CATTLE ON A 1000 HILLS,…..HIS ? OURS?

I was having a conversation with someone a few months ago, and i casually mentioned that i no longer listened to Prosperity gospel. This went into a long debate that went on for hours. He was like Wyatt Earp, firing off scripture after scripture to support his case of God promising us wealth and riches. One of them was “the cattle on a thousand hills are his” does that sound like a poor God?

Naturally , the logic follows “How can a rich God , that owns the whole world not want his children to be rich”. Another quote brought up was from apostle Paul,

“my God shall supply all your needs ,according to his riches in glory”.Philippians 4:19
The logic, Paul was rich , thus the reason he prayed “YOUR needs” for the people , and not his own needs. Needless to say as i went back to read that verse, from the beginning to the end, that assumption of riches is totally out of context. Paul was thanking them, for the previous times they had sacrificially financially catered for him,in his last visit, and at that point in time we did not need it, but placed a blessing on them, for their willingness and generosity. Please Read the entire passage for yourself and see. 1 Corinthians 9 is also a good read concerning Paul’s income status.

However , the cattle on a thousand hills stuck with me. Taken from Psalm 50:10 , it is extremely popular with the prosperity gospel movement and i decided to take a look at it for what it fully meant, and the context in which it was said.

Does God own the cattle on the hills and the whole world. YES, Is out God rich, of course he is, but i doubt if riches to God, is sitting in his money room, counting gold and diamonds gleefully, as his Angel Gabriel reads his balance sheet out loud for the umpteenth time. This verse is quoted in isolation to justify and promote the desire to be rich, wealthy and seize the promises that a rich God has provided.

So let’s see what it says

v 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine and i own the cattle on a thousand hills
v11 Every bird of the mountain and all the animals of the field belong to me
v12 If i were hungry i would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it
v13 I do not need the bulls you sacrifice, i do not need the blood of goats

Here’s a key verse

v14 What i want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfil your vows to to the most high.
v15 Trust me in your times of trouble and i will rescue you and you will give me glory

ZOOMING out of the isolation of verse 10 , an often misinterpreted passage , reading the whole passage , we would realise that God is not saying , “the cattle on a thousand hills are mine , so you get them in the will my child, take it , it’s yours”.

This passage is a chastisement to those that carry out religious ceremony, those playing church so to speak. They cross all the T’s and dot all the i’s , but it’ s all routine. Done out of some sort of obligation rather than love and desire. He was speaking them that did acts and went , “Hey, check out, look at my God badge”, but lived lives of hypocrisy,lives contrasting to the God they claimed. He was speaking to

HYPOCRITES; v16-17 But God says to the wicked “Recite my laws no longer and don’t pretend that you obey me.For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.
ACCOMPLICES TO THE WICKED; v 18 When you see a thief you help him, and you spend your time with adulterers
LIARS ; v19 Your mouth is full of wickedness and your tongues are full of lies
SLANDERERS :v 20 You sit around and slander a brother, your own mothers son

Verses 21 -22 Go on to explain God’s verdict towards all this , a sound WARNING

When you did all this ,I remained silent, and you thought i didn’t care. But now i will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. Repent all you ignore me, or i will tear you apart and no one will help you.

This passage is FAR from the endorsement or promise of financial prosperity as it is often used in isolation. It is a warning to those paying God lip service.

Lest i do what they do, the passage ends on a hopeful note

v23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honours me.If you keep to my path i will reveal to you the salvation of God.

Read the entire Psalm 50, to see the introduction God is given ,lest we read in isolation.

SELAH

CATTLE ON THE HILLS

Like sands in the hour glass..like a clock ticking away…like it were your last

In the past week, i have come to discover, that three people i grew up with, have all lost family members within a short time span. Not too long ago a very young husband slumped and died, perfectly healthy,no warning sign, leaving behind a wife and a child ,we all grew up in the same neighborhood.

It is shocking to me, many of them i personally knew, conversed with ,some i laughed with, so i can’t even imagine what the families must be going through.

None of them saw this coming, none of them expected this. None of the families saw this coming . One day they were making plans and setting dates, have hearty conversations with their loved ones, and the next, they were gone, and to their loved ones, it was like a bad dream.

In a few days it would be the birthday of a friend that passed on when i was in my freshman year many years back,but feels like yesterday, he would have been 27 this year.

What’s my point. We have no control over when we would die. No matter how healthy we eat ,exercise or diet, there is no guarantee. No matter how safely we drive , efficient our pilots ,our sturdy our houses. There is no guarantee that we are even going to wake up the next morning, can you guarantee that the next breath you take won’t be your last.

These dear people were teenagers, young adults and well lived in the prime, chronology did not make a difference to their passing on.

Being young is no guarantee. We have all heard stories of people that step out of their front door and the next minute they are gone. We have heard of young people that sleep and don’t wake up, no warning . We’ve heard of toddlers, pre teens, teenagers , graduates and newly weeds that are gone in one second, shortly after saying, “i’ll be back in a few minutes”

A few months ago, Michael Jackson passed away, many people that never met him or had a personal knowledge of him, but they took it very personal and very hard. The next question was “where is he now?” Some of those that did not like him , made statements of “Roasting”, others say “he’s Moon Walking in the pearly gates”. I don’t know what confessions, decisions or repentance he made before he passed, so i’m not going to speculate.

The question we should be asking ourselves. What are we going to do when we breathe our last breath and find out after all, that there’s life after death?

What are you going to do when you find out that being good, doing good works, being a nice person, does not grant you entry into Heaven? That your good, or nice does not meet the standard of God.

How would you explain or give account for the life you lived?

How would you explain , hearing about God, knowing about him, and yet living a life that largely ignored him and the sacrifice he made for you?

When God says, WHY should i let you into my Kingdom? What would your answer be?

Your employee of the month. Paid off Mortgage, Tight Whip, Favorite Song, Retirement Fund, Big Bonus,Six Figure Salary, Goodness, Donations to Charity ,Appearance on a Magazine front cover, Award winning song,Movie, Best selling book are not going to matter. They are all going to be left behind for people to fight over.

When you stand naked before the throne of God, all that you achieved in the physical is not going to amount to a hill of beans. To put it bluntly , no amount of good works, that impresses humans, is going to impress an eternal and infinitely Holy God. To whom all our righteousness is like filthy rags. To use a modern term, presenting your “good works’ to a Holy God that knows no sin, is like strutting in front of him, in a coat made of month old used tampons, and expecting him to be impressed. Imagine the stink of it, not to mention how Ludicrous .

BEFORE WE PROCEED ANY FURTHER, LET’S TAKE THE GOOD TEST

-Have you ever told a lie? If you say NO, that’ s a lie right there . Baring false witness

-Have you ever stolen something , no matter how small or insignificant,even a pinch of cake,a piece of meat, a friends dress,shoe. Thou shalt not Steal

-Have you ever looked at someone with lust, you just looked and imagined. Yup, that’s as bad as doing the deed of fornication or adultery

-Have you ever taken the name of the Lord in vain? G….Dammit etc…well that’s blasphemy

-Has anything, job,money,love interest,ambition held a bigger place in your heart than God ,more time , more priority, more focus and attention than God? If so, it’s called Idolatry

-Growing up did you ever defy your parents and disobey a direct instruction even by omission,or subtly Well, you did not Honor your parents as commanded.

If you have answered yes to any of those question , you just broke one of the ten commandment. You see how hard it is? In all honesty we all have broken all of them at some point in time.

By those pre Grace standards we are all on some level, Liars, Thieves and fornicators

Trust me, we do not want to be judged by the law, or how moral we have been.You can see them in Exodus 20

That is why a merciful God sent Christ, so we would not be subject to judgment by those standards. Our sin separates us from God and repentance and submission to Christ is the only guarantee to reconciliation with God.

