Depression's Fatal Grip

Here's a poem I wrote about Depression a while back. My wife has dealt with depression for most of her life, but she is doing very well now, and for that I am truly thankful to God.

Darkened Life
A battered, broken lantern hung
on a rusted nail at the door,
that leads to cunning passages,
contrived corridors and more.
Through many places on the house
made by rickety, rotten boards,
you could see the images of my life
in a heap upon the floor.
By the ripple of a heartbeat
death's dream kingdom bids you come,
to the circles of the stormy deep
so utterly real to some.
This house in arboreal gloom
brings total reminiscence,
the twisted, calloused, ugly truth
that people keep their distance.
This is life so very real
each sentiment is true,
Depressions grip is never gone,
it's merely hidden from you.

The poem as you can see is symbolic of course, but it speaks very honestly about what depression seems like to a person in it's grip. That grip is indeed a fatal one for many people who choose suicide as a way of relief.
We who are not hampered by depression are blessed beyond measure, specially in this day and age of terrorism. There is truly a lot going on in the world that one could look at, and then become depressed about. When we see someone who is depressed, it is our calling as Christians to give them an ear to bend. We are to strive to help others no matter what the situation. When others walk away from, we should be walking towards those who are hurting, after all; that is what Jesus came to earth to do, and we are His hand outstretched to a hurting world.
What can we offer you say? Why, the answer of course!
John 14:27 says:
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Philippians 4:6-7 say:
"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Only Christians have the promise of peace. We don't know how it happens, other than through the supernatural power of God, but He does impart peace to one who is a Christian. Can that peace be shaken? Sure it can, we are only human after all, but as long as one relies fully on God, and stands unflinchingly upon God's word, the promise of peace is there.
Answer given.

You've Got Rights, They've Got Rights

What a name for a post you say! And the title says it all. You've got rights, and they've got rights, but I am one of a group of people who it seems have no rights, or are at the very least, entitled to no rights so it seems. This group of people may be one of the largest groups of people in the United States of America. This great country of ours was founded on the principals, and the morals of this group of people. This group of people has fought to ensure that people are treated fairly, and justly in all walks of life. This group of people is one of the first groups to lend a hand in a disaster. We try to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, shelter the homeless, speak up for the helpless, nurse the sick, and give ear to those with problems.
Who are we? We are Christians!
As I said above, everyone has rights it seems, but Christians. Here it is Christmas when everything should be joyous and festive. We should see a nativity scene on the lawn at the courthouse, but alas; those days are long gone. What better way to show that we are celebrating the birth of Christ than with a nativity scene, the picture of where he was born? What is it about the nativity scene that bothers people so? It is a reminder to people of morals that we are to live by, that's the whole of it. We are asked to no longer say Merry Christmas, but I will continue to say Merry Christmas, after all, Jesus is the one who came to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, and paid a ransom for my sins on the cross of Calvary. I gladly celebrate His birth by saying Merry Christmas. If you take offense, I am sorry, I take offense to you taking offense.
They no longer want us to put Christmas trees in public places. What harm did a Christmas tree ever do? Those who have come to our country from other lands knew our customs when they came, why should they now be allowed to tell us we can no longer celebrate our beliefs? We don't tell them they have to celebrate our way or no way, and we don't tell them they can't worship who they want to worship, or that they can't mention Buddha's name, or Allah's name, or any other name they choose to worship. We offer what God's word says is true, they can believe it, or refuse it, it's that simple.
Many of our rights as Christians have been taken away from us one by one, but it's time for us to fight back. We can no longer sit idly by and let our rights be trampled on. We have to say enough is enough. The words politically correct should be done away with, and we should get back to being the country we were long ago, a country based on Christian values. After all, what does politically correct mean? It means that something is right for a certain group of people. What is politically correct for Christians seems to be politically incorrect for everyone else. Just remember one thing everybody else, what is politically correct for you, is politically incorrect for us, and yet we tolerate it unless it goes directly against "The TRUTH," God's word.
Politically correct are two words that have had a communistic affect on our society, and look where it has gotten us, our country is in the worst shape it has ever been in with no answers of it's own, yet; when we show you the answer, it is politically incorrect.
May God Bless America in spite of those who seek to destroy it from within.

