Sunday, January 29, 2012

Wanted: Despised, Rejected, Down-hearted, Evil People

by Aleta Kay

          You’ve been hurt and emotionally destroyed by people who claimed or were supposed to love you.
          You’ve been rejected by your peers.
          You feel worthless, hopeless, desperate. You see no reason to live.
          You’ve done horrible things.
          You’ve conspired to rob or commit murder
          You’ve abused children or women.
          You’re a homosexual.
          You’re an adulterer.
          You’ve done such horrible things you’ve never told anyone about because you’re ashamed and afraid of rejection.

          You are the person God is looking for. Think you’re too bad to love? Saul (later re-named Paul) went around murdering, torturing, beating, and arresting the Christians of Jesus’s day after His crucifixion. Yet, God called out to him one day while Saul was on his way to arrest more of God’s people. He even thought he was doing the right thing. But when spoke to him and told him he was persecuting God, and therefore, God’s people, Saul repented and became one of the greatest apostles. His name was then changed to Paul and he traveled extensively and started many churches. God changed Saul’s character from authoritative and abusive to godly leadership, compassion, and a love for God’s people.
           Matthew 9:13 says, “…for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” These are the words of Jesus. He was fed up with the false religion being taught by the religious leaders who thought they were the only ones good enough for God. People who think they are good enough will end up in hell because of their own pride. No one is good enough for God. No one ever will be in this life.
          But---
          Jesus speaks to us again in Matthew 13:44-46—“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
          Jesus left the splendor and glory of heaven to come to earth as a human being so he could identify with us and really show us who God is and what kind of God He is. He came to earth looking for his treasure (people who would love Him and follow Him) hidden in the humanity of this world (the field). He left all the riches of heaven to come to earth and purchase us back as His bride, God’s children. We His children, the bride of Christ, are the pearl of great price which He has purchased with His own blood, shed on the cross for our sins.
          I Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
          God (Jesus Christ) did not come to earth to call the righteous to repentance. They already think they are good. He came to call those who know they are worthless, hopeless, no good. He called those who know they are incapable of helping themselves. He came to call the depressed, homeless, down-trodden, outcast, downcast, defeated, dejected, rejected, addicted to pornography, drugs, alcohol, murders, child molesters, wife-beaters, brawlers, pedophiles, homosexuals, adulterers.
          Matthew 11:28, 29 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Again, these words were spoken by Jesus. He’s talking to people in the above categories. If you want rest from your burdens, if you want to do right and just can’t find the strength to do it, call out to Him. Call out to Jesus. He loves you and He wants to help you overcome the horrible things that you are chained to. He can break your chains and set you free. And He has NEVER turned anyone away who seriously wanted His help. But you have to be sincere, and you have to really want to change.
          Jeremiah 33:3 (God’s telephone number) says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” See that? It says if you call He will answer. Not might answer, not if he isn’t too busy. HE WILL ANSWER. Just give Him a chance. Don’t let the devil tell you it’s too late. Don’t let that evil being tell you you’ve been too bad. Just give God a chance. He’s waiting.
          If you aren’t sure how to proceed, if you want help getting to know God, leave a comment with a way to get in touch with you. If you are a female, I will respond. If you are a male, I will have my pastor contact you. God bless and don’t give up. We’ll help you find a church where you learn more about God and develop new friends who will love you and help you grow into the person God wants you to be.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Politics As Usual?

by Aleta Kay

         This is not going to be my normal type of article. It is not my place to tell anyone how to vote but this election has me very concerned. So I have a suggestion for anyone who is as upset and disgusted as I am with the media already making up its mind (and ours) as to who is going to win the nomination and then the election. If the person you want to win doesn't end up on the ballot write it in. Don't be led by the popular line that we have to vote for someone who can beat President Obama. It's true; we do, but if we conservatives band together and choose who we want, even if we have to write him in, Obama could still lose. We have to stop letting ourselves be pushed around!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Have We Gone Too Far? Part 2

“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:” Isaiah 30:9-10

Parents pray that their children will live for God, while they serve money and materialism themselves. Believers wish to be cleansed from all unrighteousness through some uninvolved process rather than through “…cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh” and “superfluity (super abundance) of naughtiness” and “…receiving with meekness the engrafted word,” (James 1:21) Isaiah was well spoken in our verse so apropos for today.
          Slumbering saints, lulled to sleep by the deceitfulness of sin, have no desire to awaken. Intoxicated with personal comforts, the church militant has become the church impotent! The seeker-sensitive movement, which is insensitive to the Seeker of our souls, has permeated our ranks and made man into master and God into servant! With this first basic principle of Biblical authority discarded, the entire structure of humanity collapses. The tidal wave of lasciviousness (wild, unbridled, ungodly passions) that has swamped our cities was created by the seismic shift in our churches. Instead of submitting to God’s order of authority, we have placed our wills on the throne and demanded that all else bow to it. Our own sense of well-being is prioritized, well deceived by Satan’s master counterfeiting of hope, happiness and hype. But you must realize that he only counterfeits the effect and never the cause!


