IMMORAL ACTS

                                                           IMMORAL ACTS

When may a Christian commit an immoral act in the name of God? This may seem like an odd question, but note the word "may" in the above question. "May" means something is permitted, while "can" means the ability to do something. You "can" drive 80 miles an hour the wrong way on a road, but you will be in deep trouble if you're caught. It's not difficult to understand what would happen to you when you were caught. The arresting officer and judge would not likely simply dismiss you with a warning to "go and sin no more." A Christian has a code of conduct to follow if they really are committed to Jesus Christ. There is no bending of Christ's directions and instructions for ANY reason.

Christianity is a two part contract, coupling the Old Testament with the New Testament. If you disagree, you had better get your  bible and turn to Matt. 5:17-20. If you think you are just in a New Covenant Church, you are defying the very words of Jesus Christ. Without knowledge of the Old Testament, how do you plan to qualify as a Christian? That's where the Ten Commandments originated. Let's review the verses I referred to above, to get the full understanding of a Christian commitment.

"Do you think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, 'til heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no  means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore
breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches men, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

You see, friends, failure to understand Christ's guidelines for a Christian tell us clearly heaven will not be your eternal future. That may be hard for you to take if you said the words of salvation. You see, accepting the offer was like signing a contract in blood. It cost you no money, but it cost you the duty to study and become Christ- like in your life. Going to church, teaching Sunday school, tithing and giving alms are all well and good. But, without your fulfillment of scripture study, you will violate your blood contract. It is His blood and your word, not your blood. You don't have to die on the cross. All you have to do is study the Old and New Testaments, and follow His commandments (directions) in just four books of the New Testament. There are many good suggestions in books such as Proverbs, but they are not the words of our Savior.

With His directions in only four books of scripture, how can you not know the conditions of your blood contract? He directs us to the Old Testament to learn the Ten Commandments. If we study the Prophets, we are assured of the future because they were gifted by God to reveal the future, and their predictions have become true. Christ added one commandment to the original ten, and that is the one being violated world wide right now, including America. It is in Matt. 22:39, where the Jewish leaders asked Him what was the "great" commandment in the Law. Christ responded by bundling the first three commandments in simply loving and serving God. But, and note this add-on Christ gave them in verse 39, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." He made it very clear that love and respect of the Lord also carried with it the necessity of treating others the same way.

This explanation by Christ only requires your obedience to His teaching in the four gospels. That's not a very extensive set of  directions. I ponder why even so many pastors don't get it. The organized church seems to be the only field of expertise where the teachers alter their textbooks to suit their or their students' desires. Is it because the students wear dunce hats, or the teachers are actually employed by Satan? I may not be very intelligent, by I have enough savvy to know i must follow a recipe to make something correctly or a manual to construct a machine or building. Why do so many Christians spend so much time finding other parts of the bible to try and "enhance" the words of Christ? Are they more intelligent than God, or did He forget something? Do you or any of your cohorts believe you can improve God?

Did you ever consider that if Christ didn't include a subject in His directions it was because the subject was covered elsewhere; like maybe in the Old Testament or through Jewish cultural customs? One of the main problems the Apostle Paul had was correcting sinful cultural practices among carnal people in newly founded churches. Many of today's Christian churches and leaders incorporate some Paul's corrective instructions in today's church. These rules and regulations were not part of Christ's teaching, and only serve to divide believers. King Solomon, for example, is frequently cited as being the wisest man ever. Yet, Solomon killed people who posed a threat to his sovereignty, disobeyed God by having hundreds of wives and concubines and having a huge stable of horses. Some of his writings are good advice, but they are NOT part of Christ's directions.

A major mistake professing Christians make is not knowing one of Christ's cardinal rules. It is short and sweet, and found in Matt. 12:31 and 32. Every sin repented by man will be pardoned by  anyone who is a Christian, except just ONE. Check your scripture/ That one sin is the denial of the Holy Spirit, the very power of God
and your Savior. Sins before your acceptance of Christ's offer are also forgiven if you repented. Pay attention to the promise given by John the Baptist.