This is not multiple choice, or the wheel of fortune..There are no several roads to salvation. If you don’t come to God through Jesus, you are not coming to him at all. He is offering us GRACE. God is not there saying “Let’s make a deal”, he’s saying “Here’s the deal, take it, or leave it”

GOD LOVES YOU,and he made a plan of salvation so you won;t be subject to the law. He’s a father opening his arms for you to run into ,but if you reject him, you have to realize that he is also an incorruptible judge, that would not let injustice, sin and rejection of his gift go unpunished.

Jesus was the only one to come and make a sacrifice for our sins. He paid the price that for our sin,and faced the wrath of God, that was meant for those who confess their sin and accept his Lordship. When you accept Christ, God no longer looks at you or your sin, but he looks at his sinless son, the righteousness of Christ and accepts that as YOUR righteousness.

He stands in the gap, saying Father, look at my righteousness not his, he has confessed and accepted me. In order to have that.

You have to acknowledge your sin first of all.

The lies, the lust (mental&physical), the cheating, the malice, fornication , hate ,the pride the jealousy ,envy ,greed ,spite and all those things we call part of human nature. No human being can say they have never being guilty of any of these, and THAT is exactly the point.

We are all born in sin, and until we accept the salvation of Christ done on the Cross , by mourning ,repenting and forsaking of our sin, we will face God as a judge instead of a Father welcoming us home.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment Hebrews 9:27

You may be thinking “I know i need to get right with God, BUT I’ll do it later, i still have time , i want to enjoy life as i’m young”.

Tupac said very similar words to Evander Holyfield a few hours before he was gunned down. He was man that had it all by world standards; looks, fame , more money than he knew what to do with, a successful career and respect in his industry. What more, right??

The wisest man to ever live, King Solomon said

“Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your creator.Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer living. It will be too late then to remember him…….” Ecclesiastes 12:1-2

You may say “How dare you imply that i’m a sinner, who are you to say that, i’m a very good person , i work hard a being moral. How are you better than me?”

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

I’m not better, but the fact is unless we are seen by God through the righteousness of Christ, we are all filthy and face the judgment of an incorruptible judge, because no human can live 100% to God’s standard ,his HOLY standard, no matter how good, or moral we think we are by human standards, humans are fickle, and what is moral today, in 30 years time would be called old fashioned and backward thinking.

If you are relying on Good works, it’s recorded that Michael Jackson did more more for humanity and Charity than any other celebrity or even some organizations. Yet there are human beings that hold him in contempt, for the charges of which he was acquitted. If people could not forgive him, for apparent mistakes, which were never proven.If despite all the good he did , humans with their own flaws and issues had such high standards and expectation .How much do we think our accumulation of good works can ever matter to an infinitely HOLY God, who has never known any sin.

There’s hope

He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved Acts 16:30-31

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Come now, let us reason together,”says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.-Isaiah 1;18

If you have made it to the end of this note, you may still disagree and say NO ,

You may be infuriated with me.

You may be saying, This boy has come again?

You may be , this boy won’t leave this religion thing alone,is it by force?

You may even decide to bid me good riddance

But I’d rather say this truth to you , and have you mad at me, than keep quite, and just hope you stumble across it someday, just so we can keep the “peace”.

.You may decide that you’ve had enough of my Bible stuff and never want to speak to me again BUT Your life, your eternal destiny, is more important to me than how happy you remain with me,or how high i am ranked on your approval or “cool” rating, Where you stand with God when your time comes, is FAR more important than those things

This is not about religion.This is more than just an opposing theology or philosophy . THIS IS ABOUT YOUR LIFE. It’s about a personal relationship with God.

Ceremonies, church attendance,prayer routine is no guarantee to salvation, neither are any amount of good works or penance. Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do.

Even if you grew up in church, with Christian parents, that is no guarantee. Going to church does not make you a Christian, any more than going to MacDonalds makes you a hamburger. God does not have any grand children , faith in Christ is not genetically transferred. The evidence about what your life is TODAY.

The word says
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.Test yourselves.If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5-6).

The only thing i will ask, is that if you have never done this before, Cry out to the God of heaven and earth through his son Jesus and ask him if you are right with him. If he is pleased with your life right now, If he recognizes you as his child and if you have a place in his Kingdom, and to teach you how to be reconciled to him. If you don’t believe he’s real , well, all you’ve lost is some words. If you do, well, this could just be the beginning of your journey with him.

That’s all i ask.

GOD BLESS

PROSPERITY AND ETERNITY

“ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU ,BUT ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY”

That is one of the most recognized lines in global the history of speech making. Most of us don’t have to be told that it’s from John F Kennedy,one of the youngest Presidents of the United States of America. A speech to rally up the people to stop focusing on themselves, and think about how they can each contribute to the greater benefit of the nation. As later years would show , Kennedy had a lot of skeletons in the closet, much a Predecessor that would follow him in presidential and private Legacy, but that was such a profound statement.

Somehow we modern day Christians have gotten it twisted. We’ve flipped it round and it’s become
“Lord. ask not what i can do for your Kingdom, but what you can do to build mine”.

The modern day gospel has become so focused on, How we can, Get our best life now, our “Write our own ticket “, claim your inheritance NOW, that there little or no room in our minds , thoughts or desires to ask, how we as individuals can further the Kingdom by bringing more people in. Just like the prodigal that demanded his inheritance before the appointed time, we in the modern church are Now, the consensus is, when we as Christians are wealthy we can pay higher tithe, therefore , have more money to build bigger churches and send missionaries out.

The truth is, if furthering the Kingdom was our REAL concern, we’d ask for God to bless that ministry , and not be requesting to use us as the financial conduit or middleman, who gets a 90% commission. We’d ask how WE and not our money or resources can be used.

That big bonus, or huge salary rise would go to the building,missionary or homeless fund, and not to a brand new whip, or wardrobe upgrade. If our biggest desire for financial increase was the Kingdom. We’d give more of our time, skills and talent directly to the church or ministry , VOLUNTARILY ,so the church could direct funds elsewhere.

Our prayers would be “God, please supply just enough for my needs, so I’m not worried about money, but not more than i need, that my heart would stray from you”.

Now ,this is not to say we can’t aspire to be financially independent, own a big business, or succeed exceptionally in our chosen careers. The point is, we spend so much time , claiming the wealth “promises” and what God can do for US, that we rarely turn and ask,

“Lord, What is it that you have set out for me to do for YOUR kingdom”.

We think, it’s the job of the pastor, deacons, ministers , elders etc. We rarely cry like Isaiah “Here i am, send me”. Most of our thoughts and actions go, “Here’s my money, send it..but don’t even think of asking me to go anywhere or do anything”

Once again, this is not against , attaining success financially or otherwise, But i think we should just admit that we want wealth, success etc for our own comfort , instead of the sanctimonious, “I’m praying for it for the Kingdom sake”.

I was listening to a teaching on the Prodigal Son yesterday, and it occurred to me, that with numerous teachings on how to have a “best life now”, and riches NOW, your heaven on earth . We demand our inheritance from God NOW, and want to go off and enjoy, while we leave the harvest and the building of the Family Empire(God’s Kingdom) to our mature siblings i.e the missionaries,pastors, evangelists. We aren’t concerned about the generations to come after us, all we want to do is grab as much of the inheritance right now.

I’m not against having financial prosperity, but i think it’s become a sole focus and a lot of us due to certain teaching, ONLY see God as a cosmic bell hop, there to respond to our chanting of twisted/mis interpreted scripture at him .Our thought patterns have made scripture an ATM pin code to Heavens bank account instead of that reproof, correction and training in righteousness, and the Salvation of souls.

