God's Accuracy

 

God's Accuracy Never a Misses

When GOD solves our problems, we have faith in HIS abilities.

When GOD doesn't solve our problems, HE has faith in our abilities.

One may observe God's accuracy in the hatching of eggs...

~ those of the Canary in 14 days;

~ those of the Barnyard Hen in 21 days;

~ Eggs of Ducks and Geese in 28 days;

~ those of the Mallard in 35 days;

~ Eggs of the Parrot and the Ostrich hatch in 42 days.

Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the number of days in a week!

See God's Wisdom in the making of an Elephant…The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadrupeds are so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body… too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The Horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first.

A Cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.

How wise the Lord is in all His works of Creation!

~ Each Watermelon has an even number of stripes on the Rind.

~ Each Orange has an even number of segments.

~ Each ear of Corn has an even number of rows.

~ Each stalk of Wheat has an even number of grains.

~ Every bunch of Bananas has on its lowest row an even number of Bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.

Amazing!  There's more…

The Waves of the Sea roll in on shore Twenty-six to the Minute in all kinds of weather.

All Grains are found in even numbers on the stalks..

God has caused the Flowers to Blossom at certain specified times during the day.  Linnaeus, the Great Botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of Soil, Moisture, and Temperature, he could tell the Time of Day or Night by the Flowers that were Open and those that were Closed.

The Lives of each of us may be ordered by the Lord in a Beautiful Way for His Glory, if we will only Entrust Him with our Lives. If we try to Regulate our own Lives, we will have only Mess and Failure!

Only God,who made our Brains and Hearts, can Successfully Guide them to a Profitable End.

When you carry the Bible, Satan has a Headache; when you Open it, he Collapses. When he sees you Reading it, he loses his Strength, and when you Stand on the Word of God, Satan can't Harm you!

Life without God is like an Unsharpened pencil - it has no Point.

I pray God blesses you in ways you never even Dreamed.

 

 

You are cordially invited to join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group  

 

 

Lifeguard

 

 

There was this Chinese mandarin in the days of the Chinese warlords that had a friend come over to visit Him. And the friend said, ‘how are things at your house?’ and he said, “Oh things are good.” He says he had a wonderful stallion horse, and the friend says, “Oh that’s good!”

“Well, I don’t know, the horse ran away.”

“Oh, that’s bad!”

“Well, I don’t know, the horse came back three weeks later with a dozen mares.”

“Oh, that’s good!”

“Well I don’t know, my son was breaking one of the mares, and he fell off and broke his leg.”

“Oh that’s bad!”

“Well, I don’t know, because the Tong lord came through gathering up soldiers to go to war and he didn’t take my son because he had a broken leg.”

"Oh, that’s good!"

You see? IN ALL THINGS GIVE THANKS. And don’t run around cursing the devil for everything that comes into your life that you don’t understand. 

Nothing can touch our lives that isn’t for our eternal blessing.

Always remember Romans 8:28... "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." 

You are cordially invited to join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group 

 

Name

 

What's In A Name?

Jacob/Israel had twelve sons and the meaning of their names put together is a hidden message. It's amazing how God hid all these wonderful truths in simple names and stories. Here are the names in birth order and their meanings:

 

Reuben – Behold, A Son is born to us

Simon – One who hears

Levi - Attached

Judah – Praise the Lord

Dan – He judged

Naphtali – My Struggle

Gad – Good fortune

Asher – Happiness

Issachar - Reward

Zebulun - Honour

Joseph – Add to my family

Benjamin – Son of righteousness

This is God's message revealed in names:

BEHOLD, A SON IS BORN TO US, ONE WHO HEARS US AND WHO IS ATTACHED TO US. PRAISE THE LORD, HE JUDGED OUR STRUGGLE AND BROUGHT US GOOD FORTUNE, HAPPINESS, REWARD, HONOR; HE ADDED US TO HIS FAMILY AND CALLED US SONS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

We must not forget that Jacob also had a daughter. Dinah is a Hebrew name meaning justified or vindicated. Christians are justified by faith in Christ Jesus and vindicated (cleared of blame) by Jesus taking the blame for us and sacrificing himself on the cross. The plan of God has been written in The Book so we can understand and write it in our heart. 

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. ~Proverbs 25:2

Since our Heavenly Father has revealed this matter to us we need to keep searching that He might make known the riches of His glory.

