A Lesson From BOROMIR

THERE ARE JUST CERTAIN WEEKS  that one finds himself

so entirely busy, so bogged down with a workload, bogged down

with news from this front and that front, so feeling bombarded

on all sides ... like you're Boromir in Lord of The Rings, taking

arrow shot after arrow shot ...

Ever had one of those weeks? 
Well, I've had several! 
And when you have "news" hit you, like a wave, 
"news" that may be a 
'heavy revvy' ... an enlightening but shocking truth ... 
or you just found out

that your best friend or favorite relative 
has been lying about you ...

It can be devastating.

No. I am not going to tell you what I have been 
through the past several months. 
Not yet.

Perhaps when I collect it all, 
sift through it all, "digest" and analyze

it all with the proper words, in the proper setting, then. 
Perhaps.

In the meantime, 
I will forge on.

I will continue to do the music that God gives me, do the video

work that I'm assigned, produce the artistic endeavors and assist

up and coming talent, write amazing and thought-provoking blogs

and still love my family and raise my kids and receive love from my

wife and be used by God to be a LIGHT to people all around me,

I trust ... continue to TRUST My God, the one and only True Living

God, and preach the Gospel of Grace, that God does NOT live or

dwell in edifices made by human hands but IN HIS PEOPLE.

We ARE the Temples ... We are the CHURCH, we don't "go to it".

I WILL CONTINUE to tell people that GOD IS LOVE, in spite

of wars and rumors of wars, in spite of the economy up and downs,

in spite of the price of gasoline, in spite of who is in the Oval Office,

in spite of some wicked despot ruler's activities across the pond,

and in spite of tons of religious, so-called "well-meaning" christians

who want to send the majority of the earth's population to judgment

and wrath for all eternity!

LOOK.  JESUS has NEVER, 
No, NEVER ever, ever, ever FAILED ME.

Nope.

I may have failed Him, but never He to me!

Sooooo, some believe that God and Jesus failed, somehow.

I can soundly say that THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

DID NOT FAIL when He reconciled ALL MANKIND and set them ALL FREE

from SIN.  Yes. That's what I said. FREED ALL from SIN.

You see, the religious world wants you to believe that God tried ... He just didn't

quite succeed in getting all reconciled, and sadly, "all won't be saved". Puh-leeeze.

Folks need to read their Bibles again, and reading in context.

Romans.  2 Corinthians.  First John.  That's just for starters.

Folks start saying junk like, "Well then, everyone is going to have a license

to do as they please and just keep sinning and then go to heaven, right?"

They say it like it's some kind of joke.

GRACE is a power from God, it is the opposite of license!  Sheesh.

Some don't even understand GRACE, and want to keep you from

knowing about it and "wielding it." Me O My O.

The WHOLE WORLD is now dead to sin. Because Jesus took sin,

nailed the whole thing to the cross, took the rap sheet, took the

punishment, and satisfied Almighty God and satisfied wrath.

The whole world goes free ... because of Calvary.

"Dead to Sin" ... Alive in Christ. Only problem is, they all don't know it yet.

Did you know that "the free gift of righteousness" is available to all??

Go Back and read The Book again. Read it with the "glasses of Jesus".

++++++++++

IN THE END,  Boromir fought to protect Merry and Pippin, and indirectly, Frodo

and the Ring.  He once was tempted to take the Ring. He later said he

did not understand. He once rejected the idea of Gondor having a king,

and certainly rejecting Aragorn as that potential king. Now with "many arrows"

in his body, he did get over himself, having fought the good fight ... and he finally

recognized the True King (Aragorn).

I love his last words:

"I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king!"

And with that, I'ma sayin' that Ima gonna keep following Jesus, my captain, my King ...

regardless of what the rest of the world does, regardless of preachers

denying his deity, regardless of folks telling people lies, or folks lying

on others or folks giving up and lying down! Doing nothing is not

the answer!  Giving in to discouragement or depression accomplishes

nothing! The LOVE OF GOD constrains me, motivates me, drives me

to fulfill "my density", er, I mean MY DESTINY and by that 
SAME GRACE 
(I mentioned earlier) 

I WILL reach my goal!

It's just ...

I like to travel that road with no arrows 
stickin' in me.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I REMAIN

TONY ;)

God Is NOT a Control Freak

GOD IS NOT A CONTROL FREAK ...
BUT HE IS IN CONTROL!!!