In the past 40 years or so, Christianity has adopted the American Dream, and just tied a ribbon of scripture around it to pass it off as Gospel. A message that is so focused on a comfortable cushy problem free life, that the early church would spin in their graves ,if they found out what we are teaching. A lot of sounds no different from what you’d hear at a secular Wealth Building seminar, (some of which have metaphysical origins)our justification!! The Lord promised me.

Looking at the early church, the early apostles, none of them had a cushy problem free lifestyle. None of them sat in their La Z boy ,saying “That’s not my calling, I’ll lick a few stamps, and write a cheque but that’s it”. Imagine if Paul,Peter, Timothy John the Revelator had many of our attitudes?? Too far back to relate to?

What would be of what we know of the Church today, if John Calvin decided all wanted to do was sign cheques. Or Martin Luther thought he’d leave the expounding to the Pastor alone. What if Charles Spurgeon or George Mueller, decided that, he’d chill at home and just send a love gift to God TV when the Dow Jones jumps a few points.

The Bible says “take on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand in the evil day” .It didn’t say, contribute to the armory fund and watch the ship sail off. This is not saying that we are all going to be missionaries in the field, pastors or in a direct form of ministry. But regardless we are still asked to take on the armor, and not just those in the five fold ministry. We may not be in the front lines like the missionaries and the Pastors but we are the reserve army that could be called to report at any time. What if in the wealth we are claiming and fighting so much for, we get too fat for the armor. We’ve consumed so much “good stuff” that when the battle-cry comes, we’ve gained too much weight to fit into the armor. We are too lethargic to even move.The breast plate of righteousness, is bursting at the seams and no longer protects our sides , because we may have engaged in something dodgy to attain that “promised” wealth. The shield of faith has weakened because after attaining the wealth, church becomes routine, if at all, and growth has become irrelevant. As for the sword of the spirit, we have absorbed so many wealth and sweet by and by, “promises” that the battle preparation verses were neglected.The verses that predict the inevitable are skipped over and downplayed as only judgment on the heathen not us the saved. The verses that enable us to prepare for the battle, that is “not against flesh and blood” are glossed over. How can we be battle ready if we have been so fattened by the spiritual equivalent of Twinkies,Ding Dongs and Dumplings, that we can barely fit into the armor(if we remember where it is and how to put it on)

Modern gospel is lot a more of ” Lifestyle of the rich and Famous” justified by twisting scripture,than it is truth . We have been programmed in self preservation(physical,emotional,reputation) and many celebrity Pastors, who don’t want to lose their fans(those that buy their numerous books) and congregation refuse to speak on sin, which many of their followers are blatantly living in. When directly confronted, they water it down, and give the greatest single answer dodging line “it’s not my place to judge” .YES, it’s not your place to judge, just tell them what the Bible categorically states on the issue of sin. Instead they promote a cotton candy, lah lah land, picture of God and the life of a Christian,a contrast from the lives the Apostles lived, or even the one Christ told us to expect in Matthew 10 & 24.

The feel good message feeding the flock is no good. They want to be fed , stay at home and never leave for the mission and battlefields, literally or metaphorically. Growing fat like an over feed hamster. As we are meant to be soldiers for Christ and the Kingdom, what does this say about our fitness. Fat and lethargic soldiers in the physical are useless and certainly likewise in the spiritual,they do the army of God no good. Nobody carries an overweight and lethargic soldier into battle , they get left behind in the base , miss the battle, and the rewards of victory, they most likely get a dishonorable discharge.

From the gospelized American Dream, which is all about living in comfort, and getting your own, and enjoying life NOW. A “gospel” that tells us God wants to give us everything we ever dreamed about if we come to him Dream Career,Great Kids, Lovely Spouse, $$$$$. We have been so locked into that mindset and latched on like leeches that i wonder how many of us, would in the face of trails, difficulty, persecution declare like Shedrach,Meshac and Abednego, “even if he does not save us from the furnace”, we will not deny our God.

I think that is something we REALLY need to come to terms with in the days that lie ahead for true Christianity in a God hating world. A day and age, where there are Lawsuits to take down the cross and the Ten Commandments , and statements against the devil on public property. A day that all you have to do is mention you are a Christian and doors are slammed in your face. When you can be fired, sued or arrested for sharing your faith. We are not talking about iron curtain countries, this is happening in “the free world”.

Things are not going to change no matter how we fast and pray,current social,moral and political occurrences have been predicted in both the old and new testament. It’s said that the last days will be like the days of Noah. Like the people in Noah’s days, they denied and hated God. They disregarded morality ,silenced their conscience, and sin increased, they living hedonistic self serving lives; they mocked Noah and his “fairy tale ” God. Noah lived in preparation for the flood, he was not concerned about having a mansion ,the best cars. Does this mean one should not be responsible, contributing citizen while on earth,NO . Does it mean that we should all flock to a mountain resort and like monks, NO.

The point here is , where was his focus, where did he channel most of his energy, and who was he listening to, societal expectations? criticism/mockery from the ungodly? Impressing the sinners with God’s material blessing so they could come to him? NO. His concern was with his assignment; building the ark, and warning, preaching, trying to save as many people as possible before the inevitable. But they went on ,acquiring, partying and leaving Noah to his ark building

“Don’t worry, Live, there is no God” ,Sound familiar??

I may be wrong ,but It is quite possible that there were other men and women that feared God in that time. But they didn’t want to get involved in Noah’s “taking it to far and he’s making the rest of us look bad”. Maybe he was delusional after all that time in the sun, early stages of Alzheimer or something. Who wants to look like a fanatic after all ? . So they carried on business as usual, thanking God for the customers that made them richer, a large turnover, the new barns they built and livestock they’d bought. Perhaps even threw a party for a bountiful harvest. All while Noah, worked on that ark, babbling about some unheard of phenomenon happening. To destroy THIS WORLD, the one God had just blessed them in “exceeding and abundantly” ? NAH.

Noah may have won most valuable customer 120 years running ,at the local B&Q of his day. Sadly they watched their best customer sail off as they sank down to eternity.

Once again, this is not to say that we are only righteous or saved if we are poor or barely getting by. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with earning well in our careers. Having a business that grows phenomenally or even wanting to have more than enough for our spouse and kids.

BUT,

Whether we admit it or not, When financial prosperity is our BIGGEST and SOLE goal, when those are the only scriptures we know and quote.

When building OUR Kingdom on earth, puts on such blinders, that we can’t even see the world sinking around us in sin. They march right pass us, in a gleeful conga line to hell, and our eyes are so focused on ourselves that we ignore them, THAT is a huge problem.

Jesus himself said “My Kingdom is not of this world”, why then are we so blinded to think he has promised us one HERE. Why aren’t we pointing others to him and HIS kingdom???

It should scare us, that what is being encouraged in Christians today concerning riches ,wealth and excess, is the same thing that the Rich Fool was struck down for in Luke 12:16-21, if you look the text, he was just congratulating himself over a job well done, he was covered for the year$ to come.That’s an innocent desire isn’t it, only human, right!

At some point we just have to surrender it all to the Lord, instead of wanting to Live La Vida ,spiritually living in comfort, in the sweet by and by, getting fat and lazy with no challenge or REAL building to our faith. We need to be the ambassadors that he called us to be. An ambassador does not try to establish his own base and command in the land he has been sent to, he is a representative of that from which he has been sent and his commander in chief makes sure that his needs are met at all times.

What should most concern us, is, when it’s all said and done, how would we answer when he asks,

Why should i let you into MY Kingdom?