If you deviate from Christ's teaching in the gospels, you are doing the exact same thing of many other religions or faiths. Many other faiths teach being a good neighbor as well as wise sayings. None, however can offer eternal life. If you are a fanatic against certain people and preach or practice that fanaticism, you are preaching the directions of Satan. This is an immoral act, and negates your eternal life in heaven unless you repent. Reread Matt. 5:20. Do you realize eternity is in heaven, and if you violate His teaching with your pet add-ons, you won't see heaven for eternity? Satan is harvesting a huge crop of people who claim to be Christians who lose eternal life because they rally behind emotional issues. That means your discrimination against gays, other races, other faiths, same sex marriage and abortion constitute immoral acts.

Christ did not pass any laws or practices against any person, although He certainly told them about their mistakes and false teaching. Christ did not force anyone to do anything. Why would anyone claiming to be a Christian take it upon themselves to add
or change Christ's directions? We are warned in Rev. 22:18,19 not to add or subtract anything from the book. This is yet another order to keep hands off scripture. While there have been variations in the translation of the bible, there is none of today's persistent attempts to add laws, rules and punishment for "pet" personal agendas.

Do you want eternal life in heaven, or do you want to change things Christ never spoke about or commanded us to do? If you are persuaded by someone,even a pastor, to support any issue not covered in the four gospels, you are disobedient. Check out Sam. 15:22 (in part), "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And
to heed than the fat of rams." God rejected Saul as king of Israel, His chosen people, because of disobedience. Isn't Christian life difficult enough just trying to obey Christ's teaching in the gospels? How are you making out with Christ's Eleventh Commandment?

Do you still believe certain sins (plural) are more deadly than  others or that you can add to His teaching? Are you prepared for your report on obedience, your fulfillment of your obligation through His shed blood? We all continue to sin after salvation because it is part of our carnal nature. Are we working on eliminating our sin problems? Are we repenting? Are we still trying to show how much better we are than others because we aren't committing these sins Christ never mentioned? Are we accusing innocent people with certain medical problems of unforgivable sin because they are doing something we have judged to be unforgivable?

Every professing Christian needs to read the four gospels, and then study them. If you do, you will be performing your end of the blood contract with Christ. He explained the various sins, and He did not attempt to get your attention by preaching material wealth. What material items do you expect to take with you to heaven, assuming that's to be your future home? Do you expect your earthly wealth will qualify you for a special suite in the mansion? Think hard about the word "prosperity," and see that Caesar recognized money and material. God recognizes spiritual accomplishments. You may follow Christ or carnal man. It's your choice.

Rev. Walbear

REASON WHY

                                                              REASON WHY

    If you spend time around youngsters, you will hear the question "why?" frequently. That's a good thing, because it usually means they are paying attention and interested. Youngsters have much to learn, and it's good to stimulate their fertile minds. When we're young, our minds are ready for development and the introduction of truth and reason. When we get older, not so much, and I don't mean elderly older. If you're a Christian, have you continued to develop your faith?

    In Mark 8:11,12, Christ is perplexed when the Pharisees asked for a sign. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two political parties and were represented by the so-called "cream of society" as is the situation in America with our political parties. When you have true faith, you understand the signs that have already been given. Let's get a clear understanding of these leaders so we can see WHY they were seeking a REASON. They didn't want to believe Christ was the Son of God, and they didn't want to give up their cushy jobs in government and the temple.

    Read Matt. 16:1, "Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign  from heaven." This is the common request from people who claim they are believers, but lack faith. There are a number of people who have claimed to witness faith healing that are misled or don't tell the truth. After all, Satan can perform miracles, too. We learned that way back in Genesis with the rods. The difference here is that the only requirement for any miracle was the belief in God plus the Faith of the power of the Holy Spirit. They didn't want
to recognize Christ as God. These leaders believed in God, as many non Christians do today, but were lacking in FAITH. You can confess belief in God, but without faith, your belief is the same as Satan's. Satan surely believes in God, and has been trying his best to take God's throne. Satan has faith in Satan.

     These leaders wanted a spectacular sign such as the fire from heaven and the chariot that took Elijah from earth to heaven. That is much like our enjoyment of fireworks on the fourth of July. Healing a sick or lame person is too tame for them. (See 2 Kings 2:11) If  those lacking faith do see a miracle, they usually ask to see another miracle as proof. Leaders like to bring in speakers with miracle stories to tell because they know it will draw crowds. I had this experience once when a blowhard faith lacking dignitary attempted to hijack my miracle story. He did not want to hear the Lord's message, and wanted to go right to the miracle. There was a timely message for the people before the miracle story, and the Lord told me to skip the miracle and proceed with His word. You don't mess around when the Holy Spirit has something to say. The people were disappointed, but someone there needed that short message.

