Tag: Christianity

Pray, pray and never give up

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prayGood Morning everyone.  People are still coming to Christ Jesus each and every day.  Yes, it is easy to let all the bad news occurring all around us to lose heart and hope but those of us who are followers of The Holy One of God need to keep praying.  Let each one of us begin the day with God.  Let us make an appointment with our Father in Heaven and refuse to break it, especially in a day such as this.

As believers, we may often wonder if there is anything we can do to counter the attacks our enemy hurls at us. We might even ask, “Can we, as Christian couples and parents, stand in the gap for our marriages, our children, our homes, our state, our country?” Let me say a resounding, “Yes, we can, and we must stand united in the victory Jesus has secured for us.”

P – Pray

U – Until

S – Something

H – Happens

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave us, among others, this promise:

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Matthew 7:8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

Every promise which God gives us is attached to a duty.  Concerning any duty it is not enough to do it, it must be done according to the prescribed methodology.

God desires that we should have a clear understanding regarding the certainty of prayer.  Never be afraid of being too earnest.  “Knock.”  Note that this is a repeated statement.  As big as the Bible seems to be, it is actually quite concise; therefore when we see something repeated we really should pay closer attention it than we otherwise might have.

Jesus gave us the model prayer and then on the night that He was betrayed He gave us a strong guarantee regarding the efficacy of prayer.  Some people wind up wondering why their prayers don’t seem to be as effectual as those of some other individuals.  For those who wonder why their own prayers don’t seem to have much of an effect as they should according to promise perhaps this particular blog entry may be of assistance.

Watch in prayer to see what comes.  Foolish folk who knock at the door but then fail to stay till someone comes to provide a response will fail to see the door opened but the desperate soul will tend to persist in knocking and will see an answer.  Some don’t believe in prayer because all they have ever done is to knock and run.

Ask, whom?  Not of angels, not of saints but make your request to the only One who is everywhere present.

Ask, when?  Anytime; some times are better than others.  For most, morning is best.  Daniel prayed three times a day at set times.  George Washington followed the example set by Daniel and would not permit anything to interrupt his prayer times.  He knew to ask of the One who is every when present.

Ask, why?  That is the methodology that God has chosen.  In His economy if we don’t ask, He won’t act.

Ask, How?

a.  Orderly; think about what you are going to ask.  Forget that “prayer language” stuff, because if you don’t actually know what you prayed for how will you know if it has been answered?

b.  Earnestly.

c.  Repeatedly: until you receive an answer.  In your own style – you’re talking to your daddy.  If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your personal Savior then God is not yet your daddy.  Popular foolishness says “We are all children of God,” but that is not backed up by the Holy bible.  First, one has to petition for adoption because we are all, in fact, children of Adam and, as such, alienated from His Kingdom biologically whether we be Jew, Gentile, and especially the Ishmaelite.  He desires that each one of us become a part of His forever family whether we be Jew, Gentile, or Ishamaelite.

d.  In faith.  In the name of Jesus; see John chapter fifteen … that is not a magic phrase – it is a privilege extended to us by the Savior and a recognition of whom it is that has guaranteed our ability to have a right relationship, and communication, with the God of the universe.

To pray is to put the understanding in motion.

To pray is to put the affections in motion; to open the heart.

To pray is to put the will in motion.

Praying is frequently thought of as a passive activity and when it is merely a rote recital of the model prayer or some other one without any real thought or effort put forth that may be an accurate description.  However, when the three above ingredients are all put into the mix it becomes a real work with a special dignity of its own.

Prayer, proper prayer, places the soul face to face with facts of the first order of solemnity; with its real self and with its God.

It is noble, because it is the work of man as man, it quickens the interest of man to that which is beyond the range of petty daily and material interests while enhancing proper interest in them by igniting higher enthusiasms into life, and of man becoming more aware of his being and destiny with a vividness which is necessary to him as no other occupation may.  The nobleness of a man’s best form of toil falls infinitely below that of a spirit which enters consciously into converse with the eternal God.  However that toil, no matter how mundane, may be elevated to an almost sacred level once the work of prayer has consecrated it.

