Royal college warns abortions can lead to mental illness - Times Online

Question: Does the abortion make them crazy, or does their insanity make them have abortions?

To willingly kill her baby, a mother would have to be centered on her own pleasure, convenience, wealth, or some other selfish end--in other words, mentally ill. Of course she's nuts. And so is the father, grandparents, ministers, and the rest of the citizens who approve.

For a mother to rip her unborn from her body to be disposed of as so much garbage is unnatural and a war against herself. Natural affections, as Paul puts it in 2Timothy 3, are repressed and ridiculed. Such women are "silly women" who are laden with lusts [2Tim. 3:6], led astray by corrupt and evil men. Such sins can be forgiven through the blood of Christ, but not unless they are acknowledged to be sins and abhored.

Abortion is another legacy of the wickedness of the 1960's and its aftermath. Why does it take so long for the era to be recognized as an era of madness: rebellion against mother and father, against church and authority, against nature and decency, against truth and order?

"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD." (Jer 6:15 av)

"Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." (Jude 1:8 av)

"But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." (2Pe 2:10 av)

We received the sad news this week that our son Josh and his wife Manami, who live in Japan, have lost their baby, Edwin Arthur Powell, who would have been born in the next few days. He was pronounced dead in the womb, because the cord had become kinked and he had no oxygen or nourishment. It is devastating to all our family. It is the first death in our immediate family--all our other 17 grandchildren were born healthy and strong.

It is a great comfort at this time to know that babies are in the hands of the Lord. I do not think that anything happens by chance, especially the death of these little ones, and I am certain that the death of a baby is a certain mark of the election of God and that all of these little ones are secure in the presence of God forever, especially those born of the covenant community, but I am persuaded also that all babies are.

Josh was baptized as a baby and committed to Christ at that time. We do pray daily that Josh will confess his faith in Christ--he is a wonderful and loving son--he only lacks the gift of faith that comes from Christ alone. But just as Levi was in the loins of Abraham when he paid tithes to Melchizadec, so was Edwin in the loins of Joshua when he was baptized. If Abraham's faith was sufficient to include his seed within the covenant of Israel, then it is also true of the covenant of Christ. Only ultimate unbelief is a sign of reprobation and babies cannot produce that sign. This grandfather could not be persuaded that Edwin is not with the Lord.

"Suffer the little ones to come unto me," are the words of our Lord Jesus. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." (Mt 18:10-11 av)

For an extraordinary example of a Religion of Peace and Brotherhood, click on the picture above.

Why can't we all just get along?

We must trust this stuff?

[I wrote this more than ten years ago. Do we add Al Gore to this list? I think so.]

First it was Freud reversing himself on hysteria in order to protect a child-molesting colleague. Then in the Margaret Mead, cooking the books on her research in Samoa, to make the data fit her pre-conceived ideas. Then it was evolutionists rewriting history to pretend that Christians believed in a "flat earth," and other absurdities. What scientific giant would fall next?

Enter Alfred Kinsey, whose 1948 book Sexual Behavior in the Humand Male and his 1953 sequel Sexual Behavior in the Human Female gave scientific justification for the sexual revolution of the sixties and seventies. Rachel Waldavsky (Reader's Digest, April 1997) reports that Kinsey collected child pornography, photos and film of children engaged in sexual acts from adults who had had sex with them. "It is not so difficult," Kinsey wrote in his second report, "to explain why a human animal does a particular thing sexually. It is more difficult to explain why each and every individual is not involved in every type of sexual activity."

Kinsey's conclusions were based on samples "grossly unrepresentative" of the general population. Those who volunteer for such projects are two to four times more active sexually than non volunteers, and Kinsey's samples also included prison inmates, 1400 convicted sex offenders. This is science? Is it science to go looking for what you want to find?

In spite of the fraud and corruption in the scientific community--a national scandal reported by Time magazine (August 26, 1991), huge numbers of Americans would rather trust their souls to the findings of science, swallowing the "research" blindly, rather than the old, old story of Jesus Christ, which does not change with the tides of human philosophy or adapt itself in order to obtain government grants.

May, 1997

The Real Bigotry

A couple of years ago I was called to jury duty. I didn't expect to be called, because I had heard that ministers and especially seminary professors would not be chosen. But I was.

