tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48387438028436442702024-03-28T23:29:38.112-04:00The Voice in the WildernessContending for Fundamental Christianity and American Freedoms for over 70 years through Preaching, Teaching and Reaching and Printing and Publishing Biblical Resources.Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-81408267960701586432024-03-08T16:49:00.000-05:002024-03-08T16:49:01.571-05:00Washington and the Civil War, Southern Baptist and Black Americans, The Great Emancipator, Not a Biblical Worldview and More...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBjAxtIaniTFsL6na2ThANknKykEkFtMZyT28Qm0GC6iYYuI0laQqupAf_vLTmfTb5eb3O5OfXJp3uK4d7pT8l_a1ZjgjP-pnCrux1Qnk_mFK9uktUyOdx1S_vYOr0opf50bq7mQiaCng6lh_JQjPJXpK0PENWpHcqa11ZXbEp-KjKGnIcTYYs0JzFuLu/s1280/globe-862342_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBjAxtIaniTFsL6na2ThANknKykEkFtMZyT28Qm0GC6iYYuI0laQqupAf_vLTmfTb5eb3O5OfXJp3uK4d7pT8l_a1ZjgjP-pnCrux1Qnk_mFK9uktUyOdx1S_vYOr0opf50bq7mQiaCng6lh_JQjPJXpK0PENWpHcqa11ZXbEp-KjKGnIcTYYs0JzFuLu/w320-h320/globe-862342_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>Washington started the Civil Wa</b>r - You might say, “that doesn’t sound right..OK….but let’s think carefully. Contrary to popular opinion and what is currently being taught in the public indoctrination centers (public schools), our founders were not all entitled white slaveholders who hated the black man. In 1774, Ben Franklin and Benjamin Rush founded the Abolition Society of Pennsylvania. John Jay (first Supreme Court Chief Justice) did the same in New York. John Adams and James Madison frequently spoke against slavery. George Washington supported the freeing of slaves in the Continental Army and supported a plan for abolition. Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence included language such as “all men are created equal” showing the tendencies of abolition by the founders. However, these men knew that they could not pass the Constitution (written by James Madison a Virginian) with the original language that prohibited slavery. The founders decided to tolerate slavery where it already existed. They never sanctioned slavery nor even used the word “slave” in the Constitution. By the time the Constitution was drafted, nearly every state in the Union had some legislation against slavery. In the mid 1800s, Stephen Douglas emphasized this position during his many debates with Abraham Lincoln. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (current Ohio, Indiana and Illinois) slavery was not allowed. By 1808, slave trade had ended in the United States. This converted slavery from a national institution to a Southern institution. This allowed slavery to grow south of the Mason/Dixon line as the institution transitioned from being a market to generational. The founders knew that if they addressed the slavery issue, it would cause a Civil War. Because of this decision to let it alone, Washington and the other fathers of this country let the future generations hash out the issue. We all know that nearly a half century later, the prolonging of their decision came to a head and the Civil War was fought. Slave or States? </p><p><b>Give Me My Mone</b>y—Recently, Yale University issued a formal apology for ties that some of their founders had to slavery and announced several new initiatives for researching Yale history and making amends. The University, founded in 1701 for the training of preachers in Connecticut, boasts an endowment valued at $42.3 billion dollars. Among the alumni of Yale are 5 US Presidents, 10 Founding Fathers, 19 Supreme Court justices, many heads of state, cabinet members and governors. However, after the George Floyd murder in 2020, there was a 4 year long project entitled the Yale and Slavery Research Project. It was determined that nearly 200 people were held as slaves by the university’s founders and early leaders. Yale is not the only Ivy League University that is wanting to make amends for its “extensive entanglements with slavery.” Harvard and Brown Universities have dedicated millions of dollars to research and amends to descendants of enslaved people. Many have taken to social media to express their views on the subject…some for and some against. However, one person summed it up best by saying, “No actual slave holders said anything. And no actual slaves heard them say it.” Just think about it….in keeping this philosophy, perhaps Egypt owes Israel reparations money for enslaving their people for nearly 400 years? </p><p><b>SBC and Not Me</b>—The Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention met recently and expelled four churches from their denomination. Each church was designated as “being out of friendly cooperation” with the group. Two were removed for their alleged mismanagement of sexual abuse, one hired a woman as the senior pastor, while the last had failed to give to the SBC’s common fund for nearly 5 years. Perhaps in efforts of holding on to a conservative appearance, they are considering an amendment to their constitution that would bar churches that have hired a woman having a title of pastor, no matter their role at the church (for clarity, this would prohibit a woman for being called the Children’s Pastor). This is a follow up from what the Executive Committee for the SBC did last February when they expelled five churches, the most notable being Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. Who knows? Maybe now they will consider Biblical principles for music, dress, and alcohol. Dr. Carol Swain, an SBC member, a black woman and legal scholar whose works recently came to the forefront after having been plagiarized by Harvard President, Claudine Gay, has repeatedly stated that she is tired of the Southern Baptist constantly apologizing to the black community...she accepts their apology...and wants them to just move on from the topic. Confusion abounds...if only they could get the right Bible, then The Way would be clear. </p><p><b>Which continent are you watching?</b> - The eyes of the world are on the Middle East. Of course, where there is instability, the Chinese Government would love to step in. According to Gordon Chang, Xi Jinping is hoping that Iran will disrupt the world, with Chinese diplomats in the Middle East telling the Arabs that the US can’t protect the Red Sea. Their only hope is China. In fact, Iranian ships sought protection in the Chinese naval base a Djibouti during the recent counterstriking by the US in response to the deaths of 3 US service members during a recent Iranian drone attack. The US and Britain attacked 36 Houthi targets in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Various Tehran-backed terror groups have entered the conflict in support for the Palestinians. Hezbollah is attacking on the Lebanese-Israeli border….Iraqi militias have fired on US forces in Iraq and Syria……Houthis are at sea firing on vessels in the Red Sea and even at Israel. By the way….China is doing the same thing in South America with the instability in Venezuela, Colombia and even Brazil. They are trying to subvert US influence around the world. The Chinese government has lent billions of dollars to the governments of South America (all of which have renounced their recognition of the Taiwanese government and only recognized the communist government in Beijing). US Congress has recognized the growing influence of China in this hemisphere and have passed measures to strengthen multilateral security cooperation, counter-narcotics efforts and create permanent trade partnerships to encourage the “reshoring” of supply chains from China to countries closer to home. That’s news to me.</p><p><b>Lincoln, The Great Emancipator</b>? - Here’s truth, in Fact---about Abraham Lincoln….He wasn’t an abolitionist…a person who not only wanted the elimination of slavery, but also the incorporation of freed enslaved people into society as equal members. In contrast, Lincoln’s speeches and writings stated that he really didn’t know what to do with the black person. In his debates with Stephen Douglas, Lincoln stated that black people should not have the same rights as white people. His position held that the South had slaves and that was a fact. He opposed voting rights for Black people and their right to serve on juries, hold office or intermarry with whites. He thought that colonization in Africa or South America was the solution for ending slavery. The Great Emancipator’s Proclamation in 1862 was a military policy….which only applied to slaves of the Confederacy, and that being, only if the Northern States won the Civil War. Lincoln believed that this political move was providing a way for the slaves of the South to rise up in rebellion against their masters. Union States that were south of the Mason/Dixon line did not free their slaves till well after the Civil War was over. In truth, it was the 13th Amendment in 1865 that ended slavery but not all States immediately ratified it. It wasn’t until 1870 that every citizen was given the right to vote no matter race and in 1920, suffrage was given to the female. Facts can certainly bring truth into clear view.</p><p><b>Contending for American Freedoms</b> - Amendment 14 Section 3 says: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. That is in the Constitution. Think about it! - As far as J6, the Capitol riot, and all that liberal, leftist, extremists have said about the insurrection. Videos and witnesses have not been allowed to come forward to speak about the riot, i.e. the Ashley Babbit murder and the lawsuit. That information has not been publicly disclosed. What about the embedded agitators, etc., that stirred up the riot on J6. And Mr. Trump has not been tried and convicted for insurrection. We DO know that the criminal squatter in the White House is not a legitimate, elected President of the U.S. and is not even capable of carrying on that office. And what about that statement of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of this United States of America. What about all the actions, executive orders, and money that has been sent out to our enemies? Daniel said, “Oh Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face...All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth.” </p><p><b>CONTENDING FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHRISTIANITY</b> - Your loved one just died and the doctor comes in and says, “The surgery went well, and we only made three or four critical mistakes but you can be comforted that there were a possible one hundred mistakes and we only made three or four of them.” Now, that would not be a comfort and you would scream Malpractice! Many preachers have flip-flopped on Bible authority, Bible versions, Biblical separation and church music. The words they use are culturally-shaped - about like a poly-ticks words in D.C. Multiple Bible versions are used in their sermons. Words have changed to fit this trans-advanced, purpose-driven modernistic church movement. They talk Biblical Worldview, but if it is up to the multitude of ministries and ministers to pick and choose from dozens of Bibles with different words and different definitions for different changing times and situations - well, what kind of “Biblical” Worldview will that sinking sand produce? North Carolina now requires voter photo ID. Instructions state: Voters who vote by mail may be asked to include a photocopy of their ID when returning their ballot...All voters will be allowed to vote with or without a photo ID. Voters who do not have a photo ID when they vote can make sure that their vote counts by either 1) filling out a form explaining why they are unable to show ID or 2) showing their ID at their county Board of Elections office by 5pm on March 14th, the ninth day after the election. God is not the author of confusion nor is He the author of a “Biblical” Worldview that rejects Scriptural preservation, inspiration and the absolute authority of God’s Word. </p><div><br /></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-69453874699770527142024-02-05T15:02:00.000-05:002024-02-05T15:02:10.896-05:00AI, ChatGPT, FedNow, Electric Vehicles, CRT, and Transition in Church, - How does it affect you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vJmA43ciwLbf1wTpeYBdajx8TFoOErCzg0xdKzXrWnlX4uNr1SkDch2uhMxatrB0FqR-04HVdz_HygYnSz50LjQcx2jiW5P9-fYxZJleyWVCw9hGvVbbSaDUnm6l9pzZf9BUd6RUxvsj7wBW0yKiKMuePCJkwJk0ReA_p-DnKi-fe8_0A3xoq-nAiSLs/s1280/customer-service-7325332_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1280" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vJmA43ciwLbf1wTpeYBdajx8TFoOErCzg0xdKzXrWnlX4uNr1SkDch2uhMxatrB0FqR-04HVdz_HygYnSz50LjQcx2jiW5P9-fYxZJleyWVCw9hGvVbbSaDUnm6l9pzZf9BUd6RUxvsj7wBW0yKiKMuePCJkwJk0ReA_p-DnKi-fe8_0A3xoq-nAiSLs/w544-h390/customer-service-7325332_1280.png" width="544" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> AI - Artificial Intelligence is everywhere around us. If you have a smart phone, Alexa, Siri or other devices that respond to speech, your device has AI. The development of AI has been fast tracked to professions as well. In banking, education, automotive, and even the legal profession, AI is being utilized. In the legal system, AI is used to review contracts, legal research and even predict legal outcomes. The argument is that AI will “grease the wheels of justice” to increase the speed of research and decision-making of the law clerks and attorneys. In his 2023 Year End Report, Chief Justice Roberts addresses the issue of AI in the court system. He wrote: “Machines cannot fully replace key actors in court. Judges, for example, measure the sincerity of a defendant’s allocution at sentencing. Nuance matters: Much can turn on a shaking hand, a quivering voice, a change of inflection, a bead of sweat, a moment’s hesitation, a fleeting break in eye contact. And most people still trust humans more than machines to perceive and draw the right inferences from these clues. . . . I predict that human judges will be around for a while. But with equal confidence I predict that judicial work—particularly at the trial level—will be significantly affected by AI. Those changes will involve not only how judges go about doing their job, but also how they understand the role that AI plays in the cases that come before them.” States and Congress ponder regulating AI.</p><p>ChatGPT - ChatGPT is an open AI platform that is a natural language processing tool. It allows one to have a human-like conversation. This can be used by any business that has an online chat box or when you call into a business to talk with someone. ChatGPT is used by students to create essays and reports. For those who enter writing contests, ChatGPT has been banned. If it has been determined that ChatGPT was used in the writing process, the essay would be thrown out by the judging committee. </p><p>AI/CHATGPT in the Church - AI was used in a church recently to artificially create a “pastor” to preach a message. So instead of the pastor getting to know God through His Word, he is relying on a computer program to create his sermon to deliver on Sundays. There are websites readily available for a person to utilize for his “Bible study.” Instead of saying, “Oh God, please speak to me,” they are now saying, “Google, create me a sermon on Moses.”</p><p>Cashless Society - Missionaries from New Zealand report that the government there is trying to get the country to a cashless society. A cashless society is when there is no currency being printed or used, only transactions by electronic means. In 2023, the FED planned to launch the FedNow Service. This service would allow payments to be made instantly between bank accounts paving the way for a cashless society in the US. It is a way for the government to track every transaction that we make. The way has been already paved through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even credit/debit cards. Several banks have already been brought into the FedNow Program (most of them you wouldn’t know, but JP Morgan and Wells Fargo are participating) Let me ask you, when was the last time you used cash? And if you did, did you get the right change back from the transaction? It is not only doing away with cash but is also a way of dumbing down our society. Those using cashless means will not be able to recognize currency that is printed/coined by the Federal Government. </p><p>Alphabet Soup - ASAP—As Soon As Possible; PIN—Personal Identification Number; SSN—Social Security Number---all have been common for some time now. Now it is DEI, CRT, LGBTQIA, and the list could go on. We have gone from using acronyms to make words shorter to politicize them. DEI---Diversity Equity Inclusion is just a shorter way of saying that we are going to force employees to accept the alternative lifestyle. CRT—Critical Race Theory is just a way to teach people that the color of their skin is a way to judge someone (commonly called racism) and that descendants of those who were oppressed have a right to reparations (the Bible teaches that there is only one race). LGBTQIA+--just a way for us to empathize with those who choose an “alternative” lifestyle. The Bible calls it sodomy. Companies are now hiring employees not based on their merits but based on the “wokeness” of the individual. Gone are the days of who is the best option for the job, but who makes our company look more diverse. They make it seem as if they are trying to be inclusive, but they are being exclusive through the policies and procedures given. Even Hollywood feels the need to recreate a “woke” version of the iconic Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life.”</p><p>CRT—Critical Race Theory was popularized during the 1990s; however, it has become more newsworthy the last couple of years. With the school boards being taken over by the left, CRT has become the mainstay of the public indoctrination centers around the country. Gone are the days of teaching that Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Washington and Hancock were patriotic men who fought for the founding of this nation. Now children are being taught that they were white slaveholders who treated their fellow man in abhorrent ways. Visiting historic sites, the narrative is being dogmatically told how the “white” owners horribly treated their fellow man. Often we have left asking the question, How did they know this? Is it documented somewhere that this is true? While it is true that there were some cruel taskmasters, others gave testimony of God’s provision in their life. A great example of this is Phyllis Wheatley. Instead of rewriting history, we should learn from it. The key to the present is understanding the past. To destroy the past or twist the truth into an agenda driven narrative is the sure destruction of a Godly society. Proverbs 22:28-29 admonishes us to remove not the ancient landmarks. </p><p>EV—much has been said recently about Electronic Vehicles. The Biden administration has stated that by the year 2030, half of all new vehicles should be electronic. This is an effort to curb climate change (it is for our good, after all). → (Cont. from front) But with the recent winter storms, it is more apparent that EVs are not practical in cold weather states or nations. During the cold weather, EVs driving range is reduced by 70%. It also takes longer for the battery to charge during the winter. Several years ago, the City of Asheville, NC purchased five EV buses for approximately $5 million as a way to advance the climate change agenda of the City Council. However, currently 3 of the 5 buses are not in use due to several mechanical and software issues. The company that sold the buses to the city has gone bankrupt and they were the only ones who created the particular parts for their buses. The other two buses have limited ranges (approximately 78 miles) during the winter months which is causing stress on the rest of the fleet. The cost of maintenance of these buses is astonishing as well, with nearly $250k being spent. In the short EVs didn’t rule the day. By the way, the city spent $550k for biodiesel buses since the purchase of the EV buses. </p><p>Beware church! Frauds and Pseudos are creeping into the church. Jesus asked Peter and the disciples, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. There is a play on words intentionally. Peter is the <i>pétros </i>meaning small rock; whereas the Rock, Jesus Christ, is <i>petra </i>meaning a great rock, the foundational stone, the anointed one. The “Advance Church Movement” transitions churches away from the King James Bible and the pure, preserved, powerful Word of God, the source, the inspired Word of God. They embrace dynamic equivalence. They believe they can change the Word of God, the wording, to fit today’s culture and thinking. This same thinking calls for changing our U.S. Constitution in this revisionist manner. They want to change everything foundational - the anointed of God - the absolutes of God. Watch out for this fraud! Election fraud is another example. Lawsuits against states forcing the cleansing of voter roles. Investigations by Heritage Foundation, Rasmussen Reports, Judicial Watch, Heartland Institute, and other guilty pleas and whistleblower testimonies call into question whether free and lawful elections can ever happen again in America. Note that many who said there was no voter fraud, also said there was no border crisis. A Fraud! Just as this “Advance Church Movement” is not an advance but a pseudo, fraud and has crept into our churches. </p><p>Conclusion: When I was in 6th grade, my family moved from New Hampshire to tidewater Virginia. During the winter season, the philosophy on how to deal with the snow was drastically different. In NH, the snowplows were out pushing the snow and salting the roads ensuring that they were safe for travel. In VA, the thought was that God brought it and He will take it away. On that note, are you out plowing and salting this world for Christ, preparing for His return, or are you sitting idly by waiting for His return? Contend!