LaVrai – The Truth

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

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The whole point of this post is to address some prevalent misconceptions about The Church and churches being sullied and led astray by wolves and compromising doctrines and practices. This is to perhaps encourage some of you who have given up on finding a good Bible-based church in which to fellowship, to keep looking and get out of the house. You cannot do this alone. These are the days when it is vital for us all to be among those who truly love us and can encourage us and keep us on track in our walk with the our LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ.

I used to be of the opinion that I could have “church” at home all by myself by just reading my Holy Bible, praying to the LORD, singing a few praise songs and tuning into Dr. Charles Stanley or whomever on the religious Networks.

But was I growing in my faith and walk with Jesus Christ? Was I bearing proper fruit? Was I helping to edify The Church — which I believe is a very important question. Was I contributing to the furtherance of GOD’s Kingdom by conducting my Sabbath like this? …I don’t think so.

It’s great to ALWAYS make time to fellowship with the LORD our GOD, and I truly thank HIM for instituting a Sabbath because, with the busy weeks I have sometimes, I truly don’t know when I could find time for meaningful fellowship with our LORD and SAVIOR Jesus Christ.

But I thank the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY for dispelling my arrogance. As King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” By conducting “church” like this by myself, who did I have to correct me? Who did I have to guide me…to keep me from possibly going astray? Who was there to encourage me and push me to keep fighting the good fight? Yes, the LORD our GOD is with us every second of every day, but HE uses the Saints to help, teach, guide and uplift one another. That’s how we grow and mature together in love. That’s how a family works. Read the rest of this entry »

The Rev. Paul Washer is one of several preachers who spoke at this year’s Deeper Conference. His message was about the true Gospel call, in which Mr. Washer issued 10 indictments. As usual, Mr. Washer highlights what’s wrong with the misguided interpretations of evangelism, repentance, Salvation and regeneration. This sermon is about one hour long.

You can watch the whole message, “10 Indictments”, here, or you can download the mp3 file here to put on your iPod or listen to offline. Why not burn a copy and pass it along to a friend…

Have you fallen prey to some of Satan’s biggest lies? Are you even familiar with them? I thought I had heard them all — until a few months ago when I overheard a couple on the subway train discussing the movie “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.” According to Internet Movie Database: this is the continuing adventure of the demon superhero…

A small aside here — not only has Hollywood helped convinced children that sorcery is fun and totally OK (thanks, Harry Potter), but now Hollywood is apparently trying to get kids to accept demons. This Hellboy character is supposed to be a “good” demon (like that isn’t an oxymoron) fighting against evil. …Right.

Anyway, I overheard one in the pair trying to give some background information to their partner about spiritual matters. This person said something to the affect of Satan is greater than Jesus… that Satan is the rightful leader of heaven but got kicked out for some reason. When I overheard this I couldn’t even comprehend how such confusion was even possible. I thought about turning around and trying to correct them, but alas, I did not. Forgive me, LORD, if I should have.

A run-in with a Jehovah’s Witness this morning also got me thinking about some of the lies and misconceptions floating around the world that people seem to accept without question. For example, today’s Jehovah Witness Watchtower pamphlet was about there being no hell. Which brings me to the list…

Here, in no specific order (except for number one really being foremost in my opinion), are some of the biggest lies Satan has the world (some of us gladly) believing.

1. There is no hell/ afterlife. This one is CRAZY… and probably the most prevalent and popular for obvious reasons — live how you want with no worry of having to answer for your actions once this life is over. Even people who seem to believe in an afterlife like to claim that hell isn’t real. Oh, they say heaven is real… and just about everyone gets to heaven (grandma, the pet gold fish, etc.)… but hell, if it does exist they say, is solely reserved for folks like Hitler.

There are plenty of passages in the Holy Scriptures that contradict this Satanic lie, but I feel Revelation 20:7-10; 14-15 explains it clearly:

7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

This passage from the Holy Scriptures shows that there is a place for the wicked and unrepentant sinner — whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Call it hell or whatever you want, but Christ Jesus calls it the lake of fire here, described as the second death — if people lose all consciousness and don’t feel or experience anything after death — how can they experience a second death? Therefore, we are immortal beings, if you will, within these physical shells. This punishment for the wicked is an eternal punishment, as the Holy Scriptures say those in it will be “tormented day and night forever and ever.” How can unfeeling, unconscious lifeless beings be tormented?

