PZ Insider Report – Why Do I Suck at Being a Christian
July 22, 2013
You ever ask yourself that question?
I know that I do.
Just because someone is in the ministry
does not make them some superman
against sin.
I am going to let you in on a secret, I sin
just like everyone else.
I hate it when I sin. It literally eats me up
inside. I feel horrible and I want to make
things right as fast as I can so that the
pain does go away.
When I am in the act of sinning or sinned,
I have even asked myself “ Why do I
suck at being a Christian?”
I try, I mean I really try, but no matter what
something happens and I just botch things up.
Want to know something else, one of the reasons is that we ALL have our “pet sins” that we like
to indulge in.
It is that “swine” mentality that we still indulge in.
Well let me back up, I like how Paul called it… “a thorn in the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance
of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
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Meaning that the thorn is there and it hurts like no tomorrow to pull it out. What is worse is that
most times you can’t get at it to pull it out.
Ever have a pet who got a thorn in their paw? Where we lived in Texas there were these
massive thorn bushes and our dogs would sometimes get a thorn in the paw. You would notice
them limping and we knew what was up.
By the time they get to you or you see them limping, the thorn has worn down and becomes
flush with the flesh. What that does is makes it very hard to pull out. When that would happen
we would have to use tweezers, clippers, a needle, etc to get to the thorn.
Even then, sometimes we could not get to the thorn and we would have to allow it to come out
on its own.
That is the type of thorn that Paul is talking about. A thorn that is so deep it can’t be pulled out
by one’s self. A thorn that is not going away and one you learn to live with till it disintegrates
over time or a doctor takes out.
With that, I am honored to present the following articles in this issue of the PZ
Insider Report.
Why Do I Suck at Being a Christian? …Thorns
By Ray Gano
The Great Beat Down Of Ministers
By Rev. Dr. Lucian L. Thompson
The Path Ahead
By Barbara Henderson
Color Over Character
By Bill Wilson
The Silence Is Deafening
By Belle Ringer
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IMPORTANT PZ POLL - "Securing Hope in an Age of Dispair"
I need your input.
I have placed on the Prophezine Homepage a new poll and I really need max involvement.
BACKGROUND
Tracye and I are now churchless.
Well, we have an english speaking service once a
month, but that does not help. My Friend Chuck
Missler says "If you don't have one, start one."
We have felt convicted for several months now to
start a live online bible study with our PZ Insiders.
The working title is "Securing Hope in an Age of
Despair"
We know for a fact that there are many of you out
there that do not have a church to attend, so why not
gather together in one of these online meeting halls
and get into the Word of God?
Makes sense right?
I have posted a poll on the Prophezine home page
asking when would be a good time for you to be part
of an oniline bible study.
Once I get some general input, I will refine the poll and pick an actual day to conduct the online
study.
Folks, now more than ever we need to cleave to the word of God. We know now what it feels
like to not have a church to attend and not have that precious fellowship.
So please, take the poll at http://www.prophezine.com
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PZ Radio - 07-19-13
FEMA Pastors & Living Clothed in The Power of God
In this show we have a lot going on. We have Barbara Henderson, Paul Washer and special
guest Pastor Steven Anderson. In fact Pastor Anderson is really being bold and calling out all
these FEMA Pastors who have prostituted themselves to save their 501c3 and agreed to preach
the PC, bow to Caesar, sugar coated garbage.
The Watchman Ranks Are Thinning
The ranks on the wall are thinning. That is a fact.
There are not many of us left and not many stepping up.
On top of that God is calling home many of our "pillars of the faith. Grant
Jeffery, Jack Kinsella, JR Church, Dave Hunt and the list goes on.
The day is quickly coming where there may only be a smattering of us left.
Tracye and I remain, trying to be that voice to the remnant and we will
remain upon that wall as long as God will have us as His servants.
Support PZ Radio and become a PZ Insider at http://www.prophezine.com
Listen Now -- http://youarelisteningtopzradio.blogspot.com/
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Subscribe to our RSS with your iTunes or MP3 Player feed by linking to the following...
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Why Do I Suck at Being a Christian? …Thorns
By Ray Gano
You ever ask yourself that question?
I know that I do.
Just because someone is in the ministry does not make them
some superman against sin.
I am going to let you in on a secret, I sin just like everyone else.
I hate it when I sin. It literally eats me up inside. I feel horrible and I
want to make things right as fast as I can so that the pain does go
away.
