Be Born Again in the Spirit

'But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.""
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It Is a Freedom Thing

It Is a Freedom Thing

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bill O'Reilly's All Inclusive Salvation Plan

I rarely watch Bill O'Reilly live on Fox as he competes with too many other programming choices at 8pm EST, weeknights.  So I record Bill when I remember.  However, last Monday night, I did watch Bill live and not a recording so I could not replay Bill's description of a doctrine in his religion that allows salvation, normally obtained through belief in Jesus Christ, to 'good' people...and Bill specifically mentioned Ghandi....

Pay attention O'Reilly...you good Irish, Catholic boy, you....  first thing I wish to establish, assuming we can agree that the Holy Bible, including my King James version, is the Word of God.  We should be able to agree on this...."All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly finished unto all good works".  II Timothy 3:16-17

Also Bill, I cannot imagine that if the Word of God was left up to the interpretations of dis-spirited men that any of it could be used to shine the light of truth and relevance on any subject.  Gratefully, the Word of God, for Christians, ".....is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart".  Hebrews 4:12  For this reason, I, for one, trust God's Word....and shouldn't we all?

Here are a few facts regarding salvation and to those who are afar off maybe speaking in a foreign tongue and honoring strange gods with erected idols and what have you.  You are an astute individual in a number of areas with a seemingly good working knowledge in many...and it may include religion as I do not know whether or not you have theological studies under your belt. 

Anyway, Bill...I will pick up with the gospel of  Matthew who ensures you that what I am telling you is true.  Jesus is describing events that will take place at the time of His return and/or leading up to it and I believe most Americans are familiar with these passages regarding 'wars and rumours of wars, nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places.  All of these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake'...Matthew 24: 6-12 

All of that mentioned in the gospel's Bill have been taking place for a very long time and are but precursors that build in intensity and frequency as are the labor pains of a woman as she nears her birth hour....and in this same passage Bill, I do want you to understand that God has provided for the likes of Ghandi, all the Imams in the world, all the Buddhists, all the Hindi and all those in the uttermost darkness of rarely explored lands....verse 14 of Matthew 24 tells us this: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." 

So you see Bill, the entire world gets a chance to use their God-given free will to either accept or deny Jesus Christ with their individual eternal outcome hanging in the balance.  Sticking with the Sword of the Spirit, Bill, please alow me to lay out a few thoughts that God has on the subject of 'good deeds' and salvation.....

Oh here is a good one..."For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" Romans 1:16  Okay Bill, so far, we know that the gospel, for one, provides salvation to those who believe...so now let us explore what other pathways God has opened up for the 'uninformed' in this information age, an age described by Daniel or more precisely by an angel who required the arch-angel Michael's help to even deliver this message to Daniel...a message that could hardly even be understood until this time...a time described as "...even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Daniel 12:4   Aren't computers marvelous and one can hardly beat air travel in this day and age....so fast...usually.

Bill, God has determined to wait until the gospel of Jesus Christ could be spread to the uttermost parts of the earth....even places where Ghandi might hang out.  We all need to understand what we know to be true considering we even have it in Jesus' own words such as "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  John 3:17-18  

One would argue and many do,  that good works ought to mean something...and they do.  Usually this is one way to identify a Christian but not only christians for even an evil person knows how to take care of his own....let us see how God views our human righteousness.  God tells us through his prophet Isaiah "But we all are an unclean thing, and all of our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away".  Isaiah 64:6

Regarding sin Bill, that thing which so easily besets us all...let me share this...."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (big word for you, Bill) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  To declare, I say, at this his righteousness: that he must be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  Where is the boasting then?  It is excluded, By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."  Romans 3:23:28 

The facts as I have presented them to you Bill, speak for themselves.  Mother Teresa, were she void in faith, would not be in heaven today.....salvation 'is not of works, lest any man should boast'.  Same is true for Ghandi and yet I am sure Ghandi has heard the gospel message and can exercise his God-given free will, as he sees fit, to accept Christ as his Lord and Saviour....or not.  Do you know what he has done, Bill?  Can you read hearts as that part of it is essential...you have to be able to read hearts to know the truth of a person....Have you heard his confession?

Finally Bill, let me confess that I grew up Catholic, am now 65 and have been born again in the Spirit (John 3:3) exactly as Jesus told Nicodemus he must be in order to be saved....hey Bill, he emphasized this message in John 3:7 when he said "Marvel not, that I tell ye, ye must be born again...."  I know the cradle to grave ceremony and ritual of your religion and know there is some such stuff created in all religions, primarily to ensure continued patrongage....while there are some religions intent on the one essential message that we all have to hear and accept or deny...

The gospel message is a simple message and I quote..."But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation".  Romans 10:8-10

Bill....I made God's case by using His Word which is inerrant and unchanging.  Why would the Alpha and the Omega, the one who sees the beginning from the end, and the end from the beginning, need to change His mind regarding anything?

