Tibby,

You have not given Terri good counsel....on the contrary. Does not the scripture say that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. What does the enemy look for? opportunity!

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6:13

The main problem with our mindset (within Christian circles) is that we like to push the envelope. Let's see how far we can get to edge of the cliff without falling off. I fear hell will be full of those who thought that they could pursue such things and God would just wink.

Psalm 119

Ambassador4Christ,

In regards to your answer to question#1. "Does God have a preference for American believers over those in communist and Islamic nations? Can you give any scriptual evidence why they are allowed to suffer, but American Christians will not?

Psalm 119

Terri,

I'm not too familiar with these type of games, but the verse that came to mind was "But shun profane and idle babblings for they will increase to more ungodliness." 2 Timothy 2:16

Regarding your situation....I believe that your husband has never been truly born again. I would recommend that you pray for him to have a heart transformation (repentance). If someone loves Jesus they will love His Word.

Terri, my husband was not a believer for the first 17 years of our marriage, he now has known the Lord for 11 years. The transformation was remarkable ( as it should be). I would encourage you to intercede on his behalf. Pray against the power of darkness. And above all never give up...or the enemy will have his way.

I would ( in love) ,continue to share your displeasure with this behavior....and give Scriptual reasons....then if he rejects it, he rejects God and not you. You need to keep yourself from sin, regardless of your husband's behavior. ( and it's difficult! The flesh would love to get radical)

Love,
Psalm 119

Peaches,

You need to first pray that God will change his heart.....

Ask your husband if he would like to do a Bible study regarding children. Do a word study on children,blessing, cursing. (Actually, children are considered a blessing, barreness is a curse.)

I saw this quote from Doug Phillips and I'll pass it along....

"The Bible calls debt a curse, and children a blessing. But in our culture we apply for a curse, and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture"

Our society is hedonistic....we want what we want. All these things have no eternal value. Children are eternal though!

A good book to read is "A Full Quiver" by Rick and Jan Hess.

I do hope you are not taking the "Birth Control" pill.....it does cause early abortions.

May the Lord turn your husbands heart to Him, and grant the desires of your heart.

Love,
Psalm 119

In many Islamic and Communist countries True Believers meet in homes and not in the "official state sanctioned church". In the home churches they have the freedom to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth; whereas the state church does not permit this. Although these home church meetings are "illegal", many risk their lives daily to worship in this manner.

Question? #1 Will it one day be "illegal" to worship the Lord in this country?

Question #2 Would you compromise and stay in the state sanctioned church? or go underground?

Psalm 119

The best description for Benny Hinn is found in Jude 12-13

"These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear (*No fear of God!), serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds (*going after strange doctrines?) late autumn trees without fruit (*aren't these the trees that will be cut down and thrown in the fire?) twice dead (*physically and spiritually) pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea (*tossed to and fro), foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness and darkness forever (*Hell).
(*emphasis mine)

This desription could account for the vast majority of TV preachers...charismatic and non charismatic alike.

Psalm 119

""Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built (business as usual!) but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:28-30

Compare the above verses to what is going on today! Everyone is going on like no big deal! What's all the fuss! But one day fire from heaven will appear!

Here is the believer's hope..... "Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengenace on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.When He comes, in that Day to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. 2Thess 1:6-10

Until then, we shall be troubled like poor Lot.

Psalm 119

A few more verses that fit this theme.

"Look, the princes of Israel; each one used his power to shed blood in you." Ezekiel 22:6

"He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless." Isaiah 40:23

And this is the biggy!

"Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed, to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they rob the fatherless." Isaiah 10:1

Psalm 119

Symphony,

ditto! now I see what you are saying.

Today I received a letter from Tom White (The Voice of the Martyrs) this is what he said regarding the True Iraqi Church (Less than 1/10 of a percent of the population). "The official church calls them stupid and troublemakers"

Tom goes on to say...."If religious freedom means staying inside a church building once a week, is this no more than a dog happy to be on a leash? If we are not the salt and light in the community, do we have religious freedom? Is it a gift that left unopened, remains a mystery? Is religion a state of mind, or is it an exercise? Do we have it if we don't use it?"