</p><p><br /></p><p>Author: Steve Lilly</p><div><br /></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-76586177976087779562023-12-30T15:37:00.000-05:002023-12-30T15:37:24.495-05:00I Am Sick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikU9QQaFBYT8sCz4K3szMyvKtqV0vW9qNDes9_gGIx_6ANM6JLdPIUVERGjxMUVCWcABGhtG5-ASqXwxkZP8SSDY23MvrvE-9J6F_ZOlcv2v1qmDCVCUgVaImaknvbYf1BSmvDIw8WZwj7c6Lfzvvy9aSbZ_QqsY3FBn34YuIQjBQpyBeCmFED71onmEDD/s1280/A-Sick-American.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="1280" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikU9QQaFBYT8sCz4K3szMyvKtqV0vW9qNDes9_gGIx_6ANM6JLdPIUVERGjxMUVCWcABGhtG5-ASqXwxkZP8SSDY23MvrvE-9J6F_ZOlcv2v1qmDCVCUgVaImaknvbYf1BSmvDIw8WZwj7c6Lfzvvy9aSbZ_QqsY3FBn34YuIQjBQpyBeCmFED71onmEDD/w557-h311/A-Sick-American.jpg" width="557" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>There are those that claim that ours is a sick society, that our government is sick, that our country is sick, that we are rich. Maybe they're right. I submit that I am sick. I am sick of having policemen ridiculed and called pigs, while cop killers are hailed as some kind of folk heroes. I am sick of being told that religion is the opiate of the people, but that marijuana should be legalized. I am sick of commentators and the columnist canonizing anarchists, revolutionist, and criminal rapists but condemning law enforcement when such criminals are brought to justice. I am sick of being told that pornography is the right of a free press. That freedom of the press does not include being able to read the Bible on the school grounds. I am sick of paying more and more taxes to build schools when faculty members encourage students to either tear them down or burn them.</p><p>I am sick of Supreme Court decisions which turn criminals loose on society while other decisions try to take away my means for protecting my home and my family. And I am sick of pot smoking entertainers who deluge me with their condemnation of my moral standards on late night television. And I am sick of being told that policemen are made dogs and should not have guns and that criminals who use guns to rob, maim and murder should be understood and helped back to society.</p><p>I am sick of riots, marches, protests, sick of hearing the same phrases, the same slogans, the cries of people who must chant the same thing, like zombies, because they haven't the capacity for verbalizing thought. And I am sick of those who say I owe them this or that because of the sins of my forefathers when I have looked down both ends of a gun barrel to defend their rights, their liberties, and their families.</p><p>I am sick of cynical attitudes towards patriotism. I am sick of politicians with no backbone. I am sick of the permissiveness, sick of the dirty, the foul mouthed, the unwashed, sick of the decline of personal honesty, and human sincerity. Most of all though, I am sick of being told that I'm sick and that my country's sick when we have the greatest nation that man has ever brought forth. Yes, I may be sick but if I'm only sick, I can get well. I can help my society get well and my country get well. Take note all of you. You will not find me throwing a rock or a bomb, you will not find me under a placard. You will not see me take to the streets, but you will find me at work, paying taxes in the community where I live. And you will find me contributing my time, money and personal interest toward helping churches, hospitals and other establishments which have shown the true spirit of this countries determination to ease pain, suffering, eliminate hunger and generate brotherhood. But most of all, you will find me at the polls. There, if you will listen, you can hear the thunder of the common man. There all of us can cast our votes for an America where people can walk the streets without fear.</p><p>And may I add, yes, America has her faults, but I have been in 137 other foreign lands, and I would not trade the good old U.S.A. for all the others combined. In many of the foreign ones I have visited, I was the envy of the people because I had had the privilege of being born an American. In some of them I saw the people lined up trying to get visas to get out of their country, but America is the only one in the world that people are lined up trying to get in. I still say, "AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT."</p><p><br /></p><p>-Dr. J. Royce Thomason (originally printed 1975) </p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-23714101759087472822023-11-23T14:25:00.000-05:002023-11-23T14:25:03.834-05:00The Pilgrims BEFORE the Mayflower<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6NlTavbkGkc354gd8YE_QogNsH7HvgZWLOPCkgR0LV7HipSSfph73z7K2LytcFD2tcyI_KtBmr22085HHwWGqQsF_RzAXHsI7BNx048DGxdVfxiIQliUardEMFr3RShT3ZrejuGXkRTdje9mCvmEluRaGGrlupIlFgx1u-LP2pLpJXFSeiqmyUQN3PFM/s3000/Embarkation_of_the_Pilgrims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="3000" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI6NlTavbkGkc354gd8YE_QogNsH7HvgZWLOPCkgR0LV7HipSSfph73z7K2LytcFD2tcyI_KtBmr22085HHwWGqQsF_RzAXHsI7BNx048DGxdVfxiIQliUardEMFr3RShT3ZrejuGXkRTdje9mCvmEluRaGGrlupIlFgx1u-LP2pLpJXFSeiqmyUQN3PFM/w515-h336/Embarkation_of_the_Pilgrims.jpg" title="Embarkation of the Pilgrims" width="515" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Embarkation of the Pilgrims</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">White–capped, big-eyed, buckled hats
and shoes, black clothes, Bible in hand – those are the Pilgrims…or are they?
Who was it that was willing to endure threats, surveillance, fines,
imprisonment, exile, homelessness, financial hardship, sickness, along with an
uncertain journey of great peril and an unplanned landing, looming mutiny, harsh winter, and the great unknown? Who would survive that? Why would you subject your
own person let alone your wife and children to such?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">COLONIZATION</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The idea of
a New World settlement was not novel or even specific to our Pilgrims in
question. Others had gone before. Roanoke had met some mysterious defeat.
Jamestown, founded about thirteen years prior, was continuing in its struggle for gold
and glory. Even some like-minded Pilgrim believers had ventured to Jamestown earlier
only to be met by disease and death for most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Others had tried landing near what is now the more Northern Canadian
areas. Disease, natives, scandals, dishonesty – whatever the case – those
before had not succeeded in creating a permanent home. Natives had lived across
the land but fighting amongst each other, kidnappings and disease had not
helped their people to thrive and survive. The slave trade brought by men of
ill-repute certainly had not advanced a society. It seemed colonization was
hopeless, yet the race was still heightened amongst leading countries like
England, Spain and The Netherlands. Someone would gain a foothold, but who would
it be?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ESCAPE FROM ENGLAND</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rising out
of the Reformation Era which sought to purify the Church of England from its
corrupt structure were reformers like John Huss, John Wycliffe and yet one
other who was also born as “John” in England in 1575. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Geneva Bible, its study and memorization,
was the focus in John Robinson’s home. He grew to attend Cambridge University, and there he committed himself completely to the Scriptures alone for his life.
Initially, he joined in with the ideas of many Puritans who understood that the
church was a corrupted source of truth, but through further study, he
eventually rejected the state-ordered church completely and all of its
man-driven authority through the King and bishops and began to preach that man
should have freedom of conscience and religious liberty. Under James I of
England, this was heresy, but it truly was like a fire shut up in his bones that
he couldn’t escape. A newly formed congregation met first at William Brewster’s
home and among them was the young teen, William Bradford. An earlier group of
like-minded believers had previously escaped to Amsterdam where there was more
religious freedom. Similarly, Robinson, Brewster and their congregation decided follow.
But of course, that was easier said than done. They walked the 60 miles to the
port, and then, after making it that far, the ship captain betrayed them to the authorities. They were imprisoned for a month. On their 2<sup>nd</sup> try,
half of them, the women and children, were caught and put in prison again. After
subsequent effort, they successfully escaped England. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LIFE WITH THE DUTCH</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Life with
the Dutch, however, was not all that they desired. They settled in Leiden for a
dozen or so years, with John Robinson continuing his leadership, setting up a
print shop, and writing and producing literature about the errors of the state
church. Because this was not their home culture, making a living and raise a
family was challenging. After many years, naturally their own children began to follow the ways of the </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">more worldly and free-thinking </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dutch society, much to the concern of their parents. The idea of
war with Spain and fear of losing their one jewel in the Netherlands, freedom
of worship, also spurred some to grasp at the idea of moving to the New World
where there would be complete religious freedom and a culture of their own to
shape and grow. Young John Carver and Robert Cushman were tasked with negotiating
safe passage from the King, acquiring the appropriate terms for land in the New
World, and procuring finances to support such a venture. A small group of
Saints would enlist to go, and a </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">large, unified</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> group gathered on barges in
Leiden to go down the river, seeing them off at the port at Delfts Haven. Notable painter Johannes Vermeer illustrated a landscape called the <i>View of Deft,</i> and no doubt this
is the picture those on the journey saw as they pulled up to the docks.
Vermeer, himself believed that man created the world we live in and would
continue to make his own reality. In direct contrast, these Pilgrims continued
on in their journey believing God and acknowledging that He was preparing each
step forward. Another famous painter, Rembrandt, also lived there at the time. History
tells of the onlookers who observed this famous departure, and perhaps Rembrandt
himself was also witness. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">DEPARTURE</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">At the river dock, the group spent the night at the
Pilgrim Father’s church that had first been constructed in 1417. The next
day they rose to hear Pastor Robinson give a stirring sermon and say many tearful goodbyes.
In fact, William Bradford and young wife Dorothy left behind their
three-year-old son until it was safe for him to follow. Tragically, young John
never saw his mother again. Dorothy, while the <i>Mayflower </i>was docked at Plymouth, fell overboard and could not be saved. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When you visit the Rotunda at our nation’s
capital, you can see the emotional departure visualized in the painting </span><i style="font-size: 14pt;">Embarkation
of the Pilgrims</i><span style="font-size: 14pt;">, where Mr. Brewster is holding his Bible, Governor Carver
is </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">kneeling,</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> and Pastor Robinson is holding out his hands exhorting the company
to follow the truths of God’s Word and elect leaders that most importantly
would follow God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">John
Robinson said aboard the <i>Speedwell</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly,
whereas you are become a body politic, using amongst yourselves civil government,
let your wisdom and godliness appear not only in choosing such persons as do
entirely love and will promote the common good, but also in yielding unto them
all due honor and obedience in their lawful administrations; not beholding in
them that ordinariness of their persons, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s ordinance for your good. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They loaded
the <i>Speedwell </i>and sailed to join the <i>Mayflower</i>. They would not go without much
struggle before they even set off across the Atlantic. Details later would
reveal the numerous factors that almost sunk the whole endeavor. From their
financier defaulting on his initial terms to the sabotaging of their purchased
boat, the <i>Speedwell</i>, many did not want to see success for these Saints. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John
Robinson and the others would stay and venture on later, and….well, you know
the rest of the story. The <i>Speedwell </i>continued to leak forcing everyone to pack
into the five-foot mid-floor space on the <i>Mayflower</i>. In fact, 9 of the
pilgrims, including Robert Cushman, ended up staying in England and not even
getting aboard. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">THE VOYAGE</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Leaving for
the Virginia colony, now late into the storm season on September 6, 1620, the ship
included 18 adult women, three of whom were with child, 46 Saints, the crew and
others who had been enlisted for their contribution to building a new society.
Of the Saints that Brewster led, 16 were men, 11 women, and 19 were children. The
first victim would be, according to the Saints, the judgment of God as the
vile sailor whose ceaseless berating was cut short when he succumbed to a sickness
and agonizing death. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most others also
suffered through disease, severe nausea, and lack of proper ventilation and nourishment.
During the angry storms, violent waves, and squalls, records describe the
captain tightening the masts and stern with hopes of riding out the tempest.
Ride they did, and miraculously, sixty-six days later, they landed in November of 1620 at Cape Cod, having been
blown significantly off course. With their Virginia
Charter now null and void, Brewster worked to avoid a mutinous attitude amongst
the Strangers and urged everyone to come together in agreement for the ultimate
survival of the work. Only half of the folks survived, with four being women.
Elizabeth Hopkins had given birth to a baby boy, Oceanus they called him, while
voyaging the Atlantic. Susana White, whose husband would die aboard the <i>Mayflower,</i>
welcomed Peregrine. Mary Allerton endured the still-born birth of her child.
These mothers are remembered in stone where it is inscribed “They brought up
their families in sturdy virtue and a living faith in God without which nation’s
perish.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">SURVIVAL</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The passengers
lived aboard the boat over the winter while they tried to carve out a home on
the New World’s shore, but finally, by April of 1621, the <i>Mayflower</i> was
ready to sail back to England and the remnant Pilgrims, as recorded in William
Bradford’s <i>Of Plymouth Plantation</i>, had established a working compact “in the
name of God, Amen” to advance the Christian religion in this New World. So, in
their buckle shoes and Pilgrim hats they signed the first self-governing
document in this New World. The truth rising from biblical principle, that they
had this God-given freedom through well-designed laws, would be their safeguard
from mutiny and chaos and lay the groundwork for the ensuing Declaration of
Independence and United States Constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">PILGRIMS BEFORE THE MAYFLOWER</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some in that
initial exodus from the Church of England chose to stay and fight for freedom
in England. Others remained in Holland, yet some others dispersed amongst the
Mennonites, the Dutch Reformed and similar groups. In years to come, inspired
by the providential success of the Pilgrims, numerous other boats would fill with
those who would brave the seas and venture to the new land. But it was <b>the
Pilgrims before the<i> Mayflower</i></b> and their burning love for God’s Word that
laid the foundation to build a country unlike any other. Pastor Robinson
himself died, just a few years after the <i>Mayflower</i>, never making it to the New
World. His son, Isaac, sailed the ocean and made a lasting impression in the
colonies continuing the stand for religious liberty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A free country under God – Amen!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, we,
looking back, reap the benefits of those gone before. That intensely
determined group of 102 <i>Mayflower </i>passengers were the ones to survive not only
the harrowing transatlantic voyage, but those that endured successfully planted
a firm foot on Plymouth Rock. Even more notable is their small remnant that
lived beyond the first winter of death to actually grow a society that would
eventually thrive and plow out a way for countless multitudes to come. So, what
was different? Why were they successful? As one historian reported, it was like
a fire shut up in their bones that could not be extinguished. From the depths
of their very souls, it was a yearning for religious liberty that undoubtedly
moved the hand of Almighty God to securely create a sustaining “city on a hill.”
