ARE YOU LISTENING?

                                                               ARE YOU LISTENING?

If you are a regular reader of these messages, you will see that there are certain quotes from the four gospels repeated many times. Most of these quotes are not one-liners, but passages of several verses that fully explain the subject. This message begins with the short, but concise Christian "Manifesto." This manifesto includes ALL directions given His followers (us). Salvation begins the Christian walk, but the walk then must follow the path explained to us in Matt,. 28:18-20, and Luke 24:44-49. We'll examine these scriptures more closely, and you may see you have misunderstood parts of them. After reviewing these verses, we'll move on to the TOTAL job description for a Christian in Matt.  13:19-23. There's a warning about overdoing the Christian urge to  control Gentiles in Matt. 13:24-30. These latter passages also refer to the rapture and Christ's return as seen in Revelation. All scripture is related, but you must consider directions carefully. We will look at each of these references, and expand the meaning and use of the words. It's way too easy to jump to the wrong conclusions.

When Jesus had risen, He appeared to the disciples and gave them the exact directions a Christian must follow--no more, no less. The problem Christians have today is trying to expand these directions, going so far as to quote Jewish civil law and Proverbs. Jewish civil law is not part of the Ten Commandments, and Christ did not speak or write any Proverbs. Carrying out Christ's directions is work enough for any Christian. Matt, 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the  Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen."

Christ's directions are also very clear in Luke 24:44-49. I'll list only verse 47, "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." This much is crystal clear: A Christian's job is to preach the word of God. Our responsibility is to PREACH THE WORD, TO TEACH THE WORD. It is not to use other parts of scripture except to reinforce something He taught. Christ used prophets such as Isaiah, who told about the birth of Christ, among other information he received directly from God. The prophets did not preach do's and don'ts. They warned Israel they were departing from God's word and worship. This expansion by modern Christians to include focusing on issues such as same sex marriage and abortion, other religions and races has NO PLACE in following Christ's directions. I'll give you scripture to tell you why. Don't believe me, believe Christ.

The method of preaching the word is explained in Matt. 13:18-23. This is the Parable of the Sower. Christ tells us to sow (preach) His word. It is every person's choice to accept, backslide or reject the message. There is no force. It is a sin to try and force Christianity on anyone. Our job is to preach and teach. We are issuing a CALL, which may bring the person to be CHOSEN. Read the parable. We scatter the seed. We cannot force it to grow. The parable describes what happens to people who receive the seed. If you are a preacher or teacher, you will be held accountable for trying to force belief and wrong teaching. Every Christian has at least one gift of the Spirit. There is no purpose
in arguing with someone who doesn't agree with you. God and the Holy Spirit will do the CHOOSING. If a person is amenable, and will discus the subject reasonably, it could be profitable for both of you. If the discussion is about controversial issues, and the person becomes emotional or animated, it is correct to withdraw.

There is only ONE person qualified to judge heaven and earth, and He does not need your "expertise." You have read in previous quoted scripture that Christ has dominion over heaven and earth. You should also be aware that Christ is the judge in the end times. Check out Matt. 7:1-5. These passages tell us not to judge people. All sins are equal in value, so if you pick one sin such as drunkenness or abortion, you must also list the others which include lying (false witness) and envy. Otherwise, you are judging others while you are ignoring your personal sins. The penalty from Christ can be your anger and charge returned to you. If you use your mind, you can understand that people don't have to be married to have same sex. They do have to be legally married to qualify for government benefits. If they are taxpayers, they are entitled to these benefits. Hate and greed replace the intelligence
of the accuser. Why do you think Christ didn't teach about these  subjects? Do you believe you are more intelligent than Christ?

Satan uses emotional issues and the lack of scripture knowledge to divide would be believers. To understand this apparent conflict with our desire for and hope for peace, you must know that the original presence of Christ on earth WAS NOT to establish peace. That will not come to pass until He RETURNS. Read Revelation to substantiate this. Here is the reason for His appearance on earth in the flesh, Matt. 10:34-39 tells us He came to DIVIDE us. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I come not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his Father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth. Him that sent Me."

This scripture may confuse you if you fail to understand Christ came to offer salvation and The Way to eternal life. Mankind has the choice to FOLLOW Him and His teaching, or to decide what additional teaching from the bible, including Jewish social law and Proverbs. Your choice to follow His narrow path in the gospels or to expand to include other issues will separate or DIVIDE you from the body of Christ. You can either concentrate on His teaching, or go your own way, which is NOT The Way. Peace won't come until the earth is purified and Christ comes a second time to clear out all those who do not follow The Way. Read Revelation. Christians will not purify the earth. In America, Christians are wasting time and power arguing about issues Christ never mentioned. Many are obsessed with sexual issues, including such no brainers about who can use which bathroom, potty rules, what you can wear in your bedroom, how rape is okay in some instances, and how women cause rape because of the clothes they wear. Of course, men have no responsibility because....men will be men.

American Christians are splitting what heavenly power they are gifted with, while Satan is realizing His time is soon upon the earth. Proud men wear their earthly rewards and enjoy their idol---money. Those few understanding Christians who are issuing the warning of the Prophets in the Old Testament and the modern Prophets, who aren't recognized by the church, will receive heavenly rewards. Matt. 10:41 tells us, "He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." You can find the definition of other heavenly rewards in the Epistles. Faith is more than a word: it is The Way. Are you separating yourself?

