SATAN'S DECEITFUL NATURE....THE WAR CONTINUES

As we turn our thoughts on getting back to that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION, let us continue to evaluate this new spirit of progressive Christianity that tells us to believe the mindset that says, we know better than God; that since these words were written by mere mortal men, thousands of years ago; then truly the plain sense of the words of the Bible cannot be trusted, and that the old, proven paths are not proven at all. In fact, the very God of the Bible must be recreated if He is to live up to our enlightened standards. This would be bad if it was some uprising of intellectuals, spouting this rubbish from afar; however, it is worse, unfortunately,  because it is being espoused from the pulpit of so many of our "modern day churches." The teachings of Jesus to love our enemies is still true; but we have allowed these "enemies" to stand in our pulpits and tell us that sin is okay. We are told to accept homosexuals, love 'em and praise them for their willingness to bring, what was once called "sin against God and sin against humanity",  out into the open forum so that ALL mankind will no longer call this type of lifestyle, "SIN";  but rather celebrate their "forward thinking" that they know better than God how to live their lives and be fulfilled, while living a lifestyle, corrupted by sin.

BUT, we should know better! For when we begin to think in such a manner, what we are then left with is simply our religion—a faith without a backbone; a bible with which we have chosen only the parts that fit our distorted mindset and a god that we have created in our image, based on our values. 

Augustine summed it up nicely: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Christ warns, on many occasions in His words to us, "And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them." Luke 21:8....and that is EXACTLY what we see happening in so many of our long, established houses of worship here in the United States.

 We should also take to heart the message from the Apostle Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians 9 &10, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

However, there are two more passages from GOD'S WORD, THE BIBLE, that tell us not TO BE DECEIVED....Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”  I Cor. 15:33 WVB

as well as, ^"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7 NIV

AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING...WE ARE MOCKING GOD with our outlandish ways on how to live and our smug attitudes that thumbs our collective noses in God's face, calling Him out and daring Him to correct us and our demonic mindset....A MINDSET that tells us to believe that we are GOD and HE IS NOT!!!

The following excerpt is from Michael Brown ©2022  and the reason I wrote this series... But, again, this is not merely an intellectual battle. At root, this is a spiritual battle, one that can only be won through prayer, fasting, through clear Gospel proclamation, through resisting the enemy, refusing to compromise and walking in genuine, heartfelt love. The spirit of the age will be against us (“You are so old-fashioned and outdated!”). The spirit of the flesh will be against us (“You are such boring legalists!”). The spirit of that ancient serpent will be against us (“If you want to be on the right side of history, you need to abandon your inflexible, fundamentalist mindset!”).

But the Holy Spirit is with us, and by His power we pull down these deceptive strongholds and demolish these destructive ideologies. We do it by wrestling in prayer in the secret place before we raise our voices in the public square. We do it by pointing to the inevitable trajectory of progressive beliefs, as little by little, they depart further and further from the faith until even the most fundamental doctrines are denied. We do it by exposing the moral bankruptcy of a faith that questions God’s integrity and His Word, producing bondage rather than freedom. And we do it by setting the captives free, offering them radically new life through the Gospel and a true encounter with the living God through His Son, Jesus.

In the days ahead, this battle will intensify. The foundations of our faith will be questioned as never before, and the “old ways” will be rapidly abandoned. But be encouraged. Progressive religion is no better than a beautiful sandcastle, soon to be washed out when the tide comes in.

It is that holy tide, in the life and power of the Spirit, grounded in the Word of truth, that will carry us to victory and deliver many from its deception and the adjoining lies. (End of Michael Brown insert)

Don't be one of those fools of which the Bible speaks of in the days that lie ahead...where in 2 Timothy 4:3, it reads," For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires." Evangelical Heritage Version

Those times are upon us and you must choose whom you will serve...the GOD of AGES PAST, who sent His Only Son to die on a Roman cross for your sins and mine; then rose on that third day to now stand at the right hand of the Father, waiting for that trumpet blast to GO GET GOD'S CHILDREN AND BRING THEM HOME TO ETERNAL REST.... OR....You may choose the God of YOUR OWN MAKING AND THOUGH NOT A PROPHET, I DO NOT FORSEE A HAPPY ENDING FOR ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO MAKE SUCH A CHOICE! 

May the God of that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION FOREVER DWELL IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE HE HAS CALLED TO BE HIS OWN....AMEN and AMEN!             

 WPQ

 

Lyrics from Old Time Religion....

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
And it's good enough for me

It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
And it's good enough for me

Well, give me that old time religion
Well, that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

I want that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

 

Another Step A Way ....

As we continue our study of how we got so far away from that Good Old Time Religion, we must next look at the family...and how the dynamics of family, raising children, technology and sports have worked quietly behind the scenes to disrupt and even destroy the family unit here in America and across the world.

When I was being raised as a child, my family had a different dynamic than most. There was my dad, mom, my younger sister, me....and my aunt (my father's younger sister) and her daughter who was six months older than me....and all this new family came to be shortly after I had my sixth birthday. It was quite different; adding a sister/cousin and an additional mom....talk about a double whammy when it came to being chastised and disciplined. But, as families did back then, we settled into life, loving and leaning on one another for familial support. My sister now had someone she could play with and thus, not spend her time, bugging me....and I had another mom who was a great cook. We did what most families did back then....go to work and school, play outside until the street lights came on or my dad hollered for us to come home for supper or school work; went to church Sunday morning for Sunday School, worship service; back at 5 pm for Youth Choir; Wednesday family supper, prayer meetings and youth activities...and if all was going well, a vacation trip each summer for a week's vacation at the beach or to the mountains to visit aunts, uncles and other cousins. I played baseball and took up golf and basketball in junior high....and my all-star baseball team traveled some in the summer before school began in the Fall.

But the mainstay, rock-bed foundation of our family was our evening meal. WE ALL SAT DOWN at the same time, ate the same thing, seated around the dinner table as we discussed the highs and lows of our day... parents and children all joining in to share what was taking place in our lives. If the phone rang during the meal, it rang until it stopped...no one got up to answer it, thus breaking our family circle that was sacred at dinnertime. Everyone was given a chance to share, no interruptions, and seconds, both in food and conversations, was always allowed. The only night we did not eat together at home was on Wednesday night, when we ate at church; or if a special occasion occurred and we went out for dinner. Fast food was NOT AN OPTION....only thing about fast food at my house...how fast I could eat it, so I could be excused ands get back outdoors!

There were no answering machines to take a message; no cellphones, tablets or personal computers, vying for our attention; no tweets, no Instagram, no selfies, no self-inflicted interruptions to take us away from what mattered most...SPENDING TIME TOGETHER, CATCHING UP ON LIFE, EATING A GOOD MEAL, TALKING ABOUT OUR SUCCESSES AND OUR "SPEEDBUMPS"....AND LETTING THOSE WE LOVED KNOW THAT WE HAD MISSED THEM DURING THE DAY!

But all one has to do is look at what modern technology has done to the family dynamics in this modern era....everyone coming and going their own ways, with little to no interaction with others in the family. Hardly ever eating together; both parents working and the kids involved in almost every sport imaginable; running from one end of the county to the other; exhausted and distraught, shortened hours for sleep, homework....but plenty of time for X-box or other diversions that may add to self indulgence, but do little for self-worth and self-improvement. 

Church life is almost becoming an extinct activity for families. Forget Wednesday night at church or Sunday afternoon choir for kids and young people....they are all wrapped up in traveling team sports, often leaving on Friday afternoon to go play in a tournament that won't wrap up until late Sunday afternoon; or participating in a swim, track or gymnastic event that takes them away from attending Sunday School/Bible Study or worshiping together as a family on Sunday. SPORTS FOR OUR CHILDREN HAVE BECOME THEIR IDOL AND WE DRIVE THEM TO WHEREVER THAT MAY TAKE THEM...until they can drive and then, they leave to go play and we go back to taking a long nap on Sunday afternoon. 

No wonder our world is being turned upside down with all these "woke" and "off-beat worldly views." God has been left off of our "things to do" list and our children, our families and our churches are suffering the ill effects of trying to teach our children to live a "good life" with a broken compass that gives them neither spiritual guidance nor heavenly directions....What we need is to return, once again, to that 

OLD TIME RELIGION.....AMEN AND AMEN,

WPQ

Give Me that Old-Time Religion...

Maybe, you are like me when it comes to thinking about where we are in relationship to our values, morals, personal, as well as, religious beliefs. It wasn't that long ago when we could talk about our faith and even have an open and honest discussion with another about our different or even oppositional views...IT SEEMS THOSE DAYS ARE LONG PAST AND ARE NO LONGER EVEN VISIBLE ON THE HORIZON.

So, what has happened to us; to our fellow believers and to those who are un-believers regarding coming to know Jesus as a friend, confidant, guide, moral counselor and most of all, LORD AND SAVIOR? Over the next few days, I hope to address this malady that has befallen us and what it is doing to our society; to our churches and to our personal and professional relationships with those we know and love. First let's start with our society....we used to be civil to each other and sought to listen to our fellow citizens voice their opinion, before we began shouting them down, calling them names and looking for ways to "cancel them and their ideological rants." We say we believe in tolerance; however, if their viewpoint/truth does not totally align with our own viewpoint/truth; then we begin to look at ways to belittle them for their "backwater views",  'hillbilly ways" and  "intellectually deficit mindset"....in short, we plug our ears, make loud, gibberish noises and try to get them to shut up and quit spewing their "nonsense". Oh yes, we are TOLERANT... as long as they believe what we believe, with very little to no deviations. In fact, for many there seems to be an unwritten rule...TWO THINGS WE DON'T DISCUSS; RELIGION AND POLITICS!

So what was the first step down this road to disenfranchise those with which we disagree....I call it....SELECTIVE TRUTH! It seems there is no such thing as ABSOLUTE TRUTH any more, for we have all fallen for the devil's lie that we each can have OUR OWN TRUTH! Fortunately, this way of thinking has yet to invade the laws of physics like gravity, laws of motion, laws of thermodynamics, etc...get my drift? I believe we can all agree that if you jump off of a 10 story building, even if caught by a upward wind current, eventually you are heading for a nasty, downward fall....and remember, it is not the fall that will kill you...IT'S THE SUDDEN STOP!!

It would seem, to any observant person, that we have laid aside the moral laws of the one true God and have decided that we know better than the God of the Universe. After all, that nonsense of evolution, if true, says mankind is always evolving into something "higher and better, more enlightened." Therefore, what we know now, surely makes us better equipped than our ancestors to discern our OWN TRUTH. So, rather than relying on an ancient relic named the BIBLE, we, as enlightened, evolving, logical and rational human beings, have earned the right to discern truth and to determine how to administer truth to others. However, one quick look around the world with all its problems, plagues and persecutions of our fellow brothers of humanity tells us (if we are honest)...WE ARE FAILING MISERABLY WITH LITTLE OR NO HOPE FOR A FUTURE if we continue down this road.

So how did we end up so far off course from the road that God set humanity upon when He gave us HIS ten commandments" I believe it starts with PRIDE AND SIN....TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. What do I mean by that? Well, in each word, smack in the middle of each word is the letter, "I"....I don't need a God to tell me right from wrong; I get to decide that for myself. In fact, I don't need a God for anything; I got this!   Now if that is not a bad case of prIde which leads to all kinds of  sIn, I don't know what is?

Yes, sin, and the pride that precedes it, always takes us away from the TRUTH...for Jesus said it best in John 14: 6. "Jesus told him, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Caps, my emphasis)....and so, it is our sin that separates us from the God who loves us; created us; died for us; rose again to complete our redemption and now reigns for us and with us in this world, and the new world that He has gone ahead to prepare. So don't be deceived by the prince of the air, the Devil and his lying minions; but take this scripture from 1 Peter 5:8 to heart...  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Now, more than any other time in history, we need to be ready to stand firm in our faith and take heed to the message of Paul to his young pastor-in-training when he said; "Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth." 2 Timothy2:15 The Voice

With this mindset as our goal and with the help, guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, our words should never bring anger or resentment into any of our conversations regarding Jesus and His teachings; rather, they should show our love and our compassion for those with whom we differ and should be the bridge of God's TRUTH that leads them to the Savior and to their eternal home with HIM... MAY IT BE SO IN THE POWER OF GOD THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT....

AMEN AND AMEN,

WPQ

Poem for the day...

Truth...Naturally? 

When we are born as a little babe,
Our parents often fail to see;
Though they saw an angel,
There's a little devil in you and me.
 
They try to teach us right from wrong.
They surely give it their best;
But often we come up lacking
And fail to pass the test.
 
The test to share our toys and things
Without having to be told;
So we cling to them; we cry and scream;
No strong man could break our hold.
 
Or what about that broken vase
That lies shattered on the floor;
We tell them, "I didn't do it"
As we lie again once more.
 
Yes, we did not need to be taught to lie
For it comes so naturally;
All because of the bite Eve took
From the apple of the forbidden tree.
 
But there's a cure for this insidious sin
If we do one simple thing...
Ask ourselves, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
Then, live like a child of the KING!
 
 
W. Patrick Queen © May 2020