2. The Devil isn’t real. This is one just as puzzling to me because, again, some folks don’t have an issue believing in GOD (although they do not truly know HIM), but they’ll also insist that Satan is a myth. This is just another one of the Devil’s lies men embrace because it makes us feel comfortable and safe (i.e., doesn’t require us to consider our spiritual wretchedness).

The Holy Scriptures explain who Satan is and that the loser (defeated and damned for eternity as Revelation 20:7-10 shows) is in fact very real and nothing to be feared. For example, in the Book of Job’s first chapter, GOD ALMIGHTY has a conversation with Satan and makes it clear that the devil has no authority other than what the LORD permits him to have. Jesus Christ of Nazareth explains Satan’s agenda in John 7:10 and explains in John 8:43-45 the devil’s greatest tactic in leading people away from seeking our LORD and CREATOR GOD ALMIGHTY.

3. Good people go to heaven. This is another lie that reveals our pathetic, lazy and arrogant ways. Some of us cling to the notion that good deeds gets us to heaven. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people talking about dead celebrities being in heaven because they were the nicest person in the world and had so many charities and helped the homeless, etc. etc. We can’t buy or donate our way into heaven, as Ephesians 2:8-9 reveals: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Galatians 2:15-16 is one of several other passages that also addresses this issue.

4. GOD hears all prayers. It’s difficult to pinpoint the possible reasoning for believing this one, but it’s definitely tied to number 5 below. But this attitude, too, is arrogance — that GOD is some kind of stationary being just waiting in the wings to help us when we feel like calling on HIM. And then, a few days later, once the crisis passes, we go right back to our filthy ways. According to the Holy Bible, the only reliable written source we have about our CREATOR (because HE wrote it), the LORD our GOD does not hear sinners. John 9:31 reads: 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. A “worshiper of GOD” is one who has been saved by Jesus Christ and bears fruit attesting to that (i.e., lives in Spirit and in truth and in holiness). Saints, those saved by Jesus Christ, sin everyday… but we repent and try with the help of Jesus Christ to avoid repeating these sins. Of course, HE acknowledges and responds to the prayer we say as sinners seeking Salvation in the LORD Jesus Christ.

5. GOD IS love. This one is true, but like the others, is only half the picture. We use this one to excuse all kind of filthy behavior — homosexuality perhaps being one of the most popular ones. Of course the LORD our GOD is love — how else could HE send HIS Only Begotten Son from HIS side to have his blood shed on a cross for us wretched sinners? But our heavenly FATHER is most HOLY and punishes sin. For example, the flood is a great illustration. In Genesis 6:5-8 we read:

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

The LORD reserved for HIMSELF only 8 people out of all who were on the earth. HE killed everyone else with a great deluge. The LORD our GOD is a GOD of love. HE is also a GOD of judgment (the Book of Revelation) and a GOD of war (Exodus and Joshua for example). Our CREATOR is not a one-dimensional being stuck in a church building somewhere. HE IS real.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but I do believe these are some of the devil’s most common lies, in my opinion. I imagine I may have also neglected to post some pivotal passages from the Holy Bible. You are invited to please share — passages or a lie not listed or to expand on a lie listed.

One not listed here, but which I may address at a future point in a part 2 of this post, is the lie that we can save ourselves, the planet and the entire universe.

If it caters to your sin, it’s definitely a lie.

In the beginning, I was intrigued by Sen. Barack Obama’s run for the presidency. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about and he professed to know Christ Jesus — which must mean his values and life in general reflect the Christian faith. It didn’t take long, though, to find out that not only does Mr. Obama not know Jesus Christ of Nazareth, he doesn’t even believe that Jesus is the only means of Salvation (in his own words).