Rev. Walbear

DOUBTING THOMAS

                                                         DOUBTING THOMAS 

When a personal experience exactly matches scripture, the teaching of Jesus Christ really hits home. If you are a Christian, and base your "faith" on Christ, He will give you real life experiences that match His experiences on earth. This requires calm thinking on your part, because we are told both in the Old Testament by Isaiah, and by Christ in the New Testament that faith does not come easily. Thomas, one of the 12 disciples, spent time in the presence of Christ, hearing the teaching and seeing miracles. When Christ was risen and first appeared to some of the disciples, Thomas was not present. Thomas did not believe these disciples when they told him they had seen Christ. The second time He appeared to the disciples, Thomas was present, and expressed his disbelief. Look at John 20:24-29, where Thomas had to actually place his hand in the place where Christ had been pierced by a sword.

So much for scripture. We turn now to real life with real people, and I'm the real people. I'm not a doubting Thomas, but I have perhaps more reason to believe. The lack of faith to believe does more to hurt an innocent person than the disbeliever. It may not result in a physical scar, but a mental scar. Consider Christ's feeling when Thomas doubted. We shall address TWO vital characteristics through the examination of doubt. You should understand that doubt also often is accompanied by fear. There is a saying that if one good man doesn't stand up, the bad guy wins. Who stood up for Christ? You may not stand up for what's right because the opponent is strong and shows much force. That's fear, another word for lack of faith.

My father was a school board member for many years and served as the board secretary most of his tenure. He set the meeting agendas and was the guy people came to see when they had needs or problems. As a young lad, I saw many people come to him to register a complaint. He always listened and told them he would put their situation on the agenda of the next meeting. All they had to do was attend the meeting and present their case. Very few showed up. They either really didn't have a reasonable problem, or they were afraid to face officialdom. If they or their children were being wronged, the existing situation would continue or get worse.

I saw this phenomenon when I was in college, and the state was moving to eliminate small schools by consolidation. This process is continuing today. There were nine smaller districts involved, including one with a high school. In America, bigger is always believed to be better. Serious research showed this consolidation would save money immediately, but reverse financially a few years down the road. The state's man (a county superintendent of schools) knew his job, and put great pressure on the school directors in the nine districts. All were honest men (no women), but only one had 20 years of experience and had met with actual state professionals in the state's capital. That was my father. Although he had the facts and figures, a majority of the board members endorsed the superintendent. When it came to a vote, my father was the only no vote. Fast forward one month, and the other four members of my father's board came to him and apologized for their vote. It took only that long for the financial numbers to suddenly prove him correct. But, it was too late. The small schools were closed as was the small high school. Taxes went up, and the "advantages" of the big school didn't materialize. The superintendent didn't tell them subjects could be expanded only if funds were spent to purchase additional materials, such as more typewriters, books, and numerous other items. Students didn't have the promised options.

Now, return with me to yesteryear, and we're at a trial before the Roman judge. Jesus did not attempt to defend Himself, He had no witnesses, and the Jewish priests and politicians wanted Him dead; they testified against Him. They had no evidence. Pilate wanted to set Him free. Not one person stood up for the Son of God. Remember, women didn't count at that time. They did what they could, witnessing His cruel death. There were no "believing" men around. Think about this again. Here were men who were sent out to tell people the gospel (Matt. 10:5-25). He gave them power to heal and cure. Still, they didn't believe resurrection was possible. The fact they failed doesn't give you the same excuse. We have a personal relationship with Him.

I have been blessed several times when people stood with me and supported me in important issues. This is a wonderful feeling. The feeling of disappointment when support hides is devastating. Losing the issue is minor compared to the lack of trust and support. This lack of trust is evident in our society today, and the result is that people accept negative information if it has any chance to correct a real or perceived problem. Satan has a huge cadre of people right now misrepresenting the gospel, and that includes a large number of apostate church leaders. Most believers fear opposing anyone or group who uses character assassination or lynch mob tactics. It's not fun to be attacked.

Two brief instances where I had a ringside seat to observe evil overtake truth, and how to retreat as God always directs when He will accept a brief battle victory by Satan. The church (us) is in a delaying action at present, as we should understand by studying Revelation. The first situation involved a battle mixing politics, greed and influential power. The head of one agency didn't get the prime office space of another department head. He directed an employee to lie about a trivial matter, and solicited the help of a politician to build upon a minor lie. There was no support for the innocent department head, so he had to resign. The big loser was the people, who lost an honest and diligent worker. There was no support to get the department's work accomplished.

The second situation involved an innocent person doing a job very well. There arose a problem with the job caused by a vicious individual possessed by the combination of greed and power. The innocent person would have to go to court to rectify the problem. In this situation there were witnesses who could correct the situation. However, the evil person had the power (money) and reputation to frighten people. The witnesses were common people who would be no match for a clever attorney. Rather than go through court, and subject these people to embarrassment, the innocent person decided to accept the loss. Being honest and correct in a court of law does not mean a fair decision. God is always in charge, but He uses people to do things, and each is judged by Him according to their actions.

If you are a committed Christian, the Holy Spirit will tell you when you took the easy way out. It's a sin of omission, but it is a sin that is forgiven by Christ's sacrifice. He does understand your thinking and decision. When several people are involved in a situation, a Christian is expected to be concerned with all participants, including a guilty party. God's Chosen person or people didn't always come out victorious in the first battle. They were taken captive many times when they forsook God. They were always restored when the lesson was learned and they repented. The Jews were warned before World War II to leave Europe.

They chose to stay for several reasons, but mostly because they had become physically "comfortable" there. Although somewhat discriminated against, they were having a very comfortable life, according to carnal physical conditions. The comfort zone was provided by money. They displayed the ingenuity and work ethic inherent in the Jewish nationality. Remember, a person can be a Jew by nationality and/or religion. Money replaced their loyalty and allegiance to God. When it comes to supporting God AND truth, few people are left standing.