Today, this example built with blood, sweat and tears and constant faith in
the God of the Bible is now ours to preserve. Perhaps it is high time that we don a
black cloak, white cap or black hat, grasp God’s Word and without wavering
plant a firm foot on truth lest the light be extinguished from the city on the
hill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">LESSONS LEARNED<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Revisionist history paints a different story than one told in original manuscripts like
those of Pastor John Robinson and the classic <i>Of Plymouth Plantation</i> by William
Bradford. A discerning reader will clearly understand the following truths:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many other
explorers and would-be settlers apart from the Pilgrim voyagers came to the New
World with diverse goals and moral directives.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The slave
trade business abounded worldwide,</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> and the New World was not exempt.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Early 15<sup>th</sup>
and 16<sup>th</sup> century Western Hemisphere exploration proved there had
been Indigenous people groups inhabiting those land areas. Records testify that
some lived by a goodly nature while yet others were controlled by pagan
wickedness.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Squanto, the
friend of the Pilgrims, was himself a product of the slave trade, yet
irrefutably overcame those evil intentions and was a “special instrument sent
of God for their good beyond their expectations” as recorded by William
Bradford.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Others
tried, but it was this group, the <i>Mayflower </i>passengers, seeking freedom to
worship, who, after documented years of persecution, imprisonment, hardship,
sickness, and for some even death, saw the providential hand of God prepare the
way, orchestrate the landing, mediate the foundational structure, provide the
on-site support of friendly indigenous people and give strength of survival to
many.</span></li></ol><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Pilgrims were not of perfect character, as none are, and nearly saw
to their own destruction in the new settlement through a “communistic plan of
life” as Bradford described. Through wisdom of leadership and a more
industrious plan focused on personal responsibility, they transformed their
society. God blessed their efforts with a rich harvest in 1623. By 1650,
Bradford had written: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></p><blockquote><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last and not least, they cherished a great hope and inward
zeal of laying good foundations, or at least making some ways toward it, for
the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the
remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to
others in the performance of so great a work…<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><i>Thus, </i></span><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">out of small beginnings greater things have been produces by His
hand that made all things of nothing, and give being to all things that are;
and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath
shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of
Jehovah have all the praise… </span></i><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-20221354763609582482023-11-10T09:04:00.002-05:002023-11-10T09:04:33.962-05:00Stories from a Veteran of World War II<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRRBOROYZ-LFaAJ6tBYVInNXPbxMRIa9PDlBByilPXBG-oLhWo1B2fwn4fUyixFQbt8O5yQNwfFBzUeBFJ-2lH5NV4hB2aUqiO1IFxpxrerB74qlllSlbOPEFtvxI4SWij2p89YUNDKWgKoiD7caoX6gt87n3HuNIQ7ZBPv5DIToV-L_5GWMx1Wn-RgTf/s300/thomason_james_ARMY.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="230" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRRBOROYZ-LFaAJ6tBYVInNXPbxMRIa9PDlBByilPXBG-oLhWo1B2fwn4fUyixFQbt8O5yQNwfFBzUeBFJ-2lH5NV4hB2aUqiO1IFxpxrerB74qlllSlbOPEFtvxI4SWij2p89YUNDKWgKoiD7caoX6gt87n3HuNIQ7ZBPv5DIToV-L_5GWMx1Wn-RgTf/s1600/thomason_james_ARMY.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">James Royce Thomason</p><p style="text-align: center;">S/SGT U.S. Army</p><p style="text-align: center;">1941-1945</p><p>(Dr. J. Royce Thomason, in his autobiography, shares accounts of his service as a medic during WWII. The following is an excerpt. Read more of his story<a href="https://thevoiceinthewildernessministry.blogspot.com/2023/03/biography-of-dr-james-royce-thomason.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. ) </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"> Some are wondering what the most unusual case has been. It is hard to pick between two of the outstanding ones. One happened on a train in Turkey and one in a bombing raid in Belgium during World War II. It was Christmas Eve. A bomb had fallen in our compound that afternoon and killed one of our soldiers. Some of the fellows came to me and asked that as soon as the supper dishes had been cleared from the mess hall tent, would I lead them in some Christmas carols and then preach. I agreed to do so. There was a chaplain across the way at the Second Field Hospital who had as his chauffeur a young man who played a portable pump organ, so I asked him to come and bring us his organ and help us cheer things up a bit. He gladly came.</span></p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"> I had just started the service when a runner came saying that a bomb had fallen up the street about two blocks away and an American soldier was lying there in the snow, possibly dead, and unattended. I turned the service over to the chaplain, took my medical kits, and went to see about the soldier. The electric wires were all down, snow was about 18 inches deep, and the temperature was about 35 below zero. The soldier seemed lifeless. I could not detect any heartbeat, but he was still warm and I felt I should do something radical that might just bring him around. So I intravenously injected five ampules of caffeine sodium benzoate, enough to equal about 20 cups of coffee. It was a case of cure or kill for ordinary efforts were useless. Soon I began to feel a faint pulse, and I felt he was going to come around. So I busied myself gathering some pieces of wood from the ruins around me to make splints for both legs and one arm that was broken. By the time I got that done, his pulse was much stronger, but he was still unconscious. I had no ambulance so I put him in the back of a weapons carrier and sent him to 122nd Field Hospital. Doctors there worked on him most of the night. A buzz bomb hit the hospital the next day, throwing him, casts and all onto the floor. He was still unconscious. They then took him to another hospital, and I lost track of him.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"> Many, many times I thought of him and of what looked like the enemy’s determination to kill him, wondering if he pulled through, and if so, would he be normal, etc. Some 15 years later I was holding a revival in Melrose, New Mexico, and walked into a little store and struck up a conversation with the manager. I asked him was he a veteran and he told me he was and inquired as to where I was during the Battle of the Bulge, and I told him I was in a little place called Loncin.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;" /><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"> He said, “My best buddy went to Loncin on Christmas Eve that year and a buzz bomb fell on him. . .” I butted in saying: “And a medic found him and revived him and sent him to another hospital that was hit the next day by a bomb.” He said, “How did you know about that?” It was then I told him that I was the man who had found him and saved his life. I made inquiry and was told by this store owner that my patient did live and was then living in Illinois, doing fine, but that so many years had expired that he had lost trace of him. I did not find him again, but did put my questions to rest. The soldier had survived.</span><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: large;">(James Royce Thomason, after honorable military service, returned home only to travel the world again, this time in service of the King of King, his Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He founded The Voice in the Wilderness with the focus of Contending for American Freedoms and Fundamental Christianity. The mission continues today. Read more <a href="https://www.thevoiceinthewilderness.org/menu/id/13/About%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-30785443495572324782023-10-31T08:41:00.002-04:002023-10-31T08:41:44.024-04:00Seeking the Help of the Devil<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R5WO2HHaEkaymGczwmnp0i9ApXlRU6-VQbCkLIHbRbjGdiioXI85iRU6zG0QRC2sqfUY2wZCFr16H0h8IYerJhgvNwGCzPoqCiao0OUXvzd6hta00HCWnb42s-ar3w6EpxuixAAWa0EbzNaUhJVN70hNK4fh2yadjraHibuQYZgNadTLSLMOqWNdlbFX/s600/Halloween.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R5WO2HHaEkaymGczwmnp0i9ApXlRU6-VQbCkLIHbRbjGdiioXI85iRU6zG0QRC2sqfUY2wZCFr16H0h8IYerJhgvNwGCzPoqCiao0OUXvzd6hta00HCWnb42s-ar3w6EpxuixAAWa0EbzNaUhJVN70hNK4fh2yadjraHibuQYZgNadTLSLMOqWNdlbFX/w510-h296/Halloween.gif" width="510" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">What does <i>Britannica </i>say about Halloween?</span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic Festival of Samhain (pronounced <i>Sahween</i>) was observed on October 31. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghost, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.” Was that historical background taken from Christian research or literature? No, that bit of information was according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before the late 18th and early 19th century, wise folk stayed indoors on this devilish night. Today many who call themselves Christians make it a night of costume and fun. Pagan celebrations have invaded the church and the paraphernalia and practices are not just seen on Halloween but at Christmas and Easter as well.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;">7 in 10 Americans (170 Million) celebrated Halloween in 2012, spending on average $80 per person on decoration, candy, and costumes.</span><span style="font-size: large;">-nrf.com</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wicca author Thomas Horn claims there are 200,000 registered witches in America and 8 million unregistered, yet practicing. He and The Witch School claim that in the next decade Wicca will become the third largest religion in America (Christianity and Islam) and that Witch teachers are in demand to train the upcoming generation.</span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>Beware, Christian! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-31886599877222189702023-10-26T10:09:00.011-04:002023-10-26T10:16:59.010-04:00It's Your Day Before the Rose<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYktu9K3VHwbxa2VgHPMwQGpSX7Gicqb1NAx6FI6eR8ejWWEQU3pHCbooI1xaEBAcUm73icWtcLZhLYoBtqNml9CrrNbLix-evPsRfKXsFPEYq_7G-Z7-73FXz2ykwwdhgxKjyBzMHGWhtUZDwOAPZeZk7sEBY2kZSBnTGHA_ZlZvTh2mprDMJnOdR772/s1600/floating_roses_by_eaglesphotography-d5v0qr7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYktu9K3VHwbxa2VgHPMwQGpSX7Gicqb1NAx6FI6eR8ejWWEQU3pHCbooI1xaEBAcUm73icWtcLZhLYoBtqNml9CrrNbLix-evPsRfKXsFPEYq_7G-Z7-73FXz2ykwwdhgxKjyBzMHGWhtUZDwOAPZeZk7sEBY2kZSBnTGHA_ZlZvTh2mprDMJnOdR772/w640-h404/floating_roses_by_eaglesphotography-d5v0qr7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> If we continue one more day, we’ll have a mutiny on our hands! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Their faith was gone. Their body was weak. The visual offered no hope. Fear had taken hold. Turn back. Give up. Save yourself! The desperation swelled greater than any wave on that sea to ... where?... no where? The edge of the world? Or an agonizing, slow death for the last standing? But Columbus, in that famous year of 1492, persuaded the shipmen to persevere just three more days. Undoubtedly, he spent his hours praying, seeking for something, a sign, anything. Perhaps, he thought himself like Noah, waiting with bated breath for that olive branch. And then two days later, as if laid upon the current to be carried into their hands, they saw the branch and its beautiful rose, and up from its view, land was beheld. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">“If we continue...” What might happen? For certain, the Devil and his minions have no time sensitivity nor need for rest. Fear is given giant status, and the oppressor crushes his victim with just one -- more -- day. That was the day just before the rose. That was the day just before land. Who are you on the ship? Is the fear and hopelessness crushing? Continue... Is the body weak? Continue... Is the giant towering over you? Continue... The Rose of Sharon is traveling your current, bringing rest, hope, and a view of the land of Victory for those seeking. The battle is ours and the victory HIS. Continue! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;</i> I Tim. 3:14</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Statues toppled, monuments defaced, books burned, evil coerced, murders, wars, sickness, financial stress, relationship struggles, parenting distress, ... - </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But CONTINUE! Today is your "Day Before the Rose."</span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-4988343080791021102023-09-08T15:37:00.003-04:002023-09-08T15:37:55.100-04:00Have you been wronged? Freud will help!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjVzpD7hg1l14pP85oq-awJiK6Zoq6lUsaty1X5joZ0dW2ResfgBS23_kFC_WUlVpLALx15Y2YQ3pdlIzD3r47PXEF_N5UHRhsS2Ri_l_37ZIK-qFdnne8lay1oRIprTjrkq0d7lDXOojkCtITdueuhD_szQD6tevQsHc6gP5ZMjbCrovA_sBYP_goMqd/s1280/woman-2775271_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="1280" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjVzpD7hg1l14pP85oq-awJiK6Zoq6lUsaty1X5joZ0dW2ResfgBS23_kFC_WUlVpLALx15Y2YQ3pdlIzD3r47PXEF_N5UHRhsS2Ri_l_37ZIK-qFdnne8lay1oRIprTjrkq0d7lDXOojkCtITdueuhD_szQD6tevQsHc6gP5ZMjbCrovA_sBYP_goMqd/w611-h265/woman-2775271_1280.jpg" width="611" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Are you a victim? Has the past wronged you? Do you need
vindication, justification and affirmation?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are days of broken homes and disrupted families and
much of our juvenile delinquency is because of this. It is only natural for the
victims of it all to come to the conclusion that everything is against them and
wind up asking the question, "What's the use?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps you believe society, the way you were raised, or an
individual is to blame. This hopelessness may take various forms and briefly I
would like to discuss some of them with you.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Freud will help!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The advocates of Freudianism have taught this theory until
it has become widely accepted, especially in the psychology and psychiatry
fields. They want to eliminate what they choose to call the "guilt complex"
which is in most cases not a complex (in light of their definition of a
complex) but a guilty conscience which is an intricate part of every person
that has not destroyed it by abuse. The Bible clearly points out that every man
has a conscience that either condemns or excuses. Of course, we have what
psychologists call "sociopaths" which is supposed to be a person that
was born without a conscience, or one who has at least destroyed it by
violation of its promptings. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, the "guilt complex" they speak about
is nothing more than a guilty conscience that can be remedied by a confession
of the wrong to the Lord Jesus.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Freudians, not knowing Jesus as Saviour, seek to
eradicate the guilt by convincing the guilty one that their actions are all
motivated by misdeeds that they have suffered at the hands of others. The
argument is that the lack of parental love, or some wrong they suffered at the
hands of society is really the underlying cause. For instance, psychiatrist
have tried to prove that what really caused Freud to be anti-religious was a disappointment
he had in a nursemaid that once cared for him, took him to Sunday School etc.,
and then was caught stealing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Oswald shot President Kennedy, immediately many started
saying that it was repressive society that had caused Oswald to do what he did.
This same attitude is expressed in some of the popular music. One such song by
British singer-comedian, Anna Russell, says,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"At three I had
a feeling of ambivalence toward my brothers,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And so it follows naturally, I poisoned all my lovers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But now I'm happy, I've learned the lesson that has been
taught,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That everything I do that's wrong, is somebody else's
fault."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is definitely true that the wrong actions of one person
may adversely affect another. However, this is not any reason for excusing
anyone's wrongdoing. I am what I am because of my own choice. I may have been
influenced to become a Christian, but I am one solely by my own choice. All the
good influence in the world, coupled with all the grace of God stood willing to
afford me, would have been as naught if I would have chosen to disregard it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Others who are sinners have no doubt been influenced in that
direction. However, the course of action they are taking is their own choice
and the guilt for it will have to be laid at their own door, certainly not at
another's.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I want to call your attention to a Bible character that we
all need to take a lesson from. You will find the story recorded in the book of
Judges and his name was Jephthah. This young man was born in a shame that was
not his own. His father was a wicked man who had no regards whatever for his
marriage vows. He was a lustful beast who had his fling. He sowed his wild oats
and poor Jephthah was a part of the unwanted harvest.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His mother too was one who daily sold her body over the
counters of iniquity. She was a professional outcast, one of those whose feet
in all ages, take hold on hell.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He was the fragment of a home that never was. He had no
father that dared own him and the first one that ever kissed him was a mother
whose lips had been stained by years of sinful living. Poor little baby, poor
little outcast, how much he missed. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After several years passed, the possessions of the family
came to be divided and Jephthah's half brothers and sisters beat him out of his
inheritance and drove him from their midst. He was forced to go to the heathen
country of Tob, a mountain fortress place, where the people, though heathen, at
least treated him better than his own people had back home.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In spite of the fact that he was a child of shame, that ugly
names were hurled at him before he was old enough to know the meaning of the
words, in spite of the fact that he could not recall any childhood days of
happiness, he refused to surrender. He seemed to say for himself, "If
nobody else will trust me, I will trust myself. If nobody else will help me and
give me my deserved inheritance, I will help myself. So, he rolled up his
sleeves and went to work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One day he had some visitors, some of the elders from
Israel. They came to tell him that the Ammonites were making war with the
Children of Israel and the situation was very serious. The elders asked Jephthah
if he would come home with them and be their General to lead the Israelite
armies. Jephthah said to them very kindly, "Did not ye hate me, and expel
me out of my father's house? And why are ye come unto me now when ye are in
distress?" Judges 11:7</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What a shock. Here was a young man who began with nothing,
yes worse than nothing. Instead of whining, instead of quitting, instead of
putting in his time wishing he were somewhere else, instead of pouting and
blaming someone else for his troubles, he did his duty where he was and folks
found it out and came to kneel at his feet to call on him for help.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not all men get their just deserts, but I do believe that in
most cases, if a person is really any account, sooner or later the world will
find it out. What is that old adage which says, "Make a better mousetrap and
the world will beat a path to your door?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The poet wrote—</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Full many a gem of purest ray serene</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And waste its sweetness on the desert air.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This may at times be true, but I am convinced that any gem
of real human greatness and worth never lies concealed permanently. I seriously
question if any radiant flower of human character and sweetness ever wastes its
sweetness on the desert air. Learn to do something that the world needs done
and it will find out and come to your door, even if it is in the desert.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there ever was an opportunity for Jephthah to unleash a
volume of hate and accusations about the wrongs he had suffered, this was the
time. However, he had a very sweet spirit and agreed to go. I would to God that
we in this day could be so Christ-like. Thousands of people have been lost to
the church because somebody in the Church wronged them (or so they felt) and
they dropped out of the fellowship. Thousands have carried old hatreds and
grudges that eat away at their vitals bringing them to cynicism, an early
grave, and many have lost their soul because they never would forgive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jephthah agreed to go but told the Elders that he must go to
the altar first. He had been living in a heathen land but he had not absorbed
their heathenism. He still believed in God, maintained an altar, and knelt
there to seek guidance from God. One of the tragic things of our day is that
far too many who name the name of Christ are becoming saturated with the worldliness
and heathenisms that permeates our society. Instead of maintaining our
integrity, living above the din of the old world, making sure that our lamps are
kept trimmed and burning so as to be an effective witness to the lost around
us, so many have allowed their globes to become stained and their wicks to
become charred over. Yes, and in most cases in spite of the fact that we have
been raised in a good influence not akin to that which was poor Jephthah's lot.
Daniel’s God was tested not in the pleasant surroundings of his early home life
but among his foes. It was in the midst of the lion’s den that the voice of the
King rang out, “Oh Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou
servest continually able to deliver thee?”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the altar Jephthah made a vow, perhaps it was a bit rash,
it was one that would cost him the dearest thing in his life, his only child.
However, he was concerned about God's people Israel and his concern motivated
him to promise God his all. When it came time to pay his vow, would he backout?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God gave him the victory over the Ammonites and all the
Israelites were made to finally honor Jephthah. The time came to go back home
to the land of Tob and no doubt his heart is uneasy. Nobody knew what the vow
was that he had made, but Jephthah had not forgotten. He had promised that if
God would give the Children of Israel the victory in battle, he would offer
unto God the first thing that he saw coming out his house door upon his return
from the field. I am sure he was riding back home with a downcast spirit. His
face must have been ashen as he wondered just what would come out that door.
Finally, they round the last corner, and his house comes in view. Suddenly the
door flings open and a beautiful little girl with rosey cheeks comes running
down the road to meet her daddy, it was Jephthah's only child. He holds her to
his heart. She is all he has, his cup is bitter beyond the drinking. He says,
"Alas my daughter, you have brought me very low."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He tells her what the vow was and she was so sweet and
resigned to it all that she said, "My father, if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hast proceeded out of thy
mouth forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies,
even of the children of Ammon." No doubt those around him reasoned saying
"Jephthah, you made that vow in a time of heated emotionalism, it is too
harsh, God does not expect it of you, I would forget it if I were you."
