Putting a Face With A Name

Hello out there in internetsland. Enough with the politics for now, though this subject does kinda sorta bump up against the same.
Pictured is Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, under a death sentence for leaving Islam and refusing to reject Jesus Christ. Living under theocratic rule (at its despotic worst) Nadarkhani may die for his faith.
I imagine he could be praying Psalm 59: 1-5, 12-13, 16-17
^"1    Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
²    Deliver me from those who do iniquity  And save me from men of bloodshed.
³    For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me,  Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD,
⁴    For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.  Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!
⁵    You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah."
I and many others are praying for him and for our brothers and sisters around the world facing death for belonging to Christ. Their hope is my hope. Their Savior is my Savior. And we all look forward to the day of our Lord's return.

^"12    On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,     Let them even be caught in their pride,     And on account of curses and lies which they utter.
^13    £Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;     That men may know that God rules in Jacob     To the ends of the earth. Selah."

^"16    But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;     Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,     For You have been my stronghold     And a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷    O my strength, I will sing praises to You;     For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness."

Anchor Rancor

Even in photographs he slides to the Left.
I was just thinking about President Obama's support for "Occupy Wall Street". He was the first to so 'occupy' the Street by way of corporate 'bailouts' and the 'taking over' of car companies. He set the CEO pay for companies tangled in his web at $500,000.00. Half a million dollars compensation.
Do the sidewalk geeks of OWS remember that? That the President who is praising their efforts thought that half a million dollars per year for CEOs was fair?
I bring this up because of a recent reminder as to the inart of failed argument:
People arguing facts against people arguing emotions is a waste of time. There is no middle. The people arguing from the emotions (in this case OWS) don't care about the facts. Those arguing from the facts (or truth/reality/the real deal/me) will be unmoved by emotional arguments. Both sides will be better served by not arguing.
Looking ahead, the misshambles of the Left's attempt to 'fix' healthcare (which you will never hear a whisper about until after the election) is being taken apart by courts deeming parts of "The Plan" unconstitutional.
The Left has expended so much political capital and MONEY to make this happen, with nothing to show for all of their efforts (hopefully) that they have lost the American public. It was never about healthcare and reining in costs. It was always about Control, and the American people kinda like thinking for themselves.
President Obama, in my opinion, will not carry 10 states in 2012. Every policy of his which has been implemented hurts America. Jimmy Carter must be cackling from the grave. (I know he's still alive, sorta)

Evict the "Occupy White House" Protestants

Documentatians are pinning their "Oscar" hopes on the lamest protest since my seventh grade 'irregulars' showed disdain for authority by taking the pennies out of our penny loafers-RADICALS!
Lech Walesa is looking into a lawsuit against President Obama for attempting to 'co-opt' "Solidarity".
Walesa's reasoning is that his Solidarity movement was attempting to break up communist rule; President Obama is heading the other direction.
Obama's LOVE for (and solidarity with) the anti-Capitalist whine-mongers shows where his dried up tiny little heart lies.
Speaking of lies, I'm still not ready for the political season of electioneering. This post is more about President Obama's standing shoulder to shoulder with inane financial anarchists than his many political sins. Others can point out those demerits.
This is about the ridiculosity of a man who has become wealthy by pointing a bony finger of shame at 'Capitalism'...who cheers on morons wearing designer clothes, carrying ipods and expensive cell phones who stage a sit-in of Wall Street.
Think about this. These 'Occupy Wall Street' nimrods gnash their teeth at banks and financial markets.
They wear stupid signs and chant slogans complaining about the fictive "1%" being evil.
Really? 1%? I would LOVE for only 1% of any group to be evil! But of course their flawed math skills seem to conflate the idea that there is some sort of sainthood bestowed on them for being part of the '99%'.  Because they've suffered so much. The scar marks from the whips and chains from the 1% are still...I'm sorry! No marks on them at all! Silly me!
Okay-they don't like banks. But I would bet you that they have bank accounts, and some presence in financial markets as individuals. I would give a crisp one hundred dollar bill for a picture of an "Occupy Wall Street" protestant at an ATM getting lunch money.
They also seem to hate Capitalism, which is the part which would warm the cockles of President Obama's heart if flint could burn.
The clothes on their backs are there because of Capitalism. The houses/apartments where they live exist because of Capitalism. They have food in their kitchens because of do I really need to repeat myself?
One TV talking head I saw suggested that this Occupy movement is being ginned up to distract the country from the lousy job that President Obama and Congress have been doing ahead of an election year.
It won't help. I think that President Obama will be defeated next year.
My advice to the "OWS" protestants is: get jobs. If there are no "ACCEPTABLE" jobs where you live, don't whine-lower your standards or move to where there are jobs. At one time in my soiled past I was working one full time and two part time jobs to 'make it.' Get to work.
Addendum de dum dumb: I found this picture on reddit-Jordanian communists showing support for OWS.
Think about that. Athiestic Muslim communists are thrilled by the fools and whiners who would tear down Capitalism if they had any grip strength in their fou fou hands. Ridicuable!