Many Christians in America are imitating the apostles in their lack of support for His teaching. Rather than follow directions in the four gospels, they are championing the discriminating rhetoric of race, other faiths, personal life styles, dress, Jewish social customs and laws, gender, and other methods utilized to separate WOULD BE BELIEVERS. If you find yourself beating the drum for a politician or church leader constantly harping on these subjects, you are in serious trouble. Ask the person to present the scriptural reference from the spoken word of Christ in the four gospels. Don't be sidetracked by reference from Jewish laws or Proverbs. A Christian follows Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is no other. You are accountable.

Rev. Walbear

DECORATION DAY

                                                            DECORATION DAY 

Monday, May 30, will be observed as Memorial Day, which is confusing to an old timer like me. Back in the Old Days, before the end of World War Two, this date was known as Decoration Day. It was a day primarily set aside for families to remember departed loved ones. There were some military veterans included, but the majority of those departed were family members. Family ties were much stronger then, as wanderlust, jobs, education and travel were more restricted. Family history was very important. The changes in the past 80 years have been radical, and they are reflected in all our society, but especially among Christians. I write this to compare Christian history with Jewish history, and warn the many complacent Christians that uncomfortable history may be on the verge of repetition.

The Jewish religion was based on family. Societies that moved away from this concept have collapsed. Even Israel, the very heart of God's Chosen, has collapsed--not once, but many times. Israel is God's choice, and it will always rise up after correction. Christianity, too, will rise up after it crumbles. If you don't believe it will crumble, read the Book of Revelation. This is not a doomsday message, because Christianity will be the new face of humanity when Christ returns. Until then, Christians will continue to divide themselves into those who leave earth in the rapture, and those who are DELUDING themselves into believing they are actually committed to Jesus Christ. I repeat this direction in almost every message: read the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are the words of Jesus and instruct you exactly as God intended when He gave Moses the Law. There are only Ten Commandments, but many Christians, including pastors and teachers, don't fully understand some of them. Worse yet, it seems a majority of Christians fail to follow the one addition by Christ: Love thy neighbor.

I keep repeating God's reasoning for the Ten Commandments and the difference between law and grace, but there is a continuous drumming that other Jewish social laws and Proverbs must also be followed. Proverbs were not written or spoken by Jesus. There are several different writers of Proverbs, and none of them were disciples. Solomon wrote some, and His rule began with murders and continued with hundreds of concubines and direct defiance of God's order not to have large stables of horses. He was a great leader, but disobeyed God big time. Proverbs includes some good advice, but it has nothing to do with the original Law. Have you broken any of those laws? Have you ever seriously studied them? Christ said the Ten Commandments and His additional one to love thy neighbor were The Way.

There are reams of Jewish social and criminal laws, but they are no part of Christ's teaching. He gave us the simple, but difficult rules to follow. There are countless denominations and cults today who take steps to separate their group from all others. They believe by doing so they are more righteous. Their different rules or interpretations do separate Christians, and, in so doing accomplish exactly the opposite of His teaching that we are all part of one body---the church. This move to separation began as each church was planted by apostles and the leader that served as pastor. These new leaders had no New Testament to guide them, and many went far astray from His teaching. The Gentiles
did not have any Jewish background and the Jews had trouble equating their Law with Christ. The question for every Christian should be, "Did Christ violate the original Ten Commandments?" There are some groups or denominations that are so confused they are unknowingly teaching this falsehood.

Christ taught in the synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath, which was observed on Saturday. He also taught in the synagogue and in many other places on Sunday and other days of the week. That was wrong according to the Jewish interpretation of the Ten Commandments. So was Christ a sinner for having days of worship other than calendar Sabbaths? When the apostles planted churches, they taught on Sundays when they were converting local Jews to Christianity. These Jews had to be taught on Sunday because they had to be at synagogue on their Sabbath, Saturday. So were the disciples sinning? Let's think about this discrepancy. God knew if He didn't designate a particular day of the week for rest and worship, people would eventually ignore the direction. Look at today's Christians. He was correct. What He gave as instructions was accepted as word for word law. That was the accepted way in the Old Testament. Look at the Book of Esther, where a king's word to slay Jews couldn't be simply amended. He had to issue a second decree to permit the killers to be slain if they attacked the Jews, which was a back door cancellation. Life or death depended on the king's decree. Mistakes were not altered.

Christ straightened the Jews out on the Sabbath ruling with a very short, concise explanation in Mark 2:23-28. You only have to read the final verse in this passage to KNOW the TRUTH. Read all the verses so you really understand Him, and it's not just picking out a verse to support anyone's opinion. "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." It matters not that your day of rest and worship is a Sunday, Saturday or Wednesday. It's the purpose of the day and how you use it. How much scripture do you study---not just read---on your Sabbath? Too many Christians today misunderstand Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." There were no books to study at that time, so listening to teaching was the only way to learn the directions of Christ. Today we have scripture to check the teaching we receive. It's much easier to listen to someone on the radio or watch television. Few people bother to check these preachers for accuracy. That's not their fault; it's YOUR FAULT.

This is the time of apostate teaching, and the world is full of apostate teachers. Many are church leaders. Most politicians campaign using emotional apostate issues to inflame Christians who have not studied scripture. When Christians quote issues Christ didn't teach, they have been snared by Satan. Most of these issues are not new, and none have ever changed the direction of the world. Fear is a key issue, as is another often used excuse for high taxes: it's for the children. The continuing failure of professing Christians to study scripture will fulfill the result we are warned about in the Epistles: TRIBULATION. This is nothing for committed Christians to fear, because we won't be on earth to cuddle up to the Anti-Christ.

