A Parable

There once was a King who called His faithful servants to Him and handed each one a paint brush. He instructed them to go into the neighboring country and paint each heart white.

The servants joyfully went about their assignment, painting every heart they came across.

But after a time, they began to notice that in this country fences were covered in graffiti, houses were old and worn down, curbs were dirty. 

“We have these brushes full of white paint. Why don’t we paint these run down, dirty things and make everyone’s life better?”  Suggested one of them.

So the servants set in to improve this country. And they did make a difference. Everything looked much prettier.

But after a time, they ran out of paint. So they went back to their King and asked Him for more.

With tears in His eyes, the king sadly shook His head.

“There is no more paint. You see, there was just enough in your brushes to paint every heart in that country white. Had you done what I told you to, not only would all the hearts be white, but the result would have been that everything else you wanted done would have happened, too. But now it’s too late.”

At the turn of the century the Christian church teamed up with those who thought the government knew better how to make decisions in people’s lives to fight “demon alcohol.” Massive amounts of energy went into this campaign, and alcohol was eventually outlawed. 

That was a disaster.

Those laws were repealed, but the truth is that alcohol consumption did drop and didn’t return to pre-prohibition levels until the 70’s.

And the difference in our society? All the evils that were supposed to be cured by getting rid of alcohol continued. They just continued sober instead of drunk. People were still going to hell. They were just doing it sober.

How different would our country have been if the Christians had simply stuck to the message of salvation? If all that energy had been put into bringing people to Christ instead of getting rid of alcohol?

The goals of a better country would have been achieved, plus people would be going to Heaven.

What issues are the church focusing on today instead of salvation? What fences are we painting now instead of hearts?

We do not bring people to Church to Get Saved.

We bring people to church because they ARE saved.

Less than 3% of Christians came to the Lord inside of a church building.

So many of our churches are going about it all wrong; we are ordering our services to appeal to and save the lost. But this is not the audience for a typical church service. The lost have no reason to come into the church doors.

The church is for the equipping of the members, the training of the people to go out and bring people to God OUTSIDE the church and then bring them to church to be taught and trained.

And the church is for worshiping God.

That is what we should be ordering our services for; worshiping God and training.

Thoughts on abortion rights

"It's my body and I have the right to do with it as I want."

1) No one has the right to do with their body as the want.

Its Time for the Christian Right to Oppose the Draft

Its Time for the Christian Right to Oppose the Draft - Chalcedon

If the 13th amendment to the Constitution prohibits slavery, wouldn't that include the draft?  Or are we going to say the amendments don't apply to thee government?

Does Science Argue for or against God?

Does Science Argue for or against God?:

Why are we here? Literally. The latest science says we shouldn't be. It says that the chance life exists at all is less than zero. So, is science the greatest threat to the idea of Intelligent Design or is science its greatest advocate? Best-selling author and lecturer, Eric Metaxas, poses this intriguing question and comes up with a very unexpected and challenging answer.

Motives and Assumptions

Everyone assumes everyone else has the same motives they do.

This is the best explanation for the Democrats.

Do we sin?

Romans 5:21
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:2
1  Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? 2  Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Romans 6:11
11  So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.


There is a common belief among today's Christians that everyone sins everyday no matter how long they have been saved. This belief is not biblical.

First, let me clarify. I DON'T believe you become perfect, never making a mistake, once you become a Christian. We all make mistakes. That's called being human.

But mistakes aren't sins.

James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

This is the definition of sin: Sin is the intentional rebellion against God and God's nature. It is KNOWING what is the right thing to do and CHOOSING to not do it.

All of us have done this at some time in our lives, but if we repent of (turn away from) our sins we STOP rebelling against God.

Matthew 5:48
But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
 

Mistakes are accidents or actions, often based on imperfect knowledge, that results in an accident. 


If I go out to my apple tree right now I will find an abundance of perfect apples. To be sure, they are very green, immature apples. But they are still perfect.

We are COMMANDED in the Bible to NOT sin- to not intentionally rebel- after we give our hearts to God.

Either Jesus believed it was possible to not sin or He told the woman taken in adultery to the impossible; “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:11

Same with the man at the pool of healing waters; "But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” John 5:14

Hebrews 10:26 "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins."

We will still make mistakes.

We will still be tempted (temptation is not sin any more than mistakes are sin.)

But we must NOT sin. We must not knowingly rebel against God.

If you sin you are a sinner.


1 Peter 4:18 to be saved ... And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what
will become of the ungodly and the sinner ...

Proverbs 11:31 If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! ...

Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. ...

Proverbs 13:21  ..... Trouble pursues the sinner, but the righteous are rewarded with good things. ...  

If you are a sinner, you are not righteous.
If you are righteous. you are not a sinner.  

 And only the righteous go to heaven.

Question

To all my Pintrest and Facebook lady friends who have been posting pictures of random naked or nearly naked men,

What would you think if your husband, son, brother, pastor posted equivalent pictures of women?

Would you be offended? Think they were addicted to porn? Sinning through lust of the eye?

There is no difference in God's eyes between men and women. If it is wrong for a man to be looking at- much less posting- pictures of naked women it is wrong for women to do the same with men.



Just a thought.