NO COMPROMISE

I repent of ever having recorded one single song and ever having performed one concert if my music and more importantly —- my life–has not provoked you into Godly jealousy , or to sell out more completely to Jesus- KEITH GREEN

That quote came from Keith Green, without a doubt one of the most anointed musical ministers to have ever lived, a man who i like to call the Psalmist(David) of the 20th Century,others called him a John the Baptist on the keyboard, a spiritual revolutionary .A man whose musical talent was only surpassed by his passion for Christ and evangelism. On his way to become a rock star, he had talent that could rival the likes of Elton John .If he was in the secular world he would have been up there with Billy Joel. His skills on the Piano were amazing and was once described as “never seen anyone dominate an instrument the way he did”, he was certainly destined for greatness,and Bob Dylan saw this potential in him .

As a young boy raised in a Jewish home, he constantly searched for spiritual answers while pursuing his music career. He tried everything under the sun, and remember, this was the 70’s .

And then at age 21, after intense seeking on many paths , Keith found Christ, his life was instantly regenerated he became a new person. With this rebirth, and realizing the world lacked this news, he immediately dropped his rock star ambitions, and wanted to tell the entire world about the transformation that had taken place in his life; even if it meant never playing music again publicly, but God had different plans for his life.

Soon after auditioning and scoring a record deal with Christian Label Sparrow records, he released his first album, spreading the Good News he had discovered shipping the equivalent of 500,000 units today. After several hit albums he left Sparrow and formed his on Label with the intentions of giving his albums away, for free. It even got to a point that he refused to charge people to attend his concerts. He rejected the idea making money out of the gospel which he repeatedly pronounced was free and refused to charge people to come hear him sing/minister.

Can you imagine that happening today!!, a “gospel” artist that holds all their concerts for free and give out whole albums for free, at their own expense,quite a contrast to what happened a few years ago when a popular gospel duo, refused to fly to London because of a money dispute.

To Keith, his music was ministry, not a career,and was not about showing people his talent or having people scream his name, he saw it as an assignment, the great commission. He often appealed to people not to exalt him or place him on a pedestal and redirected all praise to Jesus. Often times , audience members that desired a career in Christian music would ask advice on how to become gospel singers; he’d then proceed to ask them a series of questions

“Are you willing to never play music again? Are you willing to be a nothing? Are you willing to go anywhere and do anything for Christ? Are you willing to stay right where you are and let the Lord do great things through you, though no one may seem to notice at all? …those seeking bright lights and adoring fans often left downcast.

When not recording or on tour, he held Bible studies and training, he and his young wife opened their home to single mothers,runaways, addicts ,the homeless and those seeking God. Note, this was not a man that had a large income, or even a steady stream. Remember that he gave his albums away for free, they had a little royalty from previous years, but with housing and taking care of 20 -30 people at anytime ..well… they simply lived by faith.

Tragedy struck in 1982, Keith died in a plane crash, with two of his young children, leaving behind a pregnant wife and an infant daughter, he was just 28.

27 years on, his music is still challenging lives, turning people to the Good News of Jesus Christ, and lighting the fire of a radical desire to sell out for Christ. Like a musical John he Baptist he was a voice crying out in the a spiritual wilderness. Despite his enormous success and following, He refused to be a celebrity and only wanted to challenge people to live for God. THAT and much more he definitely achieved.

As i listen to songs he recorded in the 70’s ,they still challenge my life more than a large majority what i hear from my generation which entertains but rarely convicts the spirit. Many have great flair,catchy and easy to nod your head to and dance to, but no soul stirring and rarely different from the same emotions stirred by secular music . His music is uncompromisingly about the Gospel. He did not try to make it ambiguous or open for interpretation so that anyone can accept it as they see fit, he was clear about his message without losing the amazing musical delivery.

I look at Keith’s life and his ministry legacy , what he accomplished within such a small time span between coming to the Lord at age 21 and his death at 28. He’s been gone for over 25 years, and yet through the clear message in his music, generations born long after his death are being challenged to live for God beyond a cushy luke warm status. Not just entertained but he provoked listeners to asses our walk with God and see how we can do much better. The impact he made in those short 7 years of ministry, is more than many others do in a lifetime.

Now, we are not all going to have a musical platform , we are not all going to be public speakers, or hold a place in the five fold ministry, we are not all going to open our homes to as many as he did ,but we can cry out to God on how our lives can be a Love song unto him.

One of Keith’s songs , written by his wife, Melody , was titled “Make my life a Prayer to you” , the opening lines are quite profound as he cries out “Make my life a prayer to You, I wanna do what you want me to, No empty words and no white lies,No token prayers no compromise………..”.

“I want to do what you want me to”, this reiterates the Lord’s prayer, “thy will done on earth as it is in Heaven”, and not us chanting scripture at God in an attempt to psyche or strong arm him, into giving us what we want instead of his desire for us.

I feel very challenged and ask myself ,what my life would mean when I’m gone. Would i have left behind a testimony that would change people’s hearts towards God. Would they hear about my passing and , say “chei ya”(what a pity) and forget about it a few seconds later, with no impact on their lives towards Christ. Would people be able to identify and say “that was a man that lived for God and his life was an example of unrivaled passion for God? I’m ashamed to say that as i look at my life right now, and even my ambitions, if i dropped dead this second, my life would not have been a herald trumpet testimony unto God.

All i can do is cry out to Lord as ask that he create in me that heart for ministry, whether it be in my personal , professional or otherwise. Being a witness would be much more than posting a status update, writing a note, or putting up a video, but that in every moment of every day , my life both behind doors and in public, can be the salt and light to the earth.

I leave you with some more words from Keith , that really challenge me , i have not reached this state and i ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to get me there.To lay aside all ambitions and dreams if that is what he asks me to do, and like the 12 disciples, just follow and walk in faith no matter how ludicrous the world,friends, family think it is.

“NO compromise is what the whole Gospel of Jesus is all about…For i tell you ..no man can serve two masters..(Matt 6:24) In a day when believers seem to be trying to please the world and the Lord(which is impossible) , when people are far more concerned about offending their friends than offending God, there is only one answer….Deny yourself take up your cross and follow Him”- Keith Green

God Bless

Check out his inspiring story

http://bit.ly/4q6iuL

THE KEITH GREEN STORY

FUN FOR A MINUTE

Sometimes as a Christian, life may seem that it’s on a dimmer switch. As you look around, it seems that everyone else but you is having fun. It appears that the hottest girls and the cutest guys are unbelievers and they are off limits. You sometimes contemplate letting go to “get your freak on” , just for a minute, but the words “shall we continue in sin, so that grace may abound”play like a looping record in your head, and you shake your thoughts off.
 Yes, it may seem that the unbelievers are having all the fun, making all the money and top the charts and the head lines, and it can really get frustrating that all the “fun” things are off limits, but what are the consequences as Christians for engaging in these “fun” things.

SCENARIO # 1
You’ve got a friend, let’s call her April .You are in the same department in University and she’s seen the difference in you as a Christian. She notices your diligence and is marveled by your integrity. You’ve been inviting her to youth meetings, and she’s always turned you down. You tell her about the love of God, his promises and your inheritance cause you’re a kid of the king .She finally agrees to go with you to youth meeting, and there she’s engulfed by the fellowship of the brethren, and she’s begun to consider giving her life to Christ. A few days later she goes to the club, and there, she see’s you shaking your body to sexual songs, letting men touch you .in a way that would make Jesus blush, all in the name of dancing. She’s appalled to see this, and decides that she wants no part of your “so called Christianity”, you try to justify yourself but to no avail, your fun just earned your friend a one way ticket to hell.

SCENARIO #2
Your roommate and his friends mock you because of your moral stand on sexual issues and vow of abstinence. They tell you that you are just not able to get a girl into bed, and that is why you are using Christianity as an excuse. Deep inside you know that is not the reason and why, you have made such a commitment to God. It doesn’t help that you have strong hormonal desires to satisfy those urges , but you’ve avoided the situations that will make you fall so far, and you keep on the good fight.