I have been wanting to write about this subject
for a long, long time.
Ever since I got hooked up with certain dudes on Facebook,
who shall remain nameless here ...
They have been telling folks in no uncertain terms
just exactly what GOD is like.
I, for one, am not going to pretend that
I fully understand the Almighty,
so I was willing to learn.
But then, the more I read what these guys wrote,
the more confusing it all sounded.
These dudes seemed to have it all figured out,
and were happy with the outcome of what they believed.
I WAS NOT. 
"Sorry." >>> No, Not Really.
I wasn't buying all of it.
And I wasn't allowed to just accept
part of the doctrine, and reject the rest.
Nope. I wasn't swallowing it.
Now, let's see if I can put it all in a nutshell.
THEY SAY:
God is SOVEREIGN.
God controls all, knows all, and causes all things, period.
He created "evil for the day of evil"
and he also created the evil one.
{OK> I accept that last part about evil and the evil one.
And that God KNOWS ALL}.
To continue: They say that God
causes all the ugly and evil and catastrophic
things to happen on earth,
since "free will is a myth"
{I believe "free will" is overstated, yes}
and that satan is not a "rogue" being
who has free reign to do whatever he pleases.
{that true, he does not}
AND God does ALL these things for His own
higher purposes and we should never question
or doubt Him on these things, just accept
it as part of our life here on earth.

THERE. That pretty much sums up what 'they' believe.

NOW ... HERE'S WHERE I DIFFER FROM THEM:

I BELIEVE that GOD is a benevolent God,
who does not wreak havoc on the earth,
who does not send evil upon people
to "teach them a lesson"
{barring all judgment/punishing/chastising/purging for now}
-- especially upon His children.
God no more would send sickness, disaster, tragedy
or the like upon His child even as an earthly
parent would never do such!!
This "God" was then pictured to me as
a  confused and criminally insane or split (at best)
control freak, who cannot make up His mind
what He wants to send upon His children!
{It's no wonder insurance companies fashioned
the "acts of God" clauses!}

NO, NO,  A THOUSAND TIMES, NO!!!
What these philosophical postulators
don't talk about are the following:
THE GOODNESS OF GOD
THE GIFTS OF GOD
THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
THE PROMISES OF GOD
THE POWER OF GOD
manifest to all of His children!!!
Please allow me to quote some other brethren
from Facebook and then I will close.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Does God really micro-manage our lives????

by Noah Jefferson Cooke on Sunday, December 19, 2010

"This question is something I've been pondering for awhile now. 

We know that all of  God's will  for mankind will stand.

We also [know] that  Jesus will triumph in the end and that HE will save ALL mankind. These are HIS ultimate purposes.   BUT does GOD need to micro-manage our lives to accomplish
His ultimate purposes?

Is every event decision in our live preordained? 

Or consider this:

Perhaps it is possible that God will save all mankind in spite of itself.  God is powerful enough . . .

he doesn't have to micro-manage every event of our lives to do this. 

We all make good and bad decisions .

That's just it, they are our decisions.

  

Proverbs 16: 9.
A man's heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.
Proverbs 19: 21.
There are many devices in a man's heart;
nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

 But God will save us all despite our bad decisions.

 He doesn't have to micro-manage our lives  to do it.
 In other words
DON'T GIVE GOD THE CREDIT OR BLAME, IF YOU WILL,
for our own screw ups.

 **********

"If there is but one thing in the world that is not of God, then it does not require much proof that all things are not of God. If but one thing is not God's will,
then there may be other things which are likewise."

-- Rick Farwell

 ************

{The following excerpt is from Jerry Bowers}

"Who could handle being plastered with so many scriptures, and not just be overwhelmed into agreement? Only those who are unfamiliar with these, and so many other scriptures that at the very least prove that God does not God ordain, dictate, call for, command, cause, perform, and control, bring about every word, action, deed, thought, decision and/or response of man.

 [The following verses are mostly spoken by God Himself,and are not part of the 9 or 10 passages that False Sovereignty of God people use, which I have left OUT on purpose for article brevity].