When I am in the act of sinning or sinned, I have even asked myself “ Why do I suck at being a
Christian?”
I try, I mean I really try, but no matter what something happens and I just botch things up.
Want to know something else, one of the reasons is that we ALL have our “pet sins” that we like
to indulge in.
It is that “swine” mentality that we still indulge in.
Well let me back up, I like how Paul called it… “a thorn in the flesh.”
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance
of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Meaning that the thorn is there and it hurts like no tomorrow to pull it out. What is worse is that
most times you can’t get at it to pull it out.
Ever have a pet who got a thorn in their paw? Where we lived in Texas there were these
massive thorn bushes and our dogs would sometimes get a thorn in the paw. You would notice
them limping and we knew what was up.
By the time they get to you or you see them limping, the thorn has worn down and becomes
flush with the flesh. What that does is makes it very hard to pull out. When that would happen
we would have to use tweezers, clippers, a needle, etc to get to the thorn.
Even then, sometimes we could not get to the thorn and we would have to allow it to come out
on its own.
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That is the type of thorn that Paul is talking about. A thorn that is so deep it can’t be pulled out
by one’s self. A thorn that is not going away and one you learn to live with till it disintegrates
over time or a doctor takes out.
Lots of Thorns At First
When we first come to the saving grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, we have a LOT of thorns that
needed taking care of.
Some of these thorns Christ, the Great
physician, takes care of and pulls out, others the
Holy Spirit disintegrate and are slowly dissolved
from the inside out.
When we are a new Christian in Christ these
thorns are painful to us and we hate them. They
prick at us and at times are very painful,
constantly reminding us of the sins we have in
our lives.
How do we combat that sin pain?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But this is just a temporary fix. Not that Christ
forgiveness is temporary, us not sinning is
temporary.
Until the thorn is removed or dissolved that thorn remains with us. That pet thorn sin keeps
popping up over and over again.
It is how we live with that thorn that matters.
Some people hate the thorn (the sin) and they work hard not to do it. Avoidance is great and it
helps. But doing this of our own flesh will work for just a short time.
Sooner or later that thorn is going to rub us and eventually we will entertain that sin again.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
God allows us to have thorns in our life so that we are cognoscente / mindful of them. We know
our sins / thorns are there and we as Christians have the choice to entertain the sin / thorn or
fight against and flee from the sin / thorn.
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It is a freewill choice.
So why is it that I seem to be such a horrible Christian at times?
Because I choose to play in the thorns and not flee from them.
The Power to Flee From Sin
Over and over again God’s Word tells us to FLEE from sin.
Here are some examples…
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but
he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry…
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things…..
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts….
So often we think we are big bad strong Christians and we can take on the devil and all his
minions. We want to charge the gates of hell with a squirt gun.
But what often happens is that we fall short of the glory and usually botch things up even more.
Remember that saying “Pride cometh before the fall”?
Here is the scripture that it is taken from…
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
See it is our own pride in ourselves and our haughty spirit that tells God “HEY… I can handle
this sin on my own and take care of it myself.”
Yea right.
Seconds later after the battle with sin you then realize / find yourself wallowing in the sin. It
almost always happens that way
You fall to sin.
Why?
Because you did not listen to God’s Word. You did not trust in what His Word said and did not
obey His Word.
So what happened?
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You fell to your sin / bunch of thorns and now you are feeling the pricks and pain from indulging
in your sin.
See, when you play in the thorns, you’re always going to come out of it with some wounds and
pain.
Some people learn and don’t go back to the thorns.
But others keep playing in the thorns and as they play more thorns stick inside them.
Children of the Thorns vs Children of God
Do you like playing in the
thorns?
Do you find that after a while
the pain of being pricked by the
thorns thrills you and “feels
good”?
This is what can happen to you
if you do not learn to FLEE
from the thorns.
But there is something else that you need to think about.
If you keep playing in the thorns, are you a Child of God or a Child of the Thorns?
See, if you are truly a child of God, you may like the thorns, but only for a season.
After a while the pain will start effecting the Holy Spirit that lives within you. When that happens,
life becomes pretty miserable. The Holy Spirit will convict your heart for living in the sin / thorns
that you are living in. He will make things more and more painful till you call out to Him and ask
Him to get you out of the thorns / deliver you from the sin.
Now He does that only if you have the Holy Spirit living within you.