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Have We Gone Too Far?

By Rev. Caleb Thompson
(copies from Baptist Bread Jan./Feb. 2012)

“Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” Hosea 4:17

When God tells us to leave someone alone it isn’t good. I had a neighbor once that was a drug dealer (she and her husband). They had two adorable little girls and I was drawn to them. I had invited their mother to church several times and had tried to share the gospel with her. She didn’t want to hear it. One night they were in a bad car accident and the mother was almost killed. When she came home from the hospital I asked her again if she would go to church with me. She assured me that when she was able to get up and around again she would go. Time passed; she got better; and her walk with the world (which will be described in the scripture passages to follow) got even worse. She would not go to church. The worst thing that has ever happened to me in my Christian walk was when the Holy Spirit of God told me to never pray for her again. God gave her many chances and she hardened her heart.
          The following portion of this post is the part that is copied, written by Rev. Caleb Thompson. If you are a professing Christian, if you think you are right with God, please pay attention. Just because you think you have your ticket to heaven doesn’t mean you’re okay with God. Read on.

          A nation founded on scriptural principles is in peril when those who profess to follow Christ could summarize their personal principles on a napkin! Billboards advertise the latest fads, commercials tout the newest craze, extensive menus reinforce the idea that you deserve to have your way, and positive philosophies from the pulpit crescendo in the lullaby that brings swift sleep to unwary believers.
          Principles are packed in the attic or displayed in the museum of antiquity while feelings and emotions take the helm. Decisions are made and choices selected based on personal prerogative. Instant gratification tastes great on the tongue, but produces gall in the stomach. A cheeseburger and fries may delight the palate while they disease the body.
          But of far greater consequence is the spiritual decay that permeates the pews, brought about by the demand to be pampered and powdered, nursed and burped, patted and petted into complacent comfort. In the quest for personal happiness and contentment, we’ve been persuaded to drink the poisoned concoction of humanism, only to awaken with bile on the tongue, grief on the mind, and bitterness in the soul.
          Oh, but the task of self-gratification and self-will is so sweet on the lips that its effects are soon forgotten, and an inebriated world is being driven into oblivion by an intoxicated church.
          The idols of personal achievement, social status, creature comforts, economic progress, human capabilities, and selfish desires, all the works of men’s hands, are worshiped with the heart and hands, bank accounts and check stubs. All attest to the soul’s master.
          Part 2 tomorrow.


Monday, January 16, 2012

What’s So Special About Christians?

by Aleta Kay

          There are some misconceptions about Christians. Are we all crazy people, leaning on a crutch made of our thin imaginations? Are we all haters of anyone or anything not Christian? Do we all go around bombing abortion clinics and carrying picket signs that say “God hates….”? No. We are not all like that. In fact, those people are in the minority and I doubt their God is the Jesus I know.
          What is a Christian? The word “Christian” means Christ-like or a follower of Jesus Christ. Most of us, hard as we try, are not very Christ-like. The truth is, we are all specks of dust on this huge planet. Psalm 103:14 says, “…he remembers that we are dust.” Adam was formed out of the dust of the ground. Genesis 3:19 says, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;  for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
          Yet, in spite of the fact that we are mere specks of dust, God chose to take part of himself and become a man in the form of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
          We fail him every day. We get mad, lose our tempers, get discouraged and depressed; we fret and worry (all of these are sin and are not pleasing to God); we speak out of turn, gossip, say things we shouldn’t, etc. All Christians are still under construction. God will never be finished working on us until our time on earth is done.
          We need to go to God on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, and ask forgiveness for the words we say, the attitudes we have, the lack of trust we have in Him when we worry and fret about things we can’t control anyway, for allowing ourselves to be discouraged, defeated, and depressed when we know with all our heart He has the answers for us and is always with us.
          What’s so special about Christians? We have the shed blood of Jesus applied to our lives so God sees us through this filter. God sees us covered with the righteousness of Christ. It’s not that we are good (Romans 3:10—there is none good, no not one.); it’s that Jesus gives us His goodness. We are just dustballs covered with the goodness of Jesus. Jesus is special and we get the benefit.