But the case and the jury is not the story. After we were chosen and given our instructions, we walked outside, I with a tall, middle aged, urbane and soft-spoken man. We exchanged few pleasantries and he asked me what I did. [A very Western Civiilization question, for we define ourselves by what we do].

I told him that I taught systematic theology at New Geneva Seminary. My next remark would have been been a question about what he did, but I never had the opportunity.

He launched into a bitter, albeit soft-spoken and urbane, tirade against the Bible and Christianity. It did not seem to matter whether or not I believed the things that he attributed to Christianity, because he never attempted to find out what I thought. He without even a ripple in his thought KNEW what I thought and what kind of person I was and what kind of relatives I had and, I suppose, knew what I had had for breakfast. I just looked at him, turned my back and walked away. We had no opportunity to speak again.

He was elected foreman of the jury, and I flatter myself that several times during the deliberations I saved his sorry hide, by helping define the issues, the law, and the facts. The jury could have been deeply divided, but I think I served justice well by what I said, although I did not speak much. He warmed some to me as the proceedings advanced.

His attitude toward Christianity would have been stereotypical of the white male's attitude toward "those people" who had black skin in the thirties and forties of the 20th century.

He was well-educated, well-spoken --did I say that? I hope I get an opportunity to speak to him again someday, but it is doubtful, I suppose. I hope I was a good witness for Christ. I do not feel guilty about turning and walking away at the end of his tirade, for the scripture says to answer a fool according to his folly. It was not the time or place to engage in religious polemics; he would have known that if he were not a fool.

I also feel good about my performance on the jury, for I think I was a good witness for Christ, although I did not quote the Bible or behave in a sanctimonious manner. Others did, for there were some simple Christians on the jury and that is the kind of Christianity they knew. I wanted him to know that even if he was a jerk, I was certainly not one and could behave with discretion and do the job we were called to do. I have a warm feeling that my remarks at a critical time in our discussions were what defined the issues, threw light on the law in terms of the judges instructions, and united us in a fair and just decision. It was an answer to my prayer that I would be a good witness for Christ.

He was the modern bigot. Is his disease curable? Yes, but only by the Christ that he despised.

The Pattern from Eternity

"4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will," (Eph 1:4-5 AV)

"28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Ro 8:28-29 AV)

Man, emphatically, is not the captain of his soul, nor master of his fate.

He would like to think so, but the reality testifies against him as does the Scriptures. For the children of God their pattern is from eternity, written in the eternal decree of God, sent into the world in the Person of the Son of God, and worked in them by the Holy Spirit.

It is not for you or for me to decide this for ourselves, to determine [!] what sort of person we are going to be, for it is God that works us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Even the good works that we are called to do are not to be defined by ourselves but have been "forordained that we should walk in them."

This is not to mean that we are not called to make the choice or that preachers are not called to exhort us to do good works. On the contrary we are called to "put on Christ," " put off the old man" and "put on the new man." The will of man is real and he is responsible for his choices. But what is he to put on? whatever suit of clothes he fancies he would look good for himself or for his neighbors? No. He is to put on Christ, the model from eternity.

People choose according to their fancies and corrupt hearts, but the sheep of the Lord know his voice and they follow Him. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Good and Profitable


"This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." (Tit 3:8 AV)

It is a good and faithful minister that constantly reminds his congregation to maintain good works.

When this is done and the appeal is to thankfulness and the love of God, the minister is not preaching works righteousness. Instead, he is being obedient to his call.

This is so transparently good, that only a certain defensive blindness could miss it. It is good for a congregation to have love for each other. It is good for them to protect the reputation, the property, the life, and the joy of other members of the congregation. Just as a person must drive on the right side of the road in America in order to show his love for his neighbor and not imperil life, property, and happiness, so a Christian must maintain good works if he is to be a blessing to his brothers and sisters in the church.

Often churches and communities are dominated by bullies that do not maintain good works. They lord it over others in the congregation by the force of their personality and sometimes by a pretended piety. They intimidate others and impose their will on their churches and their families and friends by bullying tactics--by fear, guilt, and such. They use many different tactics for the rebellious heart is very fertile in such things. Even children are very innovative when they seek methods to circumvent the will of their parents.

