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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Oldest Trick in the Book (LITERALLY!)

THE OLDEST TRICK IN THE BOOK!
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Most all supremacists do this; employees can do it when it comes to their employers; employers with their employees. Children might do this with their parents; wives when it comes to their husbands. Mankind sadly does it when it comes to God Himself. What am I talking about? – I’m talking about doing and falling for the oldest trick in the book; the book we call the Christian Bible which provides us the [true] story of man’s beginning. The name of this trick is: Vilify to Validate!



VILIFY TO VALIDATE

Whether it’s obtaining something we want or avoiding doing something we know we ought to do, one trick the devil, the Enemy of our souls, has been to get us to vilify our fellow person or the authority in our lives in order to validate our own negative words and actions against them.


You see, most all of us have what is called a conscience. This built-in mechanism helps to keep us from hurting others as well as ourselves [when we end up paying for our own harmful words or actions]. Now, it seems that the easiest bypass and workaround for this defense system is condemnation and projection of guilt. That is – if we can make the source of the true standard something substandard, then we feel more justified in doing our own thing.

For example: If in my mind, I make the company I work for a bad company, then I feel a little better about myself when I secretly leave work early or show up late.
If I paint my parents as only being mean and unfair, then I don’t feel bad when I disobey them and do what I want when they're not around. This list of scenarios could go on and on and unfortunately, they happen every day!


People of the planet, understand that we’re all connected and any negative action committed by any one of us, ultimately creates negative ripples that affect all of us. I won’t get into the details of that in this short video article but just think about it.

Meanwhile, be aware that there is a serpent, the “prince & power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), who does not have you or your wellbeing in mind at all. In fact, he seeks to destroy you. Please learn to be aware of the evil thoughts the Enemy quickly tries to plant in your mind against other people and institutions. Once those thoughts are planted, you have to decide if you’re going to give them a place in your heart or cast them out. Now, in some cases a person or institution may in fact do evil things but we must still guard our hearts against a spirit of hatred and condemnation.

Titus 3:1-5 (NIV) reads:

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient,
to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit
…”

So we have here the antidote for the oldest trick in the book. To avoid vilifying to validate, we should aim to be humble, obedient, peaceable, and most importantly…renewed by the Holy Spirit of God. Without God’s Spirit, we will continue to be tuned in to the frequency of the Evil One, listening to how he would have us view YHVH and all He created.

Do me a favor – Chew on all of this!



Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Are You a Celestial Celebrity?


ARE YOU A CELESTIAL CELEBRITY?
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Perhaps you were a star athlete in high school or growing up and now you’re a "Custodial Engineer", also known as a janitor. Or maybe you spent tens of thousands of dollars on a 4 to 6 year college degree and now you’re a "Family Relations Manager", also known as a stay-at-home parent.


Maybe...just maybe, you actually made it BIG in this life! Perhaps you’re the real deal – a walking talking celebrity. Well, regardless of your history or current occupation, the one question I have for you is:

Q: Are you a “Celestial Celebrity”?

There are at least three types of Celestial Celebrities found in Scripture. – Daniel 12:3 reads,

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever
.”

This goes out to all the teachers, preachers, and evangelists out there who have done an outstanding job and gone through much turmoil to share the Good News of the Kingdom. This verse and others (e.g. Luke 6:22&23) indicate that a great heritage awaits those who have labored well for the cause of Christ.


Another type of celestial celebrity can be found at Proverbs 19:17 (NIV) which declares,

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and He will reward them for what they have done
.”

Elsewhere we read:

Yeshua said to him, ‘If you are serious about reaching the goal, go and sell your possessions, give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven.
Then come, follow me
!’”

- Matthew 19:21 (CJB)

So we see here that kind deeds done for others (especially those done privately) help boost our celestial "bank account". If you have tended to the needs of others, then you have tended to extensions of the LORD Himself and He will reward you for this!

Finally, we have what I think is my personal favorite among the different kinds of celestial celebrities. At Luke 15:7 we see Yeshua preaching:

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who turns to God from his sins than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to repent.”


If you were living for this world, your flesh, and the devil one day but then “unplugged” from that matrix and started living for God; you then became famous among the angels in heaven. That’s the clout I’d be concerned about. Those are the Likes I’d be trying to receive. And so, back to you the reader. Q: Are you rich and famous where it really matters? The life in this age is but a vapor (e.g. James 4:14). Life in the next age on the New Earth is never-ending!

- Amen.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Rescuca Audiobook Now Available! (updated 4/16/16)

Savior of the Realm (SOTR) is now available as an audiobook! Hear the story come to life with professional actor Kevin Theis as the voice of Rescuca and narrator. Click on sample link to listen to an excerpt:


YouTube Sample 1

YouTube Sample 2

Rescuca: DECODED Video (SPOILER WARNING!)

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Death is Death – Not Life Somewhere Else

I'm not affiliated with any particular denomination or organization; I just have to "call it like I see it" in Scripture. Death is the very reason why the resurrection to life (John 5:24-30) is so important! Let's not take away from that or confuse matters.

There will be a day when the children of Adam are made up of more than just divinely animated dust (Genesis 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:42-49) but that time has not yet come: