The Truth For Youth

where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

2007-04-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

This is a very small but yet Big teaching. Where is your heart? what do you find satisfaction in? what do you treasure?

All these are related very heavily, check out Matthew 6: 19-21 - Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.
But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal;
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Whoa! Check this out! This is the complete outline of where we go wrong in sin, every stinkin' time! Are you seeing what i'm seeing??? " Do not gather and heap up for yourselves treasures on earth " Why? " moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal ". So, look, Jesus is telling us here, that why even bother store up earthly stuff? Because' in heaven' it'll be of no value. If you have the nicest car, house, truck or any material things, where will they get you in heaven? No wheres. Because' these things are perishable. A car will rust, land will erode, and money can be stolen. But Jesus then says where we should be storing it up " But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, " Why you say ? Because, this is "where neither moth nor rust not worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal. " Anything you have stored up in heaven is eternal, it's never ending, and will never rust or be destroyed in any way. But the things we put there must be things that are heaven worthy. Is a car or truck heaven worthy? no way, are your relationships with your friends? You bet, but most of all your relationship with the lord. That's all you're taking, there's none of this " God, let me pack my things, just let me get my suitcase, and then i'll be ready. " It's not material things we're taking, nope, it's the relational things.

And with that, this statement by Jesus is the key. " For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. " If you want to argue this, you are a fool. Whatever your time, money, and energy go into, well that's where your heart will be. Whatever that treasure is that you're building up, well that's what's on your heart and mind. And if these things are foolish material things, your heart will be clouded up with that treasure, and that foolishness. Remember, wherever your treasure is, there also is your heart. So, where is yours? what is your treasure? Money? Beer? Drugs? Vehicles? Sex? Well, find out, and ask yourself if it's goin' to heaven' with you, or is it staying on earth. Cause' if it's staying on earth, and it's your treasure... you may just stay with it. Be very careful in what you focus on. We need to set our eyes on the Lord, and start building our wealth up in heaven. Matt. 6:33 - But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. "

Are you seeing this???? haha. Jesus says' Seek my kingdom and righteousness and then all these things will be given to you. If you aim and strive for God's kingdom and righteousness, your wildest dreams will come true, and you will have eternal gifts beyond belief! " Jer.33:3 - Call unto me and i will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know " All we've gotta' do is call, ask and seek. People, it's this simple.. set your heart on heavenly things, and you will profit in heavenly things, that last beyond the grave.

-T

Alcohol

2007-04-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it's certainly been a while since i've done any sort of meaningful post on here. But lately i've encountered some things with drinking, not personally but questions etc. So, let's dig into the word of God and get this straightened out!

-Well, for one thing, is the consumption of alcohol a sin?
-What makes drinking a sin?
-Why?

Let's take another perfect example in this context: Sex. Is sex a sin? No! But it becomes one when? When we do it outside of the boudaries God has given us. God has said from Genesis : " For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. " It is within the boundaries God has given us, that sex is not a sin, but a blessing! Now, the same with alcohol, the consumption is no sin. Let's be clear on that. That in Ecclesiastes 9:7 - “drink wine with a merry heart.” Just like sex, God has given us wine to be consumed, but only within His boudaries. And those boudaries are that we drink merrily, that we do not abuse it until it controls us. But when we take it out of that, and we drink for reasons of depression, idleness, or sorrow it becomes sin. Because' God says do this Merrily! Nothing more. Same things apply, the action does not become sin until it is done out of the boundaries of God.

Who has woe?

Who has sorrow?
Who has strife?
Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!
In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.
your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging.
"They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" - Proverbs 23:29-35

Here, in Proverbs God outlines for us the sin of drunkeness. Look, that drunkards reasons are this : they're in woe, sorrow, strife. These are the reasons, if you are caught by this addiction, why is it? Ask yourself this:

Am i really happy with myself? Do i like who i've become?

Do i do this because of sorrows? Do i use this as a way of resolving these problems?

Am i striving to fit into the crowd?