Deuteronomy 17:3 “and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded”

Deuteronomy 18:20 “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die”

Jeremiah 14:15 “Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this land'; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed”

Jeremiah 19:5 “they have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into my mind”

Jeremiah 23:21 “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied”

Jeremiah 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed” 

Jeremiah 27:15 “For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that you might perish, you, and the prophets that prophesy 
unto you”

Jeremiah 29:9 “For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, 
says the LORD”

Jeremiah 29:23 “Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, says the LORD” 

Ezekiel 13:6-7 “They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD said: and the LORD has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Did you not seen a vain vision, and did you not speak a lying divination, whereas you say, The LORD said it; albeit I have not spoken?”

Micah 3:5 "Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, "Peace!"; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him" 

Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”

James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."

 -- Jerry William Bowers Jr.

To read more from this author,and view the "other verses"

please visit his site:

http://1-revelation.com/FalseSovereigntyofGod.aspx

*****

OK. This is a deep, heavy subject and I

simply wrote a few paragraphs on it.

AND I didn't mention the passage

from Romans 8  that these FSOG dudes use.

But hopefully, I helped clear out some of the mud.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

BYE FOR NOW!

                                        TONY ;)                              

A New Year's Greeting!

TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS HERE @

The TONY Blog:

It has been a good year for some, hard for many.

For some, it has been a year of GREAT accomplishments.

(Our New Record Label)

Many, this year, lost their houses, 

and jobs for the very 1st time, ever.

I know for many, many years my wife & I have struggled

financially and with issues we have had to overcome,

to get "dlivahh-ed" if you will LOL.

And in the midst of that "deliverance", we have gained

much INSIGHT, REVELATION and knowledge that we

try to pass on to as many as we can.

TRUTH was meant to be shared, not stored in a bottle

and stockpiled only for oneself, in the cellar.

We cannot simply sail by so many, and sit on the TRUTH.

What specifically I speak of is:

THAT I want  2011 to be a year of great prosperity, great

growth and success and well-being for ME, so that I can not only

see blessings for me and my family, see recovery and much

needed restoration and restitution where the enemy has stolen

A LOT == BUT ALSO so that we can be able to help ALL THE

MORE PEOPLE that God places in our path, the projects that

He lays upon our heart, and the destiny/fulfillment that

He wants for ALL OF HIS CHILDREN.

The prosperity I want for me and my family, I desire to see for all

my friends here.  Many of you have been a direct

blessing to me and my family ... It has been so wonderful

to work with SO MANY beautiful people on the web . . .

and there is much more good news to come!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ... 2011 !!! AND AS DOC EMMETT BROWN SAYS:  

"THE FUTURE IS WHATEVER YOU MAKE IT ... SO

MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!!!"

 TONY ;)

IT WAS A NOISY NITE TO REMEMBER!

        ENJOY MY TAKE ON CHRISTMAS, 

                                               FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW!

IT WAS A NOISY NITE TO REMEMBER

It was a Holy Night, but it was far from Silent.

There was the sheep and other animals making noise

(like the song "The Little Drummer Boy" ...

"the ox and lamb kept time" ;)

AND THEN these angels came with their announcement and choir=like fanfare.

***

 There was a nasty, wicked king who was trying to kill the Messiah ... he slaughtered all of these innocents.

Thank God Baby Jesus was protected.

*** 

 Joseph, who had to accept what was going on with his betrothed and beloved Mary,

was indeed abnormal. He went through amazing

suffering no-one has catalogued. Yet.

*** 

 There was SO MUCH hub-bub going on ...

so much surrounding this birth, even before

it happened. Mary pondered and cherished

all these things in her heart. Mary could probably

write VOLUMES herself, given the chance.

*** 

 There was some indication that there will be visitors ...

man, there were visitors!

All these shepherds and animals and even some children showed up for this amazing event. News of some foreign kings' arrival, but delayed because there were no trains,

no planes, no motorcars and no cellphones

or shuttles to speed them on.

They had to follow another amazing celestial event ... a double star:

The largest Sun/Star out there, coupled with Jupiter, The King Planet.

Their arrival was delayed by approximately 2 years.

*** 

 Days after Jesus' birth, the hub-bub continues.

A strange man and a strange woman prophesies

over the child, and the mother. Joseph's head is still spinning.

He can hardly wait to have intimacy

with his new wife.

 ***

 A footnote, if you will. All of this event,

most likely occurred in September,

when it was nice weather,

to be watching sheep at night. IF it was winter, those shepherds

wouldn't have been out there.