Learn More About the Sons of Israel

 

One Lost Sheep

 

 

The One Lost Sheep

By David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

Years ago, God put it on my heart to start a boys’ home on Long Island. I truly sensed the Lord was behind this work. However, after just eighteen months, state officials imposed such stringent regulations on the operation of the home that we had no option but to close it down.

We’d taken in four boys during the brief time we were open. After we closed down, I lost touch with them. I had always thought that venture was one of the greatest failures of my time. For more than three decades, I wondered why God ever allowed us to move forward with it.

Recently I received a letter from a young man named Clifford.

He wrote, “Brother David, I was one of the four boys sent to the home on Long Island. Your houseparents were so loving and kind. They taught us the Bible and took us to church. One day they took us to a church that was holding a tent revival. I was so bitter and despondent. It was there, under the tent, that the Holy Spirit began tugging at my heart. I heard the preacher say, ‘Jesus loves you.’ All the years of pain, confusion and hopelessness came to the surface. I got on my knees and prayed. That was thirty-five years ago. Now God has called me to preach, and he’s moving me into full-time ministry. This ‘thank you’ has been brewing in me all this time. I just want to thank you for caring. I know what the love of God is.”

This man’s letter proves to me that nothing we do for Christ is in vain. That boys’ home was not a failure because one lost, confused boy discovered the meaning of God’s love.

This is the joy that Christ described in his parable, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7, NKJV)

 

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Birds And Bees

 

I feel sorry for parents today who have to explain the birds and bees... bees and bees... birds and birds... birds that used to be bees... bees that used to be birds... birds that look like bees... bees that look like birds... PLUS bees that look like birds but still got a stinger.

 

Enoch

 

 

By David Wilkerson (1931-2011)

 

Is Church Membership Necessary for Salvation?

The first book of scripture tells us of a man who should inspire our walk with God. “So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:23-24, NKJV). Our brother Enoch had no Bible, no songbook, no fellow members, no teacher, no indwelling Holy Spirit, no rent veil with access to the Holy of Holies, but he knew God! 

“But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). How do we know that Enoch believed God was a rewarder? Because we know that is the only faith that pleases God, and we know that Enoch pleased him. God is a remunerator, one who pays well for faithfulness. How does the Lord reward his diligent ones?

There are three important rewards that come by believing God and walking with him in faith.

1. God’s control of our lives. When we neglect the Lord, we soon spin out of control as the devil moves in and takes over. If only we would fall in love with Jesus! God would soon show us that Satan has no real dominion over us, and we would quickly allow Christ to control us.

2. Having a “pure light.” When we walk with the Lord, we are rewarded with light, direction, discernment and revelation — a certain “knowing” that God gives us — that will guide us through life. 

3. Protection from all our enemies. Scripture promises, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). In the original Hebrew, this verse is translated as “No plan, no instrument of destruction, no satanic artillery shall push you or run over you, but it will be done away with.”

Enoch learned to walk pleasingly before God in the midst of a wicked society. He was an ordinary man with all the same problems and burdens we carry. Each day as he walked with the Lord, though, he became less attached to the things of the world. When we live this way, we obey Christ’s commands, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

If Church membership is not necessary for salvation then Why Go To Church?

 

Liberal Logic

 

      

25% of liberals are being treated for mental illness.

 

That's scary... 75% are running around untreated.

 

The English Bible

 
On this day, October 6, 1536, William Tyndale 

was strangled to death and his body burned at 

the stake for the crime of translating the Bible 

into English. Remember that as you read your 

English Bible today. 

As he was dying he yelled out his final 

prayer, "Lord, open the king of England's 

eyes!"

A true HERO of The Faith!  Sadly, nowadays, all 

too few Christians recognize what great men 

these were and how much we are indebted to 

them for their courage and for their contribution 

to our now being able to easily access the text of 

Scripture. 

Since Tyndale's English translation in 1526, translators and publishers have created approximately 900 different English Bibles, making it hard to know what God really said.

Example: Psalm 12:6-7

Geneva 1599: The words of the Lord are pure words, as the silver, tried in a furnace of earth, fined sevenfold. Thou wilt keep them, O Lord; thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.

What does "him" refer back to?

KJV 1611: The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

"Them" refers back to the words of the Lord.

NIV 1978: And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked.