Your roommates use the room all the time when their girlfriends come over, and the sounds they make do not exactly make celibacy any easier .You are beginning to have thoughts of trying it out, just once, to experience the feeling that they talk about so much.

One day you are invited to a party to celebrate spring break, deep down you know you are not to meant to be there, but you want to have some fun for a change, and suddenly that cute girl from the campus most popular sorority, the one you’ve been admiring for months spots you and comes over, your roommate is smoking some weed, and he offers you some and you decide to find out what it means to get high, and you take a roll from him.

You and the cute girl hang out and begin to get physical, the next morning you wake up with a naked girl beside you and realize what you’ve done. You try to sneak away but everybody at the party knows what went on, and some of the frat boys that had the party congratulate on your “conquest” ,christening you with names . Later on your roommate meets you to tell you that despite all the times he mocked you, he always wished that he had the strength you had to keep to your beliefs, but now he’s seen that you are no different from anyone else. Your testimony is shot, you can never say anything to him again that he can take seriously.

These are things young Christians are tempted with; every where they turn to it seems temptation is calling. The thing about being a Christian is that once you make that commitment, and people know about it, everything you do is under scrutiny. From the way you dress, to your speech and mannerism and the way you react to people and situations. It’s like they are watching, waiting for you to fall. Even when there are things that may be innocent, the fact that they might portray a bit of wrong, we are to avoid them. That’s why the bible says fleeing from all appearances of evil. Sometimes it may seem like a tough deal, but you know what you are striving for. I conclusion I’d like to encourage you that if any of you has fallen, that is not the end; all you have to do is repent and get back on track.

God forgives and he longs for you to follow him, the bible says in I Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted more beyond what you can take”.

He knows exactly what you are going through, because Christ himself lived on earth and likewise had the same temptations that we have. This doesn’t mean that we should allow ourselves into tempting situations, that’s why Psalm 23 says “Lead us not into temptation”,and not deliver us from temptation after we wilfully walked into it.

We are to use our own discretion to know where and where not we allow ourselves to be. A club where some people are getting drunk, and looking for a one night stand is not exactly an encouraging place for spiritual growth. A relationship with someone that has no understanding of chastity is not advised. Doing business with someone who’s policy is “the end justifies the means” is asking for trouble.

NO SEX , WE ARE ABSTINENCE GEEKS

Abstinence is a word that a lot of people do not like, and amazingly some people may not even be able to tell you the meaning of the word because it’s not in their vocabulary or sphere of thinking. To most teenagers and young people this word is almost synonymous with “being lame” or simply ”having no game”. When you claim abstinence they view it as , just an excuse because you “can’t get any”.

It is something that a lot of people run away from cause it’s got some sort of stigma and when you say you are for abstinence, it makes you sound like a religious fanatic of the David Koresh, Jim Jones type.

The  Dictionary defines Abstinence as self denial: restraint from indulging a desire for something e.g. Alcohol or sexual relations .

In recent years an organization called the Silver Ring Thing™ is helping teens realize that they are not on their own and that they have support. Just like those that want to give up smoking or loose weight have support groups. SRT is an organization that help teen realize that they do not have to go with the flow, of promiscuity and sleeping with that person you “love” outside the commitment of marriage.

This “protection education” teaches nothing about consequence,character and responsibility. It essentially says you have no self control or restraint so ,give in to every sexual whim, scratch whatever itch, just make sure you “protect yourself” . Heart breaking is all i can say.

There have been vindictive attacks against the program claiming that it doesn’t work and it’s unhealthy to promote it. What i want to know is ;

If you never drink ,can you get drunk? ,

If you never do drugs, can you become an addict ?

If you don’t discipline yourself change your diet and exercise can you ever lose weight.

Those that say it doesn’t work , just don’t want to admit that they like sex too much to give it up. The sex education that has been taught for many years, teenagers are still getting pregnant, and contracting STD . Condoms are scientifically proved to have a failure rate and are not 100% guaranteed. If you were about to jump out of a plane, and you were told there was a chance your parachute wouldn’t open due it’s nature from manufacture, would you still jump out?, Or wait till it’s 100% safe?

Some couples do agree to take the vow of abstinence , but compromise. Engaging in long periods of heaving kissing ,fondling  dry humping and sometimes even oral sex, giving themselves the excuse that “it’s not penetration” and we didn’t going “all the way” is just deceiving yourself.

There is a saying that goes “if you’re not going to cook , don’t go into the kitchen” .You can’t expect to play with fire and not get burnt. Kissing and petting are forms of foreplay which is meant to lead to sex, this is something that Lot’s of people fail, or rather refuse to understand. They think they can control themselves, and put on the brakes just before launching off from third base. But that’s like being handed the keys to a Porsche on the Auto Bahn, and telling your self that you are not going to speed, or staying on the start line of a Formula 1 race, you continuously rev your engine and take off, and just before you cross the finish line you jam on the brakes, do that enough times and one day your brakes will fail. Ever heard the expression “one thing led to another & “it just happened”. Nothing just happens!!!, Every thing in life is a consequence of a choice that leads to an action .

You may argue that kissing is not foreplay, and we should at least be allowed “some, privileges”.

Fred Stoeker co-author of Every Man’s Battle(good book for guys) defines it this way “Foreplay is anything that has as it’s natural result either sexual intercourse or false intercourse of masturbation. For instance oral sex,mutual masturbation,heavy petting, and kissing around the neck are foul territory”. In short anything the member of the opposite sex does to your body that prepares it for intercourse is foreplay.

Now, I’m not saying kissing is evil,nor am i  saying it is a sin, but the question you should really ask, is “What fires is it fueling? “Do you really want those flames to be fanned,only to be extinguished just when heating up? Is it making your abstinence stance more difficult or even frustrating? OK, maybe YOU ,can handle kissing, but what if it lights the fire in your boyfriend/girlfriend? Will you be willing to give it up to help them hold the fort of purity? Are you?

It’s not easy as a Christian dealing with the fact that you can’t engage in the physical pleasure(yeah, that’s what it is) that is part of “normal” relationships as defined by society. If temptation didn’t involve pleasure or enjoyment it wouldn’t attract you, now would it?

So if I can’t caress and kiss my girlfriend/boyfriend, what else can we do? Just hold hands!!!, That’s boring!

Look, I don’t all or any of the answers cause I myself am still searching for them. However what I do have is a few suggestions.

1. Don’t date someone that doesn’t share your belief in abstinence.

By doing this you are setting yourself up for a fall right from the get go. It may seem that none of the Christian girls/guys are hot or even fun. But “two can not walk unless they agree”. It’s harder for someone on the ground to pull down someone on a platform than the other way round.

There have been some girls that I have had a thing for, and I had a chance with them, if I made the move, but because I knew they didn’t share my stance on chastity ,and as much as it hurt( and boy did it hurt) I kept my relationship platonic. We can’t give into every attraction or desire we have .

GUYS, any girl that you date , if you do not end up together, she should be able to look back and smile that you honored her by not ravaging her body. She should be a better person as a result of crossing paths with you.

WARNING- Even when the person shares the same stance, you still have to keep your guard up. Things have a funny way of creeping up on you, when you think you are safe. So up front, set clear cut immovable barriers, that you both decided NEVER to cross.

The city of Troy fell, because they allowed into their gates what they thought was a gift. In other words, when it comes to purity , NEVER let your guard down, especially for a fellow believer, because you might be, inevitably be letting in a Trojan horse.