If prayer is to be persevered in, it must be based on the conviction that it is heard by a living being.  If God exists, if He be a Personal Being, then surely we may reach out to Him if we actually want to.  If God be not merely an infinite intelligence, but a moral being, a mighty heart, so that justice and tenderness are attributes of His, then surely we may appeal to Him with some concern that we may have.  It is upon this solid ground that God is said to hear prayer in the Holy Bible.  That He should do so follows from the reality of His nature as the one true God.

The laws of nature are not self-sustained forces; they are God’s laws and God can use His own laws.  They have not escaped His control.

Prayer is a forseen action of man, and is embraced in the eternal purpose of God.

Probably the biggest barrier to effectual prayer is found in a person’s perception of his own self-sufficiency which is frequently demonstrated in the attitude and practice of, “When all else fails, pray.”  No, no … no.  Prayer should be our first resort, not our last.

2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Scripture got it right….again. 

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Scripture got it right….again. .

The most recent estimate of stars in the universe is 300 billion trillion. That’s a 3 followed by 23 zeros. (The number is constantly growing as we find more).
Fourteen billion years (the evolutionists theory of how old the universe is) isn’t nearly enough time to explain so many stars, unless it was an everyday occurrence, which we do not observe.
Save yourself the headache and stick with Gods Word which is unchangeable. Secular scientists will catch up eventually….

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As it turns out, not even Jesus Christ has a Christ-like attitude

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When pondering “WWJD?” do not forget that brandishing whips and overturning tables is not out of the realm of possibilities.  Jesus was not afraid to get right in someone’s face and offend.  He was much more concerned with God’s will than making friends.  Even when He had a large group of followers He didn’t try to avoid offending them in order to keep them from “unfriending” Him.

Jesus reproved and rebuked people because He genuinely cared and He wanted them to do right and wasn’t afraid to do what was needed whether popular or not.  Sometimes I snicker when someone on social media tries to tell me that I don’t have a very Christ-like attitude:

As it turns out, not even Jesus Christ has a Christ-like attitude.

From the blog “Hope Stands” (link above)

After quoting Tony Campolo, Brandon Robertson writes, “Dr. Campolo has been an advocate for a more Christ-like and loving posture towards LGBTQ people in the church for many years now.”[1]

Right away, that stopped me in my tracks, regardless of what the rest of the article said.  As soon as you use the language of a “more Christ-like posture,” all my red flags go up.  Are we reading the same Bible?  This smells like legalism.

Yes, predictably, Robertson goes on to exude his support of the LGBTQ community, but no matter, because he’s already lost me.  Whatever else he said about LGBTQ makes little difference now, so long as he began with those words “a more Christ-like and loving posture.”  That snide remark showed me that he was about to parade the Messiah out in front of us in order to use him for his agenda and take us on a little guilt trip.

But Jesus won’t be paraded around.  A more Christ-like attitude?  What does it mean to have a “more Christ-like and loving posture?”

Does it mean that Jesus would never call anyone names?  He once called a woman a dog (Mark 7:27).  He regularly called people hypocrites, which was a huge insult in his day (Matthew 7:4).  Here are some other names he swathed onto people: blind guides (Matt. 23:16); fools (Matt. 23:17); white washed tombs (Matt. 23:27); snakes (Matt. 23:33); hidden tombs (Luke 11:43); children of hell (Matt. 23:15); and—particularly biting—“Your daddy is the devil!” (John 8:44).

And Jesus wasn’t just harsh with the religious leaders.  He was an equal opportunity offender.  In fact, he called one of his closest followers “Satan” (Matthew 16:23).  Then check out what Jesus said to the seven churches in the book of Revelation.  He gave a very candid and clear assessment of each church, helping it to see where it needed to shape up or ship out.  “You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).

Why is Jesus so harsh?  He gives the answer, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19).  Reprove?  Discipline?  Tell them to repent?  Is that what you call an un-Christ-like posture?

But there’s more.  Speaking through the apostle Paul, Jesus said, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).  Unless, of course, they are washed, sanctified, and justified (11).

Again, Jesus spoke through Paul, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, and idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5-6).

I could list many more examples of Jesus’s “un-Christ-like” posture.  My point is that the way of Jesus is to expose the sin and forgive the sinner.  There is grace and forgiveness for every sin named in these verses.  His radical tactics pave the way for his radical love.