These are the things the bible outlines, that we cannot be happy with ourselves, that we'll do it to fit in, that we'll do it as a method of dealing with the pain. And that you know that this does not fufil, only maybe that night.. but it fades, and it fades fast. And that it will come back to get you " in the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. " This is no short time thing, this is serious, and it will come to get you. Sin does not stop at just getting you a place in hell, Satan does not say " well, i've got em' this bad...i guess i'll leave them like this " No, he attacks hourly, minutely. Do not be ignorant to that fact, satan is a murderer, and will stop at nothing to destroy you.

And earlier on, Proverbs describes the drunkards ways of how they fall into this temptation, that they are " those who linger over wine " And then proverbs warns " do not gaze at wine when it is red,when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly " Listen; if you are an alcoholic, is it a wise choice to move in front of a liquor store? No, because' it's tempting, no matter how strong you think you are. So listen, if parties tempt you, and you say " well, i'll go and not drink " don't count on it... that's rediculous... if you are weak enough to fall usually, then stay out. It's obsurd to think you can do that. So just stay away because' it will come to bite you.

To conclude on that whole section, Alcohol is not fufilling in the sinful act. But when you drink it merrily it will. I have given the example to some people of how this is different. That let's say i was going to a wedding party, now to celebrate with the groom, let's say we decide to celebrate with a round... would i take it. Of course, out of an act of celebration. I would be doing it merrily and with good cause. But if i were to go to a party, to intentionally get drunk and just doing it to fill my empty soul... well this is unlawful. It is not to celebrate, nor is it being done merrily. It is being done to fill me up... where God should be. And for that i would be a fool.

But here what Jesus said :

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst, ever!" - John 6:35

So, what's this? Whoa!!!! Jesus says " he who comes to ME will NOT HUNGER ", and that " he who believes in ME will NEVER THIRST ".... and get this He ends it with "EVER"!! Not, he who comes to me will not thirst for a while...but that whoever believes in Him, will NEVER EVER thirst. And that we will not Hunger, like we do in this world. Because' we will have a full heart in Christ because He will fill us. This is the gospel, that Christ died for us, that we may be filled by Him, only through a loving relationship with Him, so He may live in us.

The alcohol will Never fill, just maybe for that night... and maybe into the morning, but no longer.

The point is: Drinking the substance is not a sin, the action is nor a sin. But the action can become a sin when it is used outside of God's boudaries. When we reject God and we say " i don't want your free gift of salvation, i want my one night pleasure. I want my sin, i love it; more than you or your Christ " and God will say ' as much as i hate to do this to my own creation; you go then! you go where you want to go, if you want hell, then i will not stop you " This is the truth ladies and gentlemen. That Hell is a choice, not somewhere's you are predestined. But a very big, and very real decision.

So do not take this lightly, that you can go and party and still be with the Lord. You need to be broken. Galatians 5:19-21 - The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

You cannot keep on sinning and be clean. You need the gift of salvation that Christ has given us, by shedding his blood at calvalry.

So, my prayer is to all of you, go and repent. Turn from your sin, not just drunkeness. And i not only challenge you with this, but also myself.

-T

Do you remember?

2006-11-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Now, i know it may seem like i have a lot of posts on Eli lately. But i am so very proud and impressed by his courage and outstanding charge to his calling. Now, i just was searching through pictures and i found some old ones of the first time i saw Eli street preach here in Fredericton. And then i took some pictures from his site of him preaching now in the states. It seems like i only saw him a couple weeks ago, but it's been months. And Brother i sure do miss you, and can't wait for your come back home! Then

Now

Pray for Eli as he crosses the nation telling lost souls of the Good News.

You can see updated posts on Eli's progress across the States at :

http://timothyministry.blogspot.com/

-T

Quarrels

2006-10-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2: 23-26 - "23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

What an intresting verse eh!?

-Have you ever entered a conversation knowing that it was useless as to what would come of it? Well i know i have, especially lately.