I cannot read Ghandi's heart Bill, nor can I read yours but I can assume from your stance that you truly do not know what it takes to be saved, to ensure eternal life....as an adult, Bill, do not make any assumptions regarding church doctrine until you back them up with scripture...and please remember this..."For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time".  I Timothy 2:5-6

Have you heard, Bill, have you heard Ghandi preach Jesus Christ for salvation?  Have you spread his gospel message Bill?  Not ashamed of it are you?  Take this in the way in which I am delivering it Bill, as a kind gesture.  Ignorance regarding Islam, as you have discovered, can be deadly....deadlier still...as this can kill your body and your soul, is a disbelief in Jesus Christ.

Final, finally...that bit about one mediator means that no one in any religion including yours can mediate or stand in the gap for us, ..salvation is an individual thing...churches, religions, institutions cannot be born again in the Spirit...only individuals can do that....you can probably skip over those clusters of ten beads on your rosary as Mary is not set up to speak on your behalf....There is no such thing in scripture as collective salvation. "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death"....isn't going to cut it.  Once when Jesus was told his mother and brothers were awaiting him, he asked rhetorically, Who are my brothers, who is my mother"....then he placed them properly...'them that hear my word and do it".

Take this to church, share it...evangelization of the catholic church could begin with you, Bill!  I know Catholics can be saved, I was one and I am saved today...I know some who are saved, are charismatic, pentecostal even, and have stayed in the church, precisely to evangelize....Have a great day!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Three Died on Good Friday

"And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  And the people stood beholding.  And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God". Luke 23:32-35.

The world is divided into two classes of people....just two.  There are those who like one of those two malefactors would also deride Jesus even as He was hanging on that cross...."And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us." Luke 23:39.  The rest of us would come to know the Christ as the second malefactor recognized him when he answered the first one and admonished him saying: "But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.   And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom".  Luke 23:40-42.

This is a well know story to those of us have spent any time in what we consider Christian churches.  And yet, as simple as the gospel message is....we want to complicate it.  Why?  Do religions do this as a means of guaranteeing a life long income as they provide purported spiritual rites at various stages of a persons aging process to guarantee our salvation?  I mean are 7 sacraments really necessary when the second malefactor did nothing to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant".  And, are we really dependent on the well being of others for our own personal eternal life?  Essentially is social justice as is being sold in some of our main stream churches today, scriptural or Christlike at all?  I think we have our answer.

Jesus responded to the second malefactor thusly...."And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise".  Luke 23:43

The malefactor, or thief as a couple of the gospel writers put it, gained his salvation by an expression of faith, by recognizing that Jesus Christ is indeed God and able to reward them that call out to Him.  He claimed his salvation when he declared Christ as Lord and believed that Christ indeed would come into the Resurrection of Life and rule over eternity. 

This faith the thief displayed....what is it?  In the book of Hebrews, we find the apostle Paul telling us "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen".  Hebrews 11:1  It is kind of like when the apostle Thomas, who was absent when Christ first appeared to the others after His resurrection, and when told about it, Thomas declared he would not believe it unless he could see the and feel the wounds in his hands and side.....when Christ did appear with our 'doubting' Thomas present, he placed Thomas fingers on his wounds and said "Thomas sees and now believes, how much more blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe"?

Paul goes on to tell us "For by it the elders obtained a good report.  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it being dead is spoken of.  By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God".   Hebrews 11:2-5.


Hebrews, chapter 11 goes on to tell us of others who were justified by faith including Abraham, Noah, Sarah, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob and so many others...in fact, in Christianity, Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the 'faith' chapter even as I Corinthians, chapter 13 is the 'love' chapter.

Paul additionally tells us "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him".  Hebrews 11:6

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul really hit the nail on the head in describing to us what it is to be born again in the Spirit as Jesus told Nicodemus he must be in order to be saved in John 3:3 and emphasized again in John 3:7...."But what saith it?  The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed".  Romans 10:8-11.

Three died on good Friday and because one of those three was the unblemished Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world when He arose again on that third day, those of us who believe on Him should say so and indeed work to fulfill the admonition of the Great Commission which is to spread that gospel to the uttermost ends of the earth.  This is what is expected of us. 

He is Risen.....and the faithful reply and say, Indeed!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Democrats Fear Monger for Obama's Agenda

As a senior citizen, as a veteran of foreign wars (USMC  '64-'73), as a wide awake Tea Party member I have got to admit that the only thing that scares me is Obama's agenda for a socialist Amerika.

This one talks about all the home meals that will not be provided to seniors...probably the same seniors who Obama told that they could not say grace over government subsidized meals....separation of church and state and all that stuff...you understand.....

That one talks about the sick and infirmed children in our country who will go without care totally forgetting the real impression we have of Obamacare and it's rules for rationing.  Democrat supplied health care is designed for those between the ages of 5 and 45....prior to age 5, lifelong serious illnesses may not be detectable and these should not allowed to be dregs on society according to bio-ethicist Ezekiel Emmanuel...Rahm's creepy brother who sees a economic model in play for determining who gets rationed care and who does not and of course....it will all depend on your continued usefulness to society.....you understand....Abortion all the way to age 5 may be considered by some to be onerous.....
you understand...