There’s no place in Scripture where Jesus calls a person to himself without asking him or her to change.  In fact, by calling us to change, he’s letting us know that change is now possible because of the grace he first gives.  Jesus never validates a person’s natural condition, whether good or bad.  He only asks them to do whatever it takes to follow him.  Pluck out your eye.  Cut off your arm.  Leave your father and mother.  Sell you possessions.  Circumcise your hearts.  Don’t look back.   Take up your cross.  Lay down your life.  Sin no more.

He’s often hard with us because that’s what true love is.  True love is not validating who we are, but true love is helping us to love God more.  True love will wound us in order to heal us.

Please stop equating a more Christ-like and loving posture with only hugs.  Because if that’s the case, then Jesus Christ was one of the most un-Christ-like people who has ever lived.

In fact, I would go so far as to argue that the kind of “love” that some are asking for today is not love at all.  It’s something much worse.

If My people…seek My face….

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Featured Image -- 18One of the sad realities within the local church today centers on the fact that numerous born-again Christians have little or no knowledge of the spiritual warfare that takes place all around us. The Bible is crystal clear in proclaiming that there is a battle raging in the heavenlies as the forces of evil continue to wage war against not only the Creator, but also against all who trust in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. Islam is just one of the examples of that warfare.

As believers, we may often wonder if there is anything we can do to counter the attacks our spiritual enemy hurls at us. We might even ask, “Can we, as Christian couples and parents, stand in the gap for our marriages, our children, and our homes?” Let me say a resounding, “Yes, we can, and we must stand united in the victory Jesus has secured for us.”

As Genesis 3 shows us, Satan’s desire is not only to destroy our lives, but also to weaken and sever the relationships we hold dear. We might all agree that Adam and Eve were both at fault for their disobedience and rebellion against God’s commandments. But a careful reading of Genesis 3:12 shows that Adam blamed his sin not only on his wife, but also on his Creator by saying to the Lord, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”

Without question, Satan is still using the same tactics against our marriages and homes today. He seeks to divide us from our spouses and our children as he plans his strategies to destroy the unity God has designed for us. Just as he was successful in breaking the unity Adam and Eve shared with their Creator, he is still achieving an alarming number of victories in the modern-day Christian home, as the sins of pride and selfishness are often all too prevalent.

I have often talked with numerous people who have had serious questions about the origins of evil and sin in the world. Many may wonder, “How and when, did sin begin?” As the Bible teaches, Satan sinned when he exercised his free will to rebel against his Creator.

Over my years in pastoral ministry, I have encountered far too many believers who lack the knowledge about who they are in Christ. I am completely convinced that unless we acquire a solid biblical understanding of our “in Christ” position, we will be unable to fully counter the attacks of our enemy as he tempts us to exercise our free will and rebel against the commandments of God. As believers, we have a tremendous responsibility to study God’s Word so we can be better able to stand firm with the knowledge and power our Lord has provided for us as we face the devil and his forces of evil.

Without a doubt, it is time that we, as the children of God, woke up and begin living as strong advocates of the cause of Christ Jesus.  May our awareness be so quickened that we will begin recognizing the attacks of the devil when they come our way but not be distracted or deterred by the superfluous stuff.

Would you agree that Satan has been achieving his victories for far too long?  Will you join with me as we literally claim the power of God Holy Spirit against the one who seeks to divide and destroy our marriages, our homes, our churches, and our country?  As the people of God, we can praise our Creator for all His abundant promises as we literally stand in the strength He provides.

2nd Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

  • Pastor Ward Clinton

Why do you believe what you believe?

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BibleGreetings everyone.  Let us praise the one true God for those who are escaping from the ways that lead to death and eternal darkness to follow in the path of the Holy One of God whose way is the way of life, light, and love and which is, in fact, the way that the One True God desires that each and every person on this earth should go.  Some of us know this already, others need to know therefore we need to pray for them.

Corrupt Imams claim the Bible is corrupt however the Koran does not make any such claim.  Confused people who have merely accepted the claims of corruption could carefully study the Koran for themselves but there is no need for that because the wiser course of action would be to simply accept the challenge of reading the New Testament portion of the Holy Bible and learn the truth about the one whom the Koran calls Isa, the Holy One of God.