The Bible says :
2 Tim 2:23 - "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels."

Did you see that!?!? Whoa! It says' " Don't have ANYTHING! ". Not: "Oh well maybe you shouldn't" or "Try not to." It says it as blunt as possible, just DON'T! Man i love it when things are so in your face you can't look away!
Why does it say that, well... how informative, it says it in the same sentence! " Because you KNOW! they produce Quarrels. " Have you ever had a conversation that was foolish or stupid come to anything good? Or anything at all? I don't think many of us can say that. Unless there was a topic change.

So what's a Quarrel? - Quarrel - An angry dispute; an altercation.

So, now that you know what a Quarrel is; why should we stay away from them other than the reason that a quarrel is "foolish"or "stupid". Well the next verse says... : 2 Tim 2:24 "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. "
So this says' that the Lord's servant " Christians " MUST not quarrel. But that we should be kind in the midst of a difficult situation, and that we should still be able to teach and not resent the other person.
Check out this sweet Proverb. Prov. 12:16 - "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."

As this verse depics, The fool will quickly show his foolishness by his/her annoyance. But the servant of the Lord... haha, he OVERLOOKS! the insults thrown out at him!

The rest of the verse in 2 Tim. specifically explains itself :

- 2 Tim 2:25,26 - Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."

Keep this in mind, the next time you hit one of these conversations. You're called to be a patient instructor. You're called to be a body, for Jesus' to use.

-T

Eli Brayley - Small Group

2006-09-23T07:46:00.000-07:00


Eli Brayley of Open Air Outreach answers questions in a small group setting at Virginia Commonwealth University while co-laborer Evan Schaible preaches the gospel in the background.

The Church.....By man or God? - Part 2

2006-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

What is really wrong with our modern translations?

Our modern translations are selling the Gospel as a " come and get it while you can " offer. We have made every effort possible to take off all the things we call " fat "; so that people who are interested won't be scared away. Well, that " fat " is usually the very fleshyness that holds together the Truth! And as all this "fat" is trimmed off in every new translation the word isn't even God's word anymore. It's Man's interpretation of what God is saying. As before i'll say " The Gospel for Dummies; Made By Dummies! ". If you seek truth; would you not seek the whole Truth? Instead of having some fractionized skimpy Bible? Wouldn't you rather have a big Meaty Steak Bible??? I know i would.

Jesus never ONCE changed the rules for anyone! You had to be completely ready to give it ALL up. Check out - (Matt 19:16) for a great example! Jesus sure didn't run after him saying! " Wait a minute I was too harsh. " " Come back, i swear it isn't as bad as you think! " Instead he laid down the Truth, and let the man decide on his own. ( 1 Cor. 1:7 - For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. ) We aren't sent to modify the Gospel, but to Modify the thoughts of the people are listening; so that they may come to know Christ.

Salvation as a Trade?

We are now showing God's salvation as a trade more than a gift! " No one in the Bible ever thought so low of the grace of God to talk about the gift of eternal life like it was for trade. " - Keith Green. We say it as " hey! you give yourself to Jesus, and YOU are GUARANTEED salvation and a place in heaven. " What!?!?!?!?!? NO! this isn't how it works! You can't buy God's gift. That's why it's a gift. YOU CANNOT BUY A GIFT!!!! It is His gift to us! Through Jesus his son! An example of this is in - ( Acts 8:18-23 - When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." )

Selfish Converts??? - is there a such thing?

Anyone who is given the Gospel as a deal will become this way. They will always expect to recieve, never to give any! They will think that God just has a big checklist that has all these blessings waiting to be checked off. God wants them to be humbled and understand that they are here to please God. And in return of doing that they will recieve such blessings! (Psalm 149:4 - For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. )

These "trade" converts were nothing heard of in the times of Paul when the Church was a burning fire! ( Acts 2:41-47 - Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. )

"God will always Anoint Truth! so let's see some anointing! Get back to ya' Roots!"