See, if you do not have the Holy Spirit living within you, then the pain of the thorns will be easy
to overcome and after a while you will get used to it.
After a while you will actually like living in the thorns because it is “home” to you. The pain
becomes pleasure and eventually you will become engulfed and entangled in the thorns so
much that you yourself will never escape.
Because you DO NOT have the Holy Spirit living within you, you will never see this sort of life as
the trap that it is.
You live just be an “existence” living in and among the thorns.
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If this is you, you are a Child of The Thorns.
BUT, if you truly asked Christ in your heart, it was at that moment that you were indwelled with
the Holy Spirit.
You became a new being and a changed
person. A person that does not like living
in the thorns and in fact after a while they
can’t even live in the thorns.
It is Christ’s blood that “washes” all the
thorns away and it is Him being the Great
Physician who will over time remove the
deeply embedded thorns.
But that is not all, it is the Holy Spirit that
will also work from the inside out
dissolving the thorns and healing you as
well.
When you accept Christ and submit to
Him as your only savior, you are made a new creature.
You might be drawn to the thorns from time to time, you may even become entangled.
But the difference between you and a Child of the Thorns (a non-Christian) is that but after a
while you no longer wish to even go near the thorns and you grow to abhor / hate the thorns.
Why? Because they hurt and cause pain. Even when you are not in and among the thorns, the
pain is still there where you might have been pricked or a thorn is deeply embedded.
As I mentioned, our cure for this is Jesus Christ.
We need do the following…
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Why Do I Suck at Being a Christian?
Simple, we are not obeying God and submitting to the “swine” mentality that is in each and
everyone of us.
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2 Timothyt 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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Being a Child of God and having the Holy Spirit within us we are drawn to what is good in God.
We crave being with Him, in His Word, in prayer with Him and fellowship with God.
By fleeing sin / thorns and chasing after a life of righteousness, godliness, faith, the pain of the
thorns that are still with us will diminish.
Christ will remove those sins/ thorns over time and the Holy Spirit will dissolve the deeply
embedded sins / thorns because we are His Children. He knows us because we have been
changed into the new man. We are no longer the swine that like to live as Children of the
Thorns. We are a new creature in Christ completely changed never to be changed back as the
swine living among the thorns.
By fleeing sin we are not wounded by sin. But to ensure that we do not venture close to the sin
/ thorns, we need to be in His Word, be in prayer and in fellowship with God and His Son Jesus
Christ.
This strengthens us and gives us the
desire to NOT go among the thorns.
BUT the less we are in fellowship with
Him, the more apt we are to venture into
the thorns. It is the “Swine” in us that is
attracted to the thorns. But it is the power
of God working in our hearts that
override that “swine” mentality.
What you need to ask yourself is this…”
What am I drawn to?”
One day maybe sitting in a church or
sitting with someone sharing the gospel
with you, you made a “choice.” But were
you truthful and sincere about that
choice in living for God?
See there are a lot of “swine / Child of
the Thorns” who claim to be a Child of
God / Christian.
They “THINK” and say that they are
saved, but when you really look at them,
you realize that they are just another
swine dressed up to look like a Christian.
Another name for these people are Christians In Name Only (C.I.N.O)
Are you one of these people? A swine dressed up to look like a Child of God /Christian?
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Are you drawn to your old sin life?
Can you live among the thorns and it feels like home?
If you answered YES to any or all of these, odds are you are not truly saved.
Sure you may have raised your hand, checked a box on a card, said some simple little prayer,
you may have even meant it at that moment.
But until you truly repent of your sins and ask God to make a change in your life, you will
continue to live that swine life as a Child of the Thorns and not as a Child of God.
We who are true Christians were all at one time one of the swine living among the thorns.
The difference is that we came to the realization that we are lost. And being lost means that we
will never be with the Father in heaven. In fact being lost means that we will burn in Hell of all
eternity.
We came to a realization that we do not want that swine life. We do not want the thorns, we do
not want to be forever separated from the Father. We want Him and we want Christ in our lives.
We want to live a righteous life and please the Father as a Child of God.
Scripture says…
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
That means that all of us come from a sinful “swine” life… ALL OF US.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
This means that all of those who are “swine” will die. But through the blood of Jesus Christ we
are made new, no longer a “swine” but a new creature and a Child of God.