The constitutions of the church are designed to protect in biblical ways the rights of all; not only the rights of the members of the church, but the rights of its officers and leaders. If every member of the church is allowed to carry on guerella warfare against the officers of the church, the duty of the officers to obey the scripture quoted above is impaired or obliterated. This is so transparently true that the only reason someone would dissent would be in order to overthrow legitimate government and impose their will on others, contrary to the covenant of the church. In such cases the whole church will suffer.

The Light Is Often Painful

"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (Joh 3:20)

I am exactly like everyone else, so I
know what I am talking about in this
post. We poor sinners do not like to
have the light of the Scriptures turned,
into our souls.

Some of the Scriptures are o.k., for we pick and choose from them to fashion a suit of clothes that makes us look pretty snappy. In this we are like Huckleberry Finn. He decided that he would give up watermelon and persimmons for Lent because "watermelons were out of season and persimmons ain't never any good."

In other matters we don't mind being rascals, but we hope no-one finds out, and if they do, we hope they won't tell anyone.

But God doesn't play our game. He looks on the heart and not on the outward appearance. His word is a blinding light to those who chaff against it for "it 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." (Heb 4:12)

In the last day, we will not be judged by what others think of us, or by the reputation that we have carefully cultivated, or even by our own opinion of ourselves. Jesus said it plainly, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (Joh 12:48) There should be no surprises at the day of judgment, for the words of Christ have been before the world since the beginning, for He is the one that not only spoke through the prophets but came to speak to us plainly. We didn't like it, but crucified the Lord of Glory, to our shame.

Neither will we be excused because we have had our feelings hurt and excuse ourselves. The light hurts; the truth is painful; the salt that cleanses the wound stings.

But it is better to face the truth now, than to face the fire of God's indignation in the last day. As the apostle put it, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." (1Co 11:31 av)

By What Spirit?

"And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." 1John 3:24

The picture was taken east of Aspen, CO, early fall, 2007

Jesus promised to baptize those who believe on Him with the Holy Spirit. "I will send you another Comforter..." He said. What are the attributes of this Holy Spirit? Besides all the attributes that apply to the Godhead, Scripture assigns these to Him:

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of adoption. He assures us that we are the children of God: reject any word that would cast doubt upon this.

He is the Spirit of holiness: We are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all: it is the Spirit that separates us unto God and unto holiness of life.

He is the Spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. The Holy Spirit works effectively in us to love God and our neighbor and to think clearly in terms of God’s revelation.

He is the Spirit of Christ and the Father: The work of the Trinity is One and never in contradiction to the work of the Father and the Son. He calls those predestined by the Father and redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the Spirit who inspired the prophets and gave us the Holy Scriptures. Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is impossible that the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer would be in conflict with the Scriptures. He is the Spirit of power, love, and soundness of mind. He brings order into our lives, families, and churches just as He did in Creation, moving upon the faces of the waters.

He is the same Spirit who works in all the people of God. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. He is not the spirit that works in the disobedient, the rebellious, the disorderly, and the ignorant. His works are longsuffering, temperance, patience, mercy, grace, and peace. The Lord’s people hear in the Spirit the voice of the Good Shepherd and will not follow another voice.

What Spirit moves you?

Grace and Peace to the Faithful Saints

Paul's greetings to the church at Ephesus is typical: "to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

The first two words describe the people of God: saints and faithful. They are saints because they are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost which is given to them who belong to Christ. They are believers because the Holy Spirit works faith in them and hope which is the adjunct of faith. By hope they trust in the promises of God, which they esteem more precious than any thing in the world.

The last two words describe the most precious gifts that God gives to his faithful saints: grace and peace. Grace means that they live in a state of blessedness by the free gift of God; their sins are forgiven them, they are adopted children of God and inherit freely all the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are showered upon them, described in Galatians 5.

By peace is meant the assurance of all the blessings of God by the free gift of God through Jesus Christ, so that the soul rests, ceasing from its agitation about the favor of God, for this is assured to Him by grace. "Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." God would have his people live with a settled peace in their souls. The peace of God is to keep our hearts and minds.