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Voices Inside Your Head

by Aleta Kay

          Maybe you’re like me. Maybe your mom told you the whole time you were growing up that you couldn’t do anything right. Maybe your dad repeatedly told you you were dumb. Maybe your peers laughed at you and picked on you every day like mine did. So you grew up believing you were a loser and always would be. You didn’t think you would ever amount to anything, ever accomplish anything. You feel like a big zero and the only purpose in life is frustration.
          Most days I like myself okay. Most days I am content with my life. I have a home (travel trailer) that is paid for. The truck is finally paid off. My husband and I both have jobs (high stress though they are) and we have a small nest egg set aside for retirement in two years. When we retire we will have to be very careful with our spending but we will be okay.
          Yesterday I came home from work feeling like the biggest failure in the world. I felt like the BIGGEST LOSER. I told myself that the only thing I’m good at is failing. I have written two novels, neither of which is in stores. I have a hard time finishing any project I start because I already know it isn’t going to be very good.
          If you, like me, give yourself these negative messages you have already determined to fail. The failure is in giving up. I’ve met people who have said, “If someone tells me I can’t do something, they’d better watch because I will show them that I will do whatever they say I can’t.”
          There was a 17-year-old girl highlighted in the news last night and she made me ashamed of my attitude. She is homeless. Both of her parents died in a car accident just a few months ago. There is no family to take her in. There were some health issues she had to overcome. I can’t remember everything that was reported but what did stick with me is that, in spite of all these obstacles, she is a runner up for a $100,000 scholarship award in science for some research she is doing. Here is a young woman, a junior in high school, with very few resources, who keeps going, refusing to give up. I don’t remember her name but I will remember her face. I can’t wait to see what the Lord does with her life! If she can accomplish that, what can you and I accomplish if we keep persevering, keep trying, refuse to give up?
          Don’t listen to those voices in your head that say you are stupid, worthless, a big zero, a loser. You are what you tell yourself. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Luke 6:45) “The devil, as a roaring lion, roameth about, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8)  So tell that devil to shut up. Tell him he’s a liar. Tell yourself you are smart. You are capable. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. You can achieve success. You just have to be willing to KEEP WORKING AT IT. (Me too.) Have a wonderful, joyful day. Don’t let anyone drag you down. Be your own cheerleader. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13.) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6.)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

You Can Be An Overcomer

by Aleta Kay

You have anger issues. You’ve tried to calm down. You’ve attended anger management classes and still rage raises its ugly head in a heartbeat. Before you know it, you’re ranting, raving, and acting like a lunatic. You hate yourself for it. You don’t want to treat your family this way but you can’t seem to stop. Don’t give up. There is hope.
First, you must realize that this rage, this anger is sin. We are all born with a sin nature, so it really doesn’t matter where the rage or anger came from. We are all born with the capacity for this rage.
Secondly, you are not the only person with this problem. There are many people in prison who are there because of their anger, rage and bitterness. There is hope for them too, if they will but believe and receive it.
Romans 3:10-18 says, “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave or tomb); with their tongues they have used deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
If you think this describes you, read on.
John 3:16 says, “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.” Now I hear a lot of people say they believe in God, and that’s good but the Bible tells us the devil believes and trembles. The devil is definitely NOT going to heaven to spend eternity there. Read John 3:16 again. It says whoever believes on Jesus has everlasting life. We must believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, that he lived a perfect, sinless life, that he was crucified on a cross for our sins, that he was buried and rose again the third day. We must place our trust in him and ask him to be our Lord and Savior. We must tell him we are sorry for our sins (and truly be sorry, not just say the words). We must be willing to turn away from our sins and ask him to help us overcome our anger, bitterness, depression, rage, drug addiction, alcoholism, etc.
We must be willing to let him replace those things with his goodness, with what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, temperance, meekness and faith (Galatians 5:22, 23). If we want to get rid of something negative we must replace it with something positive. We cannot do these things on our own and keep up with them apart from the power of the God the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in our hearts once we confess our sins to God, repent (turn away from them) and ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior.
To implement and keep up with this change you must find a Bible-believing church to attend on a regular basis. Go to the Sunday school class appropriate for your age group. Many churches have a beginner or new believer class designed to help you grow in your faith and knowledge of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit (see fruit of the Spirit listed above): for without me ye can do nothing.”
Take time to read and mull over these verses. Let them take root in your heart so you can apply them to your life. I can’t tell you which denomination of church to attend but I can offer some of my own personal experiences.
First of all, there is no such thing as a perfect church because there are no perfect people. Many churches today offer a contemporary service with a band and peppy, upbeat music. The music stirs up your emotions so you feel really good and happy. My experience with these churches (and I have attended several in various states) is that you feel great when you’re there, but when you leave and church and go home nothing is changed. There’s very little, if any, meat in the sermon and it doesn’t take very long for your mouth to start spewing nastiness and negativity again. I call these dessert churches. Dessert tastes good and is very pleasing, but a steady diet of just dessert will make us fat, lazy, and in poor health.
There are churches that teach that if you don’t follow a certain set of rules you can’t get to heaven. This is works salvation and is not what Jesus taught. The Bible tells us that by the works of the flesh shall no man be saved. This would allow us to get to heaven on the basis of our goodness. Remember Romans says there is none good, no not one.
Many churches use different kinds of Bibles, but there is only one true Word of God: the King James (at least in the English language). It is the most accurate translation. It does not change the meaning of words to suit our modern day and does not take away from the virgin birth or the blood sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Many people say they can’t understand it. It is written on a 3rd grade level. Also it takes the Holy Spirit of God to help us understand it. The Bible, God’s holy Word, is a spiritually inspired collection of books and must be spiritually discerned.
Look for a church that has a reputation for teaching and preaching the truth straight from the King James Bible, a church that doesn’t compromise and doesn’t fellowship with churches that do compromise. Commit yourself to learning about your Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be an overcomer. God bless.
    