Act_17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
every where to repent:
We become a Child of God by repenting of the filthy sinful life that we have been living and we
confess to God that we are sinners who are lost and that we need the only salvation that is
offered, that being through His one and only son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is at that time that God promises us to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. We are made a new creature at that moment and become a Child of God.
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If you are truly repentive and realize that you are lost and destined to an eternity in Hell, you can
ask God to make that change in your life. You can become a Child of God (Christian) where you
were once a Child of the Thorns (lost sinner).
Submit yourself to Him today. Make that choice that you do not want the thorns anymore.
Those of us who are His children are not perfect. There are times that we do “suck” at being a
Christian, but what makes us different is that we have a loving Father who does care for us and
wants the best for us. We blow it all the time, but God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins
and continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
If you are on Facebook, connect with me, “friend and follow” me. I post a lot there as well as
answer people’s questions from a biblical perspective. Just search for Ray Gano.
Finally, go to my website Prophezine and register to get our news, updates and information.
Come out of sin and become a new creation in Christ today.
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The Great Beat Down Of
Ministers
By Rev. Dr. Lucian L. Thompson
Seems like being a pastor or any Christian minister
these days is more like being a bantam weight fighter
in the ring with a heavy weight world champion. We
often get our brains knocked out by those we are
entrusted to minister to. Can I hear an amen from all
you bloody and bruised ministers?
Sanity has disappeared from the face of the earth. The only folks standing are the ones with the
biggest stick. Feels like that some times, doesn't it? Thank God that feeling goes away when we
see one arise from the ash heap and surrender their life to Jesus Christ. That reminds us why
we fight the good fight. If just one soul can find eternal life through being introduced to Jesus
Christ, then our soul is refreshed and our stamina returns so we can fight again another day.
Day by day new mercies He brings.
Folks, I see ministers facing the gates of Hell every day and experience defeat time after time. I
see many give up and go back to secular jobs and drop out of ministry altogether. I have felt the
weight and strain of trying to follow Christ in His calling on my life, also. I tell you, I am troubled,
often, by the condition of the church today. Every week tragedy falls amongst some of our flock.
They are tested to the max and often times fail to overcome and fall back into the world they
professed to have escaped from. Sad, but many only had a mouth confession and not a heart
belief experience that seals one till Christ Jesus returns for His Church.
Depression seems to be a major factor in
the church today and that should not be
the case. We have the power, through the
presence of the Holy Spirit, to be
overcomers yet, way too many professing
Christians let the trials and tribulations of
these end times steal their joy and their
witness. It makes me want to scream,
"stop the madness!" Wake up Church and
educate yourself with the Word of God. It's
all in there. Check out Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Jesus told us 2000 years ago what
would be taking place in this, the final generation; the last generation before He returns.
Our fear and failure to cope comes from ignorance! Not knowing God's word..." My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget
thy children. " Hosea 4:6 Come on folks, what do you expect?
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Just a little desire to know God would have caused a true Christian to search the scriptures for
guidance and help in these troubled times.
Check this out... Matthew 5:10 says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness'
sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." What is the worst that can befall a Christian? The
kingdom of heaven; sounds pretty good to me...why the fear?
How about this one, Matthew 5:12, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in
heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Certainly we are not alone
in this. The prophets before us and all those who sleep in Christ have been through the same
things we are going through today. Yes, the trials seem greater to us because it's the Devils last
hurrah and he has stepped up the intensity of his attacks knowing his time is short, but we, also,
have the knowledge of this fact and should be able to stand on the Word of God without the
doubt that causes so much anguish. Seems to me that the ones who are having so much
trouble with the trials and temptations of these times are lacking something. Could that be real
heartfelt belief that Jesus is for real and He will redeem us from the curse of sin and death, just
as His Word says He will.
If one hasn't settled the issue of true belief in Christ Jesus as the only way to the Father and,
that He died for our sins, redeeming us for eternity with Him, then they need to get into a Bible
believing church and seek all the knowledge they can get about the true Gospel message.
Again, sad but there is a great beat down of those who have been called into ministry.
Backbiters, grumblers, divisive, rude and demanding congregants have declared war on those
who give the undefiled, inerrant word of God. Seems they delight in stirring up dissention in the
church and take delight in the beating down of those called of God to minister to His people.
Pastors are attacked by these professing Christians who, "Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: "The rest of this verse, 2 Timothy 3:5 says, "from such turn away."