The Injil, or New Testament portion, of the Holy Bible has the words of life and light and the only way to draw near to the One True God.  During the time of Ramadan, especially, one is supposed to be seeking to draw closer to the One True God and there really is no better way known to man to do that than to learn from the words of and about the Holy One of God and that can best be done by reading the Injil, starting with Injil Markus.  In the Holy Bible it will be found to be called “Mark” or “The Gospel of Mark.”

Mohammad believed in the accuracy of the Holy bible, however he did not trust some of those who interpreted its meaning in Arabic because their lives were inconsistent with the teaching of the book and therefore his skepticism was not directed towards the purity of the text itself.

Muhammad Abduh Sayyid Ahmad Khan, a religious and social reformer (died 1905) stated:  “As far as the text of the Bible is concerned, it has not been altered.” (M.H. Ananikian, The Reforms and Religious Ideas of Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan.  The Moslem World 14 (1934) p. 61)

Egyptian scholar, Muhammad ‘Abduh stated: “charge of corruption of the Biblical texts makes no sense at all.  It would not have been possible for Jews and Christians everywhere to agree on changing the text.  Even if those in Arabia had done it, the difference between their book and those of their brothers, let us say in Syria and Europe would have been obvious.”

Abdullah Ibn `Abbas who is counted as one of the Sahaba (companions) and was Mohammed’s cousin was of the belief that the Holy Bible was not corrupted.  Others who wrote shortly after him were in agreement.  “Ibn Mazar and Ibn Hatim state, in the commentary known as the Tafsir Durr-I-Mansur, that they have it on the authority of Ibn Muniyah, that the Taurat (i.e. the books of Moses), and the Injil (i.e. the Gospels), are in the same state of purity in which they were sent down from heaven, and that no alterations had been made in them, but that the Jews were wont to deceive the people by unsound arguments, and by wresting the sense of Scripture… Shah Waliyu `Illah, in his commentary, the Fauzul `l-Kabir, and also Ibn `Abbas, support the same view.” (T. P. Hughes, p. 62)

Taqiyya says follow the path of Muhammad; Truth says follow the path of the Holy One of God, the Messiah, Praise be upon Him and all who obey His teachings for that is the way to true, eternal, Paradise.  The Messiah also invites you to follow the true path.

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Islam sucks

The cult of death is waging a war against everyone.

One of the sad realities within the local church today centers on the fact that numerous born-again Christians have little or no knowledge of the spiritual warfare that takes place all around us. The Bible is crystal clear in proclaiming that there is a battle raging in the spiritual realms as the forces of evil continue to wage war against not only the Creator, but also against all who trust in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.

As believers in the holy one of the one true God, Jesus The Christ, we may often wonder if there is anything we can do to counter the attacks our spiritual enemy hurls at us.  Yes, we can, and we must because we are the Children of The Light and we know that the way of Muhammad is the way of death and destruction which leads to the eternal darkness for all those entrapped in that system.

As Genesis 3 shows us, the Prince of Darkness’ desire is not only to destroy our lives, but also to weaken and sever the relationships we hold dear. We might all agree that Adam and Eve were both at fault for their disobedience and rebellion against God’s commandments but while they initiated the blame game they were not able to escape the consequences of their failure to stand and do the right thing.

As for the followers of Muhammad, the words of Deuteronomy chapter 32 come to mind, “Their rock is not our Rock,” and their rock shall not prevail against the Lord of life, light, and love.  Now is the time for us to stand and inform them that they may leave the path that leads to eternal darkness and join us in following the true path that leads to everlasting life.

The cult of death will lose and the time to leave it is now.

Charleston AME Church is Awesome

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gun not problemrace arrest  Within a few hours after hearing about the tragedy in Charleston, S.C. some were asking, “Pastor will you be making a comment in your blog?”  Replying in the affirmative I said that it would be a couple of days so that we would be able to learn the real facts first.  Don’t you wish our President would have done the same?