However, Jephthah said, "I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot
go back."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The world has been kept together by the "cannot"
men and women. Joseph in the house of Potiphar, tempted for his very life said,
"I cannot do it." The apostles when ordered to keep quiet said,
"We cannot." Jephthah with broken heart and tearstained face, tempted
to break his vow said, "I cannot." The need today is for young men
and women who will make their vows to God and when tempted to break them, say
determinedly "I cannot." Who in spite of their unfavorable
background, a poor homelife, and all else, who may be tempted to throw
themselves away and feel there is no hope, will decide as did Jephthah to have
faith in themselves. We need those who in the midst of a heathenish world,
invited on every hand to become a part of it, will say, "I am God's, I
cannot yield." If you have never made your vow to God, would you do it
even as you read these lines? Maybe you have made your commitment to the Lord, but have not been
true to Him. Would you renew that today and determine from this day
henceforward, you will keep you commitment regardless of what happens? Do it for your
soul's sake. Do not seek affirmation, vindication, or justification. Do not intermingle
Freudian psychology with Christian living. Don’t go back and psychoanalyze every
action taken against you. Don’t champion what should not have happened or what
should have been. Freud is dead. He cannot help you. The Lord Jesus is the everlasting King of King. He loves you and, if you have accepted Him, He is your Saviour most of all. Stand now for right and move forward for the glory of God.</p><p class="MsoNormal">(Taken in part from first printing September 1981)</p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-83086301946211831582023-08-15T15:54:00.000-04:002023-08-15T15:54:12.107-04:00Are You An Influencer?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IC7ryMu_MqZdAwWiSC7szBU9moGFIEb95nYugitQ1HEx1-rVMS19Do8-uSFxgbLKlo4S9Z5qnC82DumQvIcgVw9dId9k3HIAGAxpEdUXr95A-olelUsgKs5GfetkE5VjjLlVSl0Zd_cWiEWEGGziyLibq4OvOcv-Kb0pBC_wq-CZdDkG8dB3feYnqplm/s1280/joker-6619650_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IC7ryMu_MqZdAwWiSC7szBU9moGFIEb95nYugitQ1HEx1-rVMS19Do8-uSFxgbLKlo4S9Z5qnC82DumQvIcgVw9dId9k3HIAGAxpEdUXr95A-olelUsgKs5GfetkE5VjjLlVSl0Zd_cWiEWEGGziyLibq4OvOcv-Kb0pBC_wq-CZdDkG8dB3feYnqplm/w608-h404/joker-6619650_1280.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There is an old story of a king and his clown or "jester" who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king, handing him a staff, said to him, "Take this and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Some years later the king lay on his death bed. His courtiers were called; His family and his servants also stood round his bedside. The king addressing them said, "I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey, and I shall not return again to this place; so I have called all of you to say goodbye."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then his jester stepped forward, addressed the king and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask you a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts, your heralds and your servants have always gone before you, making preparations for you. May I ask what preparations your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Alas," replied the king, "I have made no preparations", "Then", said the jester, "take this staff with you, for now I have found a bigger fool than myself."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Some parents say, </span><span style="font-size: large;">"We will not influence our children in making choices and decisions in matters of religion, personal preference, friendships, hobbies, careers and relationships." But why not?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The ads will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The press will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The movies will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The neighbors will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The forces of sin will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The politicians will!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Everday, we hesitate not to use our influence over flowers, vegetables, cattle, etc. Shall we ignore our own children? May God forgive us if we do.</span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-5144138476564213312023-08-15T15:38:00.000-04:002023-08-15T15:38:31.679-04:00Beware, Evil Among Us<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7CrC2QsUkIdKcPxkh1i8XUL6tDf21wbpw8Hxu08-ERMeukmpZ4pjBvKtmbVfo6qjd7e5vfJWkS1P1KcJjo05bOIzLwES3NKANjjmS5ZgIyhPzbwjv1uJsQfR9S9UBF8ZLa-NDTPlYY_qGZNovCDGzybIsZl647pjSou9pwNbcaO-096rB44MNp6iiT3T/s1280/fire-2109057_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7CrC2QsUkIdKcPxkh1i8XUL6tDf21wbpw8Hxu08-ERMeukmpZ4pjBvKtmbVfo6qjd7e5vfJWkS1P1KcJjo05bOIzLwES3NKANjjmS5ZgIyhPzbwjv1uJsQfR9S9UBF8ZLa-NDTPlYY_qGZNovCDGzybIsZl647pjSou9pwNbcaO-096rB44MNp6iiT3T/w489-h367/fire-2109057_1280.jpg" width="489" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">August 11-13, 2023, the largest gathering of anarchists on the East Coast met in Asheville, North Carolina. The movement promotes anti-God, anti-authority and violent philosophy and actions. Evil doings are in our backyard. In 1989, Dr. J. Royce Thomason, editor of <i>The Voice in the Wilderness</i>, wrote the following:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Nearly every week we read or hear about some hideous crime that stemmed from Satanic worship or other causes closely connected with Satanism. In her book "Like Lambs to the Slaughter", author Johanna Michaelson states, "A growing number of police departments across the country are holding seminars to train officers in the basics of Satanism and ritual occultism so they'll know what to look for at the scene of a crime." I can attest to her statement as recently I stayed in the home of a long time friend who is deputy sheriff of an Indiana County, and he told of much Satanic influence around his area and stated that the police systems of that county would be taking these seminars. The teacher would be an ex-Satanist who said he came out of the cult when they skinned his best friend in a Satanist ritual. As your probably know, Anton La Vey, grandmaster of the Satanists, has written <i>The Satanic Bible</i> and perhaps you would be interested to hear a quote from it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"For I stand forth to challenge the wisdom of this world; to interrogate the "laws" of man and God... Before none of your printed idols do I bend in acquiescence, and he who saith "thou shalt" to me is my mortal foe!</span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I dipped my forefinger in the watery blood of your impotent mad redeemer and write over his thorn-torn brow: "The TRUE prince of evil-the king of slaves." Behold the crucifix; what does it symbolize? Pallid incompetence hanging on a tree. There is nothing inherently sacred about moral codes...Cursed are the believers in good and evil, for they are frightened by shadow. Hate your enemies with a whole heart, and if a man smite you on one cheek, SMASH him hip and thigh, for self-preservation is the highest law. He who turns the other cheek is a cowardly dog!"</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Frightening? This may be mild in comparison to what some of your children may be listening to on TV or the radio, lyrics and rock music by the gutter-scrapings of the earth, some of them being Satan worshippers; Here is a quote from a song by the rock group "Venom" which says,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Sacrifice,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh so Nice...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sacrifice to Lucifer, my master.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bring the chalice,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Raise the knife,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Welcome to my sacrifice;</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plunge the dagger in her breast,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I insist</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">S-a-c-r-i-f-i-c-e...</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Demons rejoice,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sacrifice, sacrifice,</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Name your price."</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: justify;"><b>1 </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. </span><span class="reftext" style="background-color: white; color: #aa4400; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 15px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="https://www.biblehub.com/romans/13-2.htm" style="color: #008ae6; text-decoration-line: none;">2</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. </span><span class="reftext" style="background-color: white; color: #aa4400; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 15px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="https://www.biblehub.com/romans/13-3.htm" style="color: #008ae6; text-decoration-line: none;">3</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: </span><span class="reftext" style="background-color: white; color: #aa4400; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 15px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="https://www.biblehub.com/romans/13-4.htm" style="color: #008ae6; text-decoration-line: none;">4</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">execute</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"> wrath upon him that doeth evil. -Romans 13:1-4</span></i></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-24317277387761157702023-08-14T15:53:00.001-04:002023-08-14T15:53:25.536-04:00What Are You Holding?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs2XokPjBnHxqJsv5vxnzbkMoQj4hQvpJVTEGiJy2GBfQd-jXCBkio3Zq34Qw-l6CvtXOXYdzthX80zvho0zxbM5sYo0raeaffuRAunIvsfzC8U2TbI7hylJFp-94izz75V2IIZnirMBWKZuyY1mwltKizHVQuVdSbD6Zturd6BiDMGcfCYPdKM7Yhjpf/s952/dad-1853657_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="952" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFs2XokPjBnHxqJsv5vxnzbkMoQj4hQvpJVTEGiJy2GBfQd-jXCBkio3Zq34Qw-l6CvtXOXYdzthX80zvho0zxbM5sYo0raeaffuRAunIvsfzC8U2TbI7hylJFp-94izz75V2IIZnirMBWKZuyY1mwltKizHVQuVdSbD6Zturd6BiDMGcfCYPdKM7Yhjpf/w576-h394/dad-1853657_1280.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When a boy or girl thrusts his small hand in yours, it may be smeared with chocolate ice cream, or grimy from petting a dog, and there may be a wart under the right thumb and a bandage on the little finger.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But the most important thing about his hands is that they are the hands of the future. These are the hands that someday may hold a Bible or a murder weapon. They may play the church piano or spin the gambling wheel. They may gently dress a wound or tremble wretchedly uncontrolled by an alcoholic mind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Right now, the hand is in yours. It asks for help and guidance. It represents a full-fledged personality in miniature, to be respected as a separate individual whose day-by-day growth into Christian adulthood is your responsibility.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So, hold those hands, guide them, teach them, show them the right way unto God. Remember, it is you who holds the future in your hands.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Deut. 6:7</span></span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-73584102282675879472023-08-01T11:09:00.000-04:002023-08-01T11:09:07.413-04:00Does It Matter What You Believe?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26iIi9LFJ7cvmoVuDn3VAMhWM-RzFIG_OmQZMJT3WY5RCowXbbFuJvJwwgI8fdkDDHmqLgrgF5MDxaLzY0phGLCrjNMnE-Wx_Dfyd67-Hihzz8JZFkSWNDBv6CXcv4KSo599IVJLUwv7dTqrVuseAZQda1x4E-C-tw1CqHm_oHnkbBPTrtrIxQlAAdfL_/s471/xpbg94km.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="312" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26iIi9LFJ7cvmoVuDn3VAMhWM-RzFIG_OmQZMJT3WY5RCowXbbFuJvJwwgI8fdkDDHmqLgrgF5MDxaLzY0phGLCrjNMnE-Wx_Dfyd67-Hihzz8JZFkSWNDBv6CXcv4KSo599IVJLUwv7dTqrVuseAZQda1x4E-C-tw1CqHm_oHnkbBPTrtrIxQlAAdfL_/w424-h640/xpbg94km.png" width="424" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The world is full of different beliefs about religious matters. In most any town you can find a multitude of people who adhere to some kind of religion, be it scriptural or not. To all of this many will say, "It doesn't matter what one believes so long as he is sincere in his belief." That may sound good, but it is not true.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It is said that a Japanese committee once waited on the philosopher Herbert Spencer to discuss with him the wisdom of adopting a state religion for Japan. He thought that such a step might be wise. Then when they asked what religion they should adopt, he agreed that their own Shintoism, being a native religion, might be just as good for Them, if not better, than any other, not excepting Christianity.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, had a friend told Herbert Spencer after this interview that he had assisted in placing an infernal bomb under the Japanese nation that would one day blow it to bits and leave black wounds on the rest of the world, he would have heard him with utter incredulity. This would have been the case because Spencer was not saved and looked upon one faith as about as good as another.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But regardless of what Spencer had to do with it, what actually came of the adopting of a religion on the part of Japan that taught that the emperor was divine? Multitudes took that creed seriously. Believing that they had the Son of Heaven for their emperor, they naturally came to believe that a people so highly favored were destined to rule the world. One who had long lived in Japan said that when he would tell a Japanese friend that he did not share his faith that his nation was destined to rule the world, this friend would not become angry, he, would just be astonished that one should be so ignorant and illogical.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thus the attack on Pearl Harbor. The fanatical heroism with which the Japs fought was the natural outcome of their faith. What they believed wrecked them and caused them to seek to wreck the 'world.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The greatest threat to modern civilization today is atheistical communism. What is wrong with the Communists? it is not that he by nature differs from us. If you prick him, he will bleed. He is not made of the slime and ooze of things while we are made of far finer material. Yet here is a man who acknowledges no loyalty except that to his own political party. There is no other trust that he will not betray. There is not a crime that he is not ready to commit. Why is this the case? It is because of what he believes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">What one believes, therefore, is a matter of great importance. This is the case because beliefs are creative. As a wrong faith issues in wrong character and wrong conduct, even so a right faith issues in right character and right conduct. Therefore, when Jesus searches us with this question, "Who say ye that I am?" He is asking a question of supreme importance. Upon the answer we give to that question depends the destiny of the individual and the destiny of the world.</span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-53043195169918082362023-07-27T09:39:00.004-04:002023-07-27T09:39:52.668-04:00To Start or To Finish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIbO02svMf04rlnpj94ljk4Gr1xWr-mvvScbzD70PtO3nNmTD3CN4TOBVW9PcT4L_XRLqy28gEk4zJ0ZCidA3M_IVUYvr9_J1IR-h-GcZ5snxE15OryDIRnx5jWkb0ex6unUbMmS3I8Um_jLjXM9cBIywKlvxN0pCFPspTr77FvCMwkTwgmmdjBs2hZ2L/s1280/road-g9f71fceab_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIbO02svMf04rlnpj94ljk4Gr1xWr-mvvScbzD70PtO3nNmTD3CN4TOBVW9PcT4L_XRLqy28gEk4zJ0ZCidA3M_IVUYvr9_J1IR-h-GcZ5snxE15OryDIRnx5jWkb0ex6unUbMmS3I8Um_jLjXM9cBIywKlvxN0pCFPspTr77FvCMwkTwgmmdjBs2hZ2L/w591-h393/road-g9f71fceab_1280.jpg" width="591" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">ONE of the problems of banks is the thousands of savings accounts which are started and then forgotten. A man deposits a small amount, tells himself he will start saving and deposit a stated amount each week, but forgets all about it. His good resolutions fade away, and there is that small sum, a nuisance and an expense to the bank.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Business is crowded with men who start many activities, who are chock full of ideas, who know what needs to be done, and who start many jobs. These men have one great fault. They do not finish the jobs they start. At the first sign of difficulty, they put the job aside, fall back into some routine activity, and let the resolution die.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In any office, in any factory, mill, or plant the most valuable man is the fellow who sticks until the job is finished.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">How often we hear some such remarks as this: "There's an idea I have had for a long time, but I never got around to doing anything about it!" Every important invention turns up dozens of men who had the same idea as the successful inventor. But—the only man who profited from the invention happens to be the man who actually "did something about it."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">New ideas, future plans, preliminary sketches, rough drafts—all these enterprises in business are excellent. But the man who keeps a business going is the one who starts less and finishes more.</span></p><div><br /></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-58155900463031722882023-07-26T16:22:00.002-04:002023-07-26T16:40:33.585-04:00Should I Retire at 70?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2HKhwsmlq2K8jUi4lEZVo-XMEVMCWDPUvxeKAb3n6-xpmNPFue4aFNuQfE3PDG_A-Lv6oj30Dh-mfJ3RErmZptHWaFHzHWU3P2fbu2BZPBRKXIVnueZCOuETi1Vlf4p0Tr7t67eTB8Y_GNQA-VOJ3m6GjoegQMpsP9MPqGAD5G-I6YS4kYBszJyJFH5J/s1280/retirement-ga50dee643_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1280" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2HKhwsmlq2K8jUi4lEZVo-XMEVMCWDPUvxeKAb3n6-xpmNPFue4aFNuQfE3PDG_A-Lv6oj30Dh-mfJ3RErmZptHWaFHzHWU3P2fbu2BZPBRKXIVnueZCOuETi1Vlf4p0Tr7t67eTB8Y_GNQA-VOJ3m6GjoegQMpsP9MPqGAD5G-I6YS4kYBszJyJFH5J/w566-h440/retirement-ga50dee643_1280.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Is it over? Are you feeling obsolete? Is there pressure to retire? Isn't your experience worth anything? Does that gray hair really mean something? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Benjamin Franklin, whose birthday anniversary we celebrate in February, was 70-years-old when he undertook the most difficult task of his life. He was 72 when he negotiated the treaty of alliance with France, which made victory and independence possible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Franklin was 76-years-old when he negotiated the peace treaty with Great Britain, and at 81 he organized America's first anti-slavery society.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What makes a man obsolete? Franklin never became obsolete. With him, life began again at 70, for then he commenced a new and hazardous career. While in France, he was not only a diplomat, but he created the American navy, financed the revolution, and acted as judge in prize courts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Some business concerns make it a rule that when a man reaches a certain age he must retire. They throw away mellowed experience. England held on to Disraeli and to Gladstone and to Balfour as long as they lived. Their value could never be measured by years. Their value lay in their eternal youth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Who knows when age has come upon another? Is it gray hair? A faltering step? A stooping posture? Or is it when the mind loses virility? And where the sage who can speak with real wisdom in his early thirties?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Let no young man scoff at the men of years, for tomorrow passes and yet another day in gone. Each individual too soon finds that the calendar has to be torn, and a new one takes its place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">But each of us is ambitious to remain everlastingly youthful - to play gaily at 60, to be interested in all of life at 70, to keep one's wit at 80. Years are the artificialities of calendar makers. If the spirit is young, the years are not even remembered. If the spirit remains young, one can sing a song at 80 as at 18 - but at 80 it will have more meaning. </span></p><p>[First printed in The Voice in the Wilderness publication in August of 1978]</p><p>(For more....request "While the Evil Days Come Not" from The Voice in the Wilderness)</p><p>-Author Unknown</p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-7830363561417840712023-06-14T12:29:00.000-04:002023-06-14T12:29:04.452-04:00Jesus Cancelled: A Father's Tragedy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNj3-rIaBcmgbmajZBtaLzE9FBMgKMwaQyXDmBdA24ItVJRKxMduMVGnNi7cnzif2OzCPg9vTo20s5IQzB5wSP8jHk5n97wCAI3G1keIC1J6iUUxO6YQAKaAUzDFpvmn1JtzYe7_ZmCAgpL4bKIdqhBSzkZBsD9KF_1-Hp1ih4IU1vCPp0PNWW0FsIQ/s1280/fishing-boat-ge0c72161c_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNj3-rIaBcmgbmajZBtaLzE9FBMgKMwaQyXDmBdA24ItVJRKxMduMVGnNi7cnzif2OzCPg9vTo20s5IQzB5wSP8jHk5n97wCAI3G1keIC1J6iUUxO6YQAKaAUzDFpvmn1JtzYe7_ZmCAgpL4bKIdqhBSzkZBsD9KF_1-Hp1ih4IU1vCPp0PNWW0FsIQ/w578-h325/fishing-boat-ge0c72161c_1280.jpg" width="578" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-align: center;">TEXT:
And they left their father Zebedee in the ship.</span></h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"> Mark 1:20.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not much is said about Mr. Zebedee. He is like a character
in a play, like so many we meet in the community. His sons went with Christ.