Man Can't Manage To Manage Man

"Actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in a film about the limits imposed on artists in the Islamic republic, an Iranian opposition website reported Sunday.

"A verdict has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr, sentencing her to a year in jail and 90 lashes," Kalameh.com reported."

There's more to the story, and I encourage you to check it out-this isn't a news site, but I saw this this morning, and it ties in with the post percolating in my brain, so...

Muslims don't take kindly (kindly might not be in their dictionary) to Christians attempting to share the Gospel with any Muslim. You may have heard the reports recently of the former Muslim who is now a
Christian pastor in Iran-he is under a death sentence for the 'crime' of leaving Islam. When the Iranian authorities heard grumblings from the international community about their making a bad showing...they changed the story and said that he raped someone. No-one raises ruckus over rapists, right?

Yesterday in church we had a visit from a member of Gideons International, who made the point that the Bible is verboten in most Islamic countries.

Dreaming the impossible dream, these Muslims think that they can keep God out of their countries. Not going to happen. 

"Brother Andrew" smuggled Bibles in behind the Iron Curtain during the colder war. Underground "illegal" churches flourish in China, according to the group "Voice Of The Martyrs". The fact that a homegrown Iranian Christian pastor is imprisoned in Iran is evidence that God has people there.

So, these Islamic Quaknuckleheads think that they can keep the Gospel from their peoples? They think that they can manage to manage Man? 

Listen to what God is going to do:

"⁶And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 

⁷and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”" Revelation 14:6,7

Oh sure, they can confiscate your study Bible at Iranian customs, but what will they do with an angel declaring the Gospel from the heavens?
"UH, Mohammed has declared that it is a sin to look up! DO NOT LOOK UP! COVER YOUR EARS, TOO!"

Who Put the Fun In Fundamentalist?

Well, this is a first for FDW, at least in my memory. I'm eating cold worm soup right out of the can.
I've had a problem this past week with a friend regarding my post "What Discern Meant".
We differ on a few issues. I invited his comment on the post, and the can of worms opened and dumped out is all my fault. I apologized, and have done everything I can to avoid further argument. The last thing I am doing is changing this post, getting rid of all those links. 
Peace and out.

What Discern Meant?

Check this out from Paul:

"¹¹But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 
¹²For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 
¹³The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 
¹⁴But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" Galatians 2:11-14

This post isn't about living like Jews, or the hypocrisy demonstrated by Peter. Well, kinda sorta-read on.
Look at Barnabas. He was lacking in discernment, but, in his defense, look at what he had to deal with:
Peter, the friend of Jesus who walked with Him, had sat at His feet, leader of the Jerusalem church...was in error.
Big Pete. The Man. The legend. Error plagued sinner.
Barnabas had accepted 'as Gospel' that Peter was shooting straight. If Peter shunned the Gentile Christians to please the Jewish Christians, who was Barnabas to say different?
Well, he was a Christian. God imparts discernment as one of the gifts of the Spirit. If he had inquired of God regarding Peter's actions, he wouldn't have joined in Peter's hypocrisy.
But he didn't and he was and it was a failing; thank God for Paul! He knew what it meant to oppose Peter-he risked splitting the Jerusalem church, actually all of Christianity-but he didn't hesitate a second.
I've been observing an unfolding drama playing out in our 21st century church-a man, T.D. Jakes, who is considered a heretic by some, a 'Bishop' by others- has been invited to a Christian conference of some great import...but as a heretic, or a brother? To be reasoned with, or welcomed in fellowship? huh.
How can we discern from God whether Jakes is Fakes? Judge him and his fruits against Scripture-my opinion and your opinion are worthless. God sets in His Word clear evidences of who is or isn't a follower of Christ-so if we look into Jakes's theology, measuring it against Scripture, we should know the truth and hopefully be like Paul and not Barnabas.
If T.D. Jakes is a Christian, then this situation mirrors what happened in Antioch as set down by Paul. Get in his face and call him to repent.

If T.D. Jakes is NOT a Christian, if he is indeed a heretic...then he should not be invited to the conference. But it's not my conference, and it's not my call. I'm just observing from the back of the room. Party on, Garth.

The Weekend From Heaven

Well. That's better. I shared in a respite weekend, with no TV/internets/newspapers/world problems/politics.
I sat on a lake with friends, learned from God's Word, and it was all wonderful. May God greatly Bless you today.

Kibitzing God

Do you know what God did yesterday? That's right. We don't know. We can't know.
God is working His plan perfectly, and we must live by faith, secure in the knowledge that God works all things out.
It is quite the guessing game among some to attempt to 'divine' the intents of God. They would jump up and object to the term 'divination'...but there you go.
These some suggest that any nation acting against Israel, for example, will result in condemnation and God's judgement arriving quickly on the doorstep of the offensive nation. Touch Israel and you touch the apple of God's eye. And then you die.
In general, they are right. But in the specific, in the suggestion that doing "THIS" will result in "THAT"...they are attempting to divine the undivinable, to kibitz God's actions and motivations.
Three of Job's four friends thought that they knew the reason for Job's hardships: 'he must have some secret, un-repented sin' for God to afflict him so greatly. They were kibitzing God's motivation, and they were 100% wrong. They were the ones who ended up repenting, asking Job to intercede for them with God.
Look at Luke 13:1-5
¹Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 
²And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 
 ³“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 
⁴“Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 
⁵“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

 The 'some present', if I read the context correctly, were asking Jesus about God's motivation for allowing the massacre of those Galileans-were they being punished for their sins? Was it God's judgement?