-T

The Church... by Man or God? - Part 1

2006-05-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

The church ( the body of Christ ) are we functioning properly? Is this all His work or our own? Something has just been dropped to my attention. All these divisions of the church... why are they there? Why do we all have different practices? Did Christ tell us to do some of the things we are doing?

I won't go into too much detail; there would have to be 100's of parts! But when did God tell us to have a priest? a Bishop? a Pope? Are we all not equal in God's eyes as Christians? And why do all these people " higher " in the church dress a different way then us on Sunday? And why are they treated as if they are "better" Christians? Again... we are all equal in God's sight are we not. We we're all sinners from birth. So why are they almost seperated as better Christians?

Well i have had this topic just floating on my heart, for only a couple hours now actually. And i found a Keith Green sermon entitled " What's wrong with the Gospel " and i have now read Part 1 of it. And this ties in perfect to what i wanted to say.

The things we preach: guided by man; or God?

Let's look at what we preach in today's society. We preach love and kindness, and the greatness of heaven. But when do you hear a preacher speak of hell, and how all sinners will go there into everlasting fire? You don't, or you rarely do. We preach love and kindness because we don't want to scare off the "lost souls" well, it says in God's word that they deliberatly chose sin. And they know it in their heart. ( Romans 1:19 - For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.) And they don't like hearing the truth, because it exposes them for what they really are. ( Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. ) Jesus never once denied hell, he spoke with love towards the people, but never ever left hell out of the picture.

The Blood

Another thing is the Blood of Jesus, the Word Blood scares people. Let alone drinking Jesus' blood to cleanse them. So we take the easy route out, and we just say " you're saved because he died for you " but that's not all of the Gospel is it? No, there is a lot more to it. You need to preach about the Blood that was shed for you. And cleanses your sins.

Modified Gospel?

So, are we spreading God's word, or the modified version. In theory you can call it " The Gospel for dummies; made by dummies. " i mean, when will we learn? you cannot modify the word of God to fit your life, it's called idolatry! You are making your own God. You are modifying what God has says, and by " modifying " it, you are making false statements. For example : if you say " well i don't believe homosexuals will go to hell, because i don't believe my loving God would do such a thing to such a nice person. " you are horribly off course. You are an idolater. Because God's word clearly states that they will live in an eternal fire with all other sinners. Because God has declared this a sin ( 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 ). The laws of God are preached for conviction, no so people will say " oh aren't those Christians so nice "... i mean seriously there are lives at stake here people. Preach truth, or don't preach at all.

Repent!

Repentance, we as human beings look at this as a horrible thing. As if when you're a Christian repenting should be a last resort. But instead ( as i once read on Eli B's blog ) repentance is a beautiful thing.
You must repent to be saved ( Luke 13 - "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." )

He Weeps.... for me?

Jesus weeps? ( everyone gasps " huh?" ) yes Jesus weeps all the time for us. I mean of course he weeps, if you loved someone and watched them walk off a cliff... and you warned them of the consequences... and they still did it.... would you not grieve for them? Especially when they call from down below " help me! i can't get up! ". Look at how Jesus weeps over Jerusalem ( Luke 19:41).

Self Centered

The basic wrong in all of this, is that it's all self centered Christianity. It's rarely for the Glory of God. But instead for the glory of us, being hailed as a great Christian. But how great are you if you are working for you and not God?

Well that's my basic Part one.

-T

Growing Up as a non-believer seeking Truth

2006-05-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Growing Towards What?

fresh from the womb you are innocent.
Love surrounds you with Grace.
growing; you fall away from your innocence.
you fall to your knees begging for answers.
in your youth you seek truth.
as you age your life turns a new page.
growing with rage you seek fulfilment.

as you walk down the street, you hear a preacher.
he yells with burning passion.
you hear something in his voice you have NEVER heard before. it's Love.
love you have never heard of before. An everlasting forgiving love.
he tells of great grace and love towards one another.
and of his great God and saviour.
others yell rude remarks, while you stand and stare in a daze.
you approach him and ask questions.
you now have a bright burning love in your heart, the empty hole in your life has been filled.
Growing up is a quest for truth...
the question is when you seek it and find it...