They left their firm, their employees, they left all to follow Jesus. The Bible
has a lot to say about Zebedee's sons who were fishermen before they went with
Christ. They are a famous family, all but daddy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">James Zebedee was the first apostle martyr. John Zebedee was
a writer, probably the most tender book in the world's literature, the Gospel
of John, bears his name. James and John were at the Mount of Transfiguration
and also at Calvary. It was to John that Jesus appointed the guardianship of
His mother Mary. John was a good runner, he outran everybody else to be the
first apostle to view the empty tomb.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">James and John stood on the shore that morning when Christ
called out, "Children, have ye any meat?" John looked and said,
"It is the Lord." Where was daddy??? His sons were with Christ, but
all we know about dad is what the text tells us, he was the father of John and
James. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had a business to handle. He
was a hard working man and so he says "good bye" to the boys. He was
too busy for the greatest opportunity on earth, that to follow the Lord. He
certainly did not try to hinder the boys, if they wanted to serve the Lord, it
was fine with dad, he probably was happy to know that his sons had chosen such
a high and noble calling. However, as for him, maybe he could come later, right
then he had too many obligations to see after, too much work to do, too many
other things to occupy his attention.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As for Mrs. Zebedee, we know what happened to her. The New
Testament calls her "the mother of Zebedee's children." She chose
Christ. She was a very forceful woman, sometimes a little impertinent perhaps,
sometimes a little foolish. She loved her boys. She wanted them to amount to
something. She wanted them to have the highest place in the kingdom of God and
she made no bones about it. She made it known publicly. When Jesus asked her
what she would have Him do for her she said, "Grant that these my two sons
may sit, the one on the right hand, and the other on the left in thy
kingdom." Matt. 20:21.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, Zebedee's wife was a worshipper of Jesus, and she did
all in her power to keep her boys involved in the kingdom. There is no question
about her loyalty. She was at the cross when Jesus died. Her faith was real.
All the family was touched but what about dad?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What was Zebedee doing that was more important than the
doings of the rest of the family? He is mending nets. He had employees to manage,
the Stock market to watch, his fishing firm was his life. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He was probably a pleasant man. He did not fuss at his wife
about her devotion to Christ, at least there is no indication in the scriptures
that he did. He was perfectly willing for her to get up Sunday morning and take
the boys to Church. He didn't even get mad when they joined the ministry and
left him shorthanded down at the fish market.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is more than can be said for some husbands. Some of
them are mean and do all in their power to make it hard for the kids and the
little wife who wants to serve God. Some may not be in the "mean" category, but they will not cooperate, they discourage prayer and Bible teaching
in the home, they are not religious minded. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I do not want to pick on Zebedee. There is nothing wrong
with mending nets. It is a good, honorable, healthy job. He was a provider for
his family, they needed food and care, and he provided it all. He did not wait
for the government to feed them. However, tragedy of tragedy, he missed Christ.
His wife knew Him, his sons knew Him, he, Zebedee alone, was too busy. He was a businessman and probably took the attitude that many do today, that religion
is for women and children. He spent his life mending nets, everyone in the
family knew God, everyone but daddy that is.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If there was some way you could have been privileged to meet
any of the great men of history, who would you have chosen? Abraham, Moses,
Julius Caesar, Paul, Plato, Napoleon, Lincoln or how? These were all great men
in their field and men that any of us would feel it an honor to meet. However,
if we really had our choice of all men who ever lived, we would brush aside
those just named for the chance to meet Christ. Zebedee had that chance but apparently ignored it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not only did he miss seeing Jesus, he missed hearing the
Sermon on the Mount. He missed hearing the greatest sermon ever preached on
this globe. His sons heard it but not daddy, he never did get around to it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dad, you may be reading these lines, are you missing out
too? Remember that one day ALL will hear His voice either in rejection or
acceptance. However it will be too late for those who have refused to hear and
heed it in the day of mercy and opportunity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Zebedee missed the miracles Jesus performed, and he missed seeing
the power of God in action. He didn't take time to look up from his, nets. The
cigarette companies advertise, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel," but
most of us today are not interested enough to walk a block to the revival
meeting to see a sinner cleansed and their lives rebuilt.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Zebedee missed seeing Lazarus restored to life. He was
probably the kind of man who said, "Well, I work hard all day and I am so
tired when I get home, I just don't feel like going anywhere much."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He missed seeing the empty tomb. His sons were there and saw
it, they witnessed the triumph of the resurrection but daddy was mending nets,
he missed seeing it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My hat is off to the man who will work. The harder he works,
and the more pride he takes in his work, the more my hat is off to him. I have
no time whatever for a lazy-bone. I am allergic to such people. Just having one
around makes me tired. However, there is more to life than working hard and making
a living. It means getting ready for eternity. It means more than fishing, ball
games, hunting, gardening, housekeeping, etc. Some of these may be good and
legitimate so long as they do not keep us from Jesus. The three men who made
the excuses for not going to the supper in Luke 14 all had legitimate
arguments, there was nothing wrong with their having land, oxen and a wife. The
trouble was that they put those things ahead of the invitation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is nothing in the world so important as that of being a
Christian. The dad needs to be saved because he is the head of the home and has
a great responsibility in that position. His wife changed her name to wear his.
The children bear his name. The property is in his name. The man should be
FIRST to head toward Christ. He should not leave it to his wife and children to
set the example.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today's Zebedees are the men among us who never lead their
families to Christ. They provide a way for them to go to church, but dad is too
busy. They might even attend the services, but their mind and heart is only
invested in their nets. Yes, Zebedee was proud of his family, he would not
have changed a thing about them. His wife was a Godly woman, his sons were in
the ministry, that was fine, he had no objections, he would vote any day to
keep it just that way. However, it just didn't seem to be for him, he had other
things to do. Dad, don't cancel Jesus. Don't be a Zebedee.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The poet said it all so very well when he penned the
following lines—</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are little eyes upon you, and they're watching night
and day;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are little ears that quickly take in every word you
say;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are little hands all eager to do everything you do,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And a little boy who's dreaming of the day he'll be like
you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You're the little fellow's idol; you're the wisest of the
wise;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In his little mind about you no suspicions ever rise;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He believes in you devoutly, holds all that you say and do,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He will say and do in your way when he's grown up just like
you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There's a wide-eyed little fellow who believes you're always
right,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And his ears are always open, and he watches day and night.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You are setting an example every day in all you do,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the little boy who's waiting to grow up to be like you.</span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-77986519315853543232023-06-02T15:00:00.000-04:002023-06-02T15:00:00.260-04:00Does Heaven Exist?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9qhq454K9KdAhutha3G3yhvPRpKYvTydSKpv-9ftRBja_bjHkQZ7-cwca3zfbmxDYtswXAJwfTvWH_1jdMvOzXhufoaUUeNK17BV18RPKNvTLZ-MhoZFgmemxJ07Cu-iShcXFMtSaCNeAitdC4UMNZ5Ve_e1Eu6ixqaDquVH5pzSiyEqZ_QXs15GPg/s1280/heaven%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1280" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9qhq454K9KdAhutha3G3yhvPRpKYvTydSKpv-9ftRBja_bjHkQZ7-cwca3zfbmxDYtswXAJwfTvWH_1jdMvOzXhufoaUUeNK17BV18RPKNvTLZ-MhoZFgmemxJ07Cu-iShcXFMtSaCNeAitdC4UMNZ5Ve_e1Eu6ixqaDquVH5pzSiyEqZ_QXs15GPg/w606-h343/heaven%20(2).jpg" width="606" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Just where is Heaven located? Do saved people go there
instantly after death and many other questions? Even an issue of <i>Time</i>
magazine took up the subject. On its cover page, it showed a man standing out
in space on a cloud; he is looking upward, his right hand shading his eyes from
the sun so as to get a better look. He is trying to locate heaven. Only three
words are on that cover page, "Does Heaven Exist?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is only one absolutely credible source for that
answer, and that source is God's Word. Why ask mortal man with his life's
breath in his nostrils? Why get a dozen varied opinions on the subject? Why
waste time and money trying to figure it all out when He who created it has
already spoken authoritatively?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jesus told His disciples just before He went away, "In
my Father's, house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be
also" (John 14:2,3).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shortly thereafter, He took them out to the Mount of Olives
and as He was speaking, gravitation lost its hold, and Jesus suddenly ascended
into His Father's house exactly as He had said He was going to do. To comfort
them and possibly to reassure them he would fulfill His promise He sent two
angels in the form of men clothed in white apparel who told the amazed disciples:
"This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Crystal clear - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no room for question or argument - God's
eternal Word for all ages. There is a Heaven, Jesus is there at the right hand
of the Father today making intercession for us (Col. 3:1) and will be there
until He comes again to take His own to be with Him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Apostle Paul was permitted to get a glimpse of heaven
(II Cor. 12:3,4) but John the Revelator saw a door opened and saw God on His
throne and was given a preview of much of what the future holds for our world.
He saw heaven in all its beauty, saw it measured, saw in prophetic vision it
coming down to earth for the millennial reign. What more proof do we want? I
have only touched the surface so far as the scriptural account goes as to the
reality of heaven.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The <i>Time</i> article interviewed some clergymen as to
what they thought about the existence of Heaven, and I was shocked at their
uncertainty. All of them must have quoted the Lord's Prayer many times and does
it not begin with the words, "Our Father who are in heaven?" Did they
really mean what they were saying or was it just so much babble? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The real shockers came when I read "Letter to the
Editor” in <i>Time</i>. One woman wrote and said she thoroughly enjoyed the
article, "Does Heaven Exist?" and declared herself "a devout
Christian." But, wait, look at what else she had to say, and you'll see if
she really is. She declares that she doesn't give much thought to heaven, that
her spirituality isn't based, and I quote, "On an anthropomorphic,
kick-butt God who will throw generations of children into eternal damnation
because some distant forefather ticked him off. Heaven is the flip side of the
absolutely barbaric notion of hell that evolved under that kick-butt mind set.
Hell is just plain inconsistent with the tradition of mysticism that brought me
into the faith in the first place. To me, God is a symbol for something
unfathomable, an utter mystery that fills my heart with song." Well, it is
not hard to see why she doesn't give much thought to heaven for clearly she has
no connections there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then there was another letter in which a man wrote
congratulating <i>Time</i> for the article but complaining thus: "Nowhere
did the story even hint at the millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus,
Buddhists, agnostics, and atheists worldwide who, may have had a glimpse of
heaven, a near-death experience, and lived to tell about it if we had taken
time to listen." He goes on to tell how this crowd just mentioned had for
years had a near-death, experience and "encountered the Light (meaning
God, of course) which had transformed their lives." A Light that had
transformed the lives of atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists? Remember, he
is not speaking of the conversion of these people, he is speaking about them in
their state of atheism, Hinduism etc., and as such, getting a glimpse of heaven
in a near death experience as God shows them what glories await them after death.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does it not stagger your mind how mixed up, how deceived,
how totally wrong so many people are who seem to sincerely think they are
Christians? The reason they don't believe in or have doubts about heaven is
primarily due to the fact that they have no heaven in their soul. I believe
that any born again Christian can feel a connection, feel the pull of that
better land. I am like the little boy who was flying his kite. The clouds were
lowering and his kite had become hidden in them. A man coming along looked at
the boy and wondered what he was doing standing there holding onto a string.
"What are you doing son?" asked the man. "I am flying my kite,"
responded the lad. "But I don't see any kite," the man said.
"Neither do I," replied the boy, "But I know it's up there
because I can feel the pull on my string." Praise the Lord! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, even if there is no heaven and I discover that at
death, I am still a winner. I have had a good time believing there is one, my
faith in a glorious hereafter has inspired my life far above those who have no
hope. I have known the best people on earth and whatever may be the cause of my
death cannot be contributed to bad habits, immoral living, or other self
inflicted causes for my faith in God, .and my hopes of one day inhabiting the
home He has gone to prepare for me has kept me from these things. It has
stabilized my very being.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We all know who Sigmund Freud was. Where he spoke in
theological matters, he must be totally ignored for he had no concept of God whatever.
He died in 1939 but before he did, he wrote a letter to a Christian preacher
whom he admired, saying? "You are in the fortunate position of leading
people on to what you believe to be God, fortunate at least in the one respect
that religious piety stifles neurosis." This was not a case of Freud
endorsing God but he did admit at the end that he did not have the full answer
to man's problems, that a faith in a Supreme Being could "stifle
neurosis," keep such a person from beating a path to the psychiatrists or
clinical psychologists office, that such a faith could help a person to a more
beneficial status. Hopefully Freud, before he died, did accept an appointment
with the greatest psychiatrist that ever lived, the Lord Jesus Christ. If he
did, he long since has found that the heaven he didn't think existed, really
did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">[Printed April 2002; Author – Dr. J. Royce Thomason]</p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-64876647362835989662023-06-01T14:21:00.004-04:002023-06-01T14:21:25.862-04:00Sex Education in One Easy-To-Learn Lesson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQJDIgUihR0fo1uqjXDtN19AUIewOf7huZbJqwsgjcdgDYAht0vkaaiKSvfS66bav71iaykOsZCYqEslasJH1OjVQl9Z2E0TRko3kJugYxaO-fMbXjwdpUpEemo91QR7vhceZ1ASw3atZFBDh8gMlHoKxwAf-6EKzAkuROymDS2h_kXSaIfwLmBz3zw/s1280/couple-g300bd61c7_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQJDIgUihR0fo1uqjXDtN19AUIewOf7huZbJqwsgjcdgDYAht0vkaaiKSvfS66bav71iaykOsZCYqEslasJH1OjVQl9Z2E0TRko3kJugYxaO-fMbXjwdpUpEemo91QR7vhceZ1ASw3atZFBDh8gMlHoKxwAf-6EKzAkuROymDS2h_kXSaIfwLmBz3zw/w601-h399/couple-g300bd61c7_1280.jpg" width="601" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My dear youthful reader, I am more concerned about you now
than ever before perhaps. I am sore distressed that the godless Humanists
(Planned Parenthood, National Education Assn., and a few others) have made you
the victims of a tragic, and in many cases lethal, program which you know as
"sex education" in the schools. Why must they stimulate your base
instincts, pollute your minds, arouse your curiosities, furnish you the
wherewith for fornication, and, yes, in many cases insult your intelligence?
Most of those students being made to swallow, this concoction from hell could
probably give the <i>sexperts</i> some pointers. They are probably more informed
on the subject than are the professors. Also, does this godless crowd of sex educationists
think you are so ignorant that you cannot find out all you need to know on the
subject without their help? Thus I say they are actually insulting your
intelligence. I was once your age and graduated from a large high-school. Had
even the expression "sex-education" been uttered in our classrooms we
would not have understood such a strange term. We would probably have thought
they were talking about some foreign country in Africa or New Guinea. Before
starting this article, I spent some time reminiscing and I cannot remember in all
my pre-college schooling one single case of venereal disease or one case of an
unmarried mother. In fact, I cannot recall one single case where there was what
the world terms a "shotgun wedding." NOT ONE. Will the Humanists,
Communists, and all others of their same stripe step up and explain how we
managed so well and came out with such a good record without their stupid
advice? The full extent of our sex-education in the schools consisted of one
word, "abstinence." We heard that word in the home, in the church and
in the school. You dear ones out there in today's public schools are just as
brilliant, perhaps more so in many cases than we were, and basically you are no
different. What worked for us in that day will still work for today without the
help of the <i>sexperts</i> if you'll only apply it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The old negro preacher expressed it perfectly when he said,
"The <i>GosPill</i> (Gospel) is just like all other pills, it has to be
swallowed to work. But, if swallowed, it sho’ do work." How true. The
Gospel of Jesus Christ has the answer to today's dilemma but it must be heeded.
