Why I Changed A Few Things On Facebook

 In a word...humility.

This may have been a part of it:  I attended a Sunday School today, and one of the Scriptures mentioned was the following:

Deu 8:18  But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 

In other words, the ability to make money does not come from you.  All your skills, all your talents, comes from the Lord.  Correct me if I'm wrong (Proverbs 6:23)

As many of you know, I am a school custodian.  Many months ago, I was left short-handed, becoming the only official custodian of the building.  With the exception of some help here and there, I am still the only custodian of the building.  At first, I worked plenty of overtime.  Now, I work less, because I have learned to be more efficient.  This made me somewhat prideful in my heart (Proverbs 16:18).

Sunday School reminded me of that.  

Now, on to what I was going to talk about:

On my Facebook page, I used to have a picture of plastic canvas pieces that read "28 28", referring to Job 28:28:

Job 28:28  And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” 

I also mentioned in my bio that I am a God Fearer and Lucky.  The "Lucky" comes from the following:

Ecc 9:11  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 

I'm still willing to acknowledge that I'm lucky, for we all are.  And I still believe in the concept of fearing God.  We should fear God, mainly because:

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 

Yet, I also believe in not being a hypocrite, as is written here:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

(Mat 7:1-5)

Now, I still believe that "Judge not" doesn't mean "Judge never" as shown in this post here.  Even in this Scripture, Jesus permits one to "cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye".  Why does one do this, unless it's a problem?

So what's the deal?  Do I no longer fear God?  I surely hope not.  I surely hope my fear of God (which is a LITERAL DREAD (Isaiah 8:13)) remains.  Yet, I would be so heartbroken to be found a hypocrite if I do anything that suggests I don't fear God.  

I'm not perfect.  My struggle is just like what Paul is saying here:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

(Rom 7:18-25)

So, yeah.  That's what's going on.  I haven't abandoned the faith.  I'm just being honest with myself.  Only God knows if I'm being faithful.  I hope and pray that I still am so.

Will I Backslide From Financial Discipline?

And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death? Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

(Deu 31:24-29)

When I paid off my worldly debts on July 2, 2021, and for several months after, the only thing I could think of that was appropriate to do was to celebrate.  Yet, in the back of my mind, I knew that one day, I will get used to this new freedom, and possibly take it for granted.  Time and time again, whenever I had a big financial decision to make, I have tried to remind myself of all that I fought for, in order to stay out of debt.  

Still, I can feel the joy of being a free man slipping away quickly.  I've even started to consider options for another vehicle should my current one, the 2016 Ford Fiesta, breaks down to the point where it's rational to just finance another vehicle.  This is sinful anxiety (Matthew 6:34), and I need to repent of it.  On this, and other events which would greatly test my faith, I had to repeat the chorus of the song "One Day At A Time" by Christy Lane to myself:

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from You
Lord, give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do

Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord, help me today, show me the way, one day at a time

Ms. Lane speaks the very essence of Matthew 6:34:

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

There is a secular quote, which is also true in this circumstance.  It is disputed as to who first spoke it, but it goes like this:

Eternal diligence is the price of liberty.

To this I say, "Amen".

Here is a Scripture which speaks to me:

1Pe 2:16  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 

This is the war I am waging in my heart.  Perhaps it is a good fight (I Timothy 6:12, Jude 1:3).  May God help me in this.

Life Changers Outreach Exposed

Life Changers Outreach is a false ministry that is seen selling their merchandise outside of many Wal-Marts across the country.  Their ministry is specifically aimed at helping people overcome abuse, addiction, etc.  

Now, this exposure is limited,  There are many things which this ministry does which is troubling to society, but not all such troublesome things are violations of Scripture and/or make them a false ministry.  So, in the spirit of I Corinthians 13:9, this exposure is limited.

Here's what I have so far:

1. Peddling The Word of God For Profit

The Bible says:

2Co 2:17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (ESV) 

"like so many", Life Changers Outreach regularly solicits donations for their ministry.  This ministry even asks people to give every month!  This is what is written in their "Support Us" page:

Help Change a Life Every Month

Join LifeChangers Heroes monthly giving program

Become a part of the LifeChangers Outreach community

of monthly supporters who support students

throughout their journey with Christ. 

Donate monthly today!

This is wickedness, because it is a rejection of the above Scripture.