    There was another reason why the leaders should have accepted Christ and His teaching. They failed to see they were doing exactly what the Lord told Samuel to tell the people when they demanded a human king. To understand why leaders in government and the  church fail to recognize themselves in God's picture, it is easily seen by comparing almost identical passages from 1 Sam. 8:10-18, and Matt. 23:1-36. The leaders of that day and the leaders today fail to recognize themselves. Political leaders see mostly money and power, while church leaders are busy admiring themselves with full self righteousness. This is not true across the board, but unfortunately it is true in many churches, especially the bigger organizations.

Now we get to the reason why, and we actually have several reasons 
why, and they have always been with us. The first is history, which is
now mainly the subject of law. The United States is a government of
historical law decisions. Our educational leaders---going right to those in legislatures---have relegated history to the scrap pile. It is critical for Christians to understand we are no longer living under the Hebrew Law, but under grace through Christ. The only part of the Mosaic Law still in effect is the Ten Commandments plus One. While personal history is vital for our well being, many people have little knowledge of their ancestry or family history. This includes information on health. 

    The second why has to do with tradition. Because certain things have always been done in one way, we continue to carry that way on. The States Rights movement before the Civil War has already been revived twice, including the present situation. Unfortunately, this claim to be a Christian movement is destroying the credibility of our religion. There is none of Christ's teaching in this movement. Perceived tradition should be carefully examined before it is used to front any activity, including the activity of the church. Any tradition that disrupts a church or nation must be put to rest.

    The third why is explained in Matt. 7:1-8. This is in two parts. The first part warns you to be careful in making your decision (judging). "Judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." If you make a mistake in your decision, it will probably come back to haunt you in the future. Quite often, you won't get the opportunity to correct your mistake before damage may be controlled.

    The second part of why explained in Matt. 7:1-8 is the directive to do the necessary research before you make your judgment or decision. The easy way for many Christians is to accept the "why" answer from someone of authority (pastor or politician, verse 1), without performing the appropriate research. I've had people admit to me they had become confused and voted for the wrong person or failed to support an issue because they didn't do the research. Verses 7 and 8 tell us we will know what the correct decision is if we follow these directions. "Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and  you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

    There is no shortcut to truth and honesty. You must be informed
before you can correctly and accurately make decisions.This is 
absolutely vital when looking at a person or issue from a Christian
standpoint. You have Christ's simple and complete directions in just four books of scripture. If you match a person's speech and agenda with the words of Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you will have the Godly answer. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. A Christian must stand by the words of his Savior. If you don't you are guilty of sins committed by that person, either sins of commission  or omission.

    The very first why you need to address is "why don't I spend more time studying scripture?" I've been through the "read the whole bible in a year" suggestion. I found it a very poor way to try and learn scripture, much less understand it. The bible is not a subject you can master in six weeks or a year. No matter how intelligent you may be, you can never live and learn long enough to master the Masterworks. Needless to say, I study scripture almost every day, even when I'm not writing a sermon. Although
I've read many passages many, many times, I frequently find something I previously missed. It also helps if you study scripture from other bibles. I use the King James version because I enjoy it the most. Perhaps the most helpful bible is the Chronological Order Daily Bible, which ties the books together as they happened in time. This prevents the time gaps in our regular bible. To become familiar with the Apocrypha, the Catholic bible is a must. These are the books omitted from the Protestant bible. They cover a period of Israel's history and fill some of the time near the end of the Old Testament.

    Like any subject of importance, you must take your time to cover the material. Shorter readings enable you to get more substance from most books. Trying to  cover ground as in the read in a year does not give you time for things to sink in. The exceptions are the chapters dealing with the names of the generations. These will not mean a great deal until you have become quite familiar with the main characters in the stories. Doing this reading may seem like a bore, but carefully consider where you want to spend eternity.  Is it better to contemplate a place with resurrected 
Christians or the White Throne and the lake of fire? Besides, some of these biblical episodes have been the basis of block buster movies. You may not know what you're missing.