"A Child, A Child shivers in the cold" ... no, I don't think so.

*** 

 Years later, much later, some political/religous leader

decides to marry

the history of this event with the celebration of the Winter Solstice.

Huh ... sounds good to me, just combine two holidays

into one, and then incorporate some winter elements and

 >>> Santa Claus, Rudolph, The Abominable,

The Island of Misfit Toys, The Elf Dentist, Frosty the Snowman,

Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin,

Mr. Snow, Mr. Freeze, The Ice Wizard, Kris Kringle,

Charlie Brown and the Limp Christmas Tree,

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" Ralphie 

(The Christmas Story), The Grinch (Boris Karloff

and Jim Carrey), Scrooged, A Christmas Carol and

Ebenezer Scrooge,

George Bailey, Will Farrell, Vince Vaughan, and Oh! Of Course,

Tim Allen!

*****

Personally, I have NO problem with most of these added elements,

and I think I've been graced to be able to distinguish between

fact and fiction. It doesn't offend me ... Somehow I find

it entertaining (oh gasp! The "E" word!).

And our family has decided to not get stressed out

with the usual holiday STRESS ... and not get bummed

out with purchases or lack thereof, or decorations

or lack thereof.

We gonna feast

We gonna enjoy each other

We gonna celebrate

We gonna Praise God for the Time.

For the Season.

For the Lord Jesus came once as a baby ...

HE grew up ... He faced the cross and died upon it,

He rose from the dead, ascended and was

GLORIFIED.

We don't spend enough time in that GLORY.

We spend more time in the cradle ...

... and He's not there. Anymore.

***  ***  ***

REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS ... CHRISTMAS ... ETC ...

HERE IS MY PRAYER FOR YOU:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS,

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S

AND PEACE AND JOY AND LOVE AND

PROSPERITY BE YOURS!

"Merry Christmas to All, and to All

a Satisfied Life!"

And Grace and Peace also be yours

through our Lord Jesus Christ!!

MAKE IT SO!!!

TONY ;)

YAKETY YAK ... DO TALK BACK!

It has been my observation over the past several months ... particulary on Facebook ... how many many many people get on there and post comments responding to posts/status/threads on a certain subject ... and there seems to be a "language barrier".  Some are as divided on a subject as much as The United States itself on the matter of abortion.

Anyway ... It's like this. One guy, a particular scholar/Bible Teacher/preacher (and dear friend o' mine) gets on his page, and opens up a subject, e.g. "The Gospel". You wouldn't believe how many different folks "come out of the woodwork" to take him on . . . and he's just "feedin' the sheep".
Now I might be mistooken, but I think you have to be someone's FRIEND before you can reply to someone's posts, etc.  SO ... these peeps get on there and "befriend" someone, for the sheer purpose of "picking apart their beliefs" or scrutinizing their words ... or even blasting them as "heretics" -- ALL IN THE NAME OF "the marketplace of ideas"! And I will admit, some controversy I like, to some degree (after all they call me "the radical pastor" LOL) and a good discussion or debate I don't mind OR to answer honest, objecting "truth-seekers" who just really want to KNOW THE TRUTH and clear up THE MUD.

BUT when the scholarship has been presented (such as on the topic of HELL) and the Greek/Hebrew words have been explored and offers to examine certain words in Lexicon have been made ... offers to visit a website (like tentmaker.org  -- for example) and offers to check out a list of scriptures too ...

>>>AND THEN INSTEAD OF COMRADESHIP, THE RESPONSE IS A SPEWING<<<
of name-calling, doctrinal rants, superiority and comparison --
INSTEAD OF THE NOBLE BEREAN ATTITUDE of
"we'll check these things out ourselves to see if they are so" --

I HAVE TO SAY:
OH BROTHER.

You know Language is an interesting thing.
Here in The States we speak mostly in ENGLISH and maybe variations of it, dialectically speaking. Spanish-Speaking peoples have different dialects, even DIFFERENT WORDS, when you travel down south you'll see. {Some of us can just hang around Phoenix and observe because not ALL of the immigrants/residents/citizens HERE all hail from Mexico. Some are from 'other countries' {Like Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador, Spain, etc. etc.} Even the "street-Spanish" here is different from the mostly Castillian Spanish they taught us in high escuela. And then, you get a lot of 'SPANGLISH', which I end up speaking in, more often than not.