2. Female Pastors

The Bible says:

1Ti 2:12  I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. (ESV)

In their "Meet The Staff" page, the following women are listed as either Lead Pastors or Associate Pastors:

Juanell Gallo, Associate Pastor, Apostolic Staff
Cheri Vincent, Associate Pastor, North Carolina Staff
Falisha Patrick, Lead Pastor, Missouri Staff

The following three women are rejecting the Word of God by being pastors.

"Worse Than An Infidel"

1Ti 5:4  But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. 

1Ti 5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 

Here's a shocker:  A thought came to me without watching a YouTube clip, or anything on TV, etc.  It just came to me as I was walking around the campus of my school that I clean.   This was the thought:

"If not caring for your parents means you're worse than an infidel (an unbeliever), caring for your parents must be a universal thing, even amongst nonbelievers!"

Now, whether it's true nor not, that is, the part about nonbelievers, caring for one's parents is as basic a concept as NOT going to bed with one's earthly father's wife!  Check out this Scripture verse, and I'm using the ESV here because it drives the point home:

1Co 5:1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. 

So, there are things that not even unbelievers do, and this includes neglecting your kin.

Now, after that thought, there was another thought that came to mind that was from an Internet source:  A video of Denzel Washington talking about how wolves care for their kin (now, don't "live like a wolf" as in "don't be a false prophet", but rather as in "don't be so wicked that not even pagans tolerate it"):

This got me to thinking again:  Even WOLVES, who are used pejoratively to describe false prophets:

Mat 7:15  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 

Even WOLVES, according to Denzel Washington, take care of their kin.  

So, according to the Bible, and even according to the world, you have to be UTTER SCUM to neglect your own.

Reading John 9 For The First Time In The KJV

 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (John 9:35, KJV)

I grew up reading the NIV.  I've read John 9 before, which speaks of Jesus healing a man born blind. 

Here's a paraphrase with the main facts:  Jesus heals a man born blind.  The Pharissees question him and his family.  The blind man says to the Pharisees, "I've told you time and time again that it was Jesus who healed me, yet you won't listen!"  The Pharisees countered by saying, "This can't be the man, he's a sinner, he healed you on the Sabbath."  The blind man replies, "Come on man, he healed me, it's clear as my open eyes!  You know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but those who do His will.  If this Jesus wasn't godly, He could do nothing!"

Jesus then asks the blind man if he believes in the Son of Man (NIV) / Son of God (KJV).  The blind man asks him to point Him out, He does, and the blind man believes.

Jesus then says that he has come for judgment in this world, that the sighted might be blind, and the blind might be sighted.  Some of the Pharisees asked if that makes them blind.  Jesus replies that had they been blind, they would not be guilty of sin, but because of their claim of sight, they are still in sin.

So, I wanted to point out a couple differences between the NIV and KJV, and why it feels like reading the Bible for the first time.  I grew up hearing John 9:35 similarly as this:

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

I then read the KJV, and it is rendered as this:

“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (John 9:35, KJV)

Son of Man vs. Son of God.  Now, both are one and the same, yet it's those subtle differences that makes Bible reading fresh for me.  This is not a claim that the KJV is superior, or that it's the only legitimate version.  This is just an observation that I wanted to share with everyone.

Resting On My Laurels

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

I've heard of the phrase "don't rest on your laurels".  It means to not stop doing what you're doing simply because you've had a great accomplishment.  In doing Kingdom business, this is true:

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

However, when it comes to worldly achievements (of which paying off a car, in part, is), honestly, make those laurels a freakin' hammock, because unless it truly is Kingdom business, unless it is doing something for Christ, it doesn't really matter:

2Ti_2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

I've been wrestling a little with the concept of not resting on my laurels, because of my own laurels.  Let me share it with you:

On July 2, 2021, I paid off the car I was driving, a 2016 Ford Fiesta, rendering me debt-free for the first time in my adult life. (To be debt-free is a good thing says Romans 13:8)  It was the culmination of about 12 years of hard work and sacrifice.  It was sweet relief, and it felt incredible.

My ecstasy of that financial status was even further expanded on April 23, 2022, thanks to an "on the whim" encounter with Gates McFadden, an actress who played Dr. Beverly Crusher on "Star Trek: The Next Generation".  This was at a fan convention I attended with some people in 2022.  I decided to get a picture with her for two reasons.  One, because I didn't want to leave the convention with too many trinkets (Luke 12:15), so the money I reserved for merch went to visiting another celebrity, and two, because of the encouragement from one convention volunteer, who reminded the crowd that the celebrities were simply normal people.  This allowed me to relieve any anxieties of possible fawning, also known as idolatry (I Corinthians 10:14).  Ms. McFadden was someone whom I watched on television and whose performance I enjoyed.