Jesus brings them face to face with the Gospel: ³“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." 

This Friday the Pale Stinians are going to submit their application to the United Nations for membership.

I haven't read much about this, but I assume that they will declare Jerusalem their capital, claiming as much of Israel as they think they can get away with. 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is just a few years removed from being Arafat's puppet-he is the 'President' of imaginary "Palestine" the same way that Al Capone was once Mayor of Chicago. 

Here's where the "doing "THIS" will result in "THAT" breaks down: It may not be in God's plan for "Palestine" to be judged quickly. They may not suffer a tsunami, a hurricane or a plague of locusts simply because they poke their finger in the apple of God's eye.

^"The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil." God may (and I say MAY, as I cannot divine the Divine) be using Palestine to refine Israel. If so, Palestine will remain a tool in God's hand until He is done with it. THEN comes the Judgement.
Bottom line: we can't determine with any accuracy what God is doing-if we could, we would be God. We know for certain that He glorifies Himself through His Creation. The particulars are up to God.

We All Know What Is Coming

We all know. We all have in mind that the 10 year anniversary of 9-11 is coming up at us.
With all respect to what happened on that terrible day, I am not looking back. I am looking forward.
There will be a day when there are no more Muslims. No politicians. No atheists. When the Lord returns and sets up His Kingdom, all the vainfoolish  imaginings of Man will end. All contrary opinions will be dust in the wind.

The Province Of God

“1 The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil,
2 He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, Each one who walked in his upright way.”
Isaiah 57:1-2
I don’t ever want to twist Scripture to say something it doesn’t, but I think that there is a passing truth here worth mentioning. In this chapter of Isaiah God is rebuking the leaders of Israel who did not honor Him, but were evil, living lives of idolatry.
The verses here were an indictment against those leaders, who had no compassion for those who were perishing under their administration. ‘No man takes it to heart’-rather than being good stewards, or shepherds, they were living carnal evil lives, uncaring as to the welfare of their people.
But there is something special, something more in this passage.
“For the righteous man is taken away from evil,
2 He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, Each one who walked in his upright way.”
We live in a world of trouble. When God wills it, he will ‘shorten the days’ of the righteous to rescue them from evil. What is that evil? Burden? How much burden is too much?
We can’t answer-it is all the province of God to decide how much suffering one of His children will endure on this side of death.
“He enters into peace”
Recently a young Christian man committed suicide. His troubled life ended, and he entered into peace.
There are churches which teach that suicide is unpardonable sin, one which would possibly exclude some one from Heaven. They are wrong about a lot of things, including this issue. How we die is never as important as where we go after death. God had decided that that young man had had enough. He brought him home.
As Christians we look to God for our providence. If we are truly His to do with as He wills, we are obedient unto death and beyond. I don’t fear.
May God put in your heart a desire for Him and His righteousness.

_

The Inelegancy Of Manic Wide-eyed Panic

  

The more the ground shakes under one's feet,

the greater the calamitous circumstance...

the greater my faith in God.

A world filled with troubles has one message:

"There is much to fear."

But a heart filled with God's Spirit responds to a different message:

"God Loves you and all will be well."

The certainty in uncertain times is that God stands outside of Time-He knows

the end from the beginning, and assures us that someday all fear/troubles

will be past and forgotten.

May God keep you.

God Controls, Alters and Deletes

Just a genial conversation over malts about a Scripture reference. We didn't have Bibles open, so going on memory I was defending a point which I didn't remember correctly.
Though not stated, it was a question on the idea of 'Eternal Security'-whether or not a Christian could have his name blotted out of the Lamb's book of Life. In the book of Revelation there is mention of this, and, as I said, I got it wrong. My point was that from God's perspective, He knew who would or not be saved, as He was the one doing the saving. So talk of 'blotting out a name' was poetic language, not literal. When I got home I dug in to find the reference:

^"4But you have a few there in Sardis who have kept their clothes unstained, so they will walk with me and will wear white clothes, because they are worthy. 

⁵Those who win the victory will be dressed in white clothes like them. And I will not erase their names from the book of life, but I will say they belong to me before my Father and before his angels. 

⁶Everyone who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:4-6

God was letting the saints in Sardis who had kept their clothes unstained know that they would walk with Him. He was assuring their security; they need not fear losing their salvation.
But note that Jesus was talking to the righteous in Sardis. He makes no such promise to those elements of the Sardis church who had not lived righteously. He didn't need to blot out their names from the book because they had never been written in.
If Christ caught up His church today, I would love it if my church were represented 100%...as far as I know we would be. But God sees hearts and knows who is or isn't saved. Sardis had "just a few". Hhmmmm.