What happened to y'all?

At first I thought my father would be offended by my question but he wasn’t.  He gave me his account of what happened to the church from that “give me that old time religion” point of view. And the reality of the matter is that if I were a Christian, I would probably live my life according to that doctrine. At least you could ask questions without being labeled a trouble maker.         

 

Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy spirit^(D) and began to speak in other tongues^[a](E) as the Spirit enabled them.

They were willing to come together in one place, and one time, this was why God was able to fill them with the Holy Ghost ,this is why they were able to speak with tongues ,this is why they were blessed with the power that they had in those days.

I Corinthians 16:8 Says: ⁸ But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost,

The people were willing to wait on God for whatever blessing he had for them.

 

There are four kinds of preachers now:
Liberal- Person doesn't believe anything about Gods Words.
Moderate-Claims to selectively believe parts of God's word, he has no use for the fundamental doctrines of our fathers.
Middle of the Road-- He emphasis no love and tries to please everybody; everyone is good no one is lost.
Old Time Preacher- Who is true to the Word, he knows men are lost and that Christ is their only hope.

 

I Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴ Do everything in love.

 

 

You have to be this way to have power in God. This was the way the old Saints did in the old Days, they didn't mine “tarring” before God to bring them out of their sins.  They lived so that the Power of God would draw people from their sins.  And when sinners came to Church they would be saved.  The power of conviction was so strong in those days, that no matter what their sins were they repented. People no longer get Saved and tarry for the Holy Ghost. Preachers want money, people to fill the building, nice cars, big houses and nice clothes.  So that they can walk over people and say I am a king.  You can not do what God wants if you are not saved from sin. How can you help others to Christ If you have not stopped your living in sin. Nothing is wrong with having nice things, but people get lifted up in their own pride of life. And when you are lifted by pride, you fall and fail yourself and others in life. You have to love, beleive God, and trust him that has saved you from Sin.  Receiving the Holy Ghost will keep you if you standing on his word, and in the power of his righteousness.

 

 God Bless Everyone

Friendly Spiritual Sparring Session

I decided to take a step back from my normal posting, and engage in a quick rebuttal to my father’s post. My father and I were discussing talking points for this week, and the conversation carried over into a debate.  The focal point of our debate was is Jesus Christ the only true path to God.   We agreed to disagree and then he sucker punched me, after we got off the phone lol!!!  So I will break this post down into two parts.  I’ll post my dads thought and conclude with a short rebuttal       

                  

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Roman 1:16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17.For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.
 Roman 10:3-9. For they being ignorant of  God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.   For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)  Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is,to bring up Christ again from the  dead.)  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.
 1 Corinthians1:21 -25. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God,it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.   For the Jews require a sign, and  the  Greeks seek after wisdom:  But we preach Christ crucified, unto  the  Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;   But unto them which are called, both Jew and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and  the wisdom of God. Because the foolish weakness of God is stronger than men.
 Galatians 4:4.  But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  The Jews, Greeks, Gentiles, and anybody else has to be saved, that is why he sent his son to die for our sins.

"Elder Melvin Bates"

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This rebuttal is not a knock against Christianity, but an attempt to better understand it.  My father along with most Christians, believe that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ.  I believe that God determines the path of the person searching for him.  I find it difficult to believe that God will penalize you, for searching after him within your own culture. 

Fact: The books of the bible were agreed upon by the leaders of the Catholic Church, after years of debating, arguing, adding and rearranging them.  The Council of Trent finalized the accepted bible and laid the seed for modern day Christianity.  It’s easier to accept that God inspired the prophets, and the prophets handed down the bible generation after generation.  The truth of the matter is that Christianity is a belief system based on the edited version of the bible.  I don’t see anything wrong with finding God through Christianity but other paths do exist.          

Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, etc are all paths to the Creator.   I may not agree with your path to God, but who am I to judge that path?  Any one can spout writings and sayings from their perspective books.  The problem is that you are seeing things through rose colored glasses.  I don’t agree that the Koran is God’s personal message to me, but it still gives me positive insight. I believe the bible was edited for political reasons, but I still believe it has a message.   The ultimate truth is, “are you satisfied with your personal relationship with the Creator”?  If you can answer this question yes, who am I to question the authenticity of your faith.                  

Bishop Bubbles

Bishop Larry Trotter, Pastor at Sweet Holy Spirit Church in Chicago Ill., decided to toss around a few bubbles with his granddaughter in the bath tub and “Instagram” them.  I’m not saying that the brother was doing anything improper but dammn! Homie!

P.S. What's up with the creepy grin 

Does a Man Dying from Thirst Really Care About the Label?

 

 

Each of us in our different religions and traditions have different ways of dealing with the pain of the past, and I think it is important to remember and respect these different paths...