After the picture, she asked me who I was and what I did for a living.  To this day, I still have no idea what she asked me next, but for some reason, probably because of the elation I was in anyway that day (I decided to make the convention trip a celebration of being debt-free), I tearfully revealed that I paid off all my debts.

Now, you have to understand why revealing this, to anyone, was so important to me.  To many people, being debt-free is like winning the lottery.  If too many people know you have extra money, people tend to start coming after you.  Still, it was a burning desire in my heart to rejoice.  So much so, that when I was praised for this accomplishment, being told how hard I worked for it, I simply lost it.  She knew how much this meant to me, even going as far as calling me back to her booth for a few extra minutes, because she knew I was an emotional wreck.

So, there you have it.  My laurels.  Being debt-free, and receiving an experience that convinces me that I never need to ever go on a TV game show, because I received the same brain chemicals right then and there.  

This is not to say I never experienced moments of good fortune ever again, even those that restored, in part, those brain chemicals similar to someone who, say, spun $1 on the Price Is Right Showcase Showdown wheel, then spun $1 in the Bonus Spin for a $26,000 payday.  I've received windfalls that were very miniscule compared to Drew Carey's prize gallery, yet the feeling of excitement and elation were the same.  Perhaps it's the virtue of contentment (Hebrews 13:5), and the knowledge of a seemingly small sum being extreme fortune.  Is the following true of me? 

Ecc_2:26a  For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy:

Or is it that I have a personal maxim based on the following Scripture:

Ecc 7:14a  In the day of prosperity be joyful,

to which I have interpreted as a command of God concerning every pay day.  Is not a pay day a "day" of "prosperity"?

Now, this is not to say that I am free from the possibility that all of this will fall apart, and I end up destitute.  Here's Ecclesiastes 7:14 in its entirety:

Ecc 7:14  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 

And consider the wisdom of Job (I included bracketed text for clarification, not to add to the Word of God, but simply for translation into modern English):

Job 2:10  But he said unto [his wife], Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive [good stuff happening to us] at the hand of God, and shall we not receive [bad stuff happening to us]? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. 

What is the correct response to suddenly losing it all?

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

(Job 1:21-22)

Paul even backs this up:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

(Php 4:11-13)

So, what truly is "resting on my laurels"?  Contentment

Is The Economy A Pile of Garbage? So What? This Isn't Our World Anyway.

(Unless specified, Scripture verses are from the KJV.)

Heb 13:14  For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (ESV) 

One of the YouTube channels I follow is called The Philosophical Gamer, featuring a millennial who long ago has moved out of the United States because the rising cost of living, and other societal issues.  He has videos titled "Gen Z Doesn't Want To Work / Be Slaves Anymore", "Gen Z's Wages Can't Even Pay For The Job Itself", "$50 Boomer Rent vs. $5000 Gen Z Rent!", "How $60,000 Became The New Poverty Wage In America", etc.  

This got me to thinking:  What sort of life does this person want?  The main reason I work, no matter the wage, was, at first, the following:

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

Now, it's more because of the following:

2Th 3:10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 

I used to work in order to pay off debts.  Now I work to have the right to eat. 

In my own life, I still live with my parents, because I can't afford the insane rents of this country.  I certainly can't afford to support a family by myself.  If I had to finance another car of similar quality, it would be MUCH more expensive than it was back in 2019 ($14k debt vs., say, $28k debt).  So in a way, I agree with The Philosophical Gamer in that the economy is pile of garbage.  Yet, as a Christian, it doesn't matter, because this isn't our world anyway.  Believers must be willing to endure MUCH MORE than a relative pile of garbage economy (I say relative because there are billions of people around the world who have it MUCH WORSE than I do).  Think of what the Apostle Paul went through:

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

(2Co 11:24-29, ESV)

If someone were to suffer today like Paul, it would sound more like this:

"I was beaten multiple times.  I was shot multiple times.  Three times the car broke down, and I was stranded on the highway.  I was always in danger from the elements, from thieves, from posers.  I often went without sleep.  I often went without food or drink.  Besides all this, I have a continuing concern for all the churches."

