Feigned Christianity

For the most part, my personal viewpoints are the result of having parents from two different worlds.  Regardless of how unpopular they may be, I must speak truth to power, even among those who profess to represent the great I Am, while their secret sins and their actions prove otherwise.

Many may have been graced with two genuine Christian parents; I had no such upbringing.

My calling came at age six with my eyes wide open.

I will be making a request to my church men who are among a genuine family, not a pseudo christian assembly.

Sad to say from bitter experience, it took 62 years before a God guided meeting enabled me to find such a group; not having succumbed to a denominational “creed” which chose to add additional parameters in order to be a part of their “club”, extra rules as to what constituted being a Christian.

Some of these concepts are even regional; one Christian in my travels had described how where he grew up, (must be a southern attitude) a Christian didn’t ride motorcycles! Yes, you read that right.

I goes far deeper then that; however, I won’t belabor the reader with other such garbage that has permeated Christendom.

Suffice to say, throughout Christian history, when not fighting among themselves, (a house divided) irrespective of country, there were times that they thought they were doing Him a favor, despite Biblical warnings, to strike out against His chosen.

The typical pseudo Christian is not above such vitriolic expressions as “Christ Killer”, and “Sheenie”, when referring to Jews.  There has never been a shortage of Antisemitism and that within the body, not from outside in the secular world.

Those types -had they taken His word seriously- would eschew any of those attitudes.

We are a hairs breadth away from the “other shoe” dropping. The signs of the times leave little left before Perdition breaks loose, yet there are scoffers, as His word states, who willfully deny the facts, and seem to think we “have all the time in the world”.   That is about to drastically change, and it will be too late to say “I’m sorry”.

Excerpt from Apostasy in the Christian church

“If there is indeed an apostasy occurring in the Christian Church, we would not know it unless we first examined the Bible closely and then compared the present day Church to the Word of God.

It is only after a standard of truth is established that we would then have a measuring rod by which apostasy can be detected.  Therefore, I propose the following list of biblical truths as a sample of essential Christian and non-essential doctrines by which we might compare other teachings and phenomena.  Note this is not absolute and the nuances of several topics can be debated since not all will agree with the categorization of all points.  Still, we need to use the Bible as our standard and it gives us plenty of information by which we can know what the truth really is.”

Please Note – Among the following lists “secondary non essentials”, I take exception to adult Baptism as a “non essential”.  Christ did everything to be obedient to His Father; and being immersion baptized was among those actions.  As a child, having answered the call, I was chagrined that being Baptized was not even brought up.   In my point of view, it is the time of awareness, and making Him your savior, not age, that determines when to be Baptized.

1. Primary Essentials (Nature and work of Christ) – Cannot deny and be Christian since they are explicitly stated as required in scripture.
   1. Jesus is both God and man (John 1:1,14;8:24; Col. 2:9; 1 John 4:1-4).
   2. Jesus rose from the dead physically (John 2:19-21).
   3. Salvation is by grace through faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 5:1-5).
   4. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 1:8-9).
   5. There is only one God (Exodus 20:1-3; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8)
2. Secondary Essentials – (Nature of God) Cannot deny and be Christian.
   1. God exists as a Trinity of persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (See Trinity)
   2. Virgin Birth of Jesus – relates to incarnation of Christ as God and man.
3. Primary Non-Essentials (Bible, Church ordinances, and practice) – Denial does not void salvation, yet principles are clearly taught in scripture.  Denial suggests apostasy.
   1. Male eldership and pastorate (1 Tim. 2:12-13; 3:15; Titus 1:5-7)
   2. Fidelity in marriage in heterosexual relationships (1 Cor. 6:9)
   3. The condemnation of homosexuality (Rom. 1:26-27)
   4. Inerrancy of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16)
4. Secondary Non-Essentials – does not affect one’s salvation relationship with God.  Debated within Christianity.  Denial or acceptance does not suggest apostasy.
   1. Baptism for adults or infants
   2. Predestination, election, and free will
   3. Communion every week, monthly, or quarterly, etc.
   4. Saturday or Sunday Worship
   5. Worship with or without instruments, traditional or contemporary.
   6. Pretribulation rapture, midtribulation rapture, posttribulation rapture.
   7. Premillennialism, amillennialism, and post millennialism.
   8. Continuation or cessation of the charismatic gifts
   9. Etc.