One more thing. IF YOU YOU ARE A BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY, (and I mean you're one of the "good translators", a purist ), And YOUR JOB is to faithfully translate The Bible in a "new language" -- one that's never seen the light of scriptures before ... You cannot take your KJV or trusty NIV down there and use it as a main basis of translation!  NOPE. [ Shades of Jerome here, eh? ... translate from Hebrew/Greek to LATIN, hard for common peeps, keep them confused and then chain the Bible to the pulpit after it has been translated in English, after the Latin, of course! ]

You will be relying on your good linguistic sense, training, the sense of the language you are translating into and you will be using complete and accurate Hebrew/Greek Bibles for this job. And most of all, hopefully, You will be relying on THE HOLY SPIRIT!  YOU MUST HAVE A WHOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE WITHOUT INJECTING YOUR PRE-CONCEIVED DOCTRINES IN THERE. Now,  if you use English word construction for a concept, for example, "I love you with all my heart" and there is NO word for HEART  in their language, you have a problem. SO ... you find out by talking to the natives that they love people "with all their liver"! Hmmm. Makes sense. After all, where is the seat of emotions?? Then you find out they have 7 words that could mean 'love', but all of them are specific, and you must use the right word in the right context, or you might make somebody mad (or confused)!

                                                                           

  CONFUSION  is what we have gotten because we have trusted an English version of The Bible, and were told to NEVER question it! Worse, some pastors out there make you feel stupid if you question THEM!!   As in the case of the topic of 'HELL' (again),  the texts use 4 words, sparingly I might add. SHEOL ... HADES ... GEHENNA ... TARTURUS.   NONE OF THESE WORDS EVER MEAN "HELL" AND NONE OF THESE WORDS COMPARE TO "HELL" NOR CAN THEY BE FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED AS SUCH.

So ... we have to ask ourselves the HARD QUESTIONS.   AND not be afraid to do so! The Apostle Paul ... NOT! Jesus ... NOT!   Neither of them owned or used a copy of the 1611 King James ... nope. They used OT scriptures, The Septuagint. Hmmm. Greek translation of The Hebrew. Nobody ever questioned them on how they used it either. If we could go into a time machine, hand them a KJV, and a book on "English for dummies" They would say, "Who wrote this 'Bible'???" Because THAT Bible, along with some others ... SORRY FOLKS ... it just doesn't hold up to the FAITHFUL record in the oldest scrolls we possess of The Scriptures ... Old & New. We have been told to trust it because of the "beauty of the prose" or the way it flows, or "this is what it means." KJV was ONE of many translations of the day; and I dare say that many of you, if you were to pick up an ancient copy of it, couldn't read it. Also the book has gone through countless revisions,  meaning, that there were gross errors and changes of language.  Do you know anybody who speaketh Elizabethan English?

*** [Maybe we should pass out a case of the "Cottonpatch Version" just so we can have a wider understanding of communicating TRUTH in other cultures!] ***
+++ [ Amazing to me, how many preacher/teachers will have copies of other Bibles on their pulpits & libraries that they refer to, and to "correctly" interpret words ... because of the errors ... AND yet continue to COMMAND that EVERYBODY must use the KJV *Or Else* !!! ] +++

IT'S HARD to trust a Bible Version that has so many errors, and so much injection of man-made doctrines in it, because the translators chose to translate certain but VITAL words WRONG! . . . According to their predominantly Calvinistic bents!

SO EVERYBODY GET OUT YOUR LEXICONS and your concordances, your Strongs',  Your "Concordant Literal Translations" ETC. -- and study the words that were FIRST delivered to mankind in Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic and remember that good ol' ENGLISH doesn't always CUT  IT.

WE MUST BE WILLING TO LET GO OF TRADITIONS, CHURCH HISTORY (as far as indoctrination goes) SYSTEMS OF BELIEFS, DENOMINATIONAL BIAS, PROGRAMMING BY CHURCH LEADERS, FAMILY TRADITIONAL INDOCTRINATION, IF it does NOT line up with THE TRUTH. WE MUST BE WILLING TO QUESTION AGE-OLD,
LONG-HELD DOCTRINES IF THEY BEGIN TO FALL APART, AND NO LONGER MAKE SENSE.
Language Matters. Interpretation Matters. Translation MATTERS. 