Notice all the word changes of the NIV version. Why did the publishers change so many words?  Answer: Publishers cannot get a copyright (and make more money) unless at least 10% of the words are different from the original.

No need to choose, simply go to Strong's Concordance and see what the original word God inspired to be written. Do not blindly trust ANY translation of the Bible. Always check the original Hebrew and Greek words to get the true meaning and intend.

 

You Are Cordially Invited to Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

The Elephant In The Room

 

 

The Elephant In The Room

 

Why is organized religion hell-bent on sending people to an 'eternal torture chamber' when God is loving and merciful? ~ Psalm 106:1

 

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being human, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! ~ Luke 11:11-13

 

As it is written in Acts 2:17, quoting for Joel 2:28:"And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh." (what part of all is there not to understand?) When you receive God's spirit you receive eternal life. 

 

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Philippians 2:9-11

For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” ~ Romans 14:11 

Churchanity teaches that God created the hell HE so desperately wants to save us from. (let that sink in)

The word "hell" in both the Hebrew and Greek languages means the place of the dead, or grave, not an ever-burning torture chamber. God only gives us two choices: eternal life or eternal death. 

 

In Matthew 25:46 we read the words of Jesus: “And these (the goat people) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” The word "punishment" means death or destruction which harmonizes with Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

We cannot be alive "in agony" and dead at the same time. The wages of sin is death... not alive jumping from one hot rock to another. In verse 41, the translators chose the word "fire" instead of destruction. 

 

Let's Examine This "Hell" that is one of the most Popular Doctrines of Denominational Christianity

The doctrine of an ever-burning "hell" is False.

Truth: The word hell means "the place of the dead or grave." People only have two choices - eternal life or eternal death. You cannot be alive and dead at the same time. The dead know nothing and feel nothing. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:5 

 

The grave/hell and the "lake of fire" are two different things.

 

Truth: Notice carefully, Revelation 21:8  "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” 

 

Death!... not alive and suffering forever. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 6:23  

 

It is, in fact, because of the way that the word “hell” is understood today that it is such an unsatisfactory translation of these original Bible words. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, under “Hell” says: “fr[om] . . . helan to conceal.” The word “hell” thus originally conveyed no thought of heat or torment but simply of a ‘covered over or concealed place.’ In the old English dialect the expression “helling potatoes” meant, not to roast them, but simply to place the potatoes in the ground or in a cellar.

 

The meaning given today to the word “hell” is that portrayed in Dante’s Divine Comedy and Milton’s Paradise Lost, which meaning is completely foreign to the original definition of the word. The idea of a “hell” of fiery torment, however, dates back long before Dante or Milton.

The Grolier Universal Encyclopedia (1971, Vol. 9, p. 205) under “Hell” says: “Hindus and Buddhists regard hell as a place of spiritual cleansing and final restoration. Islamic tradition considers it as a place of everlasting punishment.” The idea of suffering after death is found among the pagan religious teachings of ancient peoples in Babylon and Egypt. Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs depicted the “nether world . . . as a place full of horrors, . . . presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness.” 

Although ancient Egyptian religious texts do not teach that the burning of any individual victim would go on forever, they do portray the “Other World” as featuring “pits of fire” for “the damned.”—The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, by Morris Jastrow, Jr., 1898, p. 581; The Book of the Dead, with introduction by E. Wallis Budge, 1960, pp. 135, 144, 149, 151, 153, 161, 200

“Hellfire” and "Damnation" has been basic teachings in Chrurchanity for many centuries. It is understandable why The Encyclopedia Americana (1956, Vol. XIV, p. 81) said: “Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell.

 

What about the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:22?... "But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.'' Doesn't that prove hell is a fiery place? Let's examine the two Greek words, gehenna and hades, that the translators chose to call "hell fire or simply "hell."

Gehenna is a physical place in this world—a valley just outside the city of Jerusalem. Here’s the Wikipedia page about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna. With a history of child sacrifice in that place, it was thought of as a cursed and eventually became the trash pit for the city, which meant it was constantly burning.

Hades. Ten of the NT occurrences of the word “hell” in the KJV are a translation of the Greek word Hades, which is the name of the Greek god of the underworld. Those ten places are: Matt. 11:23, Matt. 16:18, Luke 10:15, Luke 16:23, Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31, Rev. 1:18, Rev. 6:8, Rev. 20:13, Rev. 20:14. It also shows up translated as simply “grave” in 1 Cor. 15:55.

