Category: Worldly

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Conflict between the worldly religious and the spiritually faithful

According to social norm and practice, as well as political common sense and the art of war, this post that I write today might suggest to some that I am vulnerable to criticism. That opinion would be very wrong; however, concern for that opinion forming almost caused me not to write about a topic that I have considered all week. My fear of misjudgment by silly people is non-existent because I am very confident that the LORD God has caused me to consider these things, and moved me to share them with my Christian brothers and sisters.

Every post and every opinion I share with others on the Internet is signed by me. I don’t hide behind the name “anonymous” and I don’t waffle back and forth between popular ideas and the Word of God. Every study that Becker Bible Studies teachers and authors have ever written is supported by Bible verse for each point. Every blog written by me may well expose a candor, urgency, timeliness, pithiness, controversy; but it also is my thoughts shared as truthfully as I can with as much explanation as can be offered.

One thing is certain in the world of blogging and in the practice of religion. Some will be offended. The sharing of belief often challenges others to defend their own. Sometimes this challenge is too difficult to undertake. Those who have difficulty in rationally thinking about their stand, those who base their spiritual beliefs on social and popular worldly opinion, those who hide behind the signature of “Anonymous”, those who strive to force all people to believe and practice their religion as “one world,” those are the people who are going to BE IN CONFLICT with both me and the Word of God.

Every spiritually Faithful Christian is as different from every worldly religious Person, as the Word of God is as different to a “Movie of the Week.” One is real, and one is pretend.

The spiritually Faithful strive daily to get it right and to walk the walk with Jesus Christ, according to the Word of God. They form opinion and ideas based on that Word and boldly declare the Word of God as He moves them to share. The spiritually Faithful support their opinions with His Word, and maintain a public and open accountability for all to see.

The worldly Religious strive to conform daily to worldly ways. They walk the walk of the carnal, and project an openness and acceptance with all popular ideas and mediums. They form opinion on things they have been told by others and viciously attack those who do not conform to their ways. Their opinions are spoken with practiced speech with their worldly peers. Worldly Religious often maintain an “Anonymous” presence, so they can attack again and again without accountability for their own actions.

How easy it must be to be a worldly Christian in secret! How uncomplicated it would be for all believers to believe the same things! Where accountablity was never needed, where thoughts and ideas were formed by some religious leadership, and dictated through popular beliefs of the time!

This week, a worldly Religious Annonymous wrote me a letter. The writer had been offended by one of my blog posts, and proceeded to viciously attack my ministry, my spirit and my beliefs. As all who write things on the Internet every day know, the attack was not a big deal; it is a product of the outspoken worldly, who want their beliefs to take precedence over all others, who want their actions to control those who dare to stand above them.

But this writer did something that I had never seen done before. “Annonymous” attacked every work that we had done for the LORD God, judged us guilty of heresy, and promised to pray for us that night which takes me to the point of this whole discourse.

We strive daily to do the Works the LORD God would have us to do. Every spiritually Faithful Christian does the same thing as we do and try to accomplish those things that He Wills. Our focus is always on His Way, and we try to produce great works that will survive the test of fire, and in the end, glorify Him.

What happens when a worldly religious person prays against a spiritually faithful person? Certainly, the LORD God is not going to punish the Faithful who are doing His Works according to His Will, that brings anger to the worldly religious. I am also certain that He is not going to change the Faithful’s beliefs to match that of the worldly Religious. Would my Father God or Lord Jesus Christ get angry at the presumption of the prayers of condemnation by the Religious? Would my Father punish them for their attacks against His Works? Would my Father even hear their feeble prayers?

I don’t know.

But this I know for certain…When we pray to the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Holy and Powerful LORD God, it is probably wise of each of us to make sure we know what we are praying for and focused on His Will and Ways. I have a feeling deep inside my soul, that to attack the good Things that He has established with the venom filled outrage of the worldly religious, will not bode well.

So, to display the love that Christ demands from me, I am not going to publish the foolish and ugly Anonymous letter. I am hoping that the writer was merely using practiced speech in an attempt to gain control, and was not seriously contemplating attacking the works of our ministry to the LORD God

I don’t know exactly how my Father would respond, but I am confident of this: He is very proud of me and every spiritually Faithful Christian who walks the walk of Jesus Christ every day in full view of the world, and if I were advising Anonymous, I’d tell him to sit back down and hide.

Kathy L. McFarland, MDiv.

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Soldier in the Army of God (Unknown Author)

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me. Isaiah 6:8

I am a soldier in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.

I will either retire in this army at the rapture or die in this army; but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable and dependable.

If my God needs me, I am there. If He needs me in Sunday school, to teach the children, work with the youth, help adults or just sit and learn He can use me because I am there!

I am a soldier; I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up or pepped up. I am a soldier. No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me. I am a soldier. I am not a wimp.

I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom! No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for or catered to. I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing, I will still come out ahead. I will win. My God has and will continue to supply all of my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me.

Governments cannot silence me and hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier. Even death cannot destroy me. For when my commander calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to Captain and then allow me to rule with Him.

I am a soldier in the army, and I am marching claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier, marching heaven bound. Here I stand! I will not turn around.

Will you stand with me?

Kathy L. McFarland, MDiv.

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Heaven will Dissolve with Fire!

One of the biggest tricks that Satan has established in the world is to confuse the Word of God, and allow the common men of the the world to define Heaven. Satan did this in an effort to prevent people from ever feeling the need to walk toward the LORD God, bow their knee, accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, or be baptized in Christ and the Holy Spirit

The trick is perpetuated on unsuspecting worldly people, by making them believe that Heaven is for everyone that is good, and that it will be the dwelling place of all good people for eternty. Heaven is falsely purported to be the final place where all of your wishes are granted to you, and Christianity is defined as one who is “good enough to get to Heaven”.