The signs of apostate abound today, aided by the breakthroughs in communication. Going to church, listening to a radio program, watching a television preacher or participating in fun family activities with an organization won't cut it. There is no substitute for studying scripture. Candidates for church and government leadership continually use the Christianity card. Scripture clearly tells us a Christian commits to Christ and accepts the free gift of salvation, but the proof of a heartfelt commitment is in the good works that follow. Christian leadership today devotes much time to pandering for money. Fund raisers abound. Yet,
many of these organizations separate Christians according to money. It costs money to succeed in man's carnal world, and we must make budget goals and keep expanding. If we use common sense and have faith, we don't have to worry about budget and expansion. One of God's names means to provide. Any group or organization that follows Christ's teaching will be successful. Special events to draw people through entertainment and raise funds exclude people who are poor and large families. Christ and the apostles did not rely on such tactics. Paul had an occupation. Originally, Jewish priests worked at assigned jobs in the temple. Eventually greed, power and money coaxed them away and into
the mire of carnal man. Money is necessary in the carnal world. We live here, but if we are truly Christian, we are not of this world.

We belong in the spiritual world of God. We do need to work, make a living and survive the vices of our carnal surroundings. This is a dilemma, and Satan is well aware of it. He sweetens the pot by giving us the opportunity to short change God's directions and introduce controversial issues or misleading information. When spiritual directions seem too good to be true, they probably aren't true. When you're too busy to worship, or it's too boring, you are lacking in your contract agreement. This happens to all of us. A real Christian's conscience will tell you when you're guilty. Then, it's up to you to keep your name clear in that Little Book. Having your name clearly written there is an unmatched privilege. Keeping it clear in this carnal world is difficult, but that's our job.

Why do I write this gloomy message when the subject is about decorations and memorials? The name change is fitting, considering the changes in America. Eighty years ago this special day was somber, but a joyous somber, because we remembered the accomplishments of our ancestors and the positive things they brought about. The flowers and decorations were joyous. Today it is difficult to get families together because people live virtually all over the globe. Families don't stay together long enough to learn much of their history. There is not much to celebrate, and the break up of family units frequently means children don't even know one of the parents. The younger relatives are concerned with their carnal lives, and elders are rarely respected for their wisdom. The strict branch of the church is turning off Gentiles and much of the moderate and liberal church. Instead of studying scripture to reason who is correct, ultra conservative church people and ultra liberals continue to mindlessly argue. Conservatives refuse to discuss the issue because they have the truth, or so they think.

Nobody knows it all, including me. There should always be room to discuss any issue. The important thing is to establish facts. No one who believes he/she knows scripture because he/she read a verse about a subject should also believe that one verse is all the explanation there is. After 80 years, I still have two teachers who have spent their lives studying the word. Sometimes I learn from them; sometimes they learn from me. We always go to scripture to determine the appropriate answer. They also know history, culture and many languages. Accepting Christ's offer should only be the beginning of kindergarten for studying the word of God. Are you indicating to God you are an eager student? Heaven is not a retirement home.

Rev. Walbear

TEN LEPERS

                                                            TEN LEPERS

When you have an active outreach ministry, you soon find modern, real life experiences that match passages of scripture. People don't change, whether they're Christians or Gentiles. Our example for this message could be from Ripley's Believe It Or Not files. We learn two truths from the experience. Turn to Luke 17:11-19.

"Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!'"

Leprosy was an incurable disease that required those afflicted to be held separate from society. These ten men were not Jews or Christians. In fact, the Gentiles of Samaria were despised by Jews.

"And when He saw them, He said unto them, 'Go show yourselves unto the priests.' And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan." Our first important lesson is that God loves all of us: Jews, Gentiles, Muslims, Christians. He will work in your life if you believe and have faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. His work may not be according to your desire, but it will be for His purpose AND your purpose. It may require some sacrifice on your part. Good deeds don't cost; they pay.

We continue with verse 17. "And Jesus answering, said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this stranger."' And He said unto him, 'Arise, go thy way. Thy faith has made thee whole.'" You do not have to be a Christian to have faith in God. These Samaritans had faith in God and recognized Christ as the Son of God. We don't know if they became Christians, but we do know they would have to have changed their life style and studied the Word of Christ to reach that status. There are many professing Christians today who accept the blessings of God who don't bother to properly thank Him. If they understand the path to eternity, they should know Christ is The Way, and failure to accept His offer assures you an appearance at the final judgment seat.

The present day unfolding of this lack of thankfulness also sometimes is accompanied by resentment, slander, and pain. An outreach ministry may not have an organization to provide support, and relies on the leading of the Holy Spirit and people who are volunteers. Many of these volunteers give of their time and experience because they cannot support the work with money. They are willing to get their hands dirty to help others. Our ministry, and occasionally our volunteers, are the victims of shady Christians more often than you might believe. These

pretenders frequently proclaim faith while "using" the resources and help of real Christians. God is not mocked, and these fake faith people don't realize God has His way of settling the matter.

When someone receives a blessing such as the ten lepers, there is only one way the blessing is to be received. That way is explained in the scripture above. The glory is to God, and the recipient needs to understand (worship) God's mercy and action. A human may be the catalyst in the blessing, because God prefers that mankind has a part in His work. Every individual who receives a blessing, no matter the size or nature, has an obligation to recognize where the blessing came from. They all come from God. The leper who returned realized that Christ was the Son of God. Being cleansed of the disease was his first blessing. We need to understand the role of faith in blessings, as pointed out to us back in Gen. 12:3. "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Read verse 3 very carefully. Your faithful blessing (gift) is recognized by God. There's more to this than what you give, but the sacrificial value of your giving. If you give true value, you give something you need, not just something you can do without. God requires the BEST you have, as we are told over and over in the Old Testament. The sacrificial animal was always to be of no blemish and the finest of the species. He will know if you don't give your best. He will also know why you are giving. If you make a big deal of your generosity to people, you will lose in the value of your blessing. Your blessing is the public acclaim; God's real blessing is handed out in heaven.