- Anonymous

Gettin' Clean!

2006-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

(Isaiah 1:18-20 - "Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat. But if you keep turning away and refusing to listen, you will be destroyed by your enemies. I, the LORD, have spoken!" )

I have found this very comforting lately. Get this, "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. "

God can remove your sins...all of them no matter how bad. Now i just need to believe it.
Anyway, comforting verses!

-T

Notice.

2006-04-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

hey guys, i have noticed the amount of people coming has slowed. I am sorry there have not been many posts. But i have not been inspired to write from my heart lately, so as you can tell from the first post to now, a lot of how it's written has changed. But no worries, when it comes it'll come.

God Bless - T

Which Path to take???

2006-03-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

Psalms 1:1-6 ( NIV )
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Well, this is a passage i just stumbled on. And now i am thinking about what it is telling us.
1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

If you are in a group of people that are sinful, it will reflect in how you act. You will become a sinner. To grow we cannot be with them, but when we are strong enough we can go into that group and shine our light. It will blind them, and they will want what you have found ( what has changed you ). And if someone wants to sin, this is saying let them. And my interperetation of this is. If someone wants to do something, they are going to do it no matter what you say. You can make them think about it, but they will still do it. Not even God will stop you from going to hell if you want to go. If you want to go bad enough, he'll let you go.

2 - But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

If you do these things in verse one, you will delight in the Law of the Lord. The law of the lord, is the bible ( the word ). We have got to read this daily. We have got to pump in so much, to weigh out the bad things in our head. So it says to meditate on it day and night. Personally i will read it over a few times and then write what i think it means... like i am doing in this post.

3 - He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

If you read the word, you will be nourished like a tree that grows by a stream. Have you ever noticed that? If you go out into the woods, the closer you get to water the trees get more healthy. So if you are deep into the word, you are being watered just like that tree near the stream. And if you are that tree, your leaves will stay unil your season is through. So i guess you could say that your season is your time here on earth. During your season you should be able to produce leaves that don't wither. If you don't, you may need more water. If you can do these things everything you do will be prosperous!

4 - Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

All the wicked people you know, they woun't last in the ways of the world. They will never be truly happy. ( they will be like chaff that blows in the wind ) they will never have anything to hold onto. They have built their house on the sand. It will all be washed out from under them until the have a solid foundation of Jesus. " The wise man builds his house upon the rocks "

5 - Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Sinners will be comdemned on Judgement Day, they will have no place with the righteous. All these wicked people will go into everlasting fire for the devil and his angels. The wicked won't even stand with the righteous ( God will seperate them like a shepard seperates the sheep and the goats. )

6 - For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

So this is the basic moral of this passage, is no matter what the pathway of the wicked will always lead to nothing but unhappiness. You will never succeed on the path of the wicked. But if you are on the narrow path to heaven, God will watch over you and help you the whole way there. And i sure hope you get onto that narrow path, because i want to see you in heaven.

God Bless, Brothers and Sisters.

-T

Comforting pictures.

2006-03-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

I find these are some really comforting pictures.
Always with you - Jesus

-T

Why isn't the world being saved???

2006-03-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

Why isn't the world being saved?!?!?! Why isn't it!?
is it God's fault?!?!?!

No, the bible says ( It is not God's will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance ) So who's fault is it?
Who should we blame for millions, going to hell each day? All our neighbors, friends and loved ones. Who is it that isn't doing their job!?

It's our fault! All our fault! We are sending the people we love to HELL! into Everlasting Fire, where they will suffer for all eternity! And some of us blame it on God, saying : "hey, well i guess it's meant to be this way. Because if it wasn't then God would do something, cause you know what... i do my part! I go to churh every week!" I guarantee in all the pews on sunday there may be one person youth or elderly who is doing their job as a christian. It is our job to tell these people that what they are doing is wrong. And they will not be aloud into the kingdom of heaven. And this is our fault because Jesus told us many times, you've gotta go and do this! It's your job, make disiples! (Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.")