Rev. Walbear

SNOWBALL IN HELL

                                           SNOWBALL IN HELL

    The hot days of summer is an appropriate time to touch on the subject of Hell, especially for Christians. The oft used phrase, "not a snowball's chance in Hell" or similar declaration of impending doom describes absolute defeat. Christians, especially preachers, spend considerable time warning us about the peril of sin and the eventual final resting place for unsaved people. Reading scripture tends to confuse Christians. The customary references to Hell and its proprietor, the Devil, we hear about or see illustrated is deceiving.

    If you read scripture you should know Satan is not evil looking, and in fact was the most beautiful creature before his fall. To know the details of Satan's origin requires some extensive reading, as there are many references of him in the bible. He is so powerful and ominous he is called by three names, the above two plus Lucifer. You can learn about him in seven Old Testament books (Genesis,  1 Chronicles, Job 12 times, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah. He is in 19 New Testament books, and is mentioned by every New Testament writer. Christ spoke about him 15 times, including Matt. 4:10, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

    All Christians should have no doubt that this being exists and has
tremendous power. But, we have been led to believe he is ugly, all in the color red, with horns and a wicked looking tail. He is shown with a type of fork to poke victims. This does not coincide with any description in the bible. He is depicted as having a wicked laugh and being a totally undesirable character. All this is false and leads us  away from the truth as given in scripture. It is actually the Devil at work attempting to deceive us.

    The misconception of Hell is also widely accepted by Christians who need to study scripture better to understand Hell as explained in the New Testament. There are accounts by people who have said they were taken to or towards Hell, but came back. The Catholics have a different concept of Hell and Purgatory, a sort of holding cell for souls awaiting judgment. I don't claim to know the complete story, but I will quote scripture to describe Hell, or Purgatory, if you wish to accept that supposition.

    From scripture, we learn our spirit leaves the body and goes to a 

specific place, or, in some unusual instances is delayed. Sticking strictly to the bible, we go to Luke 16:19-31. This is the description  of Hades, another name for Hell. Note there is no description of fire or red attendants with pitch forks. According to the deceased rich man confined there, it is very unpleasant. Where do we get the idea about Hell being a fire? Probably from Rev. 20:10, "And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

    Revelation 20:11-15 tells us the dead will be judged from the Book of Life at the Great White Throne judgment. Those whose names are not written in the book will be cast into the lake of fire. Those who appear at this judgment seat will not include committed Christians. The acceptance of Christ's offer of salvation AND obedience to His teaching exempts them from this judgment. Their resurrected bodies will be with Christ in heaven. If you THINK you are a Christian, you'd better re-read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Are you following His directions?

     Both Christians and non Christians usually have a strong sense of right and wrong. The Devil knows we are weak, and frequently fall to 

"delicious" temptations. If you are a committed Christian, you have a bulls eye on your back, and the Devil takes immediate note that here is a convert that can be easily discouraged. If you think accepting Christ's offer of salvation means smooth sailing in life, you are likely in for big disappointments. Read scripture. Look at what happened to Christ, the disciples, and leaders of The Way. For that matter, look at the experiences of the prophets in the Old Testament. There is a price to pay for eternal life.

    When a Christian begins to face life's problems, the Devil, or one of his army, moves in to discourage the person. Eph. 6:11 warns us to put on the whole armor of God. "Put on the whole armor of God, that you  may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil." We can easily understand what armor is, but in spiritual matters, we are not dealing in worldly material substances. Eph. 6:12 tells us, "For we do not  wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." This battle is nothing like our worldly battles and wars. The word "spiritual" should make that clear. Remember Isaiah 6:9-10, and Matt. 13:10-17, where Christ tells the disciples the purpose of the parables.

    To illustrate how easy it is to misunderstand parables, you need to 

make a comparison of two instructions from Christ to see the failure of
Christian teachers to understand some parables. Look at Matt. 13:12, and compare it with Matt. 25:29. In Matt. 13:12, Christ is speaking about the spiritual gifts and understanding. With almost the same words in Matt. 25:29, Christ is speaking about abundance, but we are easily led to believe this time He is speaking about money. It's easy to teach this way because everybody's ears are at attention when we talk about money. If you back up to Matt. 25:24, you see this servant knew the wealthy man secured his wealth by crooked means. In verse 26, the wealthy man admitted he gained his money through crooked dealings. Why do so many teachers tell us this parable is about money when it's about honesty and gifts of the spirit?