Then another one tells us that to deprive the nation of services that Planned Parenthood provides is detrimental to the health and well being of thousands of women.....50 million...that is the count of dead babies, the count of witnesses in front of God's throne as we speak, since Roe V Wade in 1973.  So, I ask who speaks for the most innocent among us.  Do we understand that less than one half of one percent of that 50 million dead babies were purportedly because the pregnancy was the result of a rape, incest or that the mother's health might be endangered having the baby.  Convenience abortions for women of an average age of 25 years, who when they lazily forget their birth control they resort to murder instead.

Hillary Clinton likes Planned Parenthood and they like her as she was just chosen their 'person of the year'....such an honor Hillary.  Planned Parenthood founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger envisioned this outfit as a modern replacement for the Klu Klux Klan with what they consider, excellent results.  They know how to keep the black family in their place...for sure.....you understand.

WE THE PEOPLE are not buying your line, lies or you President Obama....our elected representives are hereby instructed to not raise the debt ceiling and to include everything in the 2012 budget bill that they chickened out on in the 2011 battle...one which should have been concluded by the democrats who controlled all of congress by past September 30th.  No Planned Parenthood funding...do not make me complicit in baby killing as in God's view it is not just those who commit the crime but also those who watch and say nothing that will share in His vengeance.  No NPR as they do not know how to be unbiased and I would also include all public broadcasting...cut the funding and of course negate Obama's sorry green agenda through his EPA.   Mr. President...I do hope you....understand.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Democrats' Budget Impasse & President Obama's Laughable 2012 Budget Moment

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Hussein Obama are doing their utmost best at fear mongering regarding the subject impasse suggesting perhaps that 65 million seniors could be at risk of an early grave.  Other so-called fears were the impact a federal shutdown would have on our economic recovery, that it would slow the processing of tax returns and limit small business loans and government backed mortgages during the peak home buying season.

That last one made me laugh....peak home buying season...nope...we haven't had one of those for a while...not since Bawney Fwank and his boyfriend at Fannie Mae saw fit to bust our housing market by guaranteeing loans to the "Gimme More Please" people who did not qualify for a loan and could not begin to pay it back.  A zero% down payment made it easy for a lot of losers to qualify.

I wonder if the IRS will be just as slow at receiving my contribution this year which I intend to have in the mail by midnight, at least a couple of minutes before, on April 18th...they are closed on the 15th for some bs reason.

What is really hilarious however, is President Obama, thinking that seniors, of which I am one, are more concerned about this budget impasse than we are about his irrational rationing decisions spear headed by his Medicare/Medicaid czar Donald Berwick...a champion of British style health care rationing where the plants get watered but people do not....Once Obama busts our insurance industry and forces the majority of the people in the country on the public dole then those can be subjected to Ezekiel Emmanuel style economic-based health care.  Rahm's bioethicist brother Zeke would have you know that if you are over 45 years of age your usefulness to society is in the waning years and you should not expect to receive expensive hips, knees, procedures or whatever...I mean....you do not want to be a drain on society do you?

Back to the budget...it does belong to the democrats in congress and so does the impasse.   This 2011 budget was to have been a fact of law by the end of September, 2010 when democrats still had the house, plus the senate plus Obama....Conservatives in congress are already offering up the 2012 budget which they get to do and will be mightily fought by those spending our country into a spiraling demise....Even this 6.2 trillion dollar spending cut proposed by Paul Ryan over 10 years is only .62 trillion per year....consider this...we owe 4 billion on debt service alone...each and every day of the year...so in a year....we will have paid almost 1.3 trillion.   See the problem...we need to cut trillions and can hardly get to 30 billion because of special interest supporting democrats.

House republicans have passed a budget bill HR01...their first act after election in November but it has languished in the democrat controlled Senate....Harry Reid and company.  The entire deal comes down to democrats wishing to continue to use our tax dollars to murder babies in mom's womb via the new age Klu Klux Klan now known as Planned Parenthood...accomplish the same mission as the KKK without the hoods and without using their own money....they get to use ours.  They also want to use tax dollars to fund the liberally biased National Public Radio (NPR) and if NPR cannot speak for all the tax payers then of course, we need to shut their unethical mouths....or in the very least, pay for it themselves.

And then their is Obama's pet get rich scheme....this carbon trading bs based on liberal assumptions that the air you and I exhale is dangerous to their health.  When that bell rings that begins the final round, I do believe Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Hussein Obama will understand that they have awakened the real patriotic great American  bear called WE THE PEOPLE....this should not to be confused with the big WE ARE GAY protests/rallies the unions etal.  have planned for around mid-May.

Finally, I believe WE THE PEOPLE account for about 48% of all Americans and that is a huge voting bloc.  If they cheat in November of 2012...and they will try...if they hit certain kick-points between now and then such as beginning to fill their internment camps or trying to disarm the law abiding citizenry....we will have to march on Washington DC with a goal to stay there until Obama and his are out of power....this we need to do civilly...do not act like those union thugs/punks....Germans have a word "halb-stark' which means half strong, their description of punk, as these have to band together to find their strength. 

We must always retain the moral high road or God will not be with us....but if He is...who can stand against us?  None....no not one!