2. Never let yourself be in a place that you have no chance of being disturbed.

The classic sexual invitation we see on television and in the movies, is “ my parents are out of town, we have the whole place to ourselves” that pretty much speaks for it’s self. Besides, something creepy like an axe wielding psychopath usually shows up anyway, so to be for warned is to be forearmed, lol.

3. Be careful what you let in through your eye and ear gates.

Many of the songs we listen to a huge hindrance to the walk of purity, and if we do not want to face constant frustration we need to cut them off. Just like the person that goes on a diet for the sake of healthier living avoids junk food, so we must avoid putting sexually suggestive junk in our minds. Many of the artists disguise pure lust in the name of love and romance. Constant consumption of such material will warp our own ideas of sex. The music videos with scantily dresses women and lewdly suggestive dances/ gestures are like not exactly kosher for your abstinence diet.

When it comes to the visuals. Increasingly in the past few years , television is becoming more and more “liberal”. The most successful shows in recent years have a 87% sex premise, from “Sex and The City”,  to the more recent “Shameless” and “Skins”. Sex has become an Olympics sport to which lead characters are competing for gold medals.

When we continuously watch shows like those it gives us the idea that it’s a normal part of life and behavior. Promiscuity is glorified and the consequences of such a life are never shown .

The songs and radio shows we also listen have the same great effect. Listening to shows were people are talking about how many people they’ve slept with in the last month , is definitely not healthy listening. Neither is it listening to artist who tell you “i don’t see nothing wrong, with a little bump and grind”. Point of note, that artist is still having court issues, because of a certain video of his that made its way to the Internet.

Think of your mind(your purity) as a fortress, or one of the Castles from Medieval times. They had several defenses protecting them from enemy attacks.

They had; a moat with crocodiles  ,a draw bridge that had to be lowered after confirmation that it was not an enemy. Archers on the towers that acted as Snipers, taking down the enemy before they could approach. And watchmen, that kept a sharp look out for approaching danger from the distance.

Are you catching my drift?

4. Realize that a relationship is a lot more than making out and knocking boots.

In other words DON’T TOUCH WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE.

A lot of relationships have a “strong” foundation based on their physical attraction and desire for each other,which in it’s self is natural. But if you take away all that what is left. If the physical aspect is taken away , is there anything left? What else draws you to that person except wanting to lock lips(and other parts) with them? Is there anything else that will keep you two going? I’ve always had the policy that no matter how hot a girl is , and no matter how much we dig each other, if there is no foreseeable future, other than I think “you’re cute, I know you think I’m cute too, let’s go out”. I don’t see the point in putting either one of us through what would turn out to be an inevitable emotional/psychological roller coaster crash.

5 MODESTY IN APPEARANCE(DRESS)

1 Tim 2:9(New Living Translation)

And i want women to be modest in their appearance.They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves………

Unfortunately some ladies that profess Christ, are church workers and are very vocal about their faith do one thing very wrong,i don’t know how aware they are of this. In the “modern church” ladies seem to come to church baring full view cleavage, ever plunging necklines that expose their breast . This is a contradiction for a Christian Ladies. If you preach like Juanita Bynum, but dress like you  share a wardrobe with Lil Kim (ok ,may be an exaggeration ,but you get my point) you are not only acting as temptation on legs, but you are sending the wrong message about yourself, and your dressing has made irrelevant , any declaration for Christ you have made because they’ll see no difference between them and you.

Doing this you maybe unintentionally telling guys, “this is a season preview” and we all know after a teasing season preview we can’t wait to see the entire series in all it’s glory.

Immodest dressing places a bulls eye on yourself for those wolves in sheep’s clothing that come to church to “score”, and it may be too late before his fangs show.

Immodest dressing makes you act as a stumbling block, for those brothers who are battling in their stance for purity. A guy coming to church should not have to pull his eyes away from you because of your dressing.

A guy(s) talking to you should not have to struggle to keep eye contact because your “lovelies” are calling his attention. Cleavage revealing dressing basically says. “ignore me as a person and check out my body”

Now , don’t get it twisted.I am not suggesting you dress like Reverend Mother Mary Francis.I’m not saying that you should dress up like an Amish lady covering every inch.I appreciate beauty and sexy, but there is a VAST difference, between being sexy and being sensual. Being sexy can be done(by some) while wearing a t shirt and jeans or even turtle neck,even without intent.But being sensual deliberately attracts attention to the body or certain parts of it, by how you dress.

You may be dressing for one particular person, or maybe not, but once they are on display, you can not select who looks. glares or stares, and to be frank, you would have thrown away the right to complain or call anyone a pervert if they do oggle at what is on public display.

So please you can wear what you want, as long as there is no INKLING not even a glimpse of your breasts or inner thighs. You should not make your fellow brothers walk of purity difficult, or attract the wrong attention to yourself.

Interesting fact. Sharks can smell a drop of blood at 1 par per million, “Score” seeking guys that have come to church for a challenge,can zero in on a girl whose revealing dressing say that they are no different from the girls stumbling out of the club at ungodly hours.

6. Pray ,Listen to songs and read books that encourage your stance

PRAY

This should have been Number 1, to put it plainly,  you can not do this on your own. It is the POWER of God, guiding us to do this. Commit your stance unto God and ask for the wisdom and strength to do so,and start to take the steps to abstain.


Listen to music that edifies your soul, that supports your walk instead of  music that mocks or belittles it ;or tries to tell you that you are missing out.

SONGS


Jermaine Stewart -We don’t have to take our clothes off

Rebbecca St James- Wait for me

DC Talk; I don’t want it, God sent , That kinda Girl

BOOKS

Joshua Harris: Sex is not the problem(Lust is), Boy Meets Girl, I Kissed Dating Goodbye,

Myles Munroe:Waiting and Dating

Every Young Man’s Battle: Fred Stoeker & Stephen Arterburn

7. LET EVERYONE KNOW YOUR STANCE- YELL IT FROM THE ROOF TOPS
Personally , writing this is one of the ways I’m keeping myself accountable. By putting this out there and letting people that know me, know my stance: i have become accountable to them. This puts me on high alert not to contradict anything that i have said here. It’s gonna be tough(no sneakies) , but these are high stakes we are dealing with and this makes it stronger than a lonesome inner decision or marker, that we can shift to allow ourselves a little pleasure.

If all else fails, you have legs, use them. It worked for Joseph , it will work for you. Don’t stay there and try to be cool. GUYS, don’t try and be “the man” cool calm and collected when you are about to get burnt.

I’m no expert when it comes to relationships, so you really don’t have to take anything I’m saying seriously, but I have come to learn, that we often know the truth deep down inside before anyone else ever tells us.

God Bless you all

P.S Ladies, here is something from a little closer to home

The temptation that so easily besets us

As Christians, we are not immune to temptation, in fact we probably face it more and are more aware of it because of our faith. How we overcome it is something else entirely. How do we win over those sins that so easily beset us? We need the help of other believers, and we need to learn from the mistakes of others. These are a few tips and guidelines that can help out.

When i say this I’m not referring to the Motown singing sensations of the 60’s, I’m talking about the desire and urge to do things we know we shouldn’t do. Temptation comes in different shapes sizes and forms. It is something that is inescapable as a Christian, as a matter of fact temptation is more of an issue for you than anyone else. Whether we like it or not, and no matter how much we pray, we are not going to stop experiencing temptation.

Temptations are the tiny little treats that the devil tantalizes us with. Just like your best friend eating all your favorite meals right in front of you just when she knows you’ve gone on a diet or are fasting. There is no temptation that doesn’t have an element of enjoyment, fun or pleasure, if they weren’t they wouldn’t be temptations and we wouldn’t desire them.
Temptation is the exposure to the possibility of committing sin. Temptation comes in different forms to different people largely based on personality, desires, past history and weaknesses.