Hmm...just writing this makes me think of another thing:  What if I actually tried to pull an all-nighter, just to see what it would be like?  No, I'm not trying to test God (Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7, Luke 4:12, etc.), I just wonder what it would be like to actually experience even a fraction of these sufferings for myself?  Now, I don't dare ask God to do so, because, honestly, I don't think I'm ready, maybe not even willing.  Something I have to work on, I guess.  Perhaps, if it's God's will, He will lead me to the depths of suffering, poverty, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, pain, etc. and then, while I'm in the middle of all this suffering, He tells me, "You see?  It's possible.  No one can ever say that you never dealt with this."  Again, I don't want to intentionally throw myself into poverty and suffering for no reason.  I want to live my life righteously, and THEN physically suffer as a result of it.  And I want feedback from the world telling me this is so.  This is not an unbiblical concept.  Jesus Himself asked of the Pharisees:

Joh 10:32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 

So, if anything, a garbage economy should be welcomed by the Church, because it teaches you not to be attached to this world.  Believe me, it's much easier to follow Christ when times are bad, because when times are good, I'm afraid that people will behave like the Laodicean church in the Book of Revelation:

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

(Rev 3:15-19)

In addition, remember this:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

(Jas 1:2-4, ESV)

Whoever Becomes President Is Ordained Of God (Romans 13:1)

Rom 13:1  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. 

The United States Presidential Election is on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.  I am not currently endorsing a presidential candidate at this time.

However, I can say this:  Whoever is elected President of the United States MUST be revered, PERIOD.  God through Paul (2 Timothy 3:16) teaches in Romans 13 that God has ordained government leaders.  Paul gives no exception even to wicked leaders.  To say that he does would be to sinfully add to the Word of God, violating Proverbs 30:6:

Pro 30:6  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. 

Now, let's go through Romans 13:1-7, and see what more it says about government leaders:

Rom 13:1  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. 

Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 

Rom 13:3  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: 

Rom 13:4  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 execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 

Rom 13:5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 

Rom 13:6  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 

Rom 13:7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 

Paul is saying that if you resist government authority (which the rioters on January 6, 2021 did), you will be damned, or judged as the ESV suggests.  Indeed, many participants in the Capitol Riots have been justly judged.  For that I thank God, not because I support or oppose Donald Trump, but that it is a great affront to God (and to me personally) to rebel against the government.  The only time a believer should rebel against the government is when the government orders you to sin against God.  In this case, follow this advice:

Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 

Before I continue, I wish to give my personal reaction to January 6, 2021.  On that day, at first, I was in "alert" mode, thinking that such rioting would spread across the nation.  The next day, after thinking about what just happened, I shed tears.  I shed tears, because, in my mind, it was an affront to everything I was personally fighting for, which was maturity, growing up, being a man (I was paying off debts at the time and still trying to prove to the world, despite living with my parents, I was grown up), etc.  In my mind, the rioters were grown men acting like CHILDREN, since they were POUTING because their guy, Donald Trump, lost the election.  It is my personal belief that Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square, even if due to the prevalence of mail-in ballots, the deck was stacked in Mr. Biden's favor, such an event is not unfair.

Now, back to Romans 13.

Verse 4 is an anchor verse for me.  This is one of the key verses I cite when I say I support the death penalty, or at the very least, do not resist its use as punishment for multiple crimes, including, yes, homosexuality.  It is no sin for the government to execute homosexuals.  The same goes for all capital sins listed in Scripture, including adultery (in which Jesus also includes the cardiac kind in Matthew 5:28).  So, it is also no sin for the government to execute lusting users of pornography.  Even if I myself am guilty of all sorts of sins worthy of capital punishment, I cannot deny that the government has the right to put me to death for such sins.  Let's just hope that if such government is put in place, we are given enough grace to stop such activities immediately before such expanded death penalties take effect.

So, whoever becomes President on January 20, 2025, whether it be Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Chase Oliver, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Johnson, Patty Murray, or anyone else, whoever it is, is God's ordained minister of justice in the United States of America.  Respect the office.  God demands it.

1Pe 2:17  Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 

Impact Video Ministries Exposed

 “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:17, ESV)

Impact Video Ministries peddles the Word of God for profit, a violation of the above verse.  On their YouTube channel, they offer ways to donate to their channel, and even have a store that sells stickers and clothing, each promoting their channel.