 

Hades doesn’t contain the idea of either fire or torment. The different outcomes implied by the word Hades are that the wicked die while the righteous have eternal life. No fire involved—upon death of the body, the soul dies (read Ezekiel 18:4)

 

The only passage above where fire comes in is Rev. 20:14 where both death (thanatos—the death of the physical body) and hell (hades—the death of the spirit) are cast into a lake of fire—presumably to cleanse the world of all forms of death so that only life remains.

 

Hell (the grave) and lake of fire are two different things and designed for two different purposes. The phrase "lake of fire" only appears four times in the entire Bible, and only in the book of Revelation, chapters 19 and 20.

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. ~ Revelation 20:10

This scripture is the fate of only three beings, not the the fate of millions of  "unsaved" people. Revelation 20:15 states: And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. However, after the resurrection of the "unsaved" or as the Bible says - unjust, i.e.justified, that number will be very small or non-existent.

 

So what happens to the "wicked" and/or "unsaved" people? What did Jesus reveal to the Apostle John?  

 

Revelation 1:1-3 - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. 

                                                                                                                  

• Revelation 2:11
  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’

  
  
• Revelation 20:6
  Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

  
  
• Revelation 20:14
  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

  
  
• Revelation 21:8
  But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Death... not alive in an ever burning fire.

Many people believe that a threat of "hell" induces sinners to repentance and keeps the "saved" in line. However, let's read what the Bible says: The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. ~ 2 Peter 3:9

ALL does not leave anyone out of God's will. There are two resurrections. Those "in Christ" are raised first. ~1 Thessalonians 4:16. The second resurrection is for the "unsaved" to learn the truth and come to repentance.

Psalm 136:26 - Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.

Romans 9:15

For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

As Christ-Followers, it is not our place to condemn or judge other people. We are allowed to condemn sin but not the sinner... God is the righteous judge. It's a 24/7 job minding our own business. As it is written: Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. ~ Philippians 2:12 

Matthew 7:2 - For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

If you belong to a "Hell Raising" church organization, or just plain tired of playing church, You're Invited to Join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you.

 

 

 

Sin

 

BEING A CHILD OF GOD

ARE WE STILL A SINNER?

Do Christians Sin?

What is sin?

Sin translates from the Hebrew word khata‘ and the Greek word hamartia. The most basic meaning of sin isn’t religious at all. Khata’ simply means “to fail,” or “miss the mark or goal.” What is the goal?

The goal is to always do what is right, not in our eyes but the righteous standard set by God. There are at least three ways to miss the mark, not just miss the bullseye, but the entire target.

1. 1 John 3:4 - sin is the transgression of the law

2. Romans 14:23 - whatever is not from faith is sin

3. James 4:17 - to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin

Why did God set these standards for sin? Answer: Because He loves us and wants what's best for us.

 

When we break man's law we're a criminal. When we break God's law we're a sinner. So let's say you violate a traffic law and you pay a fine for transgressing the law. Does that make you a criminal? No, you admitted your guilt and paid the penalty. When Christians sin they repent and try to do better. Jesus pays the penalty for us.

Before exploring whether or not Christians sin, let’s define a couple of terms. Regardless of how tattered the word Christian has become throughout history, the biblical definition of a “Christian” is one who is a Christ-follower, a disciple of Jesus (Acts 11:26). A Christian is NOT someone who has ascribed to a particular set of religious beliefs or practices, joined a church, prayed a prayer, or participated in certain sacraments or rituals. A Christian is a person who has responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 6:44) by putting his or her whole faith in the finished work of Christ for salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9; John 3:15–18). Christians are those who have repented of their sin and have made Jesus Lord of their lives (Romans 10:9–10; Acts 2:38). They are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6–7).

“Sin” is any thought, word, or action that is contrary to the character or law of God. We all sin (Romans 3:23), and even what we consider good deeds are often tainted by selfish motives or pride (Isaiah 64:6). Left to ourselves, it is impossible to please God or to be completely free from sin (Romans 3:10; Ecclesiastes 7:10).