So, Why is this world falling apart? It is literally because we are not doing our job. In the verses above ( Matthew 28:18-20 ) It says "go and make disciples of ALL NATIONS!" Yes all nations! And then it says, "teach all these new disciples to obey the commands i have given you." How many of us can seriously say with NO DOUBT, that they are following this? That everywhere you go, and everything you do reflects Jesus Christ. And that you are bearing much fruit, when you do these things.

Here is one more thing, if you are persecuted while sharing the gospel. Remember many have had the same done to them, or they have been killed for it.

That's it, there is nothing else. It's our fault, you can't blame it on God that's for sure. And if you blame it on the sinners... well there's something wrong with you, because sinners are sinners because of you. I am not saying this is an overnight process, but we do need to do something.

Homosexuality addition

2006-03-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

I have added more to the scientific part, some people wanted quotes. And so i got some. So there is one and the link to the site, so anyone who wants to see the facts, you go right ahead.

The Bible has always stood strong and always will. ( because it's the Truth )
John 10:35 - "The scripture cannot be broken"

-T

Dope????

2006-03-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

Well, here is another big one. What does the Bible say about doing drugs??? Well, considering at that time they didn't use them as a method of pleasure or "fun", but one of healing. The bible doesn't say anything about doing Drugs. But think about this... Your body is a temple. Your body is also not yours, it's like you're renting it from God. So if you are doing Drugs which hurt your body, you are hurting Christ, more than he has already suffered for you.

So this is what we do have : ( 1Corinthians 6:19,20 - Haven't you learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and that he lives within you? Your own body does not belong to you. For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God, because he owns it. )

So, he owns you. No matter what you do, you are still his. And he can end your life quicker then you can imagine. And he lives within you? " well he does, because from birth the Truth about him has been known to you! ( Romans 1:19 ) And since "your" body is his... if that makes sense... you must use it the way he wants you too. And it's not like he's going to make you do anything bad. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God. If you are smoking a joint, are you giving Glory to God??? I don't think so, because if you were meant to be smokin that J then i am sure you would have been born with a pipe! So, really this is the way of the world, that is : "everything goes". But not in heaven, here is a good question. " If it was judgement day... would you walk up and ask Jesus, hey man, you want to take a puff? Well would you? And if you did what do you think he'd say? " I don't know... what would he say to you???

The next thing we have is : ( 1Corinthians 6:12 - I can do anything i want too if Christ has not said no, but some of these things aren't good for me. Even if i'm allowed to do them, i'll refuse to it, if i think it might get such a grip on me that i can't easily stop when i want to.)

So, now we know that we shouldn't be doing things that are addicting. Especially when Christ has said not too, but since drugs weren't around in Biblical time, he didn't say " don't do drugs or you will not be welcome in heaven." No, he didn't say that. But he did specify many things we shouldn't do. And in this verse we also know that if something is addictive we shouldn't be doing it.

And the last thing we KNOW is that, as Christians we have to abide the laws ( Romans 13:1-4). And a main law is that smoking drugs ( Marry J) is a crime. And so christ specifically says we have to obey the laws set to us.

No matter what, we will never have so much as too say " Drugs are a sin and you will go to hell if you do them. " So, don't count on that anytime soon. But for now remember, you are a temple of God, and you gotta keep your temple lookin good and functioning right.

This is what the bible has to say about Drugs( addicting things).

-T

2 recipies for Peace

2006-03-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a book i got from the bookshelf at the Church hall. I have been getting a lot of stuff from there lately, there are a lot of good Bibles there. Anyway, i treat it a lot like my own personal library. And a couple of days ago i found this book there. It is Eerdmans' Concise Bible Handbook. I think it is great so-far, it gives great explanations of each book and of each chapter and verses. So it's great because of how i have been trying to get to know my Bible better.