So peace also means confidence that God will supply all our needs, so that we need not be agitated over what we shall eat, what we shall drink, or wherewithal we shall be clothed, as Jesus said. Our heavenly father knows what we need before we ask and will supply all our needs, according to our riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Peace means that we are not so attached to the things of the world that our souls become disquieted because of them; we learn in what ever state we are to be content.

Because the soul is at peace with God and because it does not fret over earthly things, the faithful saint is able to live at peace in the church with the people of God. He trusts in His father and does not fear what men can do to him nor does he presume to control the behavior of others, the two major causes of strife in the world. He faithfully does the work that God has given him to do and does not meddle in the affairs of others. Pr 20:3 "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." The fool meddles because wisdom is not in his heart and mind.

Grace and peace go together, just as holiness and faith go together. Holiness and faith are characteristics of the likeness of Christ, and grace and peace are the precious gifts of God.

Ye Shall Be as Gods!

It is the oldest of all the temptations, even older than the oldest profession! It had nothing to do with sex, even though the woman was deceived in the temptation. It had to do with whether or not man would define right and wrong independently from the word of God.

The test was a simple one. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That's what the test was about: what is good and what is evil? God did not leave it to Adam and Eve to decide: they could eat every tree of the garden except that one.

It was not that the Tree was evil in itself, nor was it evil because Adam esteemed it to be evil: no, the evil of eating the tree was evil because God said it was evil: the measure was not in Adam himself or in the tree: the measure was in the wisdom and mind of God, revealed to Adam in words.

The minister of the Gospel is obligated to "reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine." He is obliged to do as Paul told Titus: Tit 3:8 "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."

This did not mean that Titus was to constantly affirm that believers follow their own hearts or decide for themselves what the grace of God tells them to do, for this was simply a return to the first temptation. Adam was not to decide for himself what his relationship with the Tree was. That relationship was defined by God, and God didn't give a flip whether or not Adam had his feelings hurt or not. The church or the world is not to be governed by whether or not so and so has his feelings hurt.

A lot of people had their feelings hurt when Sodom was overthrown and when the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and Abiram. I don't suppose that Ananias and Sapphira had good feeling when they lied to the Holy Ghost and died before Peter and the church at Jerusalem. Truth is not decided by appeal to feelings.

Titus was not to exhort unbelievers to "be careful to maintain good works," for that would have been useless, but to exhort believers, which is good and profitable. This is not contrary to grace, but necessary as the Lord's commands: we should not try to be smarter than God, setting aside what He commands because of our rebellious spirits. Grace does not turn us loose as wild beasts in the Lord's vineyard.

The good works which are commanded are not to be defined by ourselves any more than Adam's were. No, the Bible speaks of them in this way:

1. They are of faith, for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. They must come from a thankful heart that knows that all its sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ.

2. They are for the glory of God, for all other works are a perversion of the image of God, who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

3. They are according to the commands of God, for sin is transgression of the law of God.

Every faithful minister must do these things and must be highly esteemed if he does them, as the Bible says. He is ordained and given authority to do this by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, if his ordaination is biblical. If it is not biblical, then he should be quiet and live at peace.

There Is Always Something Else!

When people are acting crazy, there is always something underneath that others don't know about.

Little Johnny went to school one fine spring morning and captured a wasp, which he carefully put in a little metal box he had in his back pocket. He forgot about the bee.

But after a few minutes in class, the top worked off the box, and the wasp began to work on Johnny. He begin to squirm. This was in the days when students were expected to sit still and be quiet and listen to the teacher, so the teacher said, "Johnny, be still."

"Yes, Ma'am," said Johnny. But a few minutes later the bee popped him again and he jumped.

"Be still, Johnny," said his teacher. "Yes, Ma'am" said Johnny.

A few minutes later, the bee hit him again and this time he yelped and jumped from his seat.

"Johnny! Didn't I tell you to sit still?" said the teacher again.

"Yes, Ma'am," said Johnny, "but there's something going on back here that you don't know nuthin' about."

When people are unreasonable and get up in the air over nothing, you can be assured that they are being worked on by their own private bee. There is something going on that you don't know about, but sooner or later it will come out so everyone will know about it.