Heaven nor Christianity is not what the world believes it to be.

Heaven is the current home to the LORD God and all of His Spirits, Jesus Christ, the resurrected faithful Christians, and angels. Heaven is not going to last forever. There is going to be a new Heaven established when the New Earth is established. The current Heaven will dissolve with fire and come to an end, as things are reordered and renewed, and those who oppose the LORD God’s rule are brought to justice.

Faithful Christians that have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and have been baptized in the Baptism of Redemption, and have received of the Holy Spirit, and faithfully Walk the walk of Christ, are promised to NEVER DIE again! For this specific group of believers, and because of the resurrection of our Christ, our souls leave our body upon our death, and are immediately transported to Heaven, where new bodies are given us. We are in Heaven for one purpose…to rest for a while….to recuperate and prepare for our new lives on the New Earth, that will be ruled by our Christ.

Not all Christians even get the opportunity to go to Heaven for this rest. If a Christian has not walked the specific walk layed out in God’s Word, and has not received the Baptism of Redemption, then he will not go to Heaven temporarily, but will sleep in his grave for a while. When the Lord Jesus Christ resurrects all of the dead in their grave on the Day of Rapture, just before the raising of the live Christians to Him. These Christians will receive salvation because of their belief, and join the other faithful Christians in Heaven, to later go on and assume their positions on the New Earth.

I would garner a guess, however, that those Christians who had the opportunity to follow the Word of God while alive, but made no effort to comply completely, will be likely destined to more lowly positions upon the New Earth.

To be a Chrisitian and elgible for a time in Heaven requires a strict and narrow walk in accordance with the Word of God, and with Jesus Christ as your Master and King. Anything less will lead you to your grave for awhile, with promise of facing Jesus Christ on Judgment Day and explaining why you called Him Savior, but failed to honor the Word of God.

Kathy L. McFarland, MDiv.

“9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. “11 ¶ [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Peter 3:9-14 KJV)

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1 KJV)

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Whiners Angry with the LORD God

Sometimes my job as Teacher gives me more wiggle room than that of a Preacher. Preachers have to toe the line to the congregations that employ them. They are expected to say the things that are usually said within that Church, and to avoid the unfamiliar homilies from other places. Visiting the sick in the hospital is usually one of the top tasks expected of all preachers, and how well they comfort the sick, the dying and the mourners defines not only how popular they are among their Congregation, but also how long they will keep their job.

My boss is Jesus Christ. As long as I’m telling it the way His Word expresses, I’m okay. I don’t have to leave feel good messages, or words of comfort, or even be nice if the situation and my King does not demand it.

The good news is most of the time I am nice, especially to the sick, the dying and the mourners. Today, however, I am not going to be.

People of the World, People of the Kingdom, People of the Law, People of Servitude! One thing is assured; everyone is going to suffer and everyone is going to die!

The LORD GOD has willed that death come to sin. Since all people have sin, and the power of sin does not lose it’s hold over a person until death, you can be very certain that death will come to every person alive, regardless of how “nice” and “perfect” they are. Whether that death takes place in the natural way of the ceasing of life with a burial in the grave until resurrected on Judgment Day, or within the Baptismal Waters of Jesus Christ and resurrected immediately upon bodily death to the Kingdom of Heaven. EVERYONE DIES!

Before death, you can also be assured that suffering will happen to each of us! Our worst sufferings may happen when we are young and developing, or middle age and struggling, or old age and remembering! It doesn’t matter when; DEATH is gonna come! It doesn’t matter whether you are destined for great things, whether you are faithful and righteous, whether you are “good people” of whether you are wicked! It’s going to happen!

Sometimes the LORD God chooses the course of troubles that come to people, and sometimes He turns His back and allows troubles to come. Sometimes He leads people into hard times to harden them into righteous responders, and sometimes he leads people into soft places so they can recover.

If you read His Holy Word of God, then you can understand His Ways. If you do not have a relationship with Him, you will never understand His Spirit, His Nature or His Will.

If you have chosen to live a life of the world, bereft of the LORD God’s Things, then do not come to me seeking compassion for your sickness and approaching death unless you want to learn of Him and the salvation of Jesus Christ through faith of His Resurrection and promised redemption of your sins.

I don’t care whether you are angry at God for letting your perfect and good life be tainted with a little struggle and a little sadness. I know that many live their lives in a perfect and good way, come from “good stock” and firmly believe that their goodness will prevent them from having bad things come to them. Bullpucky!

And then when death comes and the “good” worldly person becomes the “saint” in legend, and people speak of the deceased being in Heaven and at peace, I usually hold my tongue, when I think of the times that dead person rejected Jesus Christ, mocked the Holy Spirit, and cursed God.

The truth is that the LORD God gives every living person a chance to come toward Him at some point in life. If those opportunities are rejected, then so be it. If you are of the world, and proud that you can be a “good” person without God, that is fine with me; embrace your choice, man-up, and go to your grave with pride that you lived the life and chose the death you wanted. Don’t come to me at the end and be angry at God and asking why.

If you reject Him and His Things in your worldly life, then He will not be helping you to understand the things happening to you in your suffering and death! Just in defining your life as “good” and your rewards “deserving” separates you from all of us past sinners who absolutely need the salvation of Jesus Christ and His promised redemption to squeeze into Heaven, and one day help establish the New Earth.

Imperfect and sinful people are offered a choice to live an eternal life guided by God, and overcome death through their faith in Jesus Christ. Wordly people choose their life of pefectness and goodness that one day leads to them rotting in their graves until they are resurrected at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

If you are old enough, and wise enough to make the choice of your way of life, then make it. Quit whining to me about the loneliness and pain that will come to you on your deathbed if you choose to go your own way with the world.