So...if you're tithing or giving to God, how can you determine what level of giving to follow? It's exactly like salvation. Ask, and, if you really want the truth, God will lay it on your heart. If you are only giving financially, you have to consider the depth of your faith. As a Christian, do you accept your faith for provision or material provision such as money or real estate. A Christian worships and lives under Grace, and not the Law of tithing. The 10 percent tithe was only the beginning of giving for Israelites. They had several levels of giving that included foodstuffs, fuel and other necessities of life needed by the priests and for the temple. I give some denominations credit for observing some of these practices of special purpose giving.

For those of you who are torn between spiritual and carnal choice, you may as well delete the remainder of this message. You can live strictly by faith or by man's method. God is always faithful, so when I understand He will take care of me as long as I try to fulfill the purpose He has for me, I will live by faith. That doesn't mean I won't work for a living. Man was created to work. Genesis makes that clear. If you understand how God delivered Israel time after time through perfect ways, you might get the idea His ways are best. Would you rely on the noise of beating on pots and pans and marching in circles would bring your enemy down? Or would you rely on smart bombs? Would you believe in money from a fish to pay taxes? Or would you give up when nobody would loan the money?

Now we come to the common denominator---money. Do you put your FAITH in a savings portfolio or God's provision? There's nothing wrong with prudent savings or honest insurance. But man's method of using financial planners (and this includes churches) who do not understand or know spiritual values, will neglect to lead you to practice faith. We are not to abandon financial planning, but are to base it on our receipt of blessings and proper thankfulness. I hear church leaders use two favorite proverbs repeatedly in error. One pastor is adamant that if you teach a man to fish, he will not need welfare. What about a crippled man, a bed ridden man, any person who can't totally care for himself?

This is bigotry. Another of these misused proverbs concerns an ant and a grasshopper. The ant is industrious and works to provide for winter. The grasshopper doesn't store food and perishes. Only the lazy deserve to perish. What about this situation. If you're still with me, read on.

Do you believe God created any species to destroy itself? If the inability of the grasshopper to prepare for winter meant "lights out," why aren't they extinct? What about the 17 year locusts? God created things; He only destroyed things that were evil. What does this have to do with faith, thankfulness and your duty to God? Think about the widow who had only two mites for her offering. She gave out of NEED. The elite gave sizeable amounts of gifts. Christ commended the widow's offering, but not those of the elite. They did not give an amount related to their financial blessings. Think of a man who earns $50,000 a year.

His giving should begin at $5,000. That's about $50 a week. But, that's only the beginning. If any part of the financial tithe is to circumvent paying a tax levy, the tithe isn't a tithe at all. The absence of that money in taxes pushes the tax burden on other people. Yet, this person is ignoring the burden on others while enjoying the fruit of the tax benefits such as highways, the military, bridges and public structures. You see, this switch is actually a sin.

This is in no way a financial plan, but rather a common sense to understanding what God and Christ told us about blessings. Christ made it clear in the gospels how your financial blessings should be used for God's glory. Under GRACE, you have free will to determine how to show thankfulness. In Acts, the disciples preached The Way, which was sharing as needed. I can hear all the church people yelling that is SOCIALISM. If you believe this lie, you need to understand the difference between "isms." Share as needed means no great income disparity. It means no bigotry. It means compassionate people. Is there ever enough money and power for anyone? Did you read about the young ruler in Matthew? How about the wealthy farmer in the Old Testament? A banker I worked for as a very young man told me, "There's never enough."

Thankfulness is not expressed in any material way. It is expressed in a spiritual manner---God's way and Christ's The Way. What did that one leper do to express thanks? He had nothing material to give in return. He glorified God and realized all blessings come from Him. Every American goes to school and has the opportunity to get an education and a job. To show thankfulness to God, every person needs to provide material and spiritual support for the facilities and teachers. Your teachers are God's servants whether they are Christians or not. Like pastors, they should be paid for their service. When you short change God, you should expect He knows what you're doing, and He always evens the account. There's no money in Heaven; the bible tells me so.

Rev. Walbear

CHRISTIAN OBLIGATION

                                        CHRISTIAN OBLIGATION

    There are many good, honest people in America, and they include all races and religions. Christians do not have a monopoly on Godly things. Unfortunately, the fact is that Christians don't seem or act as though they know the directions given by their leader. Christ told us to "Follow Me." To follow Him, we need to learn and practice His  teaching in the gospels---Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Readers may be tired of my repeating this directive over and over. This is the same tried and true method we use to teach and train people from infancy through adulthood. The method is tried and true, but people develop personal interests that sometimes take them far away from being Christ-like. Being a Christian is more than a claim of belief or life style. It's long past the time to examine what's happened to the claim, "I have the Christian faith!"

    When you examine their Christian faith, you sometimes see their reason for the claim is based simply on their desires, backed by their

misunderstanding or ignorance of scripture. When I point out their claim is not scriptural, they usually reply that it is and it's in the bible. I can and do give the scripture to show them wrong, but they insist their claim is valid because "it's in the bible." They are never able to find the proof of their claim, but they never admit they are wrong. There are certain things and passages in scripture that are open to interpretation, but nothing Christ taught can be used in any way  except as He taught. That puts the entire foundation of Christianity in just the four books of gospel. The Old Testament and Epistles are important, but provide mostly an introduction and correctional material for Christians. 

    Although Christians are told over and over they are living under  grace, and not the Law, they frequently go back to the Law or go to one of the Epistles for a rule to seemingly make their denomination more Godly than others. Of course, this separates the believers and negates the idea of brothers and sisters. The egos of humans must die if the person is to be Christ-like. Unfortunately, all these rules taken from the Old Testament or Epistles may or may not be part of your Christian direction. Christ did not discard the Law given to Moses and Israel. He did not discard the Old Testament. He frequently quoted scripture. In Matt. 22:37-40, He gave Christians their marching orders, no more, no less. "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as yourself. On THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS hang all the law and the prophets."

