Cannot believe this week, I have
been a couple days off – thinking that it was Saturday when it was Thursday and
even Friday and this morning I was thinking it was Sunday. Still feels like it.
Sitting here watching the trees
dance in the wind. Weather is warm,
clouds in the sky and a look of rain about them, although none has happened
yet.
Steven called last night, they
were at the harvest festival at the church and they had ponies for the children
to ride – CeeCee hopped right on, grabbed the horn and had her first horse
ride!
It has been a while since I
straddled a horse, I am envious! I watch
the program, “Gentle Giants,” where they go to different competitions of the
large breeds – Draft horses - like Clydesdales and Belgians. They have also, recently started visiting
some of the ranches where they breed them – many just use them on their farms,
they are an incredible animal.
I love them; large animals –
often times twice the weight of a normal horse that look like colts alongside
them - with a docile spirit, they are hard-working and beautiful.
On the last show they visited
the tallest horse in the world, Big Jake, a Belgian. He was measured for Guinness World Records
Book and was declared the largest in their 2013 book.
“Big Jake stands an official six
feet, ten and three-quarter inches tall. In horse world talk, he is 20 hands,
two and three-quarter inches. He weighs in at 2,600 pounds.”
His wheel mate is not quite as
tall but weighs in about 200 pounds heavier.
Jake is a huge horse. The owner allowed the hosts to ride him,
bareback as he doesn’t put a saddle on him – and they each took a turn. They are females about 5’3” – 5’5” tall. When they got on that horse – having to stand
on a three foot platform and then still having to be boosted up - they looked
like little kids – they looked so small up there. What a treat that was for them.
Yep, envied them too.
1 Timothy
4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 Peter
5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in
the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren
that are in the world.
In an attempt to be all
inclusive, Christians are being thrown to the lions every day. We are being hammered on all sides by the
need to be ‘tolerant’ of other beliefs and ignore, or at least downplay our
affirmation of God’s Word.
Other religions have the same
basic teachings we are told, so what makes us think we are so special?
The world doesn’t want to be
limited to God’s Word, doesn’t want to conform to His commands and
expectations. So, the world develops
other means for a person to ‘feel’ spiritual and thus sooth their conscience;
or, a means to acquire special privileges that are not given to them by God -
that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
First, if the Word of God is not
the foremost teaching, if anything is
given as equal to it – and some religions even proclaim their new divinations
are superior to it, we need to completely stay away – that is one of the lions
that we are warned about.
If a person says they have new
insights into what God is telling us and it doesn’t line up with the Word, then
we need to stay away from them - that is one of the lions that we are warned
about.
If they ignore the deity of God
in the form of the Father, of the Son Jesus, AND the Holy Spirit – or they put
others on the same or greater plain, we need to stay away from them - that is
one of the lions that we are warned about.
If it is proclaimed that Jesus
was just another prophet or teacher and that other prophets and teachers before
or after Him are His equal, in any way - that is one of the lions that we are
warned about.
If they claim that the world was
not created by God, that it ‘just happened’ we need to stay away from them -
that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
While there may be some minor
differences in doctrine, Christians understand that the only means by which a
person may be saved is to acknowledge they have sinned, repent of those sins and
accept the death of Jesus on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins – and
NOTHING else will save our soul.
We cannot earn our way to
heaven. We cannot have another take our
place and ride on their faith into heaven.
It is a personal commitment, a personal relationship with God and can
only be accomplish while living in this world – because the decision for Christ
must be made before death, or we live eternally without Him adding anything to
Christ’s sacrifice is imperative – any teaching that downplays Christ’s position
or adds to it for one to be saved is not serving God - that is one of the lions
that we are warned about.
It is easy to be taken in by
another religion, many promise peace and happiness, and enlightenment of the
soul. They promise a family atmosphere
and a caring attitude – and it all sounds good until their ideology conflicts
with God’s Word – places Jesus as a prophet not our only means to heaven – puts
spin on work as the means to salvation - that is one of the lions that we are
warned about.
We look at the creation around
us in awe and amazement – there are those that place the creation and nature in
a deity form of worship instead of recognizing it is the Creator that formed
them and worships Him - that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
God is very jealous of His place
in the world. He is the Creator, He was
and always will be the sole means by which we are saved – He sent His Son to
affirm His love, His mercy and His dominion over us. Any religion that doesn’t recognize this,
doesn’t accept this by adding on extra requirements for salvation must be
avoided - that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
The Word of God is both simple
and complicated. The simplicity is in
the salvation of Christ and obedience to Him.
There are verses that need understanding with the totality of the Word –
of context and in agreement with the Word.
Jesus often referred the leaders of the Jews to the Old Testament and
urged them to study the Word and they would find that it confirmed what He said
and who He is yet, they denied it as many in the world do today - that is one of
the lions that we are warned about.
The Word of God can be twisted
by a person or cult to seem to say things it doesn’t say. Some will say this verse conflicts with this
verse – and then say it can’t be depended upon – however, when taken into
context we find that there isn’t a conflict that the circumstances or the
teachings are different, or it is just another means to say the same thing. Twisting the scriptures to prove a point that
isn’t there is a common device used by those that would lead us astray - that is
one of the lions that we are warned about.
Satan will use any means he can
to drive a wedge between man and God – an individual and God – you and God. He dwells in conflicts; he embellishes his
lies with plausibility, but not truth.
He wants to separate man from the Creator and plays on people’s
individual needs, weakness and even their strengths to demean God and His
control over the universe - that is one of the lions that we are warned
about.
Satan likes to tell us that we
can become gods – part of the temptation of Eve was that she could be a
god: Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then
your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, And He is still
telling people that they can become gods, even saying that Jesus was a man that
was elevate by God to be a god and many religions embrace that lie -
that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
1 Timothy 2:4-6 Who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.
5 For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
For there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus;
Any other
teaching is one of the lions that we are warned about.
As Christians we may worship God
differently, we may have minor differences on doctrine – but the deity of God,
Jesus, the Holy Spirit in one person is mandated – the only means to be saved
and be with God through eternity is through Jesus and it is mandated – comments
by learned scholars are useful, but if they conflict with God’s Word they must
be discarded - that is one of the lions that we are warned about.
The best way to stay healthy in
Spirit, once we have accepted Christ, is to study God’s Word, pray, fellowship
with other Christians and live for Him.
We have been forewarned by God
that there will be false prophets and they will lead even the most dedicated can
be fooled by them.
Mark 13:21-23 And then
if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe
him not:
22 For false Christs and
false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it
were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed:
behold, I have foretold you all things.
John
14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me.
ANY OTHER WAY, PROFESSED BY ANY
INDIVIDUAL OR RELIGION - must be discarded - that is one of the lions that we
are warned about.
Later, Art :-)
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