When we come to Christ by faith and trust Him to forgive and cleanse us of all our sin, we begin the process of a new birth (John 3:3). That new birth of the spirit results in a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). God gives the repentant sinner a new heart that is now turned toward obeying and pleasing Him rather than self (2 Corinthians 5:9; Romans 8:5–6). Whereas we were formerly slaves to sin, we are now “slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:16). Sin’s control has been broken by the power of Jesus (Romans 6:6; Titus 2:14)

However, we still live in the flesh, and the flesh is prone to want what it wants. In Romans 7:21–23, Paul admits the battle between flesh and spirit in his own life: “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” Each battle with temptation is won or lost based upon how fully we are surrendered to the control of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16–17)

The book of 1 John was written to Christians. The apostle says, “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). It is clear from this passage that even those who have begun the process of new birth and redeemed by the blood of Jesus will still sin. Through thought, attitude, or action, we will “grieve” (Ephesians 4:30) and “quench” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) the Holy Spirit at times. But this passage also reassures us that God offers continual, ongoing grace whenever we agree with Him about our sin and ask for His cleansing.

However, other passages clarify the boundaries of this ocean of grace. First John 3:6 says, “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.” Verse 9 says that those who have been “born of God” will not continue to live sinfully. The implication is that this is not a matter of trying harder. Rather, it is the equivalent of saying, “A fish cannot remain on land for long because its nature is to seek water.” A fish could flop onto the shore and survive for a short time. But it was not made for land and cannot continue there. When we obey God, our nature changes, and we cannot continue in sin. Christ not only erases our past sin; He also transforms our hearts so that we no longer desire to sin (Colossians 2:13–14).

Paul asked, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2). Although Christians will still sin after being saved, the heart change that the Holy Spirit brings will result in a new attitude toward sin. Sin cannot continue being a lifestyle choice if we have surrendered our lives to Jesus. That’s what it means to say that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9; Colossians 2:6). We have a new boss. We cannot be followers of Christ and followers of sin at the same time. They are going in opposite directions (Luke 9:23; 14:33). Romans 12:2 instructs, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Renewal can take some time, but it is a process that produces a change of behavior.

When a true child of God goes astray, our Father administers discipline to bring him back into obedience. Hebrews 12:7–8 says, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” If a professing Christian can choose a lifestyle of sin without experiencing enough discipline to bring him to repentance, then according to this Scripture, it is highly unlikely that that person is a child of God.

Do Christians sin? Yes. Do they willfully continue in sin? No. Scripture indicates that, while we will always “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), we have the hope that the power of God is at work in us to “make us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT)

 

 

You are cordially invited to join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group 

 

America in the 1950's

America in the 1950s had intact families, close communities, disciplined people, penitent churchgoers, innocent children, respect for our elders, and a cohesive national fabric stitched tightly together with hard work, dignity, and pride. That America no longer exists. The past is a foreign nation.

And even in a segregated society in the 1950's, The blessings of Almighty God flowed to the oppressed peoples. After a bloody "uncivil war", America repented of her sin of slavery. But as time passed, America forgot where her blessings were coming from and began to make a series of very bad choices.

How did America lose her way?

America Forgot Her God

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:~Deuteronomy 28

Read the whole chapter, it lays it out plain as day. Can America ever be restored? Yes, Nationally and Individually, if we do exactly as instructed in 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

You're Invited to Renew Your Strength 

 

We The People

 

The following has been attributed to Lewis Napper, a Jackson, Mississippi computer programmer. He didn't expect his essay -- a tart 10-point list of "rights" Americans don't have -- to become an Internet legend.

 

'We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to  help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of  Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.'

 

 
ARTICLE I:
You do not  have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth.. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing  anything.
 
ARTICLE II:
You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not  just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of dummies, and probably always will  be.
 
ARTICLE III:
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect  the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
 
ARTICLE  IV:
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who  achieve nothing more than the creation of another  generation of professional couch potatoes.
 
ARTICLE V:
You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
 
ARTICLE  VI:
You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you get the blue juice.
 
ARTICLE  VII:
You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure..
 
ARTICLE VIII:
You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.  And then respect that job, and the owner who gave it to you and keep your hands off their stuff.
 
ARTICLE IX:
You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are  unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws  created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
 
ARTICLE X:
This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you came from, English is our language. Learn it!
 
Lastly
 
ARTICLE  XI:
You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, sorry if you are uncomfortable with it. 
 
 
If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I  just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States must  speak out because if you do not, who will?

 

 
“If we must die, we die defending our rights.”

 

 We The People Are Not Your Slave