Witness For God

God is calling, yelling, and screaming,

   Do we hear, listen, or consider his meaning?

Ignoring all, that does not gratify our whim,

   Do we really think, we are aware of Him?

We claim to know, the One from above,

   But can anyone even, define love?

Sacrificing the Son, this Father of one, 

   a gesture so grand, nothing more could be done?

Our response to His, most magnificent gesture,

   Was worse than that, to the worst court jester.         

He has summoned a witness, who has felt His pain.  

   Now is time to reveal all, to see if there's gain.

The life of the witness, was constructed to achieve, 

   the knowledge of Love, he would never receive.

He was made witness to evil's tools, fear and greed,

   So he would know truth, on which we may feed.

As a piece of leavening, hidden for later.

   This witness He punished, to achieve what is Greater. 

Containing secrets and knowledge, that are not really hidden,

   You may even say, you have got to be kiddin?.

The ways of the world, cannot persist,

   If the Heavenly Kingdom, is to exist.

The Body of Christ, allows us to be free,

  All of the pieces, branches of a fruit tree.

Will Christ Send A Servant Before He Comes Back?

I have been struggling with things as I was ill equipped for the spiritual battle I have been through.  I have been seing alot through scripture both new and old.  I feel that the Gospels are more prophecy than history.  I know this is a  hard sell.  But We all seek to match up things we read with Christ. But If you read carefully there are subtle word patterns that require the suspension of logic to make fit Christ.  For example in Isaiah 53, every minister I have talked to tells me I am wrong when I say it cannot be Christ.

1) 53:1  first verse states "to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" If it referred to Christ, there would be no question since he was there since the beginning.

2) 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Christ was not afflicted

3) 53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief ...  God did not enjoy punishing his son as he was sin free.

4) 53:10  ...  he shall see his seed, Christ did not have any children

5) 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Christ is the Lord of all, not one of the great or strong.

God has shown me many things.  One is the misuse of patterns  in various fields.  I see a number of contradictions in the Gospels if they are referring to just one person.

In short we seek to believe with such zealot energy we allow grammer contradictions to go under the radar.  If you start to look closely I see there is scripture throughout the old and new testament that refer to this dual son of man.

What I believe is that the Jewish have it right.  There is a third person, the servant, (possibly the key of David) who through his knowledge helps establish the kingdom of God on earth.  The third  piece of leavened bread he the Jewish hide for later use represents this son of man hidden in the world.  This I feel strongly and I feel a new covenant is coming that likely gives women some updated guidance as well as men.

Additionally I do not know this but the suffering servant may be a fallback as there seems to be things that can be done to save us or delay the return.  For example the stone that breaks free "without anyone touching it" and shatters the feet of the statue in Daniel 2.  I feel this was/is my task as I have been given information that I see clearly that the feet of clay and iron likely represent the US and Israel at a minimum.  I am aware of things that could shatter the division based on the two armies that exist (freemason, good old boys, and the women).  There are other group that exist.  But the women are being fooled by Obama, but he may not be the source.  I feel his superficial positions look good but he has used minor issues that are highly emotionally charged to drive fear to achieve his agenda.  The purchase of 1.6 billion bullets, and 2700 tanks by DHS, gives concern to the gun control efforts they push.  I feel that  both of the key groups (which are international BTW) are wrong.  But both act out of fear of the other.

We have all forgotten how to Love, Comunicate, Understand, Trust, Forgive.  Greed is satans tool, secrecy is his shelter, fear is his tool, division is his goal. along with more fear, anger, and terror or hateful interactions, this pattern of Satan is across all groups including cause, gender, political, governments,...

But Christ's love solves all these things.  I can prove that not doing so with any human system leads to bias, and instability.  So love your felow man is the only way to a stable,, peaceful society.  So effectively fear is self propagating in human systems.