Well, that is a hard thing for a loving Pastor or minister to do because we don't like to leave
anyone behind but, one that must be done for the betterment of the Body. Paul often talked
about those who were divisive and the need to separate from them as they destroy ministries. In
times past I have felt like chucking my calling and packing it in. Thank God His grace and love
pulled me through and bolstered my wounded spirit. Running for the door is not an option to
those who have a true calling from God. Besides, as I mentioned earlier in this article, it's all in
there. The Bible holds all the encouragement we need to get by. All the strength for our
weaknesses, and all the faith building examples of men and women who have fought the good
fight and persevered till the end. Yes, thank God almighty, it's all in there.
How to survive the beat down...it's all in there:
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13
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Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses 1 Timothy 6:12
Yes, it's all in the Holy Bible. These mentioned and many, many more scriptures that will keep
you from being totally beaten down.
Two things we need to keep in mind:
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have
persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours
also. John 15:20
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:9.
Read the back of the book...we win. Soon and very soon, we will be going home. Even so,
come quickly, Lord Jesus!
About the author:
Rev. Dr. Lucian L. Thompson
Pastor Arise Christian Fellowship
Chancellor, TCF Theological Seminary
Administrator, TCF Pastor's School
[email protected]
www.arisechristianfellowship.org
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The Path Ahead
By Barbara Henderson
Are you one of the many people trying to figure out
what is going to happen politically, economically,
and socially? If you are not considering how to
prepare for the future, you may not be functioning at
your best.
Are you trying to prepare yourself and your family for
whatever eventually happens? If you aren’t making
preparation of some sort, then you may have your
head stuck in the sand.
Are you wondering how to chart a course for the
path ahead that will not leave you homeless, hungry,
and filled with regrets?
Well, you are in luck. Some of the writers of the
New Testament have sound advice for you.
Their advice is ‘let us’. Many times the Bible says
‘Let us do this – or let us do that. Today we might
say, ‘Let’s go ahead and do this. It is the right thing to do.’ Anytime the Bible tells us what to do
it is sound advice, practical, and definitely the best path to follow. Let us look at some of the
instructions given to us in the Bible.
In following their advice to ‘let us’, your personal path ahead will lead to a desired end,
and sustain you as you walk that path.
Luke 2:15 says, ‘And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see
this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.’ That is
definitely the best ‘let us’ of all. That we can go to God for salvation is a miracle of mercy that is
beyond our comprehension.
Romans 13:12 says, ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off
the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’ Let us step out of darkness
and into the safety of God. Turn from all evil, great or small, and step into the light of God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 says, ‘Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
The more you understand God the more you love Him for His mercy and grace. You don’t want
the evil things of this world to be in your life. Sin makes you feel filthy. You want rid of sin so
you will be clean in the presence of God.
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Galatians 5:25 says, ‘If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ Do the things
that God asks of you. Follow the example of Christ and the teachings of the whole Bible.
Galatians 6:9 says, ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not.’ AHA! There is a reward for the faithful. Do you want your reward?
Don’t grow weary and give up.
Galatians 6:10 says,’ As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ Lend a helping hand, especially to
brethren.
1 Thessalonians 5:6 says, ‘Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and
be sober.’ Stay awake. What you do does matter. Don’t ‘sleep walk’ into the paths of
darkness like some have done. Light and dark do not mix.
1 Timothy 6:8 says, ‘And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. When I
was growing up in a large family it was a daily occurrence that one of us wanted something we
didn’t have and probably couldn’t afford. Dad used to say, ‘Get your wanter fixed.’ We always
had everything we actually needed, but we seldom had a lot extra. We wanted all kinds of
things we never got, but we not only survived without them, we thrived. Most of us do live with
some level of excess. I have found that the things that seem so imperatively ‘needed’ today
wind up just sitting in the back of the cabinet or closet by the end of the month.
Hebrews 4:1 says, ‘Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of enter into his
rest, any you should seem to come short of it. God’s rest is a wonderful marvelous gift. In
God’s rest we can put our problems into the hands of God and rest from our own labor. It is sort
of (but not exactly of course) like having a master builder to solve your problems. We can stop
the labor of worry and just rest (mentally) in the Lord. Physical rest is often provided as well, but
either way, you will be much better off letting the Lord lead you through the problems
(wilderness). Christians definitely do not want to miss the ‘rest’ offered to us through Jesus
Christ.