Of course, the non-essentials are debatable (which unfortunately leads to denominational fragmentation).  But by way of explanation, the Primary Essentials, are those doctrines that the Bible states if they are denied, damnation follows.  I have written on this in Essential Doctrines.

 

Freedom

Image is live link.

Found this inspiring story which must be shared:

Two men separated by 100 years are united in their search for freedom.  In 1856 a slave, Samuel Woodward, and his family escape from the Monroe Plantation near Richmond, Virginia.  A secret network of ordinary people known as the Underground Railroad guide the family on their journey north to Canada.

They are relentlessly pursued by the notorious slave hunter Plimpton.  Hunted like a dog and haunted by the unthinkable suffering he and his forbears have endured, Samuel is forced to decide between revenge or freedom.

A hundred years earlier in 1748, John Newton, the captain of a slave trader, sails from Africa with a cargo of slaves bound for America.  On board is Samuel’s great grandfather, whose survival is tied to the fate of Captain Newton.  The voyage changes Newton’s life forever and he creates a legacy that will inspire Samuel and the lives of millions for generations to come.

 

Jim Caviezel Testimony (Actor Who Played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ Film)

Revelation 3:20 King James Version (KJV)

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

  From Christus Rex YouTube channel   Published on Mar 25, 2016

Amazing testimony and words of Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ film, which is the highest grossing R-rated film in history (and rightly so) just like the Holy Bible is the world’s best-selling book (and rightly so). Jim Caviezel is being interviewed by Dave Cooper.

This interview is highly inspiring. He talks about how God’s Providence allowed him to suffer several very painful injuries and illnesses when filming which allowed him to participate in and portray Christ’s Passion in a deep and real way. He tells about the shocking fact that he was struck by lightning at one point in the production. He gives advice to all Catholics about the seriousness of living the Faith, not trying to “fit in” with our neo-pagan society, and the necessity, joy, and honor of suffering for Jesus Crucified for the salvation of souls. His testimony is amazing and real.

Based on the following event posting, it appears that he did this interview on August 1, 2010: http://www.sdrock.com/events/7175/

If you want to see an amazing video containing all the flashback scenes of The Passion of the Christ with Jim Cavaziel as Jesus along with a great audio reading on top, check out: https://gloria.tv/video/hsioarBDhYzn3…

The first feedback I received on it was someone who wrote: “Truly profound and breathtaking!”

Please Note:  At one point in his talk, Jim said, “You are all going to Heaven.”  A critic might object, “What if there was someone in the audience who hates Christ and will never repent.  So is Jim saying that he is going to Heaven too?”  Of course such an unrepentant person who hates God chooses Hell with their free will (as Jim said in his talk, “God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, they choose that place”) and Jim’s statement cannot apply to them.

So how are we to understand Jim’s sentence?  First off, it is obvious from the context that Jim was addressing those among the audience who are of good will who desire to repent, live a virtuous life, and to take the necessary actions to reach Heaven.  Furthermore, Jim expanded or qualified this statement later in his talk where he said that “God is asking for more conversion” and he reminded the audience that Heaven or Hell is a choice (on a related topic, he said that those in the production of the movie who were “fence-sitters” with regards to God who claimed they hadn’t made a choice were in reality making a choice by the mere fact that they were fence-sitting).

A person chooses Heaven or Hell with their free will and manifests their choice by the way they lead their life and by their actions, words, thoughts, and prayers.  One must want Heaven to reach there and to reach it requires effort just like anything worthwhile in the natural world.  Our Lord told us in the Gospels that arriving at Heaven requires the person to receive sanctifying grace through baptism (which of course is ordinarily sacramental baptism by water, but in rare cases can include baptism of blood or authentic baptism of desire), repenting of their sins, and living a virtuous life where they preserve this grace.

Hence, Jim’s statement must be understood with these qualifiers for his statement to be correct.

The scariest passage in Scripture

Matthew 7:22-23 King James Version (KJV)
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I titled this site Jester’s mace in reference to 1 Corinthians 4:10: “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.”
I earnestly want Him to direct my paths; being under the liability of original sin, our walk (indeed) is a constant tug of war between our failing flesh, and the Spirit.  We gain ground, yet it is impossible to go one day without falling short of the perfection.  Our every effort is tainted.

[ Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”]

As of late, I note another bout of issues attempting to assault me simultaneously.  This is nothing new; after all we are told to expect adversity, trials and tribulations in this world.  Contrary to the old song, Life is NOT “just a bowl of cherries” (1931) rather, it is far more accurate to refer to it as Spiritual Boot Camp.

I dare not make an attempt to prophesy.  In observing the signs of the times, this once free country, now a de facto police state, has largely turned away from its Christian roots; in my opinion, we find ourselves fast approaching another turning point: Whether America turns her face toward Him, regains both her moral compass, and the Constitutional awareness set forth by the Founding Fathers, or falls into an abyss without hope of recovery. Presumptive candidate Donald Trump said he’s never sought forgiveness for his sins.  [See CNN]

That is scary; belief in God is not enough. We need to pray that he awakens from that spiritual blindness.
Again, my opinion, there is Biblical evidence as to why America is not directly mentioned in Bible prophecy:
It is quite simple, you can’t have a free country, and a one world government.  The Bible tells of that event, so it is a foregone conclusion that at some point, America as we knew her will cease to exist.
I do stop to examine myself, and all to painfully realize how much ours is an imputed righteousness, that of Jesus Christ, and we cannot bring anything to the table.

Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Let Him keep us ever mindful, and vigilant, as a watcher on the wall. Amen.

Smuggling Bibles

In trying to support Christian news, Once before, I was threatened with legal action.  This copyright policy by WND merely for an excerpt noted here.  I will not post anything further; or ever again from them, just a simple excerpt with a reference to them would still be charged.

Embed an excerpt of this article on your web site, intranet, or blog.

• Charge based on words; total cost from $10.00

 Please honor copyright! Piracy hurts creators, devalues their works, and puts you and your employer at risk.

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Standing for Jesus Ain’t for Sissies – Pastor Steve Berger

I’ve not made any postings on Jester’s mace for some time.  This is a well deserving sermon; PWE has more visitors, so I’m posting at both blogs. You can’t ignore this message without being a tare.  Link courtesy of Joe (JoeDanMedia) aka Intellectual Froglegs. His comment:

Truth be told—and I can only speak from my own experience, but most sermons can’t be over soon enough—because most pastors aren’t very good at communicating.  They are like bad teachers… no, they ARE bad teachers. They’re the ones that cause a good man to start dozing off, thinking of lunch….and what’s the score?

For over 2 years now, I’ve been regularly sharing my search for a church, the frustrations and the lessons learned— and now I’m proud to say, the search is over.  I’d like to introduce you guys to my new pastor, Steve Berger of Grace Chapel.  Passion & Reason & Intellect…and God’s Word. Wow. Add all that together and you get some Power Sermons.

Dude kicks some serious biblical butt, and today’s sermon was a power sermon indeed…

Steve addresses the city of Houston’s blatant attack on our religious freedom….and examines Lot’s stand for God’s Truth in spite of the prevailing culture and desires of the people of Sodom. We ALL need to take a stand at the Door just as Lot did:

To get straight to Steve, skip ahead to 21:42

http://intellectualfroglegs.com/standing-for-jesus-aint-for-sissies-pastor-steve-berger/

Senior Master Sgt. Relieved Of Position Because Of Christian Faith

Afterthought –  this ought to have been included in my America Implodes Part III  “X”

FROM ZIONICA

How would you feel if your boss asked you for your personal beliefs  concerning homosexuality and then demanded that you answer the question  honestly?   When you comply and tell the boss that homosexuality is a sin,  the boss immediately relieves you of your position of authority because of your response.

That’s exactly what happened to Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk.

In 2010, Lackland Air Force, most known as the Air Force’s basic training,  was merged with Randolph Air Force Base and the Army’s Fort Sam Houston.   It is home not only to the Basic Military Training unit, but it is also  encompasses a number of other units and training facilities.

Sgt. Monk is stationed at Lackland Air Force and has a spotless record for his 19 years of service to his country that is until his commander asked him a  personal question.  The commander was talking with Monk about her upcoming  promotion ceremony and mentioned that she thought the chaplain who was scheduled to deliver the benediction was a bigot.  She told Monk that it was because  the chaplain preached that homosexuality was a sin.