    The Devil delights when he sees us fall victim to parables such as this. He knows money is one of the primary ways to lead Christians astray. We are warned in Matt. 6:1-4 that money or material things we give to the Lord should not be broadcast to others. We are to give to the church and alms in secret, because public notice brings us the reward of men, not God. I see, and hear on the radio, donations given to ministries or churches with the donor's name attached. This is a "feel good" donation whose value is now, not worthy for any reward in heaven. Read the verses I listed above and you should realize the Devil is cheating you out of heavenly rewards, if indeed you are saved. It's glory to men OR God. You can't have it both ways.

    Because God gave us free choice, we'll have lots of difficulties in our life resulting in poor choices. Unless we are truly saved, the Devil doesn't need to spend much time on us. Our characteristics tend to lead us to all kinds of sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are not capable of fending off the Devil. There is no substitute for reading or hearing the gospel. For Americans, the core of obedience is given in just four books---the gospels. Much of the Epistles deal with problem solving  in newly established churches of that time period. These instructions were to correct certain culture practices that conflicted with or  hindered The Way. Many of today's Protestant denominations include some of these Epistle teachings in their worship, and this only causes confusion and conflicts that is promoted gleefully by Satan. He knows when churches disagree, the people will spend more time trying to prove their way is superior. That will short change gospel study. A prime example of this is repeated baptism.

    Many denominations will not consider a baptism from any other
denomination to be valid. All Christian churches should recognize that
baptism is an act of assurance of commitment. It is between the  person and God. The officiating person is simply performing a service,  and has no other duty or function. The denomination of the officiating person has no bearing on the person's public declaration. A Christian denomination not recognizing a baptism from other Christian denomination is dividing believers. It is an egotistical effort to prove their denomination is more important than others. The Devil is always sneaking in to divide and weaken people.

    Recent acts of fires at black Christian churches obviously cannot be lightening strikes, as some pretending Christians claim. You will see
many such acts encouraged by Satan because he knows our egos are
much like his. If we have to hurt other believers to prove we are better,
our egos are difficult to control. We confuse our attempt to be a better
person with our attempt to be a better Christian. There are no better
Christians, friends. We are all sinners, needing the cleansing blood of
Christ to qualify for eternal life. Most of us secretly believe we're better
than others. I'm certain of that from some of the smug looks I see on
the faces of some church goers when they exit the church or parade
down the street.

    We understand how humans grade classes and categories, ranging from grades in school, college degrees and professional skills. When you become a genuine Christian, you should expect to begin a very long period of instruction to prepare you for your final destination. Eternal life is forever, and I don't believe God just wants a bunch of reconstituted "filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) laying around behaving like rich or lazy humans. Eternal life requires Christians follow the directive in 2 Tim. 2:15, "rightly dividing the word of truth." You need to work (study) the word of God to succeed as a Christian just as you need to be successful on earth. There is no shortcut.

Rev. Walbear

FREEDOM: REALLY?

                                                            FREEDOM: REALLY?

    As Americans celebrate Independence Day, it would be appropriate
for a serious introspection of the freedom we boast about to the world. This is a hollow boast if you are a Christian, because our  leaders, including the church, are violating the very teaching and words of Jesus Christ. I said "leaders," because many people are placing the blame on certain individuals instead of the many  individuals actually creating the chaos. Let's look at scripture for our stating point.

    Turn to Matt. 10:8-15, but as you study these verses, transfer the
directions of Christ to today's people rather than the Hebrews of that
day. Christ was sending them out to His own people first, before Gentiles were added by the Apostle Paul and his brethren. Today, we as Christians are responsible for completing His final direction, the Great Commission (all four gospels). This includes all people, every country, all nationalities, all colors, and believers of other faiths. Not one person should be excluded from His message and the opportunity for eternal life. Events over the past two years in America clearly illustrate that we, as a people, are seriously  lacking. Now we go to that scripture in Matt. 10.

    "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (America is the house of Christianity). And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received , freely give." Why do I see and hear people claiming to be Christians trying to deny Christ's free gift to others? On America's Independence Day, why is our flag replaced by the symbol of a flag directly opposing the words of the Savior they claim to be "their's?".  Seventy years ago, these people would be on trial for treason. July Fourth should be a day of mourning for the loss of freedom now being denied to segments of our population. Read our Constitution: it guarantees freedom and justice for all. Christ did not set apart the political parties of Israel, nor the color of a person. Didn't know that? Better spend some time in research. 