Hebrews 4:11 says, ‘Let us labour therefore to enter into the rest, lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief,’ Entering into God’s rest is difficult, but it is effort well spent. It
really is hard to lay down our problems and trust God to solve everything. It can be done. God
did not make a haven of rest for us to look at instead of actually use. However, there is
apparently a time limit. If we refuse to enter into the rest offered by God, He will eventually
rescind the offer, just as He did to the children of Israel in the wilderness.
Hebrews 4:14 says, Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is pass into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession of faith. Do not back away
from your profession of faith in your creator. To whom would you turn anyway? Only Christ has
the words of life.
Hebrews 4:16 says, ‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ Whether you are facing a dreadful
problem or just need help with a small problem, you have instructions to approach God boldly at
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His throne. Let us never fail to take our troubles, problems, needs, and requests directly to
God. Don’t be afraid to ask. God has time for you personally.
Hebrews 10:23 says, ‘Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for
he is faithful that promised.)’ Delay and loss are things that will often cause the Christian to
step off ‘The Path Ahead’ and onto ‘The Path Backwards and to No where’. Don’t fall into this
sin. You will only delay your future blessings while you take time to wallow in sin and misery.
Hebrews 10:24 says, ‘And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good
works. Become the Christian that loves others and whose example leads others to love one
another as well. Do good works; lead others to do good works as well. If others fall by the way,
continue on in your work as one who leads others to good works and love by example.
Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. YOU have a race to run.
Worrying about the problems and entanglements of this world can only slow you down. This is
NOT some sort of eastern mysticism that teaches to set aside your family and the entire world.
This teaches us to ignore the unimportant things and focus on what is important according to
the gospel of Christ.
Hebrews 12:28 says, ‘Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:’ We
have a future in eternity. It is provided by our God, who is also the creator of everything and
the Guarantor of His promises to us. God cannot lie. God does not change. We WILL receive
the things He has promised to us. Therefore, it is right that serve our God who has, does, and
will provide for us. It is acceptable to God that we serve with reverence. Our God is NOT some
ineffective grandfatherly type. Nor is He a God who will allow His children to act as though He
is a charming and easily manipulated God. Godly fear is a respectful and worshipful awe of
God. It is not a fear that He will forsake you and cast you into hell on a whim.
Hebrews 13:13 says, ‘Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his
reproach.’ Any reproach attached to the name of Christ is attached to us as well. We should
not be ashamed of the cause of Christ. Neither should we relegate our faith to any particular
place moment of time. Be who you really are every minute of every day.
Hebrews 13:15 says, ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.’ Sometimes
circumstances prevent us from actually feeling like praising God. In order to be able to praise
and thank God, we have to set aside or ‘sacrifice’ our problems. That is not only a sacrifice, it is
also hard work. Sometimes the present problem is just so horrible as to be unbearable.
Consider Paul and Silas in prison. They had been beaten, thrown into the darkest dungeon for
real, and had their feet stuck in stocks. Instead of choosing to moan in pain or succumb to
despair, they choose to praise God. It was a sacrifice. I mean, after the beating it probably hurt
to even move. They couldn’t even attempt to move around slightly in order to find the most
comfortable place possible. The stocks prevented it. They did the only thing they could do to
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get them through their trial as easily as possible. They began to sing and praise God. In the
midst of their praise, God delivered them from prison. I find personally that I have a much better
day if I at least ‘hum a few bars’ of a praise hymn first thing in the morning. I like to use ‘We
praise thee O God for the son of they love, for Jesus who died and is now gone above; from
‘Revive us again’.
I John 3:18 says, ‘My little children, let us not love in world, neither in tongue’ but in deed
and in truth. It is sometimes hard to remember that this world and things in it are just
temporary. It is easy to reject the things of the world in ‘tongue’, but rejecting them in deed and
truth is somewhat harder. If the economy continues to deteriorate, more and more people will
have the ‘opportunity’ to reject materialism. We will also have the opportunity to see the futility
of seeking from the government what can only be given to us by God.
I John 4:7 says, ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.’ It is easy to love some people. It is difficult to
impossible to love others. Some people can only be loved through the power of God working in
you. It can’t be faked either. Fortunately, with God, nothing shall be impossible.
Revelations 19:7 says, ‘Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. This day is coming.
The more you do the things that we are told to ‘let us do’, the more you will have made yourself
ready for the coming of the Lord.