Look at our Intelligence/Military.  The CIA and NSA were formed to deal with our great fear of the Soviets and Germans.  When it was started it was small.  Now the debt is over $17 trillion. Why?  We were running a surplus in 2000/2001.  Post 9/11 spending went up to $300 to $500 billion per year in deficit.  Then along come Obama and he supported (quietly) the growth of the female network.  The deficit of $1.4 trillion per year.  DHS/HHS/EPA along with the fact that every government agency now has a secret JTTF component, a secret law enforcement entity.  All this operates in secrecy.  

In Deuteronomy 27 it says that killing in secret and denying foreigners justice are cursed.  This is exactly what a drone does.  Our leadership has turned this country into an idolater of weapons.  Our people are indulgent idolaters of the flesh, money,...

I could go on but I would like your feedback.

Thanks,
Ernest Seagraves
ernest.seagraves@gmail.com
Cell: (240) 344-2256

Galatians 5:14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

God Curses Those Who Use Drones To Kill

The use of assassinations, drones, and missiles is wrong in God's eyes, as they kill in secret and deny the right to be heard, i.e., justice.  

Deuteronomy 27:24 “Cursed is anyone who kills their neighbor secretly.” 

Deuteronomy 27:19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”

The Actions of The US and Israel

We The People did pay using tax dollars for supporting a truly evil act.  This strengthened the hardline politics in Israel placing Netanyahu in power and killing the promise of peace that Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat, and Yitzhak Rabin had worked in regards to the Oslo Accords.

Based on research in the NY Times archives the following appear true.

• Rabin was pro peace and supported sharing the land.  
• Nov 4th 1995 Rabin was assassinated by a zealot Zionist with ties to the Shin-Bet (the Israeli Secret Service charged with protecting the Rabin).  Killed by his own protection force effectively.
• Jan 5th 1996, the NSA supported the assassination of a Palestinian terror suspect in his own home, having a family member or friend call him and then detonating a bomb planted in the cell.  This appears that it was designed to create a retaliation, and it did.  Later they bulldozed his home.
• The Palestinians retaliated with 4 bombings killing 50-60 and injuring hundreds just in time or the elections.
• The head of the Shin-Bet resigned 3 days after the assassination of the Palestinian.
• Netanyahu was put in power.  
• The government was pulled away from peace and has been on a march to eliminate the Palestinians.  

God states clearly he will gather those scattered and bring them into the land.  So who are the people who call themselves God's chosen who use violence to move their neighbors out, the settlers carry guns, their secret intelligence force assassinates foreigners in secret even in their own homes.    Any man who carries a gun does so out of fear.  Fear means he does not have love in his heart, hence cannot know God's will.  Also God curses those who kill in secret, deny foreigners justice, and move their neighbors property lines.  These actions are not of God, but due to the Greed of man.

Satan's Plan - Create Division and Let Us Destroy Ourselves

Satan's Plan - Create Division and Let Us Destroy Ourselves.

Guess what it is working.  We are a divided nation, like iron and clay.  We stomp on other countries, but are about to destroy ourselves.

Please STOP, Breath, Think, Understand

• Do not assume anything
• verify everything

You will discover your differences are smaller than you think.

Reacting usually means over reacting.  Satan creates a fear stew and keeps us reacting.

STOP reacting and we will stop Satan and be the United States again.

Trust Me!

We The People Are Blind To The Secrets of Our Government

The problem with our nation and our world is greed, feeding an overgrown secret network that infiltrates our society, government, and church.   Secrecy hides it's overall plan system and fear is what it delivers.  Fear creates bias, and division.  The division creates more fear.  This system drives our politicians, the bias in media drives us to fear and over react.  Just stop reacting.

The use of assassinations and drones is wrong in God's eyes, as they kill in secret and deny the right to be heard, i.e., withhold justice from foreigners.  

Deuteronomy 27:24 “Cursed is anyone who kills their neighbor secretly.” 

Deuteronomy 27:19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”

By keeping secrets from We The People the contract between the elected officials and their people is broken.  Our founding fathers knew that all men are corruptible and ensured checks and balances as he thought.