To the girl that is “in love” with her boyfriend, it may be the temptation to have sex with him, “after all, they are in love, and it’s nobody’s business what they do behind closed doors”. He says to her “if you love me you’ll do this” and she feels like she’s letting him down if she doesn’t . They are going to get married eventually, so what difference does a ring make!, it’s what’s in their hearts, isn’t it?
 To the young man whose friends keep on telling him the experience of being high and he begins to think of binging on liquor and smoking weed.

To the young executive who has the chance to divert funds, After all ,he is overworked and under paid, nobody is going to miss the money, and who’s going to find out anyway?

Temptation in it’s self is not sin, it is the yielding to that temptation, that is sin. There is hope for us

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful , he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can take”.

God knows exactly how much you can take and he loves you too much to let you break. Now the question is, if yielding to temptation is sin, and God will not let me receive more than I can take , why does he let me get tempted in the first place?
Well for one thing, if there was no temptation we would not be able to demonstrate our love & loyalty to Jesus, which gives glory to him. We should also have in mind that ,when we are tempted God has the end in sight at the beginning of the temptation.

I know it’s not easy especially in the world we live in today, where 90% of the music videos are a few steps away from porn, the radio and tv talk shows are talking about sex all the time. The most talked about comedies , are sex related, just take a look at; the American Pie installments, Knocked Up,Juno, Super Bad. Everything from body lotion ,cereal, chocolate and bottled water  is sold using good looking sexy individuals to catch your attention. It’s an on going battle, especially in an ever liberal world, that you must continue to fight
. There will always be a means of escape, an exit. The way of escape may come only once, and you must take it immediately. Take that chance to walk away, if necessary, running is recommended. Remember , Joseph bolted, when sexual temptation came his way. Don’t try to sit down and be cool when you know you are about to burn.

Christ also experienced temptation while he was fasting, he was weak and vulnerable, and the devil came to him with the three most powerful temptations that humans face Appetite, satisfaction,Wealth and Power, but Christ didn’t give in, like wise we shouldn’t.
So how does one
overcome temptation anyway?

Here’s a seven step plan

1. Firstly we should recognize it for what it is , and the possibility of it in your life. Never make the mistake of thinking that you are beyond yielding to a certain temptation.Some great men of God have fallen because they failed to guard themselves from temptation. David on the rooftop watching Bathsheba, Jimmy Swaggart and his secretary, men whom their legacy ,would have been flawless but for one action

2. Next pray that you do not fall prey to it. Nothing works like prayer

3.Submit to God and resist the devil

4. There are three sins we are to run away from
a. Idolatry(anything that takes exalts it self over God, could be the God of Me and do thing My way)
b. Immorality- Satisfying every sexual desire that beckons
c. Greed(buying stuff you don’t need with money you don’t have ,to impress people you don’t like)

5. Remove any forms of sin from around us(friends that put ideas into your head when telling you about how good they are getting it)

6. Control the kind of things we allow to enter our subconscious and our lives. Replace bad influences with good ones. Bad associations bring bad situations. That definitely means cutting off certain TVshows,movies, musical tastes.

We humans like to deceive ourselves about what we let into our consciousness, the music we listen to has a huge influence. Listening to songs that declare, “I am getting so hot, i want to take all my clothes off” and “i don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind”, is not exactly healthy listening.

A few more things to ponder when it comes to the opposite sex:

Do not touch what you don’t have. When you see you are about to get caught in a compromising situation,don’t try and stay there and BE COOL, you have two feet,you know exactly what to do with them. Since you do not have an S emblazoned on your chest , it’s not going to be easy. So like a castle that has  archers and a moat full of piranha’s , a draw bridge, create every form of barrier possible between you and temptation, and you should be all right. Instead of watching what would make your loins run and frustrated, watch shows that would lift and edify your spirit.

GOD’S GRANDKIDS

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart.HEB 4;12 ;this simply means it cuts the wielder of the sword, just as deeply as the person it it pointed at, everything here speaks to  me just as anyone else.

Many people , when asked their religion they answer CHRISTIAN. But what is the true meaning of Christianity?

What does it mean to be a Christian?

Does going to church make you a Christian?

Does simply believing in God make you a Christian? Obviously not, The Devil believes in God , he just does everything contrary to God’s will. Knowing scripture does not make you a christian, the devil knows the scripture better than all of us combined, which is why he knows how to twist it to manipulate and confuse us.

Does the fact that you were born into a Christian home and raised by Christian parents make you a Christian? Some of us believe so , this is the Christianity of  indoctrination or acclimatization , being around church so much that we feel it’s a part of us;this type usually fails the test when the said person leaves the environment(leaves home,goes to college) & parental coverage that so influenced him that way.

So to the above questions , the scripture(Kingdom constitution) says  NO. If it works that way, That means a child automatically become a double masters graduate without the effort, because both his parents are masters holders. Being born on the campus of Harvard , does not automatically make one a student of Harvard.Neither does being born into a Christian home make one a Christian any more than going to MacDonalds everyday make you a hamburger. If a student wanted to enter Harvard they would have to make the conscious effort to commit myself into getting into Harvard. A man of God once put it this way “God has no grandchildren”.

“The greatest cause of atheism in the world today , is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus ,with their lips,and walk out the door, and deny him by their lifestyle, THAT is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

• Are we more concerned with getting high than the most high?
• Are we more concerned with being politically correct than standing for what we believe in ?
• Are we more comfortable with what is socially acceptable, than what is God acceptable?
• Are you more concerned about the Winehouse or the Church House?
• Do you justify your actions, turning everything to Grey, when you know you are blatantly out of line.Even locating “loophole” in scripture to back up living in sin?
• If Jesus went through your  URL history, what sites would he find, what shows are we watching , and would we invite him to join in?
• If he walked into your room when you were with that special someone, would you be embarrassed?
• Do you squirm when you see a cute puppy being hurt, but shrug your shoulders at abortion, like it’s just one of those things.?
• How is your life any different from those who have never stepped into a church. Can anyone tell the difference?

Becoming a Christian is like joining the army.When you join the army, there are things in your life you can no longer do, if you want to be a successful soldier.

Discipline has to become part of your DNA. You can no longer eat deep fried chicken and ice cream every night.You can’t wake up at 11 pm or sleep in as much as you want . You can’t go out binging all night.You have to conform to an exercise regiment if you are going to survive the life of a soldier.

Christianity is a responsible lifestyle.

If you claim Christ, You cannot go to bed with a person you are not married to, claiming “we are in love and we aren’t hurting anybody”.  No deliberating about it,no room for gray, pre-marital sex is OUT OF THE QUESTION for a Christian single no matter how “in love” you are, or even if you are going to get married, YOU ARE NOT MARRIED YET.

Once you tell people that you are Christian, the world is  constantly watching your life to see how you conduct it. They are watching for you to make that mistake, so they can point fingers and say that you are no different from anyone else. More important than the world watching, as  Christian, you are an ambassador to the Kingdom of God. Everything you do from hence forth is a representation and a reflection on the Kingdom of God.

You cannot live a life contrary to the Bible and expect everything to be in the sweet by and by. “A fountain can not produce both sweet and bitter water”.You can’t get stupid drunk every weekend and waltz around professing Christ when you manage to be sober.

And one thing that many Christian couples now do these days is shacking up. They move in together unmarried or “we are engaged so it’s ok” but, THAT is a NO ,NADA, there is absolutely no justification. You can not start living as if you are married(sleeping together and having kids), without actually getting married and expect God to honor it. You are giving the devil room to play and are  adopting to a lifestyle no different from anyone else of the world that hates,despises or denies the existence of the God you serve. The constitution  says  Flee from all appearances of evil. Appearance, anything that looks like sin. So even if you are not sleeping together, no one else would believe your claim,and THAT does it look good on your testimony.