       


Thursday, January 5, 2012

How to Get “Yes” Answers to Your Prayers

by Aleta Kay

Psalm 37:4—“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
          Have you ever wished you were friends with a rich man who could and would take care of your debts? Have you ever wished there was someone powerful you could turn to in times of trouble?
          There is no one more powerful in the universe than Almighty God. The Bible tells us he owns everything because everything was created by him. Things that were created by man were created with knowledge and skill given by God. He can calm storms, heal broken hearts, comfort the sick and bereaved. And he cares more than anyone else possibly could.
          The key to getting your prayers answered in the affirmative is to delight in the LORD. When we delight in him we want to read and study his word. We want to know what he has to say to us. We want to be in close fellowship with him and seek his will.
          Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” When we put God first in our lives and tell others about his goodness, his greatness; when we love others enough to want to lead them to Christ, that they might be delivered from hell, we know we have God’s ear.
     John15:1-7 says, “Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
        Notice Jesus said we must abide in him. That means we realize that we cannot accomplish anything on our own and we depend on him for everything. We turn to him for every need, our own needs and the needs of others we are concerned about. If we keep our focus, our attention on living for him, we will have our prayers answered because our desires will agree with his (not the other way around).
Many people today seem to be trying to make God into their image. It won’t work. God is not malleable. He will not be manipulated, shamed, or goaded. If you choose to argue with him you will lose. You are not all powerful but he is. And he always knows and desires what is best for you and the rest of us.


Monday, January 2, 2012

Be An Overcomer

by Aleta Kay

         You had a crappy childhood. Maybe you were beaten, or molested, raped, or constantly put down. Most of us would rather take a beating than be berated, belittled, and criticized with every move we make. You were taught by example that if you had any worth at all, it was all wrapped up in your looks. The underlying message that burned into your soul was NEVER TRUST A MAN. You learned to use your body as a weapon against the male species. Money was the object that proved your independence and success at beating them at their own game. Money becomes your reason for living. It has become the god you work and live for. It is your only source of confidence and security.
          At some point you become sickened by the futility of your life. You are disgusted with yourself and you don’t want to look good anymore. You want someone, anyone, to see past the exterior to the real you. But do you dare allow anyone to get that close? How can you climb out of this pit? Is there any hope?
          Here are a few verses and suggestions I hope will help:
          First of all, realize that your enemy, Satan, the devil, roams about seeking whom he may devour. He has you right where he wants you. He hates you more than any human ever could because he knows God loves you and wants to deliver you from the morass you’re in. And God is greater, stronger, wiser than that liar that is responsible for all the misery in the world.
          Second, read the victory verses out of the Bible out loud every day. Tell Satan he is a liar and is already defeated. Tell him he can’t win because God sees the battle as already won. The victory belongs to you. Here are your verses:
          Psalm 37:3-11 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in an wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” This is peace within yourself.
          Read all of Psalm 91. Make the choice today to dwell in secret place of the most High, in the shadow of the Almighty. When you fall back to your old ways, tell God you are sorry and ask Him to help you do better.
          Mark 11:22-26 says, “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou case into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
          The eighth chapter of Romans gives much instruction and encouragement for those who truly want to change the direction of their lives. Romans 12:1, 2 says we are to renew our minds, change the way we think. Proverbs 23:7 tells us as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
          The only way to make these changes, and change the way you think is to put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. See John 3:16; Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23 and Romans 10:9-13. God bless.