understanding is infinite! Proverbs 1:29 says, "For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord." Some of us may use to phrase to "shoot yourself in the foot". Proverbs has the same idea. If you want to ruin your life, and deprive yourself of knowledge, do not fear God. Keep your Bible on the shelf, your prayer only rote recitations at dinner, and your testimony in your own house - you will succeed at being a failure. You may look good, act good, sound good, and even smell good; but, God says that if you do not fear Him, you are a fool! If I spend more time watching TV than I do reading God's Word, I should not be surprise that I know more about how to think like the world that I know how to think like Christ! If I expend my energy greedily for myself and family, with no care for pursuing God, then I am a fool! If I spend more time chatting online with vague associations than I spend in God, I should not be surprise that the direction I take in life is erratic! Fear God, get in His Word, beg Him for the wisdom, knowledge, and discernment that you will not find in this world! Get on your face before Him and plead for the understanding as you guide your life and family down life's uncertain roads. We wouldn't dare travel even a hundred miles today without some type of map; yet, many Christians are content to travel down the easy and broad avenues of life, not daring to go down The Narrow Way, because they have no desire for knowledge. "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?" Prov. 1:22
MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS I heard an excellent sermon the other day about how to get rid of the television that is destroying your family. If you are afraid of what your family would say, or beg for it back, just wait until it is spewing forth some vile garbage. Then, in your disgust, pick it up and slam it into the nearest garbage can. Tell them you hate how it is ruining your family, lowering your morals, defrauding your children, and stealing your time. For extra good measure, take an axe to it, cut the cord, shoot it and kill it. "Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar." (Julius Caesar)
ADDED RESOURCES
I have also written the new article: "Arabs and Muslims are not 'ragheads':
A Christian response." The PrudentLiving section is now online.
We will (Lord willing) be adding more articles in the days ahead.
CURRENT EVENT RECAP "Gay Pride" is nothing more than mocking God publicly. To know what even the basic laws of nature state, what God has declared, and then to openly, publicly, unashamedly, brazenly hold up their fist in God fast and laugh at Him is mind boggling. Truly God is fully of mercy beyond our comprehension to hold back His wrath... so far. One thing that boggles my mind is that Christians have the idea that society is just now degenerating to the moral decay of sodomy. They seem to think that efforts in legislation now will stem the tide. I have news for you - take a good, long look at the age group that most newspapers show when showing pictures from "Mocking God" events. A large number of them are beyond middle-age. Many of these individuals readily admit to living the lifestyle for at least two decades! The 'Pride' parades started about thirty years ago! Get your head out of the sand, and get on your knees! The angels in Genesis 19:13 had a very sober warning for Lot: "We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it." IT WILL NOT GET BETTER LATER! Do not expect nation-wide revival to save our nation. The days of Lot and Noah are already here. If the account in Genesis is the guide and reference, then don't be surprised that perversion will soon include pedophilia (Gen. 19:4), public displays of hedonism (19:5), and possible riots/retaliation (19:9-11). As one article I recently read stated, jokes about pedophilia are already making a mockery out of that depravity, especially in light of the Michael Jackson case. Sensual, public hedonism has been infused into two generations, generating a mindset that is already starting to affect public behavior. As for riots/retaliation, just watch the reaction of the homosexuals to protesters at 'pride' events - it is hate filled. Also, I mentioned last week that stem cell research will get a new boost from the death of Reagan. It has. In other news... Our forces, globally, are getting stretched extremely thin. It is my own personal opinion that our forces are being stretched thin and far away from our country, as part of God's final plan for our nation. Our forces have been increasingly expended in fruitless battles for many years now. North Korea has missiles with the acknowledged capability to strike our shores, China and Russia both have been building up militarily, while we spread ourselves thin, and plan to reduce our nuclear stockpile in half. Look for increased tensions and attacks in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, especially as we get closer to the handover date of June 30th. Saudi Arabia will most likely get even worse, and even in Iraq have had a ripple effect in the neighboring countries. Iran, as well, is also gaining our ire for their nuclear determinations, and the fact that Russia is helping them. In other moral news... This years Tony honors have been for the sickest and most depraved Broadway shows - "gay puppets, transvestites, assassins and a pedophile child killer piled up Tony honors on Sunday..." - Reuters.org. The recent movie 'Saved' should make itself appart as blasphemy without my statements, but I was concerned about something a Christian reviewer wrote: "A lot of Christian kids, especially the ones that they've been marketing this to, are going to come away with 'Christo-phobia, with anti-Christian attitudes - you know, 'All those Christians are mean, horrible people'." - agapepress.org This is just a taste of what the world is feeding you and your children with. It will get worse, Scripture says. Are you serious in your relationship with God, or is it just a weekend event? Do you weary yourself teaching your children godly values and principles for the darkening days ahead? Memorize Scripture, get into God's Word, pray and plead for understanding and wisdom, fear God.
REMINDERS
May God richly bless,
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