    Pretty simple, isn't it? Why do professing Christians bring all the other subjects into discussion and disagreement? Usually it's because the person has DECIDED he/she has the correct idea, and everyone else must agree. Ignorance abounds, and usually the individual's mind is set in stone. Look back at Matt. 22:37, where Christ separates your devotion into three parts: heart, soul and mind. These people with a set in stone attitude ignore the fact they are following their carnal mind, not the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Controlling the carnal mind is the soft spot Satan uses to destroy your salvation. When he encourages you to continue your misguided interpretation of  scripture, you are off the Christian path, the only Way to join Christ in eternity. Be certain you understand scripture before you start lecturing others.

    When someone talks to me about a subject, and quickly establishes the fact he/she is of the Christian faith, I immediately see a red flag waving. Usually it's a controversial subject, and I expect the person will not change his/her MIND because facts don't support the person's conclusion. You see that word MIND, because controlling the carnal mind can only happen when the Holy Spirit is present to help you. When you mention their subject was not mentioned by Christ in His teaching, the only answer is, "It's in the bible." They try to criss cross various verses such as "thou shalt not kill," to support their carnal interpretation. Christ never taught to hurt or kill. However, God knew the nature of man, and had an ARMY. He still has that army, and Christ will lead it back to earth at the culmination of tribulation.

    You see, you have to be careful in putting together various scriptures.

Joshua 5:13-15 and chapter 6 introduce God's commander in chief of God's army. God's army will come to earth with Christ as the leader, as

we learn in Revelation. Humans were used to establish order on earth, but it isn't working. Angels will accompany Christ. A denomination that doesn't support humans to serve as soldiers claims they won't kill other humans because that would be killing brothers and sisters. Israel

established  the land given them by God through military action. The enemy were not brothers and sisters in religion or anything else. How

can Christ's army be compatible with this interpretation? It seems to be a modern interpretation of the "conscientious objector."

    We see several denominations claiming the Sabbath must be observed on Saturday, while others claim it must be on Sunday. The

truth, according to Christ, is found in Mark 2:27. "The Sabbath was made

for man; and not man for the Sabbath." Verses 25 and 26 tell how David

was permitted to violate the law. Reading on after verse 27, you see healing may take place at any time on any day. The original purpose

of the Saturday Sabbath was to insure man would take one day of rest so he could worship God. How could a real Christian miss this simple instruction? The error is common with church elders and officials.

    I come now to probably the worst teaching in the gospels, and a favorite of Satan. It is found in Acts 10:9-48. We need to understand why Simon Peter had the vision concerning foods in Acts 10:9-16. This is one Christian principle that people seriously refuse to consider, and it's the most important direction from God except the path to salvation. Peter was told in the vision that all food created by God was clean,  which cancelled the Jewish law. Peter was told that nothing created by God was Common. Folks, this was God's direction that opened the door for Gentiles (non Jews) to join Israel, and to receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. Read all the above verses. If you are not a Jew, you only have the opportunity to be a Christian through God's direction in these verses. You were considered Common before, but now you are eligible to receive eternal life. The foods you eat have nothing to do with being one of Christ's own. You may consider it  to be more healthy, but it has nothing to do with salvation or your spiritual eligibility. Read the bible, and understand Acts 10:9-48. By now, I suspect this information about food has me trapped because the quoted passages are not from Christ and the four gospels.

    You are correct in that identification, but let's see if Christ EVER  gave us CLEAR directions about food. Turn to Matt. 15:11. "Not what  goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." If you paid attention to Christ's activities in the gospels, you would see Christ accepted invitations from people to eat with them. He took criticism for this because some of the hosts and guests were not considered acceptable by strict Jews. He gave us the supporting scripture for Peter's vision about commonness. Do you think God created anything inferior? The food issue effectively accomplishes two goals for Satan. It takes believers' minds off the real Christian issues, and separates people by food choice. What people eat may be their healthy choice, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity. Don't be a divider.

    If you don't study scripture, it is quite easy to be led down the road to errant teaching and the trap of passing on misinformation, which, of course, is a sin. I have only mentioned three examples of wrong teaching. When you accept these errors, you are following your carnal mind. All is not lost, however. The only unpardonable sin is failure to accept the power of the Holy Spirit. This is essential for Christians. I ponder how unsaved people can act so much like a Christian is supposed to behave. I know individuals who have not accepted Christ's offer of salvation, but follow His teaching. They are the  exhibit of GOODNESS all of us should be. They tell me they believe that being an honest and compassionate person is their goal. They do a wonderful job of illustrating this. 

    Perhaps some people fail to match the acceptance of salvation with the obligation or responsibility of the agreement. There's more to actually being a Christian than "having faith." Go to James 4:14-26. You need to read this collection of verses to fully understand what Christian faith really is. You can claim faith in anything, but if that faith is real, it will be evident through works. Your control of your carnal mind will enable you to show compassion and do good things for others. You will learn what true sacrifice is. Your works must meet the standard of Christ's teaching. We go back to the four gospels again. Don't be all talk. Let your good works do the talking. Many professing Christians are not meeting their obligation. Perhaps that's why some good people haven't accepted Christ's offer.

Rev. Walbear

MOTHER'S DAY

                                                                   MOTHER'S DAY

    Where have all the flowers gone? Why are there just empty chairs? Today is Mother's Day, a special day for families to gather together and

show their respect and appreciation for their mother. Oh! I see! There, in that house, a large group of people gathered at a table straining with the burden of a feast. But, in this house, there's just a woman sitting alone, gazing out the window. Now I see a family in that up- scale restaurant digging into turkey dinners. There's a lot of laughter and joy. Wait! I hear crying! There's a young woman and her daughter in a bare bones apartment. They're eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The little girl is trying to comfort her mother. "Why are you crying, mommy? Do you hurt?" she asks.