It must be exposed.  Ephesians 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

So simply stop reacting, do not use the tongue or the gun. Just analyze.  The fog will lift and you will see the truth.  Satan relies on reaction.

Using Christ's Love as a Test For False Prophets

Christ's Message 

Christ gave his life for us and states we must “Love one another. As I have Loved you.”   So we must be willing to lay down our lives for one another and Christ.  This is a powerful message.  We must be of a mindset to give our lives for our fellow man.  So in order to be given Grace an individual must be willing to die for another. not just any other but all others!

Determining a False Prophet

John 4:5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

But to have someone listen, you have to communicate.  Those who surveil and judge are not of God, as they are judging and not loving.

Do Christians Carry Guns - No

Christ's Message 

Christ gave his life for us and states we must “Love one another. As I have Loved you.”   So we must be willing to lay down our lives for one another and Christ.  This is a powerful message.  We must be of a mindset to give our lives for our fellow man.  So in order to be given Grace an individual must be willing to die for another. not just any other but all others!

Do Christians Carry Guns

Deuteronomy 1:30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." 32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

Clearly God expects us to put our faith in him, and to rely on him in even times of war.  Anyone who does not is denying him.  

Psalm 56:4 “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” 

1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. …"

By taking up arms a person is effectively saying they do not trust god will protect them.  God considers this as idolatry, because we are putting our faith in weapons, not him. Any man who carries a gun has fear in their heart and not Love, so they are alienated from Christ.  So both God (by idolatry) and Christ (by not loving)  have been alienated, regardless of which Covenant you accept as true (i.e. for Jewish or Gentile).  

So the “Israeli” settlers in Gaza today carry guns.  Do you feel they are doing God’s will or rushing ahead.  Do you think those that force people out of their home by bulldozer are doing God’s will?  Do you think God would use the United States as a tool to defeat Palestine? 

This is not a statement against soldiers who are called to defend their country.  They are not the ones making the decisions.

Our second invasion into Iraq seems questionable as Sadaam Hussein was known for being anti-terrorist.  Additionally his nephew had defected following the first invasion under Bush Sr.  He had apparently been in charge of the programs there for weapons of mass destruction and was said to have stated that he personally shut down all programs before he defected.

Death tolls in Iraq were about 120,000 Iraqis, and about 4,000 US.  One thing you can say is we are effective killing machines, 30 to 1.  What did the world gain from that?

Does this seem to be God’s will?  Or could it be sa case of us not trusting in the Lord and going ahead on our journey.

Ephesians 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

No, God's people have no need for guns.

Thoughts on Christ's Love

Christ's Message 

Christ gave his life for us and states we must “Love one another. As I have Loved you.”   So we must be willing to lay down our lives for one another and Christ.  This is a powerful message.  We must be of a mindset to give our lives for our fellow man.  

Understanding Love                                 

We have already seen that Love is defined as Giving ones life, but as we do not face death daily what does Christ mean on normal days. Let's start with what do we think of when we think of Loving our daughters; joy, give, protect, respect, trust, nourish, hope, understand, listen, forgiving.  Scripture gives us:  1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  

Jesus describes joy received by reining in his love in John 15:11 "… my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  Joy is the warmth in your heart that you receive by giving Love.  Here Christ states that by doing as he asks and loving one another we receive joy.  Joy is one of the fruits of Love, along with hope, security, faith, forgiveness, and respect.  Grouping these fruits and components of Love in causal groupings, reveals the cause and effect, and reveals a cycle and the core components of Love: 

• Giving time openly communicating  truth leads to more Understanding. 
• Understanding and openly communicating truth leads to more Trust, 
• Trust and openly communication truth leads to the fruits of Love: Joy, Hope, Security, Faith, Forgiveness, Respect. 
• The fruits of Love encourage more Giving and Communicating Openness and Truth.