There was indignation among the disciples when a woman anointed Christ with precious ointment. The instigator of the strife was Judas, the traitor of our Lord, who pretended to be very concerned about the poor, and objected to the waste of the ointment that was used to anoint Christ. He didn't give a flip about the poor or about Jesus, he was just a thief and wanted the money in the common bag so he could steal from it. [John 12]

Pious protestations and agitations of spirit very often cover a great deal of wicked thought.

James put it this way, "Where there is envy and strife, there is confusion and every evil work." [James 3:16]

Don't Take It Out on Me!

Jas 4:1-2 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James nails it: the reason we fight and war with each other in the church is because we are expecting to get from people what only God can give us. "We have not because we ask not."

Others simply cannot deliver what is essential to my soul. The reason there is external war is because there is internal war. Disgruntled and unhappy people war with others because of the misery that is in their own souls.

When I was a kid, from time to time you would hear somebody say, "Well, don’t take it out on me!" because even kids are smarter than we often think. Every one knew that when you didn’t get your own way you had a tendency to strike out at someone. "Kicking the dog" is the name of the behavior. We knew that bullies essentially were very unhappy people.

When there are fightings and wars within the soul, the result will be fightings and wars with other people--either that or a form of suicide, depending upon the person. Some people, frustrated in their own lives, react against other people and pick fights with those around them. Others, of a different temperament, will turn against themselves and drink themselves to death, use drugs, eat too much, or fall into other forms of self-destructive behavior. In extreme forms the aggression results in murder in the former case, and suicide in the latter case.

In either case, the solution is found in the gracious words to Cain, when his sacrifice was not accepted of God: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

The solution to unsatisfied desires is neither murder nor suicide. Our business is always with God, not with men. "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Pr 16:7)

Pr 22:24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Pr 29:22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

Let them kick their own dog. It is best to leave them alone.

The Risings of the Spirit

"12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves." (1Th 5:12-13 av)

Just as insurrection against the legitmate authorities in the civil realm, insurrection against the officers of the church is contrary to the Christian faith and can be justified only on a very narrow basis.

The work of the church authorities is described in three verbs: "labor among you," "are over you in the Lord," and "admonish you."

It is the express command of the Lord that His people live under the authority of the officers that He has appointed. They are to "labor" in the work of the Gospel and their role is clearly defined: "reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine." It has been the experience of this poor minister over some 50 years of ministry that those who so harden their hearts against this work of Christ will not end well.

It is not the nature of the flesh to endure reproofs, rebukes, exhortations no matter how longsuffering the minister is or how sound his doctrine, so the apostle begs the people of God to "know" their ministers and esteem them highly in love because of their work. It is a thankless job, but the work of the ministry is performed for the good of the church.

"Be at peace among yourselves" is a direct command and not a "beseeching." "Peace" and "rest" are mentioned directly at least 150 times in the New Testament, and "war" and "fight" and such words are used less than one fifth as much.

In addition there is the command that we "study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." (1Th 4:11) The word quiet literally means to be silent, to stay at home and mind your own business, to be at rest.

This is the reason that the constitution of the Reformed Church expressly requires that contentiousness be dealt with by discipline, for there is no greater work of the devil than a refusal to live at peace and a refusal to be reconciled to the people of the God. In fact, Jesus said that we "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Mt 5:24 av)

Solomon understood this well: Pr 25:28 "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." Self control means to control the risings of the spirit--the anger, distress, hurt, strife, pride, and such--that destroy the peace and tranquility of the church and allow it to be raided by all sorts of bad things. It is the duty of the officers of the church to see that this does not happen, to see that the walls are intact and in good repair.

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (Jas 3:16 av)

Jesus is the Son of God

Thomas, one of the Twelve, would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He said, "I will not believe unless I put my fingers into the wounds in His hands and thrust my hand into the wound in His side."

Shortly after, Jesus appeared to his disciples and asked Thomas to do just that and said, "Be not faithless but believing." Thomas refused of course but worshipped Jesus saying, "My Lord and my God."

It is what Jesus replied to Thomas that is most significant, as wonderful as Thomas' confession is.

Jesus said, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

First of all, Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for calling him "God" as every good created being in the Bible did when men tried to give them divine honors. Jesus did just the opposite and blessed Thomas for his confession. Furthermore, Jesus said Thomas' blessing is ours also, for we have also believed, even though, unlike Thomas, we have not seen."