The Christmas Enigma

The virgin birth, an enigma that many people can not, or choose not to get past in order to believe in Jesus, the Christ. Why can we believe some things could happen and yet decide undoubtedly that another thing could not happen? That's something none of us will ever know I'm sure, but it still happens. We sit and watch Montel when he has his favorite guest on, just in case you don't know, that seems to be psychic Sylvia Browne, she hears from dead loved ones and we believe it happens with not a second thought, but we can't believe what God inspired people to write in the Bible.
Luke 1:28 says...
28. "Gabriel appeared to her (the virgin Mary) and said, "Greetings favored woman! The Lord is with you."
vs. 30. "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son....."
Many people today, including some so called "ministers" of the gospel say that the scripture was merely saying that Mary was a young lady. They say that it was customary during those days for a young lady to be called a virgin, just as we call a lady in our time Madam, Ms., or Mrs. But a close study of the Greek language used in this passage clearly shows that the angel used virgin to show Mary had never had sex. Until a person studies the Greek and Hebrew texts along side of the translation they choose to use, they have no right to tell others what the scriptures say.
Don't worry if you have trouble believing the story, Mary didn't understand either. in vs. 34 she asked the angel how this could happen because she had never had sex. The angel had this reply.
vs. 36. "The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
There I go again, talking about someone you can't see, the Holy Spirit. You say you can't see Him, so you can't believe in Him, yet you believe in little green men who live on another planet , that may or may not wish to destroy the earth. The fact of the matter is: historians do not dispute the fact that Jesus the Christ lived, and went to the cross at Calvary. If it is fact that He lived, how much harder is it to believe that God could cause a virgin to bear His Son through supernatural means? What about the stigmata? For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a person who bears the marks that Jesus bore at His crucifixion. It is a fact that it happens, yet no-one knows what causes it except for the possibility of deep rooted faith in God. So you see, there are all kinds of things that happen that we have no explanation for, this is one of those things we have to believe based on what we read in the Bible. Once we get past this hurdle, Christmas can take on a whole new meaning in our lives, and in the lives of others.
Mary didn't understand it and she was part of it, but listen to her response in vs. 38 which says...
vs.38 "Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her."
May everything the Lord God desires for us come true, but it will only come true as we allow our natural blinders to be removed so that we can see the things of the spirit. May the true Spirit of Christmas take root in your heart this year.

All scriptures are taken from the New Living Testament

If I can ever get switched to the real deal, I'll be bringing a graphic into this post that says this: Some things need to be believed to be seen. This is one of them.

Least of All Me!

This will probably be my shortest post on this entire Blog, but it may be the most important. The reason I say this is, I show you myself in full.
I have said several times, and in several of my posts that no-one is perfect. I cite Romans 3"23 which says..."For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." This is true of everyone, including me.
I know that as I write, I may come across as looking down on some people, but that is never the case, and I strive to make sure that everything I write is written out of love for lost souls. I am no-one to be looking down on anyone. There is only one person who walked this planet that lived a perfect life. That person is Jesus, the Christ.
I will use one more scripture reference for this post and then I'll finish up.
Ephesians 4:26
"Be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath."
Last night I had a "Show Down" with my daughter. She's a beautiful six year old girl that I would take nothing in the world for. She is absolutely precious. Back to the story tho', that is what we are here for isn't it? Clarissa, my wife, and I were playing "Trouble" when my daughter got so upset she started crying. I tried to talk to her and get her back to the reality of; "you can't win 'em all sweetheart," but that wasn't working. She finally blurted out: "I guess i'll find me somewhere else to live then." Needless to say, that put me over the edge.
She loves to use that phrase, but this time it cut deeper for some reason. I decided I would make a point this time so I threw her pillow, and blankets out on the ground in front of the house. She shot out the front door screaming, grabbed her blanket and stuff, and sat and cried. I made my point, but I was wrong.
I allowed her to anger me to the point that I left a deep scar on her last night, and for that I am truly sorry. I have apologized to her, and to her mom, but what's more, I had to repent. That's right, I was so angry that my emotions actually became a sin. How do I know? God convicted me immediately. I didn't repent immediately, but I did so about an hour later as I asked God for forgiveness.
The rest of that verse says not to let your anger last over night. The reason for that is simple. The longer you let your anger boil, the harder it is to deal with, specially when you are the person in the wrong. When God convicts us of sin, we must deal with that sin quickly also, otherwise it can be hard to deal with later on.
So you see, Don't ever think I feel superior to anyone. I simply write what God lays on my heart, and let Him do the rest.
God Bless us all this Christmas season. May all of you have a Blessed Christmas, and a wonderful New Year.