This cycle gets exercised with each conversation between a couple, or with each prayer with the Lord.  Think of it like a treadmill hooked to a generator.  The more it goes around, the more power it generates.  But this is not a one way street.  It requires two participants. 

At the core of all these steps is Openly Communicating Truth.  This cannot be overstated.  It is the KEY to Love.  Love cannot exist without it and it dictates the heights of the Love within a couple.  So matching up capability in communication, openness, and truthfulness, is key in any relationship.  In our relationship with Christ and God this shows the importance of prayer.

There is another parameter that is important as well to maintain a balanced relationship.  That is the balance between inward and outward focus.  Christ seems to imply that we need to be completely outwardly focused.  Giving your life for anther is about as far to the outwardly focused as you can get.

So that gives an overview of how to love in an ideal sense.  There are some practical considerations.  Trusting comes from understanding and communicating openly over time. One bit of truth is that all men cannot be trusted. That is why we put our trust in the Lord and he protects us so that we can act in trust with those who are not worthy of that trust and know we are not going to be harmed.  Because if we do not trust we are judging.  Also when we are done wrong we need to forgive and respect.  If we have gone through the cycle many times this may be easy. But for those we have not we still need to trust, forgive, and respect.  This does not come naturally and must be cultivated within your character.  It is actually a measure of our humility. 

We need to forgive as we are forgiven, as not to forgive is to Judge. Colossians 3:13 “...Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Further our forgiveness must be boundless. Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”  We need to realize that all men are equal in God's eyes and that we are all sinners and anything other than trust, forgiveness, and respect is a form of judging and is not of love.

What Love is Not

It is often easier to define something by stating what it is not.  Fear is not Love as Fear is the opposite of Trust.   John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

To fail to understand someone and make assessments or decisions related to them is to Judge.  Judgement is not of Love as it is not in the spirit of forgiving.   

Love is not controlling, because to seek to control, means one has judged another’s behavior to be wrong and are attempting to curb it to what they have judged as the correct path.  

Love is not judging. In 1 Samual 16:7 “... The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Romans 2:1 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”

Love is not any kind of negative or evil action.

Do We Get Christ's Message

The New Covenant

The Old Covenant as described in the Old Testament, sometimes referred to as the Law, has as it’s centerpiece, the Ten Commandments.  These Commandments tell us how to love.  The first four explain how to love God, the fifth is how to love our parents, the last five is how to love our neighbors (others, fellow man).  Christ came and brought a new covenant.  One that simplified the letter of the Law, and focused on the spirit of the law.  This allowed the heart to drive behavior vs the mind.  God felt this was a better way and replaced the old with the new.  Making the old one obsolete.  The essence of Christ's covenant was that you were free of the burden of each individual sin as long as you were loving your fellow man.  It has forgiveness for honest mistakes.  As long as you are trying too do the right thing.  If your heart is correct your mistakes are forgiven.  But as we will discuss the heart is a tall order in it's limit.  But God felt it was a better arrangement as no man could meet the first one.

Hebrews 8:6 “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.”  Having declared the new covenant better he also makes the old one obsolete.  Hebrews 8:13 “By calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”  So our way to salvation appears limited to the new covenant.

Our Salvation is only via Christ

After Christ came and died for our sins, shedding his blood to establish a new covenant, our salvation can only be through him.  John 14:6  “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Trying to follow the Old Covenant denies Christ.  Galatians 5:4 "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

Christ’s Covenant

Christ’s Covenant is to follow his commands and he grants us Grace, isolating us from the burden of our sin in exchange for following his commands.  Basically Love and Truth for Peace and Grace.  This is not to say that the other commandments go away they still hold.  Because if nothing else we are to Love God and knowing how he feels is reason under the new covenant to follow the Commandments.

John 3:11 "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another."

John 4:7" Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” 

John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15 17 “This is my command: Love each other.”

Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Covenant Requirements

We have to remain in his Love to keep the Grace.  So free will does exist.  To remain in his Love we must love one another the way he loves us.  John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love." 

God defines Love in John 3:16 “For God so Loved the world that he Gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” and Romans 5: 8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God gave his son, and Christ gave his life for us.  So by setting this example, it estsablishes the requirement for Grace. To Love the way he Christ loved us is a powerful requirement, as it is defined by giving your life for others. John15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.  Christ did have free will, he did not have to give his life.  God left it up to him.  John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

Let’s summarize.  God gave his only son to die for us.  Christ gave his life for us and states we must “Love one another. As I have Loved you.”   So we must be willing to lay down our lives for one another and Christ.  This is a powerful message.  We must be of a mindset to give our lives for our fellow man.  So in order to be given Grace an individual must be willing to die for another. not just any other but all others!

Understanding Love                                 

We have already seen that Love is defined as Giving ones life, but as we do not face death daily what does Christ mean on normal days. Let's start with what do we think of when we think of Loving our daughters; joy, give, protect, respect, trust, nourish, hope, understand, listen, forgiving.  Scripture gives us:  1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  

Jesus describes joy received by reining in his love in John 15:11 "… my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  Joy is the warmth in your heart that you receive by giving Love.  Here Christ states that by doing as he asks and loving one another we receive joy.  Joy is one of the fruits of Love, along with hope, security, faith, forgiveness, and respect.  Grouping these fruits and components of Love in causal groupings, reveals the cause and effect, and reveals a cycle and the core components of Love: 

• Giving time openly communicating  truth leads to more Understanding. 
• Understanding and openly communicating truth leads to more Trust, 
• Trust and openly communication truth leads to the fruits of Love: Joy, Hope, Security, Faith, Forgiveness, Respect. 
• The fruits of Love encourage more Giving and Communicating Openness and Truth.

This cycle gets exercised with each conversation between a couple, or with each prayer with the Lord.  Think of it like a treadmill hooked to a generator.  The more it goes around, the more power it generates.  But this is not a one way street.  It requires two participants. 

At the core of all these steps is Openly Communicating Truth.  This cannot be overstated.  It is the KEY to Love.  Love cannot exist without it and it dictates the heights of the Love within a couple.  So matching up capability in communication, openness, and truthfulness, is key in any relationship.  In our relationship with Christ and God this shows the importance of prayer.

There is another parameter that is important as well to maintain a balanced relationship.  That is the balance between inward and outward focus.  Christ seems to imply that we need to be completely outwardly focused.  Giving your life for anther is about as far to the outwardly focused as you can get.

So that gives an overview of how to love in an ideal sense.  There are some practical considerations.  Trusting comes from understanding and communicating openly over time. One bit of truth is that all men cannot be trusted. That is why we put our trust in the Lord and he protects us so that we can act in trust with those who are not worthy of that trust and know we are not going to be harmed.  Because if we do not trust we are judging.  Also when we are done wrong we need to forgive and respect.  If we have gone through the cycle many times this may be easy. But for those we have not we still need to trust, forgive, and respect.  This does not come naturally and must be cultivated within your character.  It is actually a measure of our humility. 

We need to forgive as we are forgiven, as not to forgive is to Judge. Colossians 3:13 “...Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Further our forgiveness must be boundless. Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”  We need to realize that all men are equal in God's eyes and that we are all sinners and anything other than trust, forgiveness, and respect is a form of judging and is not of love.

What Love is Not

It is often easier to define something by stating what it is not.  Fear is not Love as Fear is the opposite of Trust.   John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

To fail to understand someone and make assessments or decisions related to them is to Judge.  Judgement is not of Love as it is not in the spirit of forgiving.   

Love is not controlling, because to seek to control, means one has judged another’s behavior to be wrong and are attempting to curb it to what they have judged as the correct path.  