    "No, darling," she answers wiping her eyes. "I'm crying tears of joy because I have you with me," the young mothers responds. "It's a big, cold world out there, and we're blessed to be together." The two of them

are the only family members. The mother's only close relative still living

is an older brother she hasn't seen in several years. The little girl's father

left them alone so long ago she doesn't remember him. This Mother's Day

is especially bleak because the neighbor who baby sat moved away, and

there is no one to baby sit while mother works. Of course that's not a

problem because mother lost her minimum wage job just in time for her

special day.

   

    The scene shifts, and we see a dozen people laughing and eating a

sumptuous combination of food around a large table. The elderly woman

buzzing around the table is obviously enjoying her role as the matriarch

of the family, making certain everyone will be stuffed. She has been at work for hours preparing this feast, and won't realize how tired she is until everyone is finished eating. It is a labor of love. Her husband,  children and grand children are the source of contentment and the joy of family.

    Nearby in a church basement, an older lady sits at one of several tables with other people being served a Mother's Day dinner. These  people aren't accompanied by anyone because they don't have family and live alone. They can only remember when family used to be there. As in real life, these brief sketches of the holiday dinner illustrate the wide disparity mothers face. Women in many countries may experience hardships and discrimination. But, in America, things are different, right? If you believe this, you are either a bigot or have your head buried in the sand.

    If America is a Christian nation, people should be following the very clear directions given us by Jesus Christ. Do you watch television, read

newspapers, or listen to the radio? Male political leaders at all levels make women a target for disrespect and slander. What's even more deplorable, many church pastors not only fail to correct this shameful

diatribe; they accept this verbal abuse without commenting about it from the pulpit. That, friends, is a cardinal sin of omission. When you agree with sin, you are sinning. Way too many pastors go way back to Genesis to claim men ONLY may be leaders. It's in the bible, and right there in the very first book. That is the foundation for the Jewish and Christian churches. A bit later in the bible we come to the experience of Moses when God, Himself, gave Moses the Law. Every Christian must understand what the word LAW means. The Jewish people were Chosen to serve as God's priests. They accepted the mission and lived under that Law.

    These Chosen people, like all humans, have the seed of sin, and fell away from God's direction over the span of several generations. It seemed

mankind could not keep God's commandments, and repeatedly had to go through a correctional period. God created mankind with a free will, and mankind can't stay clean. That seed of evil keeps winning, and things get worse and worse. God gave us a perfect correctional example when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to give us precise and clear directions. Christ ushered in the period of GRACE, because mankind could not keep from breaking the Law. 

    NOW, GET THIS STRAIGHT, CHRISTIANS! If you are a Christian, you no

longer are under the Law. You serve under the Grace of God which  consists of Christ's directions in Matt. 22:34-40, and the full four books of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That does not mean the Old Testament is discarded; it does not mean the Epistles are of no value. Everything in the bible is profitable, we are told. Christ tells us in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him,'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.'" There are no exceptions. We cannot change God's Word. Since to really be of Christian FAITH, we MUST follow His directions.  In Matt. 22: 34-40, He tells us the most important requirement to be one of His own is to honor and serve the Lord and to love your neighbor. He didn't say to love only your white neighbor or your Christian neighbor.

    Christ's regard and treatment of women is another clear direction that

indicts men. He forgave believing women who had committed adultery.

Jewish leaders wanted to kill them. The adulterous men didn't face judgment. They conveniently forgot the role of women in not only preserving their faith such as Rahab who saved the lives of Israel's spies, but also was in Christ's lineage. They had no regard for Mary, the mother of Christ, nor Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Even the disciples did not give women proper respect until church planting began. It's always been all about men. It was church leaders and men who put Christ on the Cross. The disciples were no where to be found when He went to the Cross. The women were there, and they were prepared to take care of His body after He died. His death led to the disciples becoming real men serving God. The women already had FAITH, and were serving Him.

    But what about the directive in Genesis that place Adam as the leader,

and Eve as the helpmate? Fast forward to Jesus. A woman was chosen by

God to be the mother of His Son. No human man was good enough to be the sire. Christ's disciples gave Christians the guidelines on the rightful place of women in society. Christian men seem to choose to use Ephesians  22:22-24 as the total rule for a relationship. If you continue to read verses 25-31, you will see that it is necessary to spend more words to direct men in how to treat their wives. Verse 32 speaks of a great mystery about the bonding of people with Christ in the church. Man is to be the leader in the human relationship only if he can fulfill the qualifications in the preceding verses. If he cannot, the woman may demonstrate the role required of a leader. There were strong women leaders, even in Israel's history. Check it out in the Old Testament.

    Men not only claim a pass directly to leadership, they try to lead as  though they are a king. Many then act just as God described in 1 Samuel.

Some American leaders, including the church, are using their positions to pass and/or support laws to control many facets of a woman's life. They go to the length of proposing criminal punishment or death. These people

claim to be Christians, and church leaders say NOTHING to correct this stream of slander and physical threat of violence. It's "Happy Mother's Day" to their wives, but for the remainder of women, it's let's control all the worthless sluts and whores. They claim the only thing women have to offer is that they're female.

    Guess what, you fake Christian men, a woman was God's choice to be the mother of His Son. He could choose any human man, but all fell short.

There are sinners among both men and women, but women have not used

men in such a demeaning and hurtful manner. If you make a list of the worst world leaders of all time, you will have a list of men of all colors and nationalities. So, go on American men, give your wife flowers and treat her to a great dinner out, she deserves it and lots more. But, the best Mother's Day gift you could give her is fair and loving treatment of all the

women in America and the world.  Women, take heart, real Christian men

may yet take up arms to give you the respect you deserve. Don't hold your breath, because they are busy enjoying their bully pulpit. There are those of us who see the light, and we wish you a Happy Mother's Day.

