God Blog

• "I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes..." (Psalms 101:1-3 NKJV)

• "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22, 23 NIV)

• "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." (Matthew 18:7-9 NIV)

• "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1, 2 NIV)

• "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:1, 2 MSG - same as above)

• "Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:3 NIV)

• "Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:3, 5-8 NIV)

• "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8, 9 NIV)

• "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." (1 John 1:5, 6 NIV)

• "If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death." (1 John 5:16 NIV)

• "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:29-32 NIV)

• "I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong." (Hebrews 5:11-14 MSG)

• "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV)

• "Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." (Acts 13:1-3 NIV)

• "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need." (Acts 4:27-35 NIV)

• "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4, 5, 8 NIV)

• "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." (II Timothy 2:11-13 NKJV)

• "This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." (II Timothy 2:11-13 NKJV)

• "There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death." (1 John 5:16, 17 NIV)

• "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” — because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”"(Mark 3:28-30 NKJV)

• "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)

• "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:10-17 NIV)

• "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

• "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!" (Hebrews 12:1-13 MSG)

• The devilishly cunning incremental advance of worldliness through modern technology.

• The relentless bombardment of innumerable and seductive forms of me-ism propagated by advertising for and the content of video and music, internet and periodicals.

• The easing of the hardships of life within modern society.

• Advances and affluence providing a nearly bloodless and painless lifestyles.

• The proliferation of free time and ever more attractive forms of amusements.

• The corruption of disingenuous scientific enlightenment to argue against the existence of God.

• The global hurricane of the "1960's sexual revolution" that continues to increasing in strength to the point of inverting millennia of morality.

• Sharpening of the human appetite in every aspect of life from food and clothing to housing and transportation.

• Dumbing down of doctrine to the point of tutoring this generation and subsequent ones to be Biblically illiterate and prayerfully negligent.

• Detrimental decline in personal Bible study and prayer.

• Fear of God replaced with unconditional love.

• Presumption and assumed salvation having largely replaced living in sanctified faith.

• Swelling ranks of hundreds of millions addicted to drugs and alcohol, pornography or immorality.

• The election of reprobate public officials who call evil good and good evil, or do little to nothing in this regard.

• Vast abuse of governmental assistance.

• Inconceivable innocent bloodshed of wars of aggression and abortion.

• The all but undressing of women and society through revealing and suggestive apparel outside and inside church.

• Successful assault against the nuclear family through the legalization of no-fault divorce and it's spiritual, social and economic fallout.

• The filling of the average modern home with a variety of subtle to gross firms of idolatry including worldly, sensual and/or occult books and magazines, music and videos, graphic video games and lethal abortifacients.

• Exponential if not ubiquitous resurgence of the original angelic and human sin of entitlement.

• Increasing and tightening grasp of the spirit of the antichrist on individual and global affairs that must soon culminate in the Great Tribulation.

• The promotion and nearly wholesale acceptance of the false doctrine of a secret pre-tribulation rapture.

• Religious apathy and even arrogance in the face of the polarizing spiritual and cultural effect of all the above and more.

• "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:11-14 NKJV)

Screens. What Would Jesus Say?

A modern Christian asked Jesus if it was right to look at screens all day.

Jesus inquired, “What images are on them.”

His follower explained, “Everything. From work and news to entertainment and social media. Online shopping and travel to religion and science. Pretty much all of human knowledge and experience.”

“Good and evil?” questioned the Lord.

“Both” answered the man.

“More one than the other?” Jesus probed.

“Depends,” answered the believer pensively. “Much of the traffic seems neutral. Work and emails, calls and messaging, news and information. Relationship and entertainment wise, pretty much anything goes.”

Christ nodded. “Let’s start with work and emails. Everyone’s gotta make a living and relate to others. Still, what portion of screen time promotes thankfulness for God’s unprecedented blessings.

“Not much,” admitted the man.

“How about developing ways of sharing the wealth with the impoverished?

“Less.”

“Ever hear My story of the “Sheep and the Goats?”

“Yes.”

“Keep that in mind. What percentage of messaging either directly or indirectly encourages worldliness and entitlement, temptation and sin over sanctification and thankfulness, repentance and good deeds?

“Most” admitted the man.

“For millennia you’ve had My warning, ‘Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.’”

“Sorry.”

The glorified Christ continued, “You mentioned news and information. Big money in both?”

“Plenty of fame and fortune.”

“Various points of view?”

“Across every format and platform, 24/7.”

“How often does mass and social media reinforce My revelation that unrest and war, natural and man made disasters, injustice and abortion should occasion mass brokenness and intercession? Starting with My own people."

“Almost never.”

“You mentioned online shopping and travel. Big business?”

“Trillions a year.”

“As for news and information, given billions suffer from global injustice and war, natural and manmade disasters, wouldn’t you agree that the almighty consumer culture seems selfish at best?”

“Suppose so,” confesses the man.

“You’d know so if the roles were reversed. Which I warned will be the case in the Rich Man and Lazarus. Not a parable, it’s the only conversation between humans in the afterlife recorded in Scripture.

“A lot to think about.”

“When? Sight and sound are always and everywhere. Reality dwarfs your ancestor’s dreams. Media dwarfs reality. You don’t just plug in. You are in. Even if you’re ever quiet and alone, you’re not. Lyrics and lines, melodies and scenes from a thousand different songs and shows seep into your hearts and minds. As do the ideas and desires they inspire. Speaking of which, you said when it comes to relationship and entertainment, pretty much anything goes.”

“Yes.”

“Including immorality, soft and hard core porn?”

“Always and everywhere.”

“Violence and profanity?”

“Continual.”

“Horror, gore and demonic programing?”

“Same,” the man answers feeling sick.

Jesus ends the Q&A. “Anything you care to add?”

“There is some good.”

“Go on.”

“Lots of religious content.”

“Enough to turn Churchianity into a “house of prayer?” Particularly the kind of quantity and quality of prayer that might make a difference?

“No. Lot of family stuff though.”

“Enough to move even My own people to become genuine praying parents, daily travailing for the salvation of at least their own children and grandchildren?

“No.” There are some cool cat videos…

“Laughter may not really be the best medicine at this point. As I warned My own generation, whom by comparison were toddlers when it comes to sin, “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”

“Pretty harsh,” mourned the believer.

“I’ve said harsher."

“So what do You want?”

“Honesty. You’re clearly living in the best and worst of times. I want My house filled with thanks for the unprecedented blessings and intercession for the unparalleled evils. The current and coming challenges require more than singing Jesus loves me this I know, assuming salvation and exchanging presumption for faith. Nothing short of radical discipleship leading to a complete transformation into a New Creation has ever stood the test of eternity. That goes double for generations facing ubiquitous and growing bombardment of subtle and gross temptation and deception, entitlement and sin. Prayerlessness and Biblical illiteracy’s never’s cut it. Certainly not now with Divine justice and judgment looming.

“Understood.” the modern Christian almost quaked in response. So…what about screens?”

“Render to screens what belongs to screens and to God what belongs to God.”

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