The song for this article is ‘All the Way My Savior Leads Me’. The instructions in the Bible are
leadings from the Lord. Following His instructions will keep your feet on the path ahead, which
is the path to the future.
Let us no look back. There is nothing behind you as wonderful as the delights and blessings
that you will find on ‘The Path Ahead’. There is certainly no guarantee that you will face no
additional hardships or sorrow; but neither is any such guarantee if you spend the rest of your
life trying to walk backwards into time instead of forward into the future. Set your face toward
Jesus Christ. He will lead you in the way you should go.
Thank you for reading my article.
Barbara Henderson
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All the Way My Savior Leads Me
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/t/altheway.htm
All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.
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A Note From Barbara
Dear PZ Readers,
I wanted to take minute to thank each of you for reading my articles. Feel free to pass them
around to anyone you think might enjoy them.
http://www.hellogoodday.com/#!tobarbarablogspotcom/cwho is a link to more of my articles.
This article was obviously inspired by the phrase
‘let us’. The phrase ‘Let us’ leaves us asking the
question ‘let us do what? And of course each
verse gives us instructions on what to do.
Another phrase I looked up recently is ‘be not
dismayed’. According to the dictionary ‘dismayed’
means to lose courage. When the Bible says ‘be
not dismayed’ we are being instructed not to lose
courage.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee
with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10
But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save
thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in
rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. Jeremiah 46:27
Christians aren’t to lose courage because of our God and His care for us even in the most trying
and difficult times. Whatever we face on the path ahead our God will be with us. I wanted to
encourage you to remember that and to remember to pray one for another. Remember James
5:16 which says, ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be
healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ The continued
passionate prayer of a committed Christian gets results!
God bless you. Please take a minute right now to pray for me and my family.
Please pray for the Gano’s as they settle in a new land with a different language.
Also pray for other PZ readers. Don’t forget PZ radio is now back on the air.
http://youarelisteningtopzradio.blogspot.com
Barbara
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The Silence Is Deafening
By Belle Ringer
I wonder how much difference it would make in the future of
this country if our Churches were unafraid? (And by that, I
mean our Church Leadership). Boy, I would sure like to have
the opportunity to find out!
An article by Joe McKeever, of the Christian Post, really got
me to thinking. What if Pastors quit worrying about what their
congregation might think if they talked about national issues
like same-sex marriage or abortion? If they actually talked
about these hot-button issues from a biblical perspective, don't you think that it might change
the way our culture views them? You don't have to give a hell-fire and brimstone sermon; or
question anyone's salvation; or pass judgment on your fellow man. You make it about God -what HE says; not the ACLU, the various "pro" organizations, or even your Church Board.
It's easy to recite the statistics of our declining culture since these agendas began to be
adopted. And it's not hard to find Scripture where God tells us the consequences of these
choices, which just happen to mirror our present society. So what do Church leaders have to
lose? By avoiding the topics, we have seen the tailspin that has resulted in the disintegration of
the family. So how is that working for us? Whether it is a fear of being unpopular, of offending
someone, or of violating some federal law, the Church is exhibiting a lack of courage when it
comes to calling our nation to a spiritual conscience.
And then, what if Church leaders had the guts to call out our national leaders on moral grounds?
Just over the past few years, how many
stories in the media were about our
politicians cheating on their wives, cheating
on their taxes, lying about government
activities, funding our enemies, back room
bribes, improper campaign contributions,
under-the-table payoffs, obstruction of
justice, internet sex scandals, extravagant
vacations at the taxpayers' expense .... I
could go on and on! It's become so
mainstream and frequent, that it's almost
"ho hum"; that's just the way it is!
And did you know, that according to political
scientist and researcher Scott Basinger,
60% of scandal-tainted incumbents
ultimately find themselves back in Congress? Do you think that it could have anything to do
with the fact that our pulpits are silent about these offenses against God? What affect does this
silence have on the general population? Perhaps make these immoral decisions seem more
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acceptable? "After all, my Pastor keeps preaching about Grace, right? I'm not hearing anything
about what God really feels about these actions, so maybe this is to be expected from our sinful
society. And my Pastor says that it is God's desire to forgive us." Sadly, I'm afraid that this may
be the message many in our congregations are receiving.