According to Monk, he objected to the commander’s statement about the chaplain.  She then asked him for his personal views on homosexuality and  commanded him to answer honestly.  When he stated that in accordance with his Christian belief that homosexuality was a sin, his commander immediately relieved him of his position.   (underline my emphasis “X”)

http://zionica.com/2013/10/24/senior-master-sgt-relieved-position-christian-faith/#VQfcdtYvi9cJXQmo.99

 

Remaining part of post from Godfather Politics:

Sgt. Monk has retained the services of attorney Mike  Berry of the Liberty Institute.  Berry stated that the Air Force is  denying Monk’s account of what was said and says that this should be a warning  to everyone in the military.  Even though Sgt Monk has a 19 year spotless  career and is within one year of retirement, he could find himself being  forcibly discharged from the Air Force with no retirement benefits at all  because of his Christian faith.

Berry commented:

“You cannot criminalize somebody’s thoughts. You criminalize actions, not  thoughts.  Within the military never before have we reached that  status.”

“We’re now at this juncture … if you don’t believe, or think in a particular  manner, that’s going to be held against you.”

“He had to agree with her beliefs, and if he wasn’t able to do that, he was  deemed unfit to hold that position.  This is a dangerous and slippery  slope  … that somehow the government is going to be delving into your  thoughts.”

It seems that Senior Master Sgt. Monk is not the only one being singled out  by the military because of their Christian faith and belief that homosexuality  is a sin.  Steve  Branson is the pastor at Village Parkway Baptist Church in San  Antonio.  His church is about 20 minutes away from Lackland Air Force Base  and a number of military personnel attend services at his church.  In a  Fox  News Radio interview with Todd Starnes, Branson stated:“Anyone who doesn’t hold to the right view on homosexuality is having a very  difficult time.”

“I’m raising the warning.  It’s not a good situation out here. The  military’s job is not to fight these kinds of battles. Christians are having to  walk so carefully. I hear it every Sunday at church.”

As long as Obama and his liberally tailored military command remain in  control, Christians will find it more and more difficult to live their faith  while serving our nation.  I believe this is being done deliberately to  tailor the entire military to one that will follow Obama into his war against  patriotic Americans.  Christian soldiers are less likely to obey orders to  fire upon fellow citizens who stand up for their constitutional rights.   But pro-homosexual personnel already have a warped sense of right and wrong and  moral values and will be more likely to follow their gay activist hero into  whatever battle he leads them in, including the one against you and me.

http://godfatherpolitics.com/12980/senior-master-sgt-relieved-position-christian-faith/#ixzz2jJgKr8tF

Preacher Arrested for Calling Homosexuality a Sin

This isn’t the Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Syria, or other areas where Christians are openly persecuted.  This is the U.K.
Preacher Arrested for Calling Homosexuality a Sin
Monday, July 8, 2013

An American evangelist said he was arrested and interrogated about his  Christian faith after he was caught on a London sidewalk preaching that  homosexuality is a sin.

Tony Miano, a retired deputy sheriff and former chaplain with the Los Angeles  County Sheriff’s Dept., was charged with “using homophobic speech that could  cause people anxiety, distress, alarm or insult.”

Miano had been preaching on a London street corner during the Wimbledon  Tennis Championships with a ministry group called Sports Fan Outreach  International.

He was preaching about immoral living – and cited homosexuality as an example  of lifestyle choices that are contrary to biblical teaching.

“I never used any gay slurs,” he said. “You would never hear me using slang  or discriminatory language against homosexuals or any other group. That would be  contrary to my faith.”

At some point, the evangelist quoted I Thessalonians 4:1-2 – a passage of  scripture that mentions sexual immorality.

MUCH MORE AT: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/preacher-arrested-for-calling-homosexuality-a-sin.html

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7  King James Version (KJV)

4 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

² For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

⁴ That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

⁵ Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

⁶ That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

⁷ For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

First Gay Marriage Next Polygamy, Incest, Pedophilia and Bestiality?

First Gay Marriage Next Polygamy, Incest, Pedophilia and Bestiality?
Posted by Dave Jolly

One of the most sacred and hallowed institutions in human decency has been legally corrupted by the recent decision of the US Supreme Court.  When the high court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, they shattered the values and morals of traditional marriage like a hammer striking a priceless vase or urn.

Now that they redefined marriage and opened the door to homosexual marriage, I can’t help but wonder what’s next.  Knowing the vile sinful lusts and desires of the natural human heart, I have to wonder what will be next.  How long will it take for advocates of polygamy to start filing lawsuits to allow more than two people to enter into marriage.  Some fringe Mormon groups still practice polygamy today.  Will they now begin to mount legal challenges to get their multiple spouse marriages legalized just like the gays have?