    Before continuing with the quotes from Matthew, I'm going to do some preaching about the fake, phony big mouthed people who claim to be Christians. They are destroying our "faith" by their ridiculous example of Christianity. They are supporting laws that take away freedoms and oppress the very citizens who are the foundation of our country. Corporations do not resemble Christ in any way. Any Christian should know that by reading scripture. Yet Christians in our Supreme Court have ruled corporations have all the privileges of a person, EXCEPT they don't have to experience war and return home in body bags. Most wealthy people did not earn their billions, they inherited the foundation money and built their wealth on investments. They do not and did not earn their money by sweat and blood. There is nothing wrong about wealth except
when greed overcomes Christ's directions, and these Christians do exactly the opposite of His teaching. Further, they seem to have  the ability to smell  money, and like rats drawn to cheese, make haste to get there first.

    Hate is not part of Christianity, and it is difficult to maintain a level of dislike for these leader phonies when I see or read what they say  and do in the name of our Savior. Take a good look at the verse in Matthew and see that Christ directed them to assist people through the power of the Holy Spirit. He wanted sick people to be healed, not left destitute and suffering. He wanted them to cleanse lepers. That is a disease in the category of today's cancer. He did not tell them to force anyone to accept His offer of salvation. He did not make any attempt to force or disenfranchise any person who had a different lifestyle. He told them, after healing or counseling them, to go forth and sin no more. He didn't try to have them arrested or declared unfit for the human race. Christ was the God-man of love.

    The phony Christians claim we must have laws and rules to punish
wrong-doers. They are correct. However, they wring their hands over the Roman justice system that ACCEPTED the religious rulers' demand that Christ die. The judge wanted to free Him, but church leaders didn't want His competition. The American justice system needs to take a hard look at this. Christ recognized the role government must play in establishment of law by paying His taxes. The government built the road, provided law enforcement and constructed infrastructure. Things may be more modern, but they haven't changed that much.

     Now we go to verse 9. "Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, (V10) nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food." Faith Walk Ministry was founded on this verse, and we have been in business for over 30 years. We have no congregational support and no pressure from any organization. Sometimes the Lord takes us right to man's deadline, like this year's taxes---over $6,000. They were due June 30, and we paid them June 26. He delivers, but you must have real faith, not that phony line you hear every day.

    When entering a town, the disciples were directed to take specific 
action. "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire in it who is worthy, and stay there till you go out. And when you go into a  household, greet it. Verse 13 explains exactly what to do when you determine worthiness. "If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you." If you harbor hate, you will not have peace. If you harbor love, you will have peace. God knows best, and wants you to have peace and  joy.

    Verse 14 tells you exactly what to do if the household or person is not worthy. "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." Christ closes with a warning for those who listen to the phony charges of pretending Christians in verse 15. "Assuredly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city." Of course Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed, as were the residents. If Americans listen to and follow the divisive leaders now amidst us, the judgment is  crystal clear. You are directly responsible to Christ for your actions. You better be sure of your support, because the judgment of America as well as yourself depends on your obedience to His teaching in the gospels.

    Your guideline as a Christian is found in 1 Sam. 15:22 (in part),  "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." Verse 23 tells Saul that God has rejected him from the kingship of Israel because of disobedience and his sin.  When friends and other professing Christians speak and support people who are breaking Christ's directives, you are guilty of the identical sin if you agree with them or further their claims. We only go around  once in this world, so we'd better get it right. I hear all kinds of lies and excuses for hatred and see daily atrocities committed in the name of their sham savior. 

    If you want to be proud of Independence Day, the United States and our Constitution, you'd better think about the Civil War that isn't over. The slave states and later sympathetic added states are foaming a confrontation between a coalition consisting of real Christians, people of other faiths and no faith versus a revival of the states' rights Confederation. These phony agitators, including some pastors and much of the news media, are leading America to judgment, and it won't be pretty. Scripture must be studied just as any other subject. If you don't know the material, you won't pass. Christianity isn't civics, social study or entertainment. The subject is Eternal Life. You'd better hit the Good Book and pay strict attention to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   America's future depends on you!

Rev. Walbear