Has Anything Changed?

Please take the time to read Matthew 8:28-34. Jesus met two demon-possessed men and cast the demons into the nearby pigs. These two men then went into the city and told the people what had happened to them. These people then “came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region” (verse 34).

John MacArthur simply explains this, “perhaps they were concerned with the financial impact from the loss of the pigs. More likely, they were all ungodly people frightened to be in the presence of such spiritual power.”

Charles Stanley also gives commentary on this verse in his life lessons section explaining, “This verse reveals the sinful character of mankind, Jesus had just cast demons out of two men and sent the evil spirits into a herd of swine. The entire herd rushed toward a steep embankment and into the sea where they drowned. When the herdsmen reported what had happened to the people of the nearby town, the entire community became angry with the Savior. What was their chief concern? It was the potential drop in economy and loss of business. They were worried more about their financial welfare than their spiritual health. When they saw Jesus approaching their city, they asked Him to leave. Sadly, we are guilty of this same thing. We have grown accustomed to living with sin, and we don’t want to think about God removing it, especially if it would mean a loss of perceived pleasure or income. But clinging to sin is one of the most deadly things we can do.” (Life Principles Bible, p 1393, Charles F. Stanley)

Even in these times, when many of us are working out of our homes or worse, having lost our job because of something we could not have foreseen we can rest assured that God has not lost control of the situation. We most likely, do not understand why God would let it happen but I know for sure “that God causes all things to work together for good to those who live God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NASB)

Most of the world, including the United States, just want things to get back to “normal” so the stock market will balance out and go up, they can go back to work and bring home a pay check and not have to be around their children or their spouse. That last part of that sentence is quite sad but most people don’t know how to be a relative family anymore.

Maybe God has allowed this time in our history to help us to turn our focus off of making money, sports, always running the kids here and there, and always on the go to a quite different focus of our family and growing in Christ Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior nor have you submitted to Him as Lord, perhaps now is the time. Get into the Word of God! If you don’t know where to start, the Gospel of John is always a good place to start. I also like the book of Ephesians because it gives such practical advice on how to live my daily life.

If that doesn’t help you, reach out to me in a private message on my Facebook “A Fae Original Page” and I will introduce you to my pastor or walk with you a bit on your journey. Just so you know, God loves you so very much. Has anyone told you lately how much you are loved? Has anyone told you that you can change your present journey, you may not feel there is any hope, but through Christ Jesus, you can start down a different path?

Surrendering our present situation in life to Him will bring new hope and the Bible will bring wisdom. Are you ready to cry out to Him right now?

Perversion of the World becomes Perversion in Our Heart

My oh my, I’ve seen plenty written on facebook concerning last night’s Super Bowl, and I must admit that I did not watch any of it. First, I have no interest in football and secondly, I saw enough of the reviews concerning advertisements either rejected or the ones that were going to show that I could not bring myself to watching it even for the commercials. Isn’t that the excuse that many use for watching?

Some have commented as to why these half-time shows are getting so perverted as well as their beloved commercials? Indeed, why? The only answer to such questions is found in God’s Word. If you have read either of my books, or followed my writings for any length of time, you will know that I go back to certain Scriptures and this is no different. First, let’s look at 2 Kings 17:14-15:

“But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected His decrees and the covenant He had made with their fathers and the warnings He had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do,” and they did the things the Lord had forbidden them to do.”

I now will refer to the “Charles Stanley Life Principle Bible” commentary concerning the above passage. “We likewise disobey God when we do not believe either what He promises or what He instructs—and destruction follows. We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.

If we read the Bible daily, through the Bible in a year, we start gaining an understanding of His instructions for our daily living. We start to understand how to apply His Word to our lives. One such Scripture that God impressed upon my heart a long time ago was, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” Psalm 101:3 This leads me to Psalm 119:37, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word.” When we look at worthless things, we start feeling worthless as it says in 2 Kings 17:14-15.

Charles Stanley also reminds us, “God is the Shepherd; we are His flock. He is our Father; we are His children. He is the creator; we were formed by His hand. When we remember these basic truths, we will honor Him and will have more motivation and confidence for whatever situation comes along.”

We must understand that we need to live differently as Christ followers! Ephesians 4:17-19 explains the heart of the lost,

“So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

This Scripture explains how people (even those who call themselves Christians) can watch the filth of the Super Bowl half-time. Their hearts are hardened just as pharaoh’s heart was hardened…both live a compromised life concerning the Word of God. Satan tried to get Jesus to compromise and he daily tries to get people who say they belong to Jesus to compromise. One such compromise would be watching something that you know isn’t pleasing to God. We cannot trust our own wisdom or think that we can handle exposing ourselves to sin because it just hardens our heart all the more.

If you still are not sure as to what you should do that pleases God, He has a list in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brother (and sisters), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—thing about such things.” (Please know there are more lists in Scripture.)

God is encouraging us to fill our minds with holy and acceptable things from Him (His Word). We need to make important choices and know that we cannot expose ourselves to the filth of the world and not be affected by it. God knows us, He knows what is best for us. But, He still gives you the choice.

History Repeats Itself IF…

Exodus 1

The Hebrews came to Egypt as a means of survival, they needed food because of a great famine. God had already sent Joseph ahead and prepared him to be only second to Pharaoh.

They lived on the best Egypt had to offer. They lived separate from the Egyptians, continuing to speak their own language, continuing to carry on their own traditions, and they worshipped the Creator of the Universe not the Egyptian gods. Although they lived in the land of Egypt, they were not a part of the Egyptian culture. They didn’t want to be and were not expected to do so. For they knew they would, at some point, go back to the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Bible teaches us to pass our history on to our children and their children for one purpose. If we do not learn then teach future generations those lessons, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren are prone to repeat our same mistakes. They will experience the same pain and perhaps even worse…because we did not follow the Lord’s instructions. We are directed to teach the little ones God’s Word, so they know right from wrong.

“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons (and daughters) and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NAS

“We continue to need the reminder of how to live a Godly life, including “do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deut 16:19-20 NIV) Wise words then and we would do well to follow them today. As we fall further away from the Lord, we see more injustices happening and people turning a blind eye. We see babies being killed, homosexuality being accepted, money being given in exchange for favors, the government providing for the needy where the people of God should be walking alongside these people, and we are accepting such sin. This should not be!” (“Faithful Promises of God, Day 46, 2 paragraph) By the way, I wrote this in 2015.

May God purge the evil from this land and may it start with each one of us repenting of our part in this sin. May we only look to God for any change in this country and fall on our faces in surrender to serve only Him. Yes, God uses men to fulfill His will and we are to be obedient to our government, as long as it is following Biblical guidelines.