Sinful Sex and the Calamity It Causes

How can sex be sinful? Let's explore what the Bible says, and it leaves no doubt as to what I am speaking of.
Exodus 20:14 says...
Thou Shalt not commit adultery.
The Bible defines adultery as any sex outside of marriage. This is not a popular belief, because people live for the moment, and see no harm in doing so. What can be wrong with pleasure? The answer is; nothing is wrong with pleasure. It is how we achieve pleasure that is wrong or right. What it boils down to is this: are we willing to get back to the basics the way God has laid them out. As I said in the section "A Tale of Two Conditions." People do not believe the Bible because it is spiritual. If we have not accepted Christ as Savior, we are, as the Bible puts it, carnal; and a carnal person cannot understand the things of the spirit. The fact remains, any sex outside of marriage is adultery, according to God's word, but God's word goes farther than that as you will see.
Matthew 5:27-28 says...
"27. Ye have heard it said by them of old time, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery:
28. But I say unto you, That whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
God sees not only the act that we commit, but He sees the intentions of our heart, and He says your intentions make you just as guilty before Him as if you had already committed the act. We must guard ourselves against impure thoughts in our lives, and the only way to do this is by thinking on God's word, and on things that are pure and virtuous. God's word even tells us this.
Philippians 4:8 says...
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Wow! This is what Christians are suppose to think on. If every Christian thought about the things God wanted us to think about, we would never have a problem in any church. If everyone in the world thought about such things, we would eliminate all evils in the world.
What has adultery brought into our world? Surely no calamities you say, but you would be wrong. What about the calamity of fatherless children in the world, or the calamity of abortion, what about syphilis and gonorrhea, and last but not least; what about HIV and AIDS? All of these could be nought but for the fact of "Sinful Sex," or adultery as it is best known.
Romans 1:18 says...
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"
Those who do not regard God's word as holy and true invite the wrath of God upon themselves. Truth is not relative as many would have us believe, Truth is fact based upon evidence, and all evidence says God's word is true. We cannot continue to disregard God's word if we wish to see the ills of this world done away with, that's a fact. Now for another tough subject, one many will not dare tackle, but I must. God has charged me to defend the truth, and that I will do.
Homosexuality, sin; or not?
It is definitely a sin as the next verses bear out.
Romans 1: 24-30
"24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26.For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness....."
These scriptures were written at a time when adultery was rampant. It was just like today, everyone out for self-gratification irregardless of the cost. It wasn't just plain old adultery though, it was gay and lesbian sex also.
Notice verse27, "men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts one toward another....," This is as plain as it gets, man was made for woman, and woman was made for man, God's word says it, we cannot deny it. To do so is sheer folly. But the verse also says that men who live the "gay lifestyle" have a reward coming, a reward for doing wrong. What is that reward? It's HIV or AIDS, the disease that is taking more lives than any other disease in history. A disease that would be wiped out if men and women would get back to living the way God has said to live, keeping sex inside of marital relations between men and women. Of course, there will be those who say this passage says nothing about gays or lesbians, but those are the people written about in verses 28 + 29.
Those people are the ones who will not acknowledge God, or the Ten Commandments, or righteousness. Their self-gratification takes precedence over everything else. When we look closer we see that people can get to a place where God says enough, I've given you every chance in the world, I've put conviction on you and you've ignored it, live your way. Live their way they do, but they will face God on judgment day, a holy, righteous, and angry God who will say depart from me into everlasting torment.
How do we know this? Their reward was for error. Anything that is an error is wrong, and what is wrong in God's sight, is a sin; the transgression of His Holy Law. Along with this, verse 29 says they were filled with unrighteousness, fornication (sex outside of marriage), and wickedness.
There it was again, fornication, adultery, sex outside of marriage, "sinful sex," which ever way you look at it, it's wrong, and those who partake in it, will either pay here on earth, or on judgment day. Which will it be for you?
God's way always has been the best way, and it's the only "RIGHT" way.