This is from Philippians. Philippians is a letter written from Paul who is in prison with Timothy. There were a lot of reasons Paul wrote this letter, he wanted to tell why he was sending Epaphroditus back, He wanted to thank the Philippians for their gift, And he had news for them. And from what he had heard of what they were doing he wanted to help and encourage them. So there is your background on the book.

2 Recipies for Peace.

Philippians 4. Here is Paul trying to encourage these people. He is saying "stay true to the Lord" and (Philippians 4:4,5) - " Always be full of Joy in the Lord; i say it again Rejoice! Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon." So this is his way of encouraging them so-far. Then to really give them a boost, he give 2 ways to have peace. And they are so true!

#1 - (Philippians 4:6-7) - "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

#2 - (Philippians 4:8-9) - "And now brothers, as I close this letter let me say this one more thing; Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Keep putting into practice all you have learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you."

So, is that encouraging or what!? Those are two guaranteed recipies for peace! In R.#1 he says : " Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers." Well seems pretty legitimate so far. And makes sense. Why would you have to worry about anything? You will have God's peace if you are doing these things! So, pray about EVERYTHING! i cannot emphasize that enough! So pray, pray, pray and pray again. The next half is : "tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers." So, pray and specify your needs and you will get answers! Whoa! God is great. " ask and you'll recieve!" And then it goes on to say " If you do these things you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand." So there is your reasurance, "If you do these things you will experience God's peace." Then he says another great thing " His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus. " Isn't that awesome. After you recieve his peace, you'll have this great feeling come over you where you'll be in awe at God's wonder! And this is all because you trust in Christ! So there is recipe #1.

Then we get to R.#2 he says : "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right." Makes sense... Fix your thoughts on things that aren't nasty and clog up your mind. They'll turn you away from God. Don't look at pornography, or horror movies. Anything that makes you turn from God, chances are you shouldn't be watching them. Then he backs it up with : " Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. " Again, that makes sense! If you are watching things like horror movies, chances are you aren't thinking "hey wasn't that just so cute, when he got the knife throught the eye." No, you're probably thinking "Whoa!, Ouch!, Agh! That would hurt, etc." Those really aren't lovely thoughts. And to the next part " dwell on the fine, good things in others." Well a lot of us have a hard time with that one! We all look at the outside, not the inside. Or as the Bible calls it, the view of the world. And so you really aren't seeing the fine things in people if you are gossiping about how they dress, or the zit on their foreshead. So keep it good. I know it's hard! I do it a lot. And here it comes, the big one : " Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. " Well, what are you thankful for? What has God done for you? I can name a lot he has done for me. I can thank him for, the experiences i have had the past 3 month's, all the learning i have done during this time and how much i have grown as a Christian in that time. And that's really only a couple things. So really we can praise God for everything, he did make us. And looks after us.

So those are two great recipies for peace. And i hope you follow through on them. I know i'll be putting them into practice!

- This post was inspired by a conversation with Eli Brayley

-T

Gay.... Okay?

2006-03-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

I thought this was an appropriate picture for the topic. It is a cover off of a Last Days Ministries newsletter from the 80's. But this is not a piece from them. I wrote this.

Well, this is a very popular topic lately! And well, what are the questions?

- Are they born this way?
- What is the Science on this topic...?
- Will homosexuals make it into the Kingdom of heaven?
- Can they overcome this?

Here in Romans (1:18-32), every answer to these questions are here.

(Romans 1:18-32 - But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, evil men who push away the truth from them. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively, God has put this knowledge in their hearts. Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse { when they stand before God at judgment Day.} Yes they knew about him alright, but they wouldn't admitit or worship him or even thank him for all his daily care. And after awhile they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused. Claiming themselves to be wise without God, they became utter fools instead. And then, instead of worshiping the glorious, ever living God, they took wood and stone and made idols for themselves, carving them to look like mere birds and animals and snakes and puny men. So God let them go ahead into every sort of sex sin, and do whatever they wanted to- yes, vile and sinful things with eachother's bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things God made, but wouldn't obey the blessed God who made these things. That is why God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God's natural plan for them and indulged in sex with each other. And then the men, instead of having a normal sex relationship with women, burned lust for eachother, men doing shameful things with other men and as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved. So it was that when they gave up and would not even acknowlege him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness and gossip. They were backbiters, hatters of God, insolent, proud braggarts, always thinking of new ways of sinning and continually being disobedient to their parents. They tried to misunderstand, broke their promises, and were heartless-without pitty. They were fully aware of God's death penalty for these crimes, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway, and encouraged others to do them too.)