GUYS, you can not minister like TD Jakes, but in the same breath and stride treat women like a Hugh Hefner wannabe, disregard all integrity, and expect the glory of God to be manifested through you.

LADIES,you can’t let some man touch and handle you wrong, and claim “we were just dancing”, there are eyes watching and taking note of your actions. You can’t worship and prophesy like Juanita Bynum, but dress like you hired Paris Hilton’s stylist and expect the former to be the impression that remains with people.  1 Timothy 2:9 speaks on that issue. “And i want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves……”

The truth is , we all know these things. Life is all about choices,and deep down we know when we are going the wrong way through our inner compass. The difference is, what are we going to do about it now?

Now don’t get it twisted. CHRISTIAN ARE NOT PERFECT , though that should not be used as an excuse to constantly live in a lifestyle of  sin.

GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
ROMANS 6:1-What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness will increase?

We are going to face and even struggle with the same things that every body else in the world. We have the same desires to succeed in  life and the same trials, we are not isolated from temptations, and it is not by our own strength we sometimes overcome them. The difference however, is about the commitment to change your life and strive for perfection.The determination that says “i’m not going to let my cravings rule my life” is what is important. Whether that craving be sexual, emotional,physical or any other appetite that is natural.  Being dependent on God and Creating boundaries of what you can and cannot do,where you can and can not go, no matter how much fun it is.

Many of us think that we can walk on the fence, we can ping pong between the Kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God. Living by the constantly changing standards of the world, or the never changing ever solid word of God. Do we do what is socially acceptable by the world or follow the constitution that of the Kingdom of God you have claimed loyalty to.

Once again, i’m not suggesting that we become dull, or wet blankets. Or pack up and retreat to an Amish village or convent/monastery . Like the constitution of your country that is meant to protect you, so is the Bible and the laws and guidelines that it gives us. We should think of them as restricting or dictator like. Our definition of fun, is meant to have changed immediately we claimed Christ as our Lord and savior

If all of the above doesn’t suit your idea of living life. By all means,enjoy your “Not Religious” status, and do continue to do those things, that you love to do,but don’t claim Christianity while doing it all, you are misrepresenting Jesus, and will have to answer one day for slander.

The choices you make today affect your tomorrow.

When we call ourselves Christians, that means whatever actions the world sees from us,  reflects on the body of Christ, the same way an ambassador represents his nation. We would all answer to him one day and account for our actions. The question we all should ask ourselves is when each one of us stands before the judgment seat of Christ, and he asks us

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY KINGDOM?

What will be your answer?

Busting myths & misconceptions on the purpose of Christianity

MISCONCEPTION: GOD WILL GIVE YOU……IF YOU COME TO HIM

BUST: Becoming a Christian is not about the benefits (material things) that you can get from God in prayer. This is not a master and genie relationship, you do not rub your Bible and get your wishes, nor does God become your cosmic bellhop jumping through hoops to please you.

This is a father /child relationship; and like any LOVING father/child relationship you have no need to worry anymore, cause your father will provide; like wise there are times that your father will chastise you. You may not understand why at the time but eventually you will; and there will be rules you have to live by to remain under your father’s roof and good graces. This does not mean that he is a morose egomaniac . He is a loving father who knows what is best for us, even though we do not understand it or see it at the time.

MYTH: ESCAPING THE ETERNAL DAMNATION OF HELL IS THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTIANITY

BUST: Becoming a Christian is not jumping out of the line going to hell and jump into the line going to Heaven. Yes, Heaven is a benefit of becoming a Christian, but that is not the essence; if so we’d all be caught in rapture immediately we made our decision for Christ. Christianity should not be see as fire insurance,or a fire escape; because when you view it this way, one day you would forget to pay your premium or simply ignore it because you no longer consider it essential.

MISCONCEPTION: CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT A  LOT OF “THOU SHALT & THOU SHALT NOT”

BUST: For any society to function sanely there have to be rules as guidelines. These standards hold everyone, to a code of conduct, to prevent a state of anarchy. As a Christian you become a citizen of The Kingdom of Heaven. This Kingdom has God as King. As a citizen of the Kingdom you are entitled to certain benefits that comes, as a result of citizenship. Keeping that in mind, there are certain laws that enable the Kingdom to function the way that allows you get those benefits. The King is the supreme ruler and his word is law. A Kingdom is not a democracy; there is no deliberation about the law that a King makes. These laws are put in place so that the citizens can benefit from everything the Kingdom has to offer. You cannot expect to ignore, belittle, abuse or disobey those laws that are meant to protect you; and then expect to receive benefits of full citizenship. It does not happen in the physical world and should not happen in the spiritual.

MYTH:THE BIBLE IS AN ANCIENT BOOK THAT DOES NOT APPLY TODAY’S WORLD

BUST :Archaeologists, Futurists will tell you that the Bible has been precise in citing the past, exact on current events, and right about the future. Any person within “the church” that says this to you , you need to stay far away from.. ” a house divided against it’s self can not stand”. Many of the motivational speakers material, can be traced back to things written long ago in the Bible. Many business principles that moguls and tycoons practice today(such as giving to charity,philanthropy) have biblical origins. Many of the current events in the middle east were predicted in the Bible. Most of the civilized world obey the 10 commandments, and have them written into their law and constitution in one form or the other. The current moral decline of the world, with “alternative lifestyle” being embraced by the “church” was predicted in the bible “men shall leave desire for woman, and burn with LUST for one another”. Deny it as you may , the Bible is relevant Yesterday, today and FOREVER. THE BOTTOM LINE

MYTH CHRISTIANITY IS DULL AND STOPS ME FROM HAVING FUN ………………

The first question is What is your definition of fun. As a new Kingdom citizen , you have been renewed. You should no longer consider those things fun anymore. Yes, your flesh may still long them there is no denying the withdrawal syndrome, but you have a new perspective now.A paradigm shift and have an adversity towards sin or any lifestyle that contradicts the constitution.

Having said that, you may find yourself entering the tendency to living a religious life. Now, the difference between what Christianity is meant to be and what is practiced by many people is a relationship and a religious protocol. This is a relationship with God , which Yes you reverence him but it is still a relationship, like the loving ones you have here on earth ,albeit on a higher level.

Once you start practicing “religion” and get into a ritualistic way of approaching God you are missing the whole point of being a Christian .

The constitution say “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” , yes we have standards to live by but we are not meant to feel choked by them but guided to a better form of living. Do you feel that the constitution of  the country you presently live in is  stifling you with the constitution, or does the constitution protect you and let you know your rights.

If you are practicing your faith, in a manner that you feel is stifling or restricting you from having fun, that probably means you are being legalistic and are losing out on having a loving relationship with God. A relationship is uplifting and beneficial, a religion  has you in a ritualistic cycle that rarely get you anywhere beneficial. Adopting the mindset of a Kingdom of  being a good loyal citizen with personal access to the King, is the best way to live your Christian life.

BOTTOM LINE

If you choose to see Christianity through “guilt inducing tinted shades”, no matter what good there is , in the Bible , or in the Kingdom;those guilt inducing tinted shades, will taint every thing you see. If you see it as a set of laws that stops you from having fun, or living your life;instead of a guide line that enables you to maximize your life in abundance by enabling you beyond your own human strength;then you are becoming religious and legalistic and miss the whole point of having a father/child relationship with God, and not a judge/police /perp relationship. If you see it as something that “limits” your life, that is all you will get. As a man thinketh so is he. If you choose to think of Christianity and it’s constitution(The Bible) as something to induce guilt in your life , that is ALL you will get.