In just a minute I am going to give you straight from God's Word one easy to
learn, simple, sex education lesson. It is short and to the point, I hope you
will memorize it and hide it away in your heart, The Psalmist said, "Thy
Word have I hid in my heart (recorded it there, in memory) that I might not sin
against thee," Psalms 119:11.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently I picked up a young man who had missed his ride to
the college where he was attending and he was thumbing his way. He had a thick
book in his hand and I noticed it's title, <i>The Origin of Man</i>. I said,
"Son, what is that book about?" </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He replied, "This tells us how man got here."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"And did they
need all that much book to tell it?" I inquired. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Oh yes," said he, "There's a lot to the
record." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I said, "Well, I have it all in two short verses,
of one short chapter that covers a little more than one page. His eyes widened
and he said, "Where?" Then of course you know what I told him,
"Genesis 1:26 and 27." Just as the monkey folks, the baboon-boosters
and the tadpoleites could have found the whole story in the Bible as smart
folks have, the <i>sexperts</i> can find more material than they need, workable
material with benefits in this world as well as for the world to come, if they
would just accept it as God laid it all out in His Word long ago.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">MODESTY: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the best safeguards of morality is to be found in the
subject-of dress. As l am sure you all know, the male sex drive is different
from that of the female. He is attracted chiefly by looking, that is why God
said, "whosoever LOOKETH on a woman to lust after her (not a woman looking
on a man but a man looking on a woman, that is the order of things) hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matt. 5:28. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">David LOOKED on Bethsheba's exposed body as she bathed and
you know the rest of the story. In Proverbs the 7th chapter we see a young man
going through the streets and a woman approaches him "with the ATTIRE of a
harlot." She lured the young man to his destruction but what was her main
drawing card for his eyes? - Her attire, her dress style. It would take a whole
sermon to explore all there is to be said on this line, but, girls, when you
wear your skintight pants that have been fashioned after men's clothing and the
things are so tight they reveal every contour, every chill bump, you have left
little imagination and you are in trouble. When your dress neckline plunges so
as to be somewhat revealing, when the hem of the dress is short enough to
expose any area above your knees; when your wild hairdo, your facial makeup, or
whatever, is so designed as to attract the eye of a man, you have opened a
Pandora's box. You are asking for trouble, and there is plenty of it out there to
be found. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is God's formula for your dress code: "In like
manner, also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel (long enough, high
enough, thick enough, loose enough. Not gaudy, not revealing, not vain, not
designed to lure the opposite sex) with shamefacedness (shy, able to blush, a
blush is a sign which nature hangs out to show where chastity and honor dwell,
meek) not with braided hair (braided hair was a fancy style with the hair
wrapped about gold wedges, extravagant, showing vanity, excessive as is most of
the hairdos of this day) or gold, or pearls, or costly array." 1 Tim. 2:9</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody professing
godliness ought to spend time, and taste, and money to the extent many do on
personal adornment, as if the body was everything and the mind nothing, or as
if the chief end of a woman's life is to please man. The most humbly dressed
believer has a better garment than does a queen who knows not God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">SHUN FAMILIARITY IN EXCESS:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an old
saying that "familiarity breeds contempt," and if this be true, many
young people must hate each other due to so much familiarity between the sexes.
Just as the man is tempted more by sight, the female is lured more by touch.
Young man, keep your hands off that fine young lady and young lady, you see to
it that he does. Nearly all acts of immorality start with a mere caress. One
thing leads to another, once things are set into motion. Casual embraces may be
exhilarating, at first but they are the first rungs of the ladder that leads to
an act of fornication, and the higher you climb on that ladder, the harder it
is to come down, never take the first step.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The best way to avoid temptation along these lines may
require that you run away from it. Joseph in Potiphar's house was the target of
Mrs. Potiphar who tried unsuccessfully to lure him into an act of immorality
and when she became so persistent as to lay hold of him, he fled, leaving his
coat in her hands and to her astonishment. You may have to do something like
that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>KEEP THYSELF PURE: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Timothy was a young man like many of you who read these
lines. Paul wrote him letters of instruction something like the one I am
writing you right now. He exhorted Timothy (applies to all of course) "Let
no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example to the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in PURITY." 1 Tim. 4:12.
Again he exhorted, "keep thyself PURE," in verse 22. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once a man noticed that in the middle of a pond covered with
green scum and filth, a water lily was blooming, its petals as white and unsoiled
as could be. He asked a botanist about this and was told that the petals of the
lily contained a substance that made the dirt slide off, thus enabling it to
bloom untarnished in the midst of the filth of a stagnant pond. Young man,
young woman, you are as that lily, in the midst of a sea of filth and
degradation, a rotten world surrounds you. You are in it but you do not have to
be a part of it. God can give you an experience of grace that will keep you
unsoiled and untainted though all hell is loose on either side of you. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">THOUGHT LIFE:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his letter to the
Philippian church Paul said, "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever, things are lovely, what soever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE
THINGS." Phil. 4:8</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thoughts are the seeds of acts and if they are allowed to go
into the wrong channels, they may breed all kinds of ugly things. Acts, be they
good or bad, are usually the direct fruits of thoughts. When Eve saw the fruit
of the forbidden tree she had some thoughts about the benefits of it. She
testified that she decided it would be good for food. Did she think about its
calorie content, its vitamin benefits, if it was good for the digestive system?
Probably not on these things but she no doubt thought it all through and
weighed the benefits in her mind then she said after that - "I took."
I take no stock in the positive thinking preaching of this day, we do not
believe in mind over matter to the point taught by some popular theologians.
However, the mind, our thoughts, DO play a very decisive role in our actions.
So, Paul says think good thoughts, feed your mind on that in which there is virtue
and praise, don't let your mind become a cesspool in which to breed all sorts
of evil things.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now a word of warning! There is no way you can keep the
devil from planting unwholesome thoughts in your mind and he will do so so
quickly until you will not realize they are there until you find yourself
entertaining them. You cannot prevent birds from flying over your head but you
can prevent them from building a nest in your hair. So, the very moment you
find thoughts in your mind which are not what they should be, dismiss them at
once by perhaps quoting some scriptures, singing a song, offering a prayer or
if nothing else, change the trend of thought to that which is good The devil
will knock at your door, you can rest assured of that, however, it is your fault
if you ask him to stay for dinner. Do not ask or allow that evil thought to
remain, but cast it from you at once.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are so many other things I would like to mention but
remember that above all these things the God who created you in His image and
for His pleasure and for His glory has added some "thou shalt nots."
Listen - "Thou shalt not commit adultery," Rom. 13:9; "Flee
fornication," 1 Cor. 6:18; "Abstain from fornication," Acts
15:20; The <i>sexperts</i> will tell you "do your own thing," they
will tell you that there are "no absolutes," that everything is
"relevant," they will preach their "situational ethics" etc.,
but you remember this one thing if you forget all else I have said, THERE IS A
HEREAFTER. There is a reckoning day coming for sure and for those who sow to
the flesh, they will of the flesh reap corruption Gal. 6:8. God has appointed a
day wherein He will judge us all (Acts 17:31) and here will be the results of
that day for those who have failed to learn God's simple, old fashioned lesson
in the things we have been discussing - "Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators (sex
acts between singles) nor idolaters, nor adulterers (acts between the married
with other mates) nor effeminate (Greek "MALAKOS" meaning sissy,
ladylike) nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God." I Cor. 6:9,10.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">NOTE: Some who read these lines may think - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bro. Royce has his head in the proverbial
sand. However, let’s face it - look at Denmark. In the 7 years that followed
the adoption of compulsory sex education in that country (1970) assaults and
rapes increased 300%. Venereal diseases increased in individuals over the age
of 20 by 200%; in those 16 to 20 yrs. of age it rose 250%, in those 15 and
younger it rose 400%. Add that to the experience of neighboring Sweden which
has had compulsory sex education in its socialistic schools for 30 years or
more. Today Sweden has the highest venereal rate in Europe. The situation has
gotten so bad that a group of doctors have petitioned the King to abolish the
sex education programs. Their view: It is "destructive to family life and the
moral stability of young people.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Look at our own country. I am not sure how long this
insanity has been in our schools but it is clear for all to see that the
situation has worsened to the point where it is epidemic, yet we want to add a
bigger dose of the same deadly medicine. What will we do next? Perhaps build “experience
class rooms” onto the schools where they can get their lessons by performing
the real act under supervision of the <i>sexperts</i> who can see that it is
all carried out according to the book?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">May God help us to be the “lily” in the midst of the mess in
this world – Amen!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[Printed May 1987; Author: Dr. J. Royce Thomason]</span></p><br /><p></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-74441972312591920392023-05-27T08:42:00.006-04:002023-05-27T08:42:50.803-04:00The Choir Invisible of Memorial Day<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYg1Q2R4JG8CX-kjAYTQsvEA36CXGmHaNFcJBjyEG3BmCW78093Lff9z1u1qS5gKOgbtIbsKesCHNnTGUcIq2WbtXccTg_l0MNnDWO_PDRLh7qI1U08OeufT9q6VqDsfqshog9zNkgZMGgOoRw-H9gIC5EOHFm0OO5771BdFpLJz5Q_jBLZPPVE-BcQ/s640/memorial-day-g468725f6c_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYg1Q2R4JG8CX-kjAYTQsvEA36CXGmHaNFcJBjyEG3BmCW78093Lff9z1u1qS5gKOgbtIbsKesCHNnTGUcIq2WbtXccTg_l0MNnDWO_PDRLh7qI1U08OeufT9q6VqDsfqshog9zNkgZMGgOoRw-H9gIC5EOHFm0OO5771BdFpLJz5Q_jBLZPPVE-BcQ/w523-h359/memorial-day-g468725f6c_640.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">No day in the year is more typically American than Memorial
Day. Its roots go deep into our national character. We have as a people,
profound and abiding respect for courage and bravery which binds us closely to
those who have died in battle. Here in America, life – the life of each
individual – is a very dear and precious thing, not to be taken lightly. And
death, the antithesis of life, therefore assumes great proportion and
significance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Decoration Day, as it was first called, originated in the
South shortly after the War Between the States and was later adopted by most of
the other states. Because it brought large numbers to the cemeteries and called
attention to graves in general, it gradually enlarged upon its original
significance and became an occasion for decorating, repairing, and otherwise
paying respect to the graces of family and friends who had passed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This day should not only be a day of remembrance, it should
be primarily a day pointing to the necessity of continuous worship and prayer
for the peace and healing of this nation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At no time in all its history has this nation needed more to
bow in prayer for strength and light, never has it been more in need of the
ancient ideals for which hundreds of thousands of brave and unselfish patriots
gave their lives.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Memorial Day once again brings face to face with ideals well
worthwhile; ideals that should cause us to hear with appreciation the “choir
invisible,” calling us back to communion with the shades of Washington,
Franklin, Jefferson, Jackson, Lee, and Lincoln. From them, we may learn what is
needed to heal this nation’s ills and woes. </p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-89496212293371637182023-05-27T07:28:00.007-04:002023-05-27T07:28:54.711-04:00What is an American?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl45CriIgzDpYrC0E6oMo8AUY8vmVjuK5sG1yQXnNpMNkk3Yk9Ws0frXRCBDWrNg9LWkxh22gQ0xvF9v9t8G5g6IfQkFdeKsOPBtwWhq-FGB3t_NAhoYFugH7KlRwiqCAo78Ex79PtVfrRSfCkieW1E8RhUKdamX-xRtTRIXTJ6ZApupPwtghEnke7g/s640/statue-of-liberty-g304a40f3e_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKl45CriIgzDpYrC0E6oMo8AUY8vmVjuK5sG1yQXnNpMNkk3Yk9Ws0frXRCBDWrNg9LWkxh22gQ0xvF9v9t8G5g6IfQkFdeKsOPBtwWhq-FGB3t_NAhoYFugH7KlRwiqCAo78Ex79PtVfrRSfCkieW1E8RhUKdamX-xRtTRIXTJ6ZApupPwtghEnke7g/w518-h292/statue-of-liberty-g304a40f3e_640.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but
there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a
newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any America.
So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they
would know when they found one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish,
German, Spanish Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Mexican,
African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or
Pakistani, or Afghan. An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot
Navajo, Apache, or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or
Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact there are more Muslims in America than in
Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as
each of them chooses. An American is also free to believe in no religion. For
that he will answer only to God, no to the government and for God.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An American is from the most prosperous land in the history
of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of
Independence, which recognized the God given right of each man and woman to the
pursuit of happiness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An American is generous.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Americans have helped out just about every other nation in
the world in their time of need. When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet
army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people
to win back their country. As of the morning of September 11, Americans had
given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Americans welcome the best, the best products, the best
books, the best music, the best food, the best athlete. But they also welcome the
least. The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your
tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless,
tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America. Some of them
were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, earning a better
life for their families. I’ve been told that the World Trade Center victims
were from at least 30 other countries, cultures and first languages, including
those that aided and abetted the terrorists.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So you can try to kill an American if your must. Hitler did.
So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and every blood thirsty
tyrant in the history of the world, But, in doing so you would just be killing
yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular
place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who
holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land
than you thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant,
tired tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands, too, will join the
community of free and prosperous nations, and America will welcome them!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(The above was said to have been written by a dentist in
Australia – printed May 2002)</p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-88788022712070900092023-05-23T20:07:00.003-04:002023-05-23T20:07:31.091-04:00Take this Transformation Test - Part 2 <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2orfeovU-kEd-zDLgOvbin-wUCX55Ugivk2HPHvs2kayXzOb_88iPnKLfryFlM2fe9ZrqYB6fydCVybHwkiVDwpsEP_1JhThrkqbH6RjGPPsSvFyMuklCIKMsaXYrYIfRPIKyOlbOFVQiNRdUKpvn4B4xOCg9HbcixJDSUS6CuxKlspFxY1Yj1-3W4A/s600/Stinkin-Thinkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2orfeovU-kEd-zDLgOvbin-wUCX55Ugivk2HPHvs2kayXzOb_88iPnKLfryFlM2fe9ZrqYB6fydCVybHwkiVDwpsEP_1JhThrkqbH6RjGPPsSvFyMuklCIKMsaXYrYIfRPIKyOlbOFVQiNRdUKpvn4B4xOCg9HbcixJDSUS6CuxKlspFxY1Yj1-3W4A/w551-h275/Stinkin-Thinkin.jpg" width="551" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> PART 2 (To read Part One, click <a href="https://thevoiceinthewildernessministry.blogspot.com/2023/05/addressing-christian-living-biblical.html" target="_blank">here</a>)</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be not conformed to this world - Be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is an eternally vast chasm of difference separating
the mind conformed to this world and the mind transformed by the work, will,
and Word of our loving Savior Jesus Christ.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let's take a little test. We might discover some <i>Stinkin'
Thinkin'.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. The Brain VS the Bible</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #cc0000;">When a situation, issue or decision confronts you, do you go
to the Bible in search of a verse to support your thinking? Or do you search
the Scriptures daily to learn what God has to say? </span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">To use, abuse or manipulate
the Scriptures to support our thinking is in essence Stinkin' Thinkin'. The
Bible is not our source to find support for our feelings or thinking. The
Bible, God's inspired, infallible Word is the authority.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Opinions VS Omniscience</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><span style="color: #cc0000;">Are we constantly looking for experience, science, or the
world's sources to confirm the teaching found in the Bible? </span></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">God's Word needs no
validation or confirmation from this world. I could park here and give many
examples beginning with, "In the beginning" Gen. 1:1. "Thy word
is truth" and when God's Word speaks on a subject you can take it to the
bank. By the way, if "science" contradicts the Bible just hold on.
"Science" will eventually get it right - now or in eternity. God's
Word is absolutely authoritative on any subject to which His Word speaks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. Evolution VS Eternal</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Do you have evolutionary thinking? Can you spot evolutionary influences?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This point is a good example of #2. So-called evolutionists
do not even agree. They all have their own opinions, evidences, and research.