Rev. Walbear

GLOBAL REVELATION

                                     GLOBAL REVELATION

    We are living in a world that looks at everything in a global perspective, that includes finance, manufacturing, economy, and religion. Christians are caught up not in spiritual interests, but in material interests. How can I say that when Christians from America are sending missionaries all over the world? Is that not what Christ directed us to do? It is, but the problem

is with the Christian church itself at home.  The church is the people in the congregations and especially in the leaders. They are not following Christ's teaching in the four gospels, and have fallen into the same Satanic trap as other religions. They have departed from the spiritual world and fully adopted the material world.

     The foundation for this message is found specifically in the Book of Matthew. We refuse to understand His last words to us, because we want to jump into the water of life without testing the depth of the water. Confused? Check out Christ's last words before ascending to Heaven. Matt. 28: 19 and 20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." What is it that Christians don't understand? We are sending missionaries to all

nations, even those opposed to us religiously and politically. That is correct. Those people receiving salvation are being baptized. That is correct. It is misunderstanding the word TEACHING that is the problem of the Christian church goers and leaders. 

    Teaching requires certain skills. It is one of the gifts God can bestow on a believer. Christian spokespeople in America have abandoned the word teaching and replaced it with the secular and global meaning of FORCING. We must understand Revelation prepares us for everything global. There will be only one way to live, and that will include every aspect of human life. Satan and his puppet will rule after committed Christians have been removed from the physical earth. The word RAPTURE does not appear in scripture, but the same meaning is derived from other words and phrases. Teachers do not force people to learn, they encourage them to learn in several ways. They serve as an example of what and how a mature person should be and act. They present the truth

and method to learn. They provide accurate information as the basis for learning. Students of all ages have the choice to succeed or fail. 

    There is one vital difference between failure in secular subjects and religion. That is eternal life. God began the trek to eternal life through the choice of Israel to be priests and take His message to all mankind. Satan's use of time and quick rewards was a resounding success. In the short span of four generations, he managed to turn a devoted people into greedy, self serving, and ungrateful sinners. This turnover has continued to this day, and the United States is the current example. We are in the final stage of bringing the world into a global entity. How? By trying to force everyone to be Christians. Why is this so bad? Forcing religion on anyone is wrong, but it is the chain of events that follows that gives Satan victory on earth for a time.

    Forced acceptance of Christianity can only come about by secular means---man made laws. Christians don't know enough about the Old

Testament to understand that the people of Israel were not forced by man made laws to be priests. They agreed by free choice. Later, when they had fallen away and their scriptures were set away, they repented after hearing the original word of God read to them in Ezra and  Nehemiah. You are born a Jew by nationality, not faith. Anyone can become a Jew by faith. Anyone of any nationality can become a Christian. You must make the formal commitment, and it must come from the heart.

    We are witnessing the United States in transition from a real Christ believing people to the secular control of man made laws. Our spokespeople have set the wheels in motion to force people to accept and follow Christian leadership. Except, folks, it is exactly the same kind of leadership as that of their most vocal enemy, Islam, the hated Muslims. Christians decry the strict Muslim religious laws and their ruthless enforcement. Meanwhile, in state after state, Christians are passing laws to force people to follow their teaching. Unfortunately, their teaching has little to do with Christ's directions. In almost every decision, there is an attempt to separate people, using nationality, color, religion or any possible means. 

    For the present, this is the beginning of global humanistic control.

Christians will only be successful in hindering Christ's real message and oppressing people into a forced choice. This is a no win situation, because the vast majority of the world is controlled by other religions, and they continue to outpace Christianity. This headlong thrust by Christians in America will bring the nation into a pact of many religions serving a one person leader---Satan. The process of world control is a movement by a dictator to overwhelm uneducated people. The many previous attempts by dictators have fallen short of the goal because the leader didn't  understand how to include the factor of religion.

    Satan now knows people can't be forced to love anything or anyone. He is not only evil, but very intelligent. He knows the way to success is to work from within. He has been doing this since the beginning of Christian church planting. It was so evident to the disciples and early Christians that it is a major subject in several of the epistles. You must remember these letters were written to newly planted churches to correct teaching mistakes and existing evil culture practices. One example was the direction for women to have head covers (hats). If you don't know the reason for this instruction, you should seek the answer, because this practice is not a core requirement of the faith.

    If you understand the reason for the epistles, you should also know the disciples were aware that the apostate came into the newly established churches almost immediately. Satan loses no time in putting his forces at work. There are many warnings for us, such as 2nd John, 9 through 11. Be aware that God expects you to be  responsible for all your actions. In secular law, if you are privy to and a part of an illegal deed, you are guilty after the fact just as though you were part of the violation during the act. If you had prior knowledge of the act, and did nothing to prevent it, you are also guilty under secular law. You can expect the same consideration

from God concerning your Christian responsibilities.

    Many of the Christian church leaders and politicians are the present day Pharisees and Scribes. If you readily accept their explanations of Christianity without checking their statements with the words of Christ in the four gospels, you may forfeit your future. Read this passage from 2nd John, 9-11. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that bideth him God  speed is partaker of his evil deeds."  

     Satan's workers will use half truths and misinformation to lead you astray. You can blame no one else. If you are careful about your diet and food, consider the importance of spiritual food. You don't have to worry about anything in scripture, because it is all for your benefit---eternally. When a church teacher, pastor or politician tells you something, ask for scriptural proof or check it out. Christ offers you eternity. No man can offer anything that good. A beer commercial claims you only go around once. God wants your presence for eternity. He is faithful.  Are you?

Rev. Walbear