 The purpose of this blog today ... is to celebrate the theatre of ideas,
BUT also to ENCOURAGE sound scholarship and, the removal of  
FEAR and DENIAL regarding things we hold onto so tightly.
Never be afraid to re-examine WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

SO ... YAKETY YAK, It's OK to talk back.
 It's OK to ask questions and to even object. 
It's ok if you don't get it [yet].
Not all have come to 'more light' yet.
Their time is coming!
God promised that THE WHOLE EARTH would be
FILLED WITH HIS GLORY 
and HIS TRUTH GOES MARCHING ON!!! 
PEACE,  PEOPLE.

TONY  ;)

Get Rid of The Sinner Mentality

GET RID OF THE "SINNER" MENTALITY!

I'M STARTING A LIST

of topics that I think should be addressed

before the Body of Christ

Some subjects that others seem "afraid" to deal with . . .

and there are a few, a "handful" really

that would say, "Just who gave you authorization to do this?"

Just like the Pharisees & Sadducees did to Jesus when

they asked Him "By what authority have you done this?"

... the apostles were quizzed similarly.

Religious folks have such a hang-up with "ordination"

and where/who you were ordained by and etc, etc,  
ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

I was ordained first by God, as many of you were

and I also have ordination papers from at least

two church orgs (somewhere) . . . but THAT is NOT the point!

THE POINT IS will any of us OBEY God and launch out and

do what He tells us to do, regardless??

All we need is a "word from God" to step out of our boxes

and out of the shadows to go forth and accomplish 
great things for God!

*Public Service Announcement,

brought to you by my sponsor,

The Holy Spirit!*

*************

I recently visited a Thanksgiving service @ a local  
Lutheran church.

It was an invitation by an old friend, so we all went, 
the whole Fam.

Food was superb, music & praise band also. Songs were

awesome, very uplifting, overcoming tunes, and 
scripturally accurate.

And the message was good, Jesus calming the storm.

BUT

The communion service was . . . shall we say, ummm,

"disappointing". Sorry, I love communion and all that,

have experienced some powerful communion services 
in the past,

but that one I just could not get into.

(My 8 year old was leaning on me anyway, I wasn't moving).

I don't feel condemned for not partaking. I'm ok. I'm free.

So why, what da prob?

Uh, their confession.

They all spoke in unison some profession of faith

"off the wall" that declared that 'we're all just a bunch

of crummy ol' sinners, and we humbly come to you

begging you God to forgive us for all our stupidity

and bumbling etc. etc. etc.'

I couldn't stomach it, and didn't want to throw up

my delicious pumpkin pie.

I do have some scriptures for you to meditate on.

We're not just a bunch of crummy sinners.

IF we have entered into the kingdom of God

through covenant with Jesus Christ, especially.

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,

so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 
(2 Cor. 5:21 NASB)

I KNOW we all want to be relatable to folks when we share 
the gospel,

especially when accused of "Holy Joe" or "holier than thou".

We say "No, we are ALL sinners" blah, blah, blah.

Well, that is NOT the truth.

You cannot be a 'sinner' AND 'the righteousness of God' 
at the same time.

That would make us have a "split personality" I'm sure!

Some folks argue, "well, I still sin, I still make mistakes, Paul

in Romans 7 said ..." Oboy, we can go there! We can preach 
on that brotha!

But just wait, we will go there!

"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in  
newness of life.

 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

 for he who has died is freed from sin." (Rom. 6:4-7)

Apostle Paul lines out in 2 Corinthians that we are  
new creations! New heart, new mind, new nature, 
 newness of life! Our old self, we ain't draggin' around on our horse, smellin' up the house and everybody! 
Our "body of sin" is done

away with, and we are FREED FROM SIN!!

Awww, ya'all don't believe me yet!

Let me drive this home from good ol' Apostle John 
"The Beloved":

First John 3:9

(Are you sure you're ready???)

"No one who is born of God practices sin,

because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because 
he is born of God."

Now, whoa. Wait a minute. What about the 1st chapter,

where John says, "If we say that we have no sin,

we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." 
(verse 8)

CONTEXT, FOLKS!!  Ya got to pay attention to the context!

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him and

yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (verse 6).

Everything, then, in that chapter, must be 
interpreted and understood

by that premise. I have studied 1st John for many years, 
and have come to the conclusion that it is the

Grand Lighthouse of the New Testament.