Did you know, the evolutionist has his church of worship? They're called
museums, and in many cases our taxes pay for their worship. Go almost anywhere
in the United States to tour National Parks, etc., and you will find
evolutionary thinking. Everything happened in millions of years. At least the Smithsonian
was honest enough to admit the flaws and fallibility. Their display said,
"The science of human evolution is a fast-changing field. Much of the
material in this exhibit, which opened in 1974, is now out of date. We're
developing a new exhibit based on the latest findings." Available for you
to see in the Smithsonian Exhibit are five signs stating the incorrect
information portrayed in the display. One reference book listed as recommended
reading was titled, Origins Reconsidered. Each sign giving the updated position
had this common statement, "Recent evidence suggests..." Noteworthy
were the statements, "Fast-changing," and "Now out-of-date." God's Word has not "changed" and is not "out of
date." His infallible Word is not up for "reconsideration," and
"creation fact" is not "fast changing." My Bible is not a
result of evolution. No extra charge for this. The KJV translators got it
right. God has preserved His Word translated from the original languages for
English speaking people today. God's Word has not gone through modern version
evolutionary process. We can stand solidly on the Authorized Version.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4. The Spade VS the Sword</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Is your first line of thinking: "Where can I find the answer?"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just as the archaeologists will travel thousands of miles to
dig in search of proof, so often “Christians” will spend enormous amounts of
time and money for self-help books, therapy, seminars, doctors, etc., trying to
dig out an answer. I’m not saying those things have no place. However, for many, the first line of thinking is where can I find the answer? Should the believer
not immediately on bended knee open God’s Word and allow His Holy Spirit to
lead in all Truth. The Bible is the front line, not the last resort. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5. Agnosticism VS Authority</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Does your thinking challenge the authority of God's Word? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are you forever questioning God's Word because your life is not yielded to His
will? Doubt can be vanquished by faith and faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. Search the Scriptures daily and study to show thyself
approved. Somewhere, at some point you must in your mind declare once and for
all the authority of God's Word for every facet of life.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">6. Free thinkers VS Truth thinkers</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">QUESTION</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">What is the foundation of your thinking?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I was in school, I had never even heard the term
Christian education nor did I know a Christian School existed. One of my
teachers in public school made this statement: "God is a crutch created in
the mind of man to lean upon." Many believers live like that. God and His
Word are there if you can't figure it out. He is our last resort instead of our
final authority. "God, I'll let you know when I need something, otherwise I can do it myself." However, the Bible says: "In all thy ways
acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.” The mind that flows through
this world subject to every wind of change has no mooring of peace. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Notice this illustration - </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKs4BFpp02wayoyIbHPWeu7PahQoSUDSBcRyahKFvtCVttyCrbDuRMifGZVng0SDYxKqPDOjNID4wfXtwxBr2cwBneml80rY_9bB31WdGIkWqr3GH_-A31Y8aHJ_kpkiCss4TydodwjOHm2BfYocmtfRcg0xrwyBSOqqP4zcOuIoXq6LJNdULRxMFxw/s760/06-2002-STINKIN-THINKIN-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKs4BFpp02wayoyIbHPWeu7PahQoSUDSBcRyahKFvtCVttyCrbDuRMifGZVng0SDYxKqPDOjNID4wfXtwxBr2cwBneml80rY_9bB31WdGIkWqr3GH_-A31Y8aHJ_kpkiCss4TydodwjOHm2BfYocmtfRcg0xrwyBSOqqP4zcOuIoXq6LJNdULRxMFxw/s320/06-2002-STINKIN-THINKIN-6.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal">What do you see? The Holy Bible with the world in the background? The Word of God should forever be absolute authority for thinking. Everybody has an absolute authority for thinking. What is yours?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHjnNNXvfMBwqKSYYaNqvAxE7oeq_sDiKvulZDpKtsYSZxnRKrhP7qFNSNQu_rmUsoAfEp-1Use3hmsXvX4vbLCZg-PHmwaA39Wzq5Eeaf-D4ww-DKkVE7kGUbxWtBI4wczFdE_bQYctQ5pMJJxVw1M56NZHiHImdOHaQD2leoF-jQtjqFka2nrxkUg/s799/06-2002-THINKIN-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="551" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHjnNNXvfMBwqKSYYaNqvAxE7oeq_sDiKvulZDpKtsYSZxnRKrhP7qFNSNQu_rmUsoAfEp-1Use3hmsXvX4vbLCZg-PHmwaA39Wzq5Eeaf-D4ww-DKkVE7kGUbxWtBI4wczFdE_bQYctQ5pMJJxVw1M56NZHiHImdOHaQD2leoF-jQtjqFka2nrxkUg/s320/06-2002-THINKIN-7.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>Now what do you see? The world with the Bible in the background? For many believers, the world totally obscures the Word from view. The Bible is totally obscured from their decision making and if it does come in view, it is a small background part of the picture.</blockquote><p><br /></p><p> </p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” You have
a choice to make. The authority for your thinking is a conscious, deliberate
choice. Think about it. Can you pray this prayer?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Father, by your help I will not walk in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful.
I will delight myself in your Word and will meditate in your Word day and
night. I acknowledge you in all my ways. I look to you for direction and pray
your Holy Spirit will teach me and lead me in all your Truth. I am committed to
read and study thy Word faithfully that I may know and do your good and
acceptable and perfect will. Thy Word is truth: sanctify me through thy truth.
This I pray in the name of Jesus my Saviour and Lord, Amen.”</p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-30271770509736302772023-05-22T11:45:00.004-04:002023-05-23T20:08:01.658-04:00Addressing Christian living, Biblical thinking, Truth and American History <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g-dbiNn48JcbTX4fzK6Cf_y039HPdtnnnULCbZOj9w-kaC-Izz08TPl3Aq-HFjkPcsC8iC8PKmhlL82cfDJ4phzAYV65pBebCBT051g29iO-g6Pd_n8t4Wv-CFGef4MeAJmTs_AAhMQcGNZfy4HHhBlldYHvUmDZuSpMvlJDAB2vSWlRsPDnM56sTg/s600/Stinkin-Thinkin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g-dbiNn48JcbTX4fzK6Cf_y039HPdtnnnULCbZOj9w-kaC-Izz08TPl3Aq-HFjkPcsC8iC8PKmhlL82cfDJ4phzAYV65pBebCBT051g29iO-g6Pd_n8t4Wv-CFGef4MeAJmTs_AAhMQcGNZfy4HHhBlldYHvUmDZuSpMvlJDAB2vSWlRsPDnM56sTg/w610-h306/Stinkin-Thinkin.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>There's a whole lot of stinkin' thinkin' going on?</p><p>"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom. 12:2).</p><p>This brother and [had only met a short time ago, yet something seemed quite obvious. Just listen awhile and many times you will learn something. As we drove through the Texas countryside, I listened to him talk. This former pastor revealed a serious flaw in his thinking. Beside the highway was a cliff and rock formation. He pointed out the different shades and colors in the rock layers. Then the tell-tale comment was made. "That occurred over a 100,000 years ago." Now maybe that statement means very little to you, but to me it spoke volumes. Many of the decisions made by that man over the years could be interpreted by the thinking represented by...that statement.</p><p>More than once, from good people, have I heard such thinking. Years ago, my wife and I were eating lunch with a. fine Bible believing, soul-winning pastor. Stretching for miles just outside the restaurant window was a beautiful valley. Describing this part of Wyoming, the pastor's wife said, "Over 100,000 years ago, this valley was covered in water."</p><p>Born again, blood washed children of God, who seem to have their Bible Doctrine in order yet are seriously influenced in their practical everyday thinking by the philosophies of this world. It's as if they possess a split brain. In one compartment they house all the Bible, church and Christian thinking. Then in this other compartment is stored all the worlds thinking, which often includes elements of the personal e.g. family, finance, career, etc. Interestingly enough decision-making becomes muddled. The two compartments spill over into each other causing a very distorted Christian view of this world. They seem to randomly go to the two compartments to pick and choose. For decision making they apply a little Bible and a little of the world's thinking to arrive at their conclusion. From one compartment a little Bible thinking mixed with a little worldly thinking from the other compartment and voila - they have made the right choice. Or have they?</p><p>Tread this statement the other day - "Sometimes you must do a little wrong to do right." Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, that's just the way, business is done, everybody understands that"? Or how about, "The check is in the mail," when the check is not in the mail or possibly has not even been written. One businessman said, "I would rather do business with a lost man that a Christian. I can expect the lost man to lie to me, but when the Christian treats me the same way the lost does, well..."</p><p>Christians dress like the world, listen to the world's music (perform it in the church even) entertain like the world, do business like the world, think like the world -for cryin' out loud, have you read the Bible? "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (IJn. 2:15). "Christians" and "the church" today have fallen in love with this world. If the heart is filled with love for this world, the love of the Father does not exist in that heart. "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world"(IJn. 2:16). Explain to me how it could be possible for the love of this world and the love of the Father to abide in the same heart. Don't waste your time or mine—it is IMPOSSIBLE. The church is trying to put a pearl in the snout of the worldly soaked swine and call them by another name. It cannot be so.</p><p>"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (I Jn 3:13). Is the world your friend? Do you have a love affair with this sin cursed world? Truly if you are a child of God, this world will not love you, it will hate you and you will not love the world nor the things that are in the world.</p><p>Herein lies the indictment. Beware of <i>stinkin' thinkin'</i>! Have you been transformed by the renewing of your mind? We are commanded, "Be not conformed to this world. . ." The Greek word "Conformed" in Romans 12:2 is <i>suschëmatizö </i>meaning to fashion alike, conform to the same pattern, fashion self-according to this world. I see free will here. We have a choice not to fashion ourselves after this world, the times, styles, patterns and philosophies of this world. It is a choice of how you determine to fashions elf —yourself. The church has swallowed this worldly sales job hook-line and sinker. We do not have to follow the thinking: of this world. W6 have a choice. God does not need the world's marketing. techniques, its throbbing music, or hyped-up programs and, showmanship to win the lost.</p><p>No, the church service is not to be some dead dry funeral dirge. No Christianity does not need to be portrayed as some boring stiff stick-in-the-mud. With the Biblical dynamite of God, I am a two-edged sword welding Holy Ghost empowered child of the kingdom who knows where I came from, who I am and where I'm going. I have got the peace that passeth all, understanding, the love of heaven in my soul, a song in my heart, and joy in my step. There's no credit limit on my treasure account and have I got a message to TELL TO THE NATIONS!<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p>"Come out from among them..." (Read II Cor. 6:17). Separation, personally and in the ministry as well is taught in II Cor. 6:14-18 and applies to all believers. "Be not conformed to this world" —that's the command. Earlier in Romans 8:29 Paul speaks of being "conformed to the image of His Son. We are not to be conformed (<i>suschëmatizö </i>) fashioned like this world, but we are to be conformed (Greek: <i>summorphos</i>) to the image of Jesus Christ. This speaks of a union with jointly formed or to be like Jesus. We preachers may apply Romans 8:28 in an effort to comfort someone when in reality that individual is out of the will of God and far from His purpose. Yes, "All things work together for good to them:"</p><p>1. that love God,"</p><p>2. to them who are the called according to His purpose."</p><p>To abide in His PURPOSE is to know His Promise. Apart from that may very well be chastening, correction to bring us in line, punishment for disobedience. The promise of Romans 8:28 belongs to those who walk in His purpose. The child of God will know the power and provision in all things that will prove to be for good "to them that love God" (not the world) and "to them who are the called according to His purpose" (not the pattern of the world). Back to<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Romans 12:2, Paul says "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." This is indeed a supernatural change. The Greek <i>metamorphoo </i>or "Metamorphosis" is a "transformation by the renewing of your mind." The mind of God transforming your thinking, your attitudes, your philosophy of life. So clear is the sharp contrast given here. BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD - BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, how? - by His Word!</p><p>In Part 2 of this article, we will take a little test to see if you are thinking Biblically. You have a foundation for your thinking. What is it? We will take the following outline and honestly look at our thinking.</p><p>1. The Brain vs. the Bible</p><p>2. Opinions vs. Omniscience</p><p>3. Evolution vs. Eternal</p><p>4. The spade vs. the Sword</p><p>5. Agnosticism vs. Authority</p><p>6. Free Thinkers vs. Truth Thinkers</p><p>Let me leave you with this provocative thought. In 1861- 1865 this country went through a period of division and defining. What was that civil war all about—the Union, slavery or what? We call Abe Lincoln the Great Emancipator. However, listen to his words:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>My paramount object in. this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it: and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save this Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union ... I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty, and I intend not modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men, everywhere, could be free.</i> [James Truslow Adamas,<i> The Epic of America </i>(Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1931), p.266].</blockquote><p></p><p>It is recorded that Lincoln was truly Born Again just prior to his assassination. If that is so, what kind of mind/thinking would Mr. Lincoln have possessed as an unregenerate religious thinker? Arguably one of the greatest presidents ever, yet without a transformed mind could he have possibly assimilated all the facts, yea, all the truth, and lead this country as best needed in such a dire hour? Woodrow Wilson surmised "that had the South fallen in the first few months, the status of slavery would probably have remained unchanged" ((Charles F. Pitts, Chaplains in Gray (St. John, IN., The Christian Book Gallery, 1957), p.24.))</p><p>Did some play the slave card knowing that people are often moved by the touchy, feely? Could history be written based on facts not rooted in TRUTH? During that tumultuous time, Christians, families, yes and a nation was divided. Brother would kill brother; kinfolk would go to war against each other. Ministries and denominations would splinter. This is fact, but what was the truth?</p><p>Bringing it back home today-we find good people on both sides of critical issues. How can we know the TRUTH?</p><p>-(continued in <a href="https://thevoiceinthewildernessministry.blogspot.com/2023/05/take-this-transformation-test-part-2.html">Part 2</a>)</p><div><br /></div>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-84050888062496896222023-05-18T16:41:00.004-04:002023-05-18T16:43:34.487-04:00A Little Parable for Mothers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ga91DACMXPcvqiOOy5c7byzgiGfkOJKPcLIei5wxKHQRPzxPXUVxk0fvU2TmNOlF3vcjzGPongOIJQbBuyavOwiU7uzWBKwNfrx0oUiFgDMmApQbQQFCmOUBWIYBIy4t8t_oGqBv8oKz0SvzCXfG1PwVTr5Pl6OQroq2zaLUEG7M3Rc_z_4w6WmXAw/s1280/vintage-gc73ffcc02_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="934" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ga91DACMXPcvqiOOy5c7byzgiGfkOJKPcLIei5wxKHQRPzxPXUVxk0fvU2TmNOlF3vcjzGPongOIJQbBuyavOwiU7uzWBKwNfrx0oUiFgDMmApQbQQFCmOUBWIYBIy4t8t_oGqBv8oKz0SvzCXfG1PwVTr5Pl6OQroq2zaLUEG7M3Rc_z_4w6WmXAw/w383-h523/vintage-gc73ffcc02_1280.jpg" width="383" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she said. And her guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it; but the end will be better than the beginning."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years, So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then night came, and the storm and the path was dark; the children shook with fear and cold; the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle. And the children said "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come, " and the mother said, "This is better than the brightness of the day, for I have taught my children courage."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the morning came, and their was a hill ahead. The children climbed and grew weary, but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are the." So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage; today I have given them strength."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the next day brought strange clouds which darkened the earth. Clouds of war, and hate, and evil, and the children groped and stumbled. And the mother said, "Look up, lift your eyes to the light." And the children looked up and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory. It guided them and brought them through and beyond the darkness. That night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the days went on, and the weeks, and the years. The mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, when the way was rough, they helped their mother. And lifted for her, for she was a light as a feather. And at last they came to a hill, and beyond that hill they could see a shining light and a beautiful road and golden gates flung wide.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." and the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And they stood and watched her as she went alone. The gates closed after her and they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory; she is a living presence."</span></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-1614773725142593052023-05-17T15:15:00.000-04:002023-05-17T15:15:14.960-04:00To the Graduate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gLi9fYTBrF56xfrFB9tx_DtD7fNCtkFfxKhyrsM3U3rQHYYwx--5wB5xrJgtW-bpVHErhlKcaqyOAOAwBcvQt-XvzvbSd4N_CKOnnjbmEf5IoQSkOlLOQM9UdIqT4VKxM6bFrynW3rjXP_Aj02dWA9_QeOdBFA4M_4g421GvTMxv-kT9G85ypHO4eA/s640/graduation-cap-g85896ab72_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gLi9fYTBrF56xfrFB9tx_DtD7fNCtkFfxKhyrsM3U3rQHYYwx--5wB5xrJgtW-bpVHErhlKcaqyOAOAwBcvQt-XvzvbSd4N_CKOnnjbmEf5IoQSkOlLOQM9UdIqT4VKxM6bFrynW3rjXP_Aj02dWA9_QeOdBFA4M_4g421GvTMxv-kT9G85ypHO4eA/w601-h402/graduation-cap-g85896ab72_640.jpg" width="601" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>(This article is dedicated to the graduate. I wish to use
five verses of a poem and make comment between each verse, in the sincere hope
that something said may a help to each of you in the days that lie in the
future.)<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—1—</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The years have
quickly slipped away,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">you pause now at the
open door, You linger, but you cannot stay -</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">my dear, you are a
child no more But graduation time is good - a</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">time to go forth
seeking truth,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Stepping into
adulthood, yet clinging</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">to the dreams of
youth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">COMMENT Someone has said, "Time and tide wait for no
man." Those who remain of my high school graduation class of 1936 back in
Frederick, Oklahoma, will be having a reunion this month. I will be away in
meetings and will not be there in person, only in memory. Many have been the times
since that red-letter day in my life when I have wished somehow I could turn
time back and regain lost opportunities or relive past experiences. Then I have
wished there was some way to even cause time to stand still for awhile to allow
me to accomplish things I did not feel time would permit me to accomplish
otherwise. However, the clock on the wall ticks on; time is passing and will
not wait. Therefore, it is extremely necessary that you make the very best use
of each passing moment. Let no idleness be found in your life. Keep play and
entertainment to the bare minimum. Time is one of God's most precious gifts to
you. Use it wisely and discreetly, remembering you must give an account for the
way you use or misuse it at the judgment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"You are a child no more." Paul said, "When I
was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a
man, I put away childish things" (1 Cor. 13:11). Grow up! Be mature! Act
your age! You are not a child anymore. Always, as the poem says, "cling to
the dreams of youth." Remain young at heart but let your conversation,
your actions, your priorities be that of a well-rounded, mature adult</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—2—</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Yearning to achieve a
name - but to this I must confess,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I do not wish you
wealth and fame,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">only peace and happiness.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happiness in all you do, peace with</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">God and man,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Doing work you love
to do, doing it the best you can.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">COMMENT: Though it would bring my heart great joy to someday
hear that some of you did achieve a prominent place in life, having your name
as a household word on the tongues. of millions (so long as you achieved it
honestly and without compromise of your convictions), however, a big name
should not be your goal, only a "good" name. "A GOOD NAME is
rather to be chosen than great riches" (Prov. 22:1).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Babe Ruth was perhaps the world's most famous ever baseball
player. One day a friend said to him, "Babe, you have been entertained by,
and introduced to, the biggest names in the world kings, queens, presidents,
and others. Of all the ones you have ever met, which do you consider the
greatest?" Mr. Ruth said, "Most of the people who have really counted
in my life were not famous. Nobody ever heard of them, except those who loved
them most. I knew an old minister once. His hair was white, his face shone... I
have written my name on thousands of baseballs in my life. That old minister
only wrote his name on a few simple hearts. How I envy him! Because he was not
trying to please his own immortal soul, fame never came to him. I am listed as
a famous 'home-run hitter,' yet, beside that obscure minister, who always was
so good and wise, I never got to first base."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Several years ago Dag Hammerschold was the general secretary
of the United Nations. He was a good man, highly respected. He was killed in a
mysterious plane crash in Europe, and in the flyleaf of his Bible someone had
written, "When you came into the world, everyone rejoiced; there was none
who wept. May your life so be lived that when the time comes for you to leave
this life, the same may be true. All shall have reason to rejoice, none shall
have reason to weep."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—3—</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Think not your
efforts are in vain - adversity but makes us grow.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">One must seek a
higher plane, to view the grandeur below.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Unto thy ownself be
true - these are words by which to live,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Being just in all you
do, willing to forget, to forgive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">COMMENT: There will be many times when the winds of
adversity will howl and beat down upon you. It is during those times that your
soul will find opportunity to send its roots down further to a better hold.