We do not see the miracle, but our faith is as good as Thomas' for we have believed those who spoke the Word of God to us.

C. W. Powell

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Kerry blasts Bill Clinton for ‘abusing truth’ « - Blogs from CNN.com

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Kerry blasts Bill Clinton for ‘abusing truth’ « - Blogs from CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) — John Kerry, the Democratic Party's 2004 nominee for president, took aim at Bill Clinton Friday, telling the National Journal the former president does 'not have a license to abuse the truth.'"
===========

Sez who? Who revoked his license? He lied his way through eight years of the Presidency and who knows how many years in Arkansas. Who has his license? John K, where were you during those eight years when he was lying about women, republicans, conservatives, etc.? Did you give him a license when it benefitted you and your shady friends?

I'm not going to write about politics anymore. I feel slimy.

The Word Trumps the Sign and Wonder

Piggy-backing on my last post about a strange potato:

"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." (De 13:1-4 av)

The Word of God is enough for the Lord's Sheep. If the "sign" affirms the word, it is not needed. If the sign contradicts the word, it is dangerous. Don't go whoring after signs and wonders.

FOXNews.com - Florida Pastor Finds Jesus Image in Split Potato - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

FOXNews.com - Florida Pastor Finds Jesus Image in Split Potato - Local News News Articles National News US News: "Said Brewster: 'I just want people to know God is still as real today as he was back then and he can show up anytime he gets ready.'"
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Jesus said that it is a wicked and adulterous nation that seeks after a sign. [Matt. 16:4]

Why? because the Lord's sheep hear and follow His words, not signs and wonders: "26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (Joh 10:26-27 av)

In Jesus' story of the rich man in hell, the rich man moaned that Lazarus should be sent back to warn his brothers [implying that he had not had sufficient warning of the reality of hellfire]. Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets." "Nay, but they will believe if someone rose from the dead," the rich man protested. "If they do not believe Moses and the propehts, neither will they believe if someone rose from the dead," Abraham said. [Luke 16:22ff]

Faith does not come from signs and wonders, but from hearing the word of God. Anyone who is not convinced by the Scriptures inadvertently reveals that he is not the Lord's, but is still wallowing in wickedness and idolatry. He must be born again, as Peter tells us:

"22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1Pe 1:22-23 av)

If the Bible doesn't convince people that "God is still as real today as he was back then and he can show up anytime he gets ready" do you really think they will believe a potato? "Pastor" Brewster needs to get married if she isn't already and keep house and have some babies, and maybe she will stay out of hell, if God wills. Her potato thing shows she knows nothing about the Bible.

"12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." (1Ti 2:12-15 av)

Every word of God is pure and Scripture cannot be broken

How come?

How come, that it is a victory for Obama over Hillary when he picks up more delegates in Nevada, even though Hillary won more Democratic votes statewide? When Dubya did the same thing nationally in 2000 [winning more electoral votes while losing the popular vote] Democrats and the print media squawked about injustice and fraud. Hmmmm?

Were the Founding Fathers wise only when it works for you?

That Isn't Natural

Mark 9:34-35: "But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."
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What our Lord requires of believers is not natural to them. A servant's heart can be pretended, and false humility can be worn like a Halloween costume, but the reality is beyond the reach of the flesh.

The flesh requires to be served, it will not willingly humble itself to serve. It wants the church to dance to its tune; it dances to no one's tune.

I have seen it often over almost fifty years of ministry: people want the church to "meet their needs," but not many have their eyes open to meet the needs of others. The same is true of families: families are broken up by divorce because somebody thinks his/her "needs" are not met. It is a consumer mentality and people want to get their "money's worth" out of every relationship.

Those who preach should preach to edify, not to entertain and win the praise of men, and certainly not to win fame and fortune. Those who teach must teach so as to be understood and to enable the weak to stand and the feeble to walk. Those who sing, should sing for edification, and not to please men and win praise from them.

In this we are like the people our Lord referred to in Lu 7:32: "They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept." The rulers rejected Christ because He did not dance to their tunes nor wept to their dirges.

Solomon put it this way: "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." Pr 18:17 The man who wants to rule others may make a good case why it must be so, but others see through him and realize the true motives driving his actions.

It is a good thing that our Lord did not have this attitude. "Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."