“Sarah Talcott Blair”

This could be the time for people of all faiths to move beyond ancient hostilities and suspicions and to discover the untapped potential of cooperation.

“Bishop Bill Swing”

The important thing is not to live for peace work but to live for God. That is after all, obviously, the vocation for peace work, where action is the prayer.

“Heidi Rautionmaa”

Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.

“Buddha”

[Creator], you offer peace as a gift

and peace as a responsibility...

Give us the grace to reach out for peace,

to have attitudes of peace,

that our words may be words of peace,

that our works may be works of peace.

Then may we build the peace that we and our nations need.

“Monseñor Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, Columbia”

A lot of littles make a much.

“Reverend Doctor Dale Turner”

A just peace includes not only civil and political rights – it must encompass

economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want.

“President Barack Obama”

It is my fervent wish that every one of us can become aware of the interconnectedness of all existence, and that we might each pause enough to experience the miracle of consciousness. In this experience of and in this awareness of our inter-connectedness, we might discover that there is no space at all for envy, hatred or thought of revenge. Only for Love.

“George Leonard”

Faith is the essential part of relationship or truth in God.  Without Faith we cannot please God. Hebrew 11:6. We have to believe in him, and believe him. Both Faith and belief are generally the same people that live by Faith are followers of Jesus Christ, called believers (Act 5:14). Hebrew 1:1 states, Now Faith is the substance of  things hoped for, the evidence of  things not seen, The source of Faith; is that by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast,(Ephesians 2:8). What can I do to get enough Faith?  If you can believe, all things are possible. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened unto you.   Faith is dead, without your works in God; no belief in God will not motivate you in Jesus Christ. Faith in God is living for Christ, and that motivates your action because you love doing for Christ, being fruitful, worthy of repentance, turning away from Sin. It’s all about Faith in God our Father and willing to turn in a different way of thinking.

“Elder Melvin Bates”

Healing Stones for the Soul

Imam Ali once said to his son Imam Hasan, My son, learn four things from me and through them you will learn four more. If you keep them in mind your actions will not bring any harm to you: The greatest wealth is Wisdom; the greatest poverty is stupidity; the worst unso- ciableness is that of vanity and self-glorification; and the best nobility of descent exhibits itself in politeness and in refinement of manner. The next four things, my son, are: "Do not make friendship with a fool because when he will try to do you good he will do you harm; do not make a miser your friend because he will run away from you at the time of your dire need; do not be friendly with a vicious and wicked person because he will sell you and your friendship at the cheapest price and do not make friend of a liar because like a mirage he will make you visualize very near the things which lie at a great distance and will make you see at the great distance the things which are near to you".

 

“Imam Ali”

 

 

 

 

Master of the Universe, grant me the ability to be alone.  May it be my custom to go outdoors each day among the trees and grass, among all growing things.  And there may I be alone in prayer, to talk with my Creator, to express everything in my heart.  May all the foliage of the field awake at my coming, to send the power of their life into the words of my prayer, so that my prayer and speech are made whole through the spirit of all growing things. 

 

“Meditation of Reba Nahman of Bratslav”

 

 

 

 

Joy is a feeling of happiness that comes from success, good fortune, or a sense of well-being.  After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, Joy was lost. God expelled them from their garden home to prevent something worse from happening. If they had eaten from the tree of Life after eating from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would have lived forever in their misery.  Life outside the garden was not easy. Adam and Eve had to work hard for their food. The reality of death was everywhere, and animals preyed on one another. Even worse, the couple's firstborn son murdered his younger brother.  What could be worse?  Sin had
pierced their lives, and the couple could not stop joy from draining out.  But God had a plan to restore joy.  Joy was lost in the Garden when death came, but
joy returned through birth-- the birth of God's own Son. "I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people" (Luke 2:10) Jesus grew up to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead. But this was just a taste of things to come.  God entered our world, experienced our sorrow, and conquered death, giving us hope that he will keep his promise to end pain, and eliminate sorrow and death (John 11:25-26; I Cor. 15:3-4; and Rev. 21:4) 
 It was Joy in Heaven, over one sinner that repents, more than  over, ninety and nine just persons, which need on repentance. It was Joy when the father saw his lost son coming, he said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.  I count this all Joy of the Lord, because one day you were lost, but now you have been birth into a new Life through Jesus Christ, who is our JOY. 

 

“Elder Melvin Bates” 

 

 

 

Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
pour into the rivers, and join together in the oceans,
so may the power of every moment of your goodness
flow forth to awaken and heal all beings–
those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.

By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may your heart’s wishes be soon fulfilled
as completely shining as the bright full moon,
as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.

By the power of every moment of your goodness,
may all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

For all in whose heart dwells respect,
who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
may your life prosper in the four blessings
of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

 

“Traditional Buddhist prayer for blessing and healing”