There is a song which says:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Lord, I thank you for the valley I walked through today,<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The deeper the valley, the more I learned to pray.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, adversities will come; but they will affect you only as
you allow them to do so.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—4—</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">For peace is not with
money bought,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nor happiness acquired with fame,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">He with loneliness is
fraught, who</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">strives but to exalt
his name.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Always be sincere and
true, ever</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">searching for the
right</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">But honest in
whate're you do </p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">for in honesty there
is might.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">COMMENT: The world has a perverted view of success. It is
usually thought that this is necessary for happiness, but this is not always
true. Success will mean the ability to buy nice clothes; but it is not-the
clothes that make the man, it is the man in the clothes that counts. Success
may mean a fine home on a lakeside; but it is' not the home that counts but
what the man in that home is. Happiness is not found in things. The road to
happiness is the same today as given by Jesus 1900 years ago in His Sermon on
the Mount. In the beatitudes He lays down the foundation for happiness. He
teaches that happiness is not found in what we have but in what we are.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances. It
depends on inward harmony with God. It is only found in an evenly balanced and
properly adjusted soul.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Society is filled with the materialistic view that fine
cars, homes, clothes, stocks, and bonds are the true marks of success and
happiness. People are weighted down by the consideration of the present because
they live by sense rather than by faith. Human thinking always prefers the
present to the future. Look out for the present surely; however, remember there
is a future coming too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—5—</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Greet all with a
friendly smile,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">extend a hand to
those in need.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Adhere to principles
worthwhile,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">and let kindness be
your creed.</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Yes, life comprises
more than gold -</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">see the sunshine and
the flowers,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Watch as future years
unfold, into</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">golden days and
hours;</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Grasp them ere they
pass you by,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">plan to use each
precious minute,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">You'll discover if
you try,</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">peace and happiness
within it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">COMMENT: Much of the happiness in life will be found as you
live your life for others. John Wesley had a motto that said, "God first,
others second, me last." Be unselfish, make your life a channel of
blessing to others. Is your fellow man having troubles? Help him dig a hole in
which to bury them, and in so doing you will find a place to bury your own.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I often think of a story I heard once. A man saw a poorly
dressed, shivering little boy standing alone on the street corner, crying his
little heart out. The kind man inquired as to the trouble. The lad said,
"My dad sent me to the store with a dollar to buy some groceries. It was
cold and I had the money in my pocket; and as I had no gloves, I had my hands
in there too and somewhere I must have pulled my hand out and the dollar with
it. It is gone." The man said, "Why don't you go home and explain to
your daddy what happened? He will understand." "Oh," replied the
little fellow, "you don't know my dad. He is a drunkard. He is home drunk
now and if I go home without the groceries, he will beat me half to
death."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The man took the little fellow by the hand and led him into
the store and told the groceryman to let him have whatever the items were that
he was supposed to buy. Then the kind man paid for them out of his own pocket,
placed the bit of change in the boy's hands and said, "there now son, you
have the groceries and the change. You can go home now and nobody will beat
you." The little fellow hugged the man's legs tight, looked up with his
tear-stained eyes and said pitifully, "I wish you were my daddy." The
man said, "I walked around eight or ten blocks looking for another little
boy who had lost a dollar?'</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One's life is as broad as his love, sympathy, and service.
Sympathy is love at work; a man without sympathy is a man without love. You
will not have to search long to find someone less fortunate than yourself,
someone upon whom you can bestow your love and service. There is a worthy man
who is poor, you can pay for his dinner. There is a person frail in body; you
could carry their luggage, shine their shoes, help them across the busy street
crossing. There are those without anyone to love or, care for them; you can
fill that void, you can at least pray for them. There is a sinner with a lonely
heart; you can lead him to Christ. We are all in some way debtor to everyone we
meet, and surely there is some way to at least pay the interest on that debt. Paul
said, "I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the
wise and the unwise" (Rom. 1:14).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I congratulate you my graduating friends; I am proud of you.
I wish you the very best of everything in this life, and my final benediction
would be:</p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>When evening draws
its curtains, and<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>life's path you no
longer trod,<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>May your name in
gold be written, <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the Lamb's Book
of God.<o:p></o:p></i></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-75749208004979271052023-05-16T15:50:00.000-04:002023-05-16T15:50:09.446-04:00What Else Could We Expect: The Positive in a Negative World<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0IpcF33mdaVgIyM8TrmR0SaxHnHLAHBrXqdzJ-Mk0-XINagKYLp2Dl-ZI7ItuDSE3-oab_lJuZI61bpABofPqjXYf9mKIO3tFHqwzRKe4eCUHDRNz2QtzTrwJbT1kqi74TqPtFfILADhPQKfn_dA915OR7zZMNneUekrPtvfS7VdG4-u9xVSq4RPQ/s800/SchoolShootingSantaFE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K0IpcF33mdaVgIyM8TrmR0SaxHnHLAHBrXqdzJ-Mk0-XINagKYLp2Dl-ZI7ItuDSE3-oab_lJuZI61bpABofPqjXYf9mKIO3tFHqwzRKe4eCUHDRNz2QtzTrwJbT1kqi74TqPtFfILADhPQKfn_dA915OR7zZMNneUekrPtvfS7VdG4-u9xVSq4RPQ/w587-h330/SchoolShootingSantaFE.jpg" width="587" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">{First published May 1998}</p><p class="MsoNormal">Take away the Bible and prayer. Make it illegal to even
display the Ten Commandments. Teach your children that they are a product of
evolution, God is dead, and there are no absolutes. Elevate the worth of plants
and animals over man; not to mention the creature above the creator, (Romans
1:25). Fund and legislate the murder of the unborn. Subsidize perverted
professors and college programs while they indoctrinate impressionable minds
with the most disgustingly vile curriculum. Stand back and do nothing while the
wicked wallow like a hog in mire, and "What else could we expect?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's no wonder that children are gunning down their
schoolmates. It's no wonder it appears the whole world has gone mad. It's no
wonder the U.S. government is more occupied with scandals and cover-ups than
governing. "What else could we expect?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, let's be reminded that "God is still on the
throne" (1 Samuel 2:6-10, Psalm 11:4, Psalm 45:6); "we are more than
conquerors" (Romans 8:37); and the "gates of hell shall not
prevail" (Matthew 16:18). THE KING OF KINGS "holds the heart of the
king in His hand" (Proverbs 21:1). Our families, marriages, and children
need not raise the flag of surrender. Our churches don't have to hunker down in
survival mode only to dry up into nothingness. We serve the living and true God
(Jeremiah 10:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:9); the One Who conquered death, hell and
the grave giving life to all who believe. Just as in the days of Elijah, there
are many who have not bowed the knee (1 Kings 19:18).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Pastors, churches, brothers, and sisters, faint not
(Luke 18:1, Galatians 6:9). Here is the positive in this old negative world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans
5:20). This week I gave a tract to a business man, and he responded with the
story of a buddy who had just gotten SAVED. Yes, he used the "5"
word, SAVED. Indeed, it sounded like this man (who by the way admitted he
himself was not right with God) had seen the transforming power of God in the
life of a friend. God is still in the soul-saving business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Debbie phoned us Friday morning to tell how grandfather
rushed back into a pitch-black, smoke-filled basement not knowing his grandson
was fearfully hiding from the flames threatening the small boy's life. The
electrical power was out, but miraculously a bright light shown down on the little boy just long enough for a rescue. Recovering in the hospital, the family
was giving praise to the Lord.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God is still in the miracle-working business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A child commits suicide at school in North Carolina, and two
boys gun down schoolmates in an Arkansas school yard. OK, Ronnie, find
something positive here. Well, think about it. When men get desperate and can't
find hope or answers from this world, maybe they will look above "from
whence cometh help" (Psalm 121:1). One news commentator even stated that
events like this may prompt more parents to consider home schooling their
children. Personally, the thoughts of putting my child in a public school would
be horrifying. More and more parents are realizing - no Bible, no prayer, no
discipline means no hope. Yet, God is still in the HOPE business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then, could anything good come out of Un-Holywood? At the
time of writing this article, the block-buster film “Titanic" has grossed
$516 million. That's good? Well, that brings me to good news. Of course YOU
know what the theme of this movie is - DEATH. "The wages of sin is
death" (Romans 6:23). Men are appointed once to die and after this the
judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Are YOU prepared?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let me tell you about One Who gives life - life abundant,
life eternal. Maybe that $516 million caused a few to think a serious thought.
What will happen if I die? Is there life after death? Will I face God after
death?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, these are the LAST DAYS, BUT NOT THE LOST DAYS. Sin
abounds, and it is not easy to win the lost. But remember: Our God "ain't dead; He ain't even been sick!" For crying out loud! Have we, of all
people, forgotten our God is on His throne and is fully able to keep every
promise and every word He has spoken? <i>What else could we expect</i> of
our Lord!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">—Ronnie L. Williamson</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4838743802843644270.post-83665504977790783562023-05-16T15:22:00.002-04:002023-05-16T15:22:19.848-04:00Not Forgotten<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxP7OZ6eDgolupNzjPN_gIshReePRVn25qzmROERjqjrw_z9HQQQ5FTxSmW5FAGVUMpoMX5EtznOy3_EQ1tvkoQygo8xC7c-rK_ADMQfr7GuX8slhRrUQhD4Q_pyZuYiQ_PdgTNfql_tTVHBDcg7b0Ic3dkYkIHof8iF1L60wZjzdVSBwSfNcZa9Vng/s640/flag-g300d564d2_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="640" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxP7OZ6eDgolupNzjPN_gIshReePRVn25qzmROERjqjrw_z9HQQQ5FTxSmW5FAGVUMpoMX5EtznOy3_EQ1tvkoQygo8xC7c-rK_ADMQfr7GuX8slhRrUQhD4Q_pyZuYiQ_PdgTNfql_tTVHBDcg7b0Ic3dkYkIHof8iF1L60wZjzdVSBwSfNcZa9Vng/w559-h366/flag-g300d564d2_640.jpg" width="559" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was Memorial Day! Men stood stiffly at attention, rifle
salutes were fired, and the bugle-blown "taps" tingled every spine.
No one seemed to notice the small boy, a blood-red geranium in hand, who knelt
before a craggy boulder in a New York park.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I'm giving this to you," he whispered, placing
the flower at the unmarked grave, "because nobody knows who you are."<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Almost forgotten in the passing of more than 150 years was
the mass grave of some 300 "unknown" soldiers of the War of 1812.
Just as obscure, the passing of time dimming memories of him, is General John
Alexander (Black Jack) Logan, who gave us our first Memorial Day just a century
ago.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Logan was a carefree youth of 20 when he left his home in
southern Illinois and galloped the nearly 30 miles to the town of Marion.
"I'm going to join up!" he told his father. The Mexican War was just
beginning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Black Jack" was doomed to disappointment. The
captain in charge stated matter-of-factly, "We're all filled up!"
That didn't stop Logan. He was an adventurer. He had fought river pirates on
the Ohio and the Mississippi Rivers. He had tangled at knife range with
grizzlies. He went to another Illinois town and joined a band of volunteers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">John Logan fought in the Mexican War. He was well-liked,
tall, black-haired, a born leader. After the war he turned to politics and was
elected a state prosecuting attorney. A tall, gangling Abe Lincoln often
crossed his path.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By horseback and buggy, Logan covered the Third Judicial
District of Illinois. One day, stopping in the old river port of Shawneetown,
he was amazed to find, when he visited a family he had known since the Mexican
War, that their little daughter had grown into a ravishing beauty.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Logan wasted no time, popped the question, and was married
in 1855. The Logans set up housekeeping in Benton. His wife Mary urged him to
try for Congress. He was eventually elected to both the House and Senate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But war clouds were gathering. Mary was apprehensive. Her
brothers would fight on the Confederate side; her husband for the North. Where
would her loyalties lie?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">John Logan recruited the first companies of the 31st
Illinois Regiment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later, as a colonel, he led them into battle. On one
occasion, Confederate shells tore huge gaps in the Union lines and Logan's
horse died beneath him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back home, his wife stood by him. She nursed the wounded and
went on personal crusades to beg bedding and food for her patients. She
encouraged her husband during the darkest hours of the bitter strife. Logan was
Commander of the Army of the Tennessee at the Battle of Atlanta when the Civil
War ended.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was about a year later, in April 1866, that hundreds of
people gathered at a small cemetery in Carbondale, in southern Illinois, to
decorate graves of soldiers buried there and to honor their memory. The speaker
for the occasion was their most illustrious native son, the man General Grant
called "the best soldier and officer of all the Union volunteers,"
Major General John A. Logan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The simple observance made such a profound impression on the
indomitable Logan that two years later, urged on by his wife Mary to "do
something to remember those courageous men," he took steps to perpetuate
their memory. As Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, Logan
issued his now-famous General Order No. 11, which set aside May 30 "for
the purpose of strewing flowers and otherwise decorating the graves of comrades
who died in defense of their country..."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even before May 30 had been observed nationally, several
southern states had decorated the graves of their fallen on this date. Memorial Day
is now dedicated to the fallen of all wars.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Logan's fame
increased and reached its crest when he ran unsuccessfully for Vice President
in 1884 on the ticket with James G. Blaine. Logan was forgotten for years until
a giant equestrian statue was erected in his honor in our nation's capital.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This year, as in the past, May 30 will be a day for us to
reaffirm our obligation to those who have marched courageously into the Valley
of the Shadow of Death. With tear-dimmed eyes we can dedicate ourselves again
to maintain that pride in our nation which surges from sacrifice in a thousand
out-of-the-way places. Brave fighters for freedom have died with our flag
before their eyes and our national anthem on their lips.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At Arlington and Pearl Harbor, on the once-bloody beaches of
Normandy, on the battle-scarred hills of Korea, in the rice paddies of Vietnam,
lie the bones of men who said "No!" to aggression. We know they loved
our country and feared no man.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As John Logan once said: "What better can we say of any
man than that he laid down his life for his friends?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That's why we have a day for remembering. We can say it loud
and clear for the world to marvel at: "We salute your memory, Mr. America.
May we always uphold this land and the ideals for which you gave your
life!"</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To the Reader: The passing of time has dimmed the
authenticity of many tales of origin of customs in our nation. And so it is
with Memorial Day. Although there is no doubt that, the custom of honoring the
fallen heroes of our country was observed in a number of different places
previous to 1868, it is generally accepted that the General Order No. 11,
issued by "'Black Jack" Logan just over 120 years ago, was the official
establishment of this "Day of Remembrance."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">{Originally printed MAY 1998; author: Kevin Wallace
Coventry}</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Dr. Ronnie L. Williamson, Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05880496451807553597noreply@blogger.com0