Once again Obama was quick to use a crisis to stir racial strife and in general division among various groups of people while calling for confiscation of guns instead of proclaiming compassion and promoting healing in the fashion of previous Presidents.  Most likely he felt he had to rush out to the video cameras because he was afraid the actual facts will get in the way of the agenda he has been pushing.  Time and again, the facts prove to be vastly different from what Obama purports them to be but he doesn’t really care because he knows that most of his followers will blindly follow whatever he tells them and ignore the truth when it does come out at a later point in time.

  • Church was apparently a “gun-free zone”
  • Shooter sat in bible Study for nearly an hour before he started shooting people
  • Shooter reportedly reloaded 5 times
  • Al Sharpton was quickly dispatched (to stir up strife)
  • Drug user – another killer on psychotropic drugs.  Suboxone is a habit forming drug that has been connected with sudden outbursts of aggression.  It is also used to treat opiate addiction.
  • Common thread in these incidents isn’t race, it is godlessness

Although Al Sharpton was quickly dispatched to promote racism and bigotry in Charleston and to stir up as much strife as possible (it is his M.O.), there were others who came together in an effort to promote healing and unity and to comfort the broken-hearted.

Founders’ Bible article Ezra 8, page 715. Excerpt from President John Tyler: “When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men, to acknowledge His goodness in time past as well as their own unworthiness, and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future.”

At the bond hearing  the Judge said, “Charleston is a strong community we have big hearts….”  He also stated words to effect that we must find it in our hearts to help all the victims of this crime, including those in Dylann’s family who were not a part of that crime or accessories to it in any manner.

One relative of one of the slain victims said, “Hate must not win” and another said “I forgive you” and another “I don’t understand, we reached out to you”  but also expressed a forgiving heart.  They were wonderful representatives of a wonderful church which is obviously truly following in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ.

I have no doubt that the late Reverend Martin Luther King would be ashamed of this President but proud of the slain victims and their families.  They are over-comers and the blessed ones of God.

obama nut Sorry Barry

Pastor Ward Clinton

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Bible

The President of the Southern Baptist Convention has a message regarding the looming Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage: We will not obey.
“The Supreme Court of the United States is not the final authority nor is the culture itself,” declared Ronnie Floyd, the elected leader of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. “The Bible is God’s final authority about marriage and on this book we stand.” Read More

Titus 2:7 In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified.

Rev Franklin Graham accurately stated that the Word of God says that cowards will not be able to enter heaven (Rev 21:8).  Therefore all those who claim to be Christian must stand firm according to the truth espoused by the one and only God no matter if it is popular or not.

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Jesus v Muhammad Islams god below

How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia (rabies) in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

– Sir Winston Churchill, 1899.
British Conservative politician and statesman of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.

Obama Admin. Offers ridiculous argument for slave reparations, “Would close wealth gap”

Given his adulation and admiration for the role of islam in the history of the United States, what proportion of the reparations are to come from islam, major slave-trading entity? But then, JIZYA is taxing nonbelievers to fund islam, TAQIYYA is abandoning TRUTH to benefit islam, and his ultimate goal for the “fundamental transformation” is the islamization of our Republic, is it accurate to assume that he will find some way to divert some of these reparations TO islam, rather than FROM islam?

The Irish Slave Trade – the forgotten “white” slaves.  The Irish slave trade began when James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the New World.  – Global research centre

Pastor Ward Clinton

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The National Black Robe Regiment joins with the Black community in Charleston, SC to decry the hatred and resulting murder of the pastor and 8 other innocent victims, and to pray for Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church family and the community of Charleston. May all pastors and believers in Charleston reach out to each other with humility, honor, healing and reconciliation. “As the #Charleston police deem this horrific act a hate crime,” the King Center tweeted, “we pray vigorously that this person’s hate does not cultivate more hate.” We agree and pray that the Body of Christ will rise up in unity in Charleston and beyond to address the gaping wounds in our nation. Read More

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

President John Tyler: “When a Christian people feel themselves to be overtaken by a great public calamity, it becomes them to humble themselves under the dispensation of Divine Providence, to recognize His righteous government over the children of men, to acknowledge His goodness in time past as well as their own unworthiness, and to supplicate His merciful protection for the future.”

Pastor Ward Clinton

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