If marriage is no longer defined as one man and one woman, what’s to stop more perverted groups of Americans from wanting to make marrying one’s brother or sister legal?  Worse yet, what will stop a single parent from wanting to marry their offspring?

Worse yet, what about marrying a child under the legal age of consent?  A growing number of psychologists and psychiatrists are claiming that there is nothing wrong with pedophilia as long as both parties give their consent.  When will they start challenging the laws to allow for consensual pedophilia even to the point of marriage?  Their argument will be the same as the gays used to defeat DOMA.

Once the courts allow for polygamy, incest and pedophilia, will bestiality be next?  Some people love their pets more than people, so will they demand their rights as did everyone else?

America has already sunk down to the depths of depravity and hedonism.  The question now is how much further will we sink?  As we sink, we are also sealing our fate and that fate is the wrath of God.  When He releases His wrath, our nation will fall and fall hard.  As in the days of Daniel, even the righteous will suffer the wrath that God will unleash on our country.  No one will be able to escape.  We will all suffer.

It doesn’t matter what kind of provisions I’ve made or how righteous and faithful I’ve been.  We ALL will suffer God’s wrath for what our nation is doing.  The deeper we sink, the more severe the wrath.  Folks, this scares me more than anything else.  I fear not only for myself, but for my children and grandchildren.

Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/11517/first-gay-marriage-next-polygamy-incest-pedophilia-and-bestiality/#ixzz2XozOPqcR</

Obama Tells Christians He Doesn’t Give a Damn About Our Faith

Obama Tells Christians He Doesn’t Give a Damn About Our Faith

Posted by Dave Jolly

Last Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services released its final version of Obamacare regulations, including those concerning the contraception mandate.

Over the past year, numerous employers have filed legal action to stop the federal government from forcing them to violate their religious beliefs.  Christian colleges have argued that the mandate forces them to violate their faith by providing contraceptives and abortion inducing drugs to all of their employees.  They believe that any form of abortion is the murder of an innocent life and no different than taking a gun to the head of an adult.

They argued that such a mandate violates their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion.  The contraception mandate is nothing more than a form of religious tyranny no different than what the American colonists faced with the Church of England.  They left that tyranny and came to this land so that they would have the freedom to worship God as they believed the Bible dictated, not as some king or queen dictated.

All of those hopes of Christian business owners were dashed to pieces when the final regulations were released on Friday.  Those regulations contained no accommodations for any for-profit Christian employers such as Hobby Lobby and Chic-fil-A, who morally object to the mandate on religious grounds.

For any employer to even have hope of receiving an exemption to the mandate, they must be a religious non-profit company or organization.  However, the Obama administration has added a regulation where the employees of an exempt religious non-profit will still have free access to the contraceptives, abortion-causing drugs and sterilizations.

The exempt employers will not pay for the mandate provisions.  Instead, the insurance companies they get their health coverage from will use other monies set aside to pay the costs of providing the employees of the exempt companies with free access to the all of the anti-biblical provisions of the contraception mandate.  Technically, the religious non-profit companies that are exempt won’t be paying, but their employees will still have the same access as everyone else to contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.  The insurance companies cannot use the premiums it receives from exempt companies to pay for the contraception mandate provisions, instead, they’ll use the monies from the next company.  So even though the exempt company will not be paying for the provisions, they will still be offering them to their employees.

One aspect of the final regulations dictates that all insurance and healthcare providers will be forced to provide the necessary coverage for free contraceptives, abortion-inducing drugs and sterilizations.  Any such companies that are part of a religious institution or owned by Christians will have no choice but to go against their faith.

The final regulations are President Obama’s way of denying the First Amendment rights to the free exercise of religion to Christians throughout the nation.  He has placed a religious tyranny on all Americans that has not been seen since we threw off the yoke of the British nearly 240 years ago.  In so doing, Obama is effectively saying that he doesn’t give a damn about Christians and their faith.  He is trying to force us to bow our knees to him and not to God, but I’ll die before I’ll ever do that.  Like I’ve said before, the time has come for another American Revolutionary War only this time we must fight the tyranny that reigns in the White House and halls of Congress.

Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/11519/obama-tells-christians-he-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-our-faith/#ixzz2XoxncLBf