I eventually also found out that Mr. Obama not only supports abortion, but opposes legislation that prohibits abortionists (the doctors and the mothers) from trying again if an abortion fails… that is, Mr. Obama prefers that doctors be allowed to literally kill the “fetus” if it comes out alive (and here I thought doctors were in support of life).

May I say that this term, “fetus” is quite transparent. To me, it parrallels the certain terms used during America’s slavery days. It was the norm to refer to black Americans as anything but human; black Americans were considered and referred to as animals — unthinking, unfeeling beasts (but definitely not worthy of even being treated as one would treat the house pet). That way, it was easier to feel no guilt about abusing, murdering, raping, destroying, etc. a black person. So it seems to be with us today and the term “fetus.” If we were to ever admit that we are indeed murdering babies left and right, then I bet more people would have a serious problem with this right to choose — who gets to die.

When I see Mr. Obama with his two little girls, it really gives me pause. How can someone who understands the beauty of conception and birth have no problem with murdering babies? In the womb or out of the womb — they are still babies with the limbs, organs and beauty to show for it.

Let me make it clear, I find it impossible to vote for either Mr. Obama or Mr. McCain. So this is not an endorsement of any candidate.

Please take a look at the short videos below. The first two are from the Vorthos Forum. The first deals with the history of abortion and how it pertains to Planned Parenthood/Margaret Sanger’s Negro Project (look it up).

This second video deals specifically with Obama practically coining the phrase “punished with a baby” for those who mistakenly get pregnant. I know babies are considered a blessing, unplanned and sometimes an inconvenience. But since when is having a baby a punishment? You drink too much and have unprotected sex and end up conceiving a baby — you are the one being punished? Really?

This last video is a clip from CNN in which Mr. Obama’s voting record on abortion as it pertains to this special legistlation called the Born Alive-Infant Protection Act is debated.

I must admit that I previously found it hard to say that if a woman or little girl is raped and conceives a child that she should have the baby. But, as a Christian woman, I cannot go against the LORD’s Word. Life is precious to the LORD our GOD. The womb is HIS to open and close. Life and death are HIS to bring about. As difficult as it may be — I cannot excuse mankind killing a child, in the womb or out of the womb, FOR ANY REASON. Please read Exodus 21:22-25 and Psalms 139 to see how valuable human life — in and outside of the womb — is to the CREATOR, the LORD our GOD.

TOH to Rev. Voddie Baucham.

“…a cross-border mechanism to monitor the world’s 30 biggest financial institutions” Well, now that this totally unpredicted, unexpected economic disaster has come crashing down on the world, leaders are now pressing for reform — to unify the world’s banking system, of all things. I am sure this is totally innocent and all for our benefit and the general greater good… Can someone say “Beast Economic System?” And, of course, our friend Monsieur Sarkozy is at the forefront.

Excerpt:

The idea is ambitious: World leaders joined by aides to the new U.S. president-elect would gather before the year’s end in New York and attempt to forge a new vision for the global economy.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has teamed up with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to press for such a summit, and the French leader travels to Camp David this weekend to lobby President Bush to sign on.

Brown, buoyed by the praise he won for engineering a British bank bailout that inspired U.S. and European rescues, is proposing “radical changes” to the global capitalist system, including a cross-border mechanism to monitor the world’s 30 biggest financial institutions. Sarkozy has floated the idea of reforming rating agencies and even exploring the future of currency systems.

Details remain vague and the obstacles are many.

…In Brown’s view, what’s needed is nothing less than a new version of the 1944 Bretton Woods conference that brought together Allied leaders and established a post-World War II global monetary and financial order, laying foundations for the International Monetary Fund and a currency exchange regime that lasted for three decades.

“This is a defining moment for the world economy,” Brown wrote in Friday’s Washington Post. “The old postwar international financial institutions are out of date. They have to be rebuilt for a wholly new era.”

You can read the rest of this news that’s not really news to Christians here…

If you are, for some reason, still not convinced that we are that generation whom the LORD Jesus Christ said would witness HIS return… just stay tuned. Not one jot of Christ Jesus’ words will fail to be fulfilled.