Again, if Pastors and Church leaders had the strength and courage to speak about the moral life
that God wants us to live.... the life that Jesus lived! .... then just maybe our national leadership
wouldn't find it so easy to excuse their selfish behavior. What would it look like to actually have
a moral standard that we all tried to live up to; from the Average Joe to leaders in Business,
Politics and Entertainment? Could we actually develop a consciousness about whether our
actions are pleasing to God? Wouldn't that be a radical departure from the "me first" and selfgratifying character of the past few generations?
The bottom line is this ... for centuries the Church has been the guide for societal thought,
behavior and standards.
That has not always been a positive model. Church leaders can be just as corrupt and immoral
as the next sinner. BUT, the human condition has benefitted the most when the Church and her
leaders have conducted their Spirit-led responsibilities in the Truth and Light of the Bible and
Jesus Christ -- when they have been unafraid of speaking boldly and forcefully for Godly
principles. Without that fearlessness and leadership that will act on professed beliefs -regardless of danger or disapproval -- we are destined to continue down this dark road to
societal collapse.
Psalm 16:8
be shaken."
"I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not
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Color Over Character
By Bill Wilson
The occupant of the Oval Office's political pandering and
race baiting over the verdict in the Martin-Zimmerman
case should be deeply troubling to every American
irrespective of color or political party. His remarks at a
hastily called news conference Friday were divisive and
political. He is obviously using race to leverage Trayvon
Martin in his quest to disarm the public and abolish the
right of self defense. In a stunning and nationally divisive
moment in presidential history, color was chosen over
character. He said, "...if a white male teen was involved in
the same kind of scenario, that, from top to bottom, both
the outcome and the aftermath might have been
different."
Interesting words coming from a man who is half white about a court case where the defendant,
a half white/half latino man, was found by the court to have shot a 17 year old black man in self
defense. Most people are just hearing the words of politicians and activists trying to invoke
images of racial conflict. Court records, however, indicate that Zimmerman reported Martin to
the police as suspicious, left his vehicle to see what direction Martin was headed, and when
Zimmerman returned to his vehicle upon police instruction, Martin jumped Zimmerman and
began beating him. Court records show that Martin used racial slurs to describe Zimmerman in
the moments leading up to the confrontation.
ABC news reported that on June 26, 2012, the prosecution released the results of a voice stress
test performed on George Zimmerman the day after the shooting. A voice stress test measures
attempts to measure deception in response to questions. ABC said Zimmerman was asked,
"Did you confront the guy you shot?", to which Zimmerman answered, "No." Zimmerman was
asked, "Were you in fear for your life, when you shot the guy?", to which Zimmerman answered,
"Yes." The examiner concluded in his report that Zimmerman "told substantially the complete
truth" in the examination, and Zimmerman was classified as "No Deception Indicated (NDI)."
These facts are being lost, overlooked, even buried by the racially-charged statements like that
of the president. Just what is he saying when he brings race into the equation? I think the
occupant is saying that he wants to use racial division to stir up civil unrest to justifying passing
laws that further government spying on its citizens, disarm the public so that the government
can have complete control, and to abolish the right of self defense that only the government can
legally protect and defend.
This assumption is based on the occupant's subsequent remarks about having a plan to prevent
violence between races. He said, "When I was in Illinois, I passed racial profiling legislation...it
collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped...it resourced us
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training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias and ways
to further professionalize what they were doing." Second, he wants to overturn "Stand Your
Ground" laws that reinforce the right of self defense. Next, he wants another government
program to show African American boys that the country cares about them. Finally, he thinks we
as American should do "some soul searching."
For him to bring up Illinois and what "he" did there is the height of hypocrisy. Illinois, Chicago in
particular, is set apart as one of the most violent areas of the nation, especially for black on
black violent crime. He is further saying that people shouldn't defend their lives when they are
threatened, but rather they should run away and let the government handle it. We do not need
another government program to minister to black youth--the government philosophy of Trojan
Horse entitlement has spoken volumes. All the youth in our nation need parents, families,
pastors and leaders to exemplify character, leadership and responsible citizenship. We need to
drop the divisive speech and learn to care for one another.
I agree with him on the part about soul searching. Americans need to do a lot of it. So does he.
Jesus said in Mark 3:24-25, "And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot
stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." We are seeing leaders
who seek to divide us along the lines of race for political gain. Leaders should unite people, not
divide them. We have a character issue in this country. Whether it is Trayvon or George, or the
elected or the electors, we ought to assess one another through the lens of character, not color.
When leaders seek to divide over color, it is a clear demonstration of absence of character.
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