1 Samual 16:7 “... The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Romans 2:1 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”

Christ's Message Applied To Our Country

Deuteronomy 1:30 The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." 32 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, 33 who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

Clearly God expects us to put our faith in him, and to rely on him in even times of war.  Anyone who does not is denying him.  

Psalm 56:4 “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” 

1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. ... The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

By taking up arms a person is effectively saying they do not trust god will protect them.  God considers this as idolatry, because we are putting oour faith in weapons, not him. Any man who carries a gun has fear in their heart and not Love, so they are alienated from Christ.  So both God (by idolatry) and Christ (by not loving)  have been alienated, regardless of which Covenant you accept as true (i.e. for Jewish or Gentile).  

So the “Israeli” settlers in Gaza today carry guns.  Do you feel they are doing God’s will or rushing ahead.  Do you think those that force people out of their home by bulldozer are doing God’s will?  Do you think God would use the United States as a tool to defeat Palestine? 

This is not a statement against soldiers who are called to defend their country.  They are not the ones making the decisions.

Our second invasion into Iraq seems questionable as Sadaam Hussein was known for being anti-terrorist.  Additionally his nephew had defected following the first invasion under Bush Sr.  He had apparently been in charge of the programs there for weapons of mass destruction and was said to have stated that he personally shut down all programs before he defected.

Death tolls in Iraq were about 120,000 Iraqis, and about 4,000 US.  One thing you can say is we are effective killing machines, 30 to 1.  What did the world gain from that?

Does this seem to be God’s will?  Or could it be sa case of us not trusting in the Lord and going ahead on our journey.

Pray on this and if you feel it is wrong call your congressman.  We are responsible for our own actions and that includes expressing our thoughts to our leaders.

Personally I feel strongly about this as God has made me witness to some things that prove to me that what is going on in the Middle East is wrong.  I know things this country has done that further reinforce the statements made above.  But when your in the vipers den you learn quickly the lessons of God. In particular:

Ephesians 5:11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Determining a False Prophet

John 4:5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[j] of truth and the spirit of falsehood

Controlling Others

John 5:16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."  

Daniel 6- A Message From God

^{Daniel 7}

⁹ He said, “Go and tell this people:

“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
    be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
¹⁰ Make the heart of this people calloused;
    make their ears dull
    and close their eyes.^[l]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”

Adding to or Ignoring God's word

Deuteronomy 12:32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.”

But theses are old testament.  So the new testament was added.  So my question isis the book of Mormon valid or invalid.  There are two groups I am aware of that use the book of Mormon.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints, and the Church of Jesus Christ.  I received a book on Joseph Smith from a local LDS church.  After reading a few chapters my feeling was that Joseph Smith was far to self serving.  Next couple in the extreme secrecy of the group and I feel it is not the place for me.  I feel secrecy is primarily a tool for satan.

If someone can justify the book of Mormon I would love to see the referring scripture.  I read Ezekiel 37, but I do not see it.

Isaiah 53 (NIV), This Cannot Be Christ

Isaiah 53 (NIV)

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?  (If this referred to Christ, then why the question mark? John No one knows the father except the one who came from him.)

2 

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.

(If this referred to Christ, then why would we think God punished him)

5 

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

6 

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 

He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.

8 

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.

9 

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

(If this referred to Christ, then why does it say he will see his offspring)

11 

After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.

12 

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

(If this referred to Christ, then why would he only receive a portion among the great?  Christ was the greatest.)

Christ's Message

Christ had a beautiful purpose.  His blood was needed to establish the new covenant.  This purpose was a transition from the letter of the Law given by the old Covenant (old testament) to the spirit of the Law, now defined by the new covenant (new testament).  The first 4 of the Ten Commandments describe how to Love God, the 5th describes how to Love your parents, 6-10 describe how to love your fellow man.

God defined Love in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Christ's command was
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
Mark 12:30 ... Love God with all your heart...  31 ....Love your neighbor as yourself.

Love God, your fellow man, and yourself as Christ loved us.  So what does this mean?
Give everything to God, but this means