A Tale of Two Conditions

As human beings, our lives are always in 1 of 2 conditions; one of those conditions is sin. All men and women are born into sin. Why? Because Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, chose to sin while living in the Garden of Eden. They only had one thing that they were not allowed to do, eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The devil came and tempted them, and yes, got them to eat from that tree. Because of that one selfish act, we are all born with the sin nature (condition). The other condition is Christianity. If we have repented of our sins, asked for forgiveness of our sin, and asked Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour, we live as Christians. This condition we must choose to live in. What does the Bible have to say about the two conditions? Ephesians 2:1-5 says:

1."And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

The Bible says:
1. We are all sinners which means we are spiritually dead.
2. We are sinners because we live the way everyone says to live, i.e.:
a. There is no such thing as sin.
b. There is no God.
c. We are all gods, or can become a god.
d. The Bible is full of errors
e. There is no hell.
f. Truth is relative
3. We are sinners because we have broken God’s Law. (Trespasses) vs.1
4. We are sinners because we obey the devil.
5. We are sinners because we fulfill our desires. (lusts)
6. Sin begins in the mind.
7. It is our nature to sin.
8. God provided a way for us to be at peace with Him because He is merciful, and
because He loves us.
9. It is only through the grace of God that we can be made righteous. His gift of mercy and love…

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What a gift. God, took on flesh, suffered at the hands of men, died on the cross, was buried three days, rose again, and now sits on His throne in heaven waiting His fathers word to come and take His children to be with Him forever.
Which condition do you choose to live in, and why? Do the scriptures not make sense to you, or do you find it difficult to understand them? If that is the case, it is because you are a sinner that you have difficulty with the scriptures. Flesh, cannot understand the things of the spirit, but once you yield yourself to Christ, He will open the scriptures to you so that all of them make sense. Do you have problems believing the scriptures? God has given us all a measure of faith, that’s all it takes. Search deep with in yourself and find that measure of faith, use it, and watch God make all the scriptures understandable, and most of all, relevant to you.
Change your condition for the best today, become a Christian.

Of Confrontation and Condemnation

I read a segment on another person's web site the other day that left me baffled, and seeking a way to minimize damage caused by other people. The web site in question was the rantings of someone who either does not believe what the Bible says about the rapture, or was just trying to make a point in a weird sort of way. In one of the rantings, the person made a statement containing the phrase: "I am the Lord." This statement, I'm quite sure, caused a lot of people to vent toward the person who made it. Somewhere along the way, the person who made the statement was hurt, and he had reason to be.
Christians have rules to live by whether we acknowledge them or not. Those who choose to ignore the rules God has given us to live by should do some soul searching to see that their salvation is sure. Many people make the decision to give their lives to Christ simply to escape hell, but never really make the decision to follow Christ, and that means living according to the scriptures. These people have indeed become false converts.
One of the rules that Christians must live by is: "Judge not, that ye be not judged"(Matthew 7:1). No, it's not one of the Ten Commandments, but it is a commandment none-the-less. As such, we are to live accordingly. The person in question was upset because his web site had been condemned, and he along with it. We as Christians must choose our words carefully. See: "The Holes in the Fence." We can condemn a site for it's content without condemning the person. Condemnation is only to by dished out by God on judgement day. How do I know this? Read John 8:11 "...Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more." Jesus was speaking to a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. There was no doubt whatsoever about the legitimacy of the claim against her because they caught her in bed with a man who was not her husband. She had been snared by a set-up. Exodus 20:14 says: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." This is one of the Ten Commandments, number seven to be exact. Just because Jesus didn't condemn her, doesn't mean the act of adultery was o.k. Jesus was in the business of forgiving sins and wiping slates clean, and He still is. Jesus forgave the woman of her sins, and told her to sin no more. That is the pivotal action that determines our salvation. Confessing our sins is not enough, we must "repent," turn from our sins, and determine to "sin no more". We can condemn the sin, not the sinner.
The number one thing that we as Christians must remember is this: that everything we do, or say, must be tempered with meekness, and born out of a spirit of love. We are to:
1. Love God with all of our being.
2. Love our families (mom, dad and siblings)
3. Love our spouses as Christ loved us
4. Love our children enough to provide for them, discipline them, teach them, and nurture them in the ways of God
5.Love our brethren (other born again believers)
and last, but probably most importantly,
6. Love our enemies
If we do everything with the love of God in mind, we will be as "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"(Matthew 10:16). Only then will we leave footprints of direction in the hearts of those we meet, rather than leaving filthy footprints of discouragement.