Homosexuals are not born this way, when you are born you know the Truth about God because " he has put it in your heart at birth ". Obviously you don't just say, yeah what the hay, we just popped outta nowhere. You know there is a creator. And you know when you are doing something wrong, because you feel it. When you feel it, it is the Truth that was planted in you at birth telling you that what you are doing is wrong. That is why homosexuals don't "come out of the closet right away" they know what they are doing is wrong. And that they will be persecuted. And the worst part is that the same people who persecute them sin just as much. So what happens is they know what they are doing is wrong, and then they ignore the facts and tell themselves "they were born with it". This happens because if a lie is told so many times, you are bound to believe it. This is how Satan works. So they tell themselves " it would be so much easier if i wasn't Gay " But really you could be straght if you wanted to be. What they have done is decieved themselves from the truth. Like it says in verse 25 " Instead of believing what they knew was the Truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies."

The original point of view Science had on this was that you are born with it, it was a disfunction of the brain. And that was thought up in the 1800's. And as usual Science has proven itself wrong, and we now know that you are not born with it. It is impossible to be born with it. Here is a quote for ya :

{"Born gay." The idea that homosexuality is genetic, or at least biologically predetermined and unchangeable, has received a great amount of media coverage presenting it as "new scientific fact." What is often not known is that this "born gay" idea is not new, not proven, and frequently contradicted by what the researchers actually said. At least as far back as 1899, German researcher Magnus Hirschfeld regarded homosexuality as congenital - meaning, "born that way" - and he asked for legal equality based on this thinking.
Now, a century later, the idea that homosexual persons are born that way has again received a great amount of media attention. As new research studies were published, the popular press presented these as evidence that people are "born gay" and that sexual orientation is therefore unchangable. What has been quietly happening, though, is that the "science" behind this idea is falling apart.}

And here is the site, for anyone who wants a deeper look :
http://www.newdirection.ca/a_biol.htm

And homosexuals will not be welcome in the kingdom of God because of what they have done, and the thoughts they have. (1 corinthians 6:9,10 - Don't you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals - will have no share in his Kingdom. Neither will theives or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers.)

So as you see this is a sin, God did not make us to mate this way. If he did then males would have some ways to probuce children "the way women do". But he didn't so, it is wrong. And so only men and women should be together.

Homosexuality can be overcome. If you want to overcome it you sure can, but only with God's help. You fell into it without him so by nature you would try and get out of it yourself. But it is not wise to try that. It can only be overcome with God's help. (Matthew 7:7-9 - Ask, and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks, finds. If you will knock, the door will open. If a child asks his father for a loaf of bread, will he be given a stone instead?) So, if you want to overcome any sin " homosexuality" it is possible. But you need God's help. So ask and you will recieve.

" All things can be done through the father " - Jesus

So, it is very possible to overcome this. Don't fool yourself, homosexuals were not born with such a " condition ". They made themselves that way. And as Christians it is our duty to help them. So don't descriminate them, help them and pray for them. But also spread the word that this is a sin, because there are people who do not know it is a sin.

-T

The First Post

2006-03-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Well, i thought i would start a new blog for my thoughts on hot topics in the Church. Or just whatever is on my mind that i am feeling led to tell you about. Please feel free to tell me if i have made any mistakes, or left anything out! Because i know i am not as wise as some of you who will read this. And so i can grow wise, i would like to hear your thoughts on the topics at hand.