OKAY. It's like this.

We have a new nature. We don't want to sin.

We don't practice sin. We practice godlinesss, etc.

We are overcomers. We are more than conquerors.

If you don't believe this, you have been LIED TO,

and need deliverance. Plain and simple.

Most deliverance that comes to us "after Christ"

is due to LIES in our mind, our soul, our being.

That's why I said that.

I know I've gone Loooooooooong again

but I have to leave you with this to chew on:

" . . . and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;

and not for ours only, but also for those of  the whole world."

(I John 2:2)

JESUS CHRIST completed the JOB.

IT IS FINISHED!

He fully dealt with SIN.

Sin is dead.

DEATH=SIN

SIN=DEATH

in New Testament=speak.

He came to take away "The Sins of the World"

THE WHOLE WORLD.

The whole wad, the whole kit'n'kaboodle!!

So . . .

That means God Almighty ain't pissed off

and is reserving judgment for some future time

in some undisclosed place . . .

(Jesus stated that 'judgment has come' before his crucifixion)

IF SIN IS FINISHED, THEN IT IS DEALT WITH, IT'S OVER, IT'S DONE!

Kinda like Frodo when he finally got rid of the "one ring"

in the Fires of Mordor.

Paul was enslaved to the LAW in Romans 7 ...

in Romans 8 The Spirit has come, and he is FREE.

We have to be freed from our "sin mentality"

and see ourselves as God sees us.

BE FREE THEN!!!

PEACE TO YOU ALL

TONY ;)

A Thanksgiving Blog

CAN'T REIGN IF YOU COMPLAIN
(All The Time!)
The local classic rock station has been
running a "campaign" of sorts, to preserve
Thanksgiving as a very cool holiday, to
push it up front, to the forefront that is . . .
and 'please hold off' all the "Christmas Music"
until at least the day after
(meaning Friday and beyond).
Why? Because "Christmas" junk --
the commercialness -- seems to
eclipse a very pure concept: Gratitude! That
just doesn't fit the madness of the season.
To tell you the truth, I found
all that quite refreshing, to the extent
that I started to wonder if this dude=announcer
was a believer! Anyway, refreshing to hear
it on any rock station, especially my fave
(I'm usually tuned to it 100%).

{Kinda got burned out on the 'christian music station'
and I like to hear "good music" ok? Cool. LOL}

Of course, I want to bounce off that as
a "meditation" for this Thanksgiving.
This is a very way cool Holiday!
People of all walks, creeds, religions,
nationalities seem to be celebrating it.
Even folks who "don't know WHO to Thank"
are celebrating it. Perhaps it's all the great food!
Anyways ...

It has been my custom for years,
since Jesus first "saved" me
to write down a LIST of things
that I was thankful for.
Usually the list was 4 pages long.

Unfortunately, we have a host
of complainers walking around
always finding something to gripe about
and if you're not careful
you'll find yourself captivated
by their negativity, maybe even
fall into it yourself and talk like them.
Makes it kinda hard to "be thankful"
after you spent most of the week bitchin'
about stuff.
"You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
 to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."
(Revelation 5:10)

A picture of God's people "ruling and reigning"
in and thru life, here on earth
in such a way that we overcome.
Ahhh. The number one thing we "rule" over
should be our tongue!
That is something to be mastered, isn't it?
James said, "And if anyone does not offend in speech
[never says the wrong things],
he is a fully developed character and a perfect man,
able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature."(James 3:2 AMP)
OK.Try this one on for size!
"But the human tongue can be tamed by no man.
It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison.

    With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it

we curse men who were made in God's likeness!

    Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing.

These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.

    Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously]

from the same opening fresh water and bitter?

    Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs?

Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water."

(James 3:8-12 AMP)

Speaking of "AMP", that was really amplified

was it not? Yes. And yet, that's how many

of us have been trained to act.

"Blessing & cursing" coming out of the same mouth!

Time to give it a rest, eh?

Let God tame the tongue! ~

Let's be people of thanksgiving and praise,

alright?

I mean you can't REIGN if you COMPLAIN

{not that there's never something legit

to complain about, like the TSA or something}

but we can choose to make thanksgiving

a lifestyle.

Believe you me

It looks a whole lot better on ya.

---

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

  TONY