For those who do not know Tom White he was a former prisoner in Cuba. He has now replaced the deceased (actually alive in Christ) Richard Wurmbrand at VOM. You can read more about this ministry to the persecuted Church at www.persecution.com.

Psalm 119

Symphony,

Could you elaborate on being "transparent".


Psalm 119

Here is something meaty to chew on. What do you think about an ecclesiastical court?

http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/articles/articles/ecclesiastical-court-71803.htm


Psalm 119

Musiclover,

Abortion is "legal" in Missouri, and there are clinics (I've been to one in St. Louis). There may not be any late term clinics in your state. But the killing of the unborn is going on in your state. Just look in the yellow pages....I'm sure there are clinics in the bigger cities. Planned Parenthood also does abortions (not at all sites)

There is a professor in the Northeast ( can't recall the school right now) who just won an award in his work in ethics. He advocates that a born child up to twenty eight days old could be euthanized.....so where does it all end?

We are living in perilous days...

Psalm 119

Want to add a few things why abortion continues in our nation.

1) Children are an unwanted burden to Christians and non christians alike. Here is a quote I copied the other day.
"The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing. But in our culture we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture." Doug Phillips

2) Christians have equal culpability in abortion either by themselves having an abortion(actually a true born again believer would not do this), or taking the pill, depo-provera, norplant, etc.....all which cause early term abortions.

3) Ask a non Christian why they don't want children i.e. timimg issues, financial reasons, etc. and they will ususally give the same answer as a Christian (what happened to thinking biblically?)

4) There are many "pastors" who have counselled women to have abortions and or personally aided. (complcit in murder)

5) The Church in America continues to remain silent .(like the German Church did during the killing of the Jews)

However, there will always be a remnant that will not remain silent.

Psalm 119

Petro,

I too have seen the "social gospel", and it's not the saving gospel.

There our outfits like habitat for humanity that do good works, but there is no real foundation on the "Rock". I know a lot of cities have soup kitchens and such. But if these things are not founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ they are nothing.

We are still called to be salt and light, and not hide under a bushel. That's my biggest concern for the body of Christ.

Psalm 119

Petro,

I completely agree with the political dilemma, that Christians and Catholics continue to vote for the ungodly. When I have to choose between the "lesser of two evils" , I simply do not vote for either. And actually, we are nearly a one party system , a.k.a. republicrats. But we that know the Lord have ourselves to blame for our complacency. We have abdicated our role in government. We could learn a thing or two from Israel.....Oh no the dreaded word theocracy.

Petro, the only difference between the sheep and the goats is what they did and did not do. James 2:22 states " Do you see that faith was working together with his (Abraham)works, and by works faith was made perfect?

Not everyone is "called" to do street activism. Nor everyone called to be a missionary. But we are all called to do something.

The driving force for groups like OSA is that they understand the concept of "bloodgultiness" and what happens to nations, and  individuals that are guilty. (I encourage you to do a personal study on bloodgultiness) Ezekiel 22 is a good chapter.

I guess my concern is that for so many years American Christians have become so fat and lazy (I include myself here). We have tunnel vision....can't see beyond our churches, denominations, etc. Our world has become so very small.

This was one of the verses that caused me to rethink my non involvement with abortion: "Deliver those who are drawn to death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, "Surely we did not not this, does not He who weighs the heart consider it?He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? Prov.24:11-12

The early Christians in Rome would save discarded babies (which was legal; yet illegal to save them), abolitionists saved slaves, Amy Carmichael saved young girls that were being used as temple prostitutes, the ten Booms saved Jews etc.

I know I have been lenghty, but the point is that we are all called to some type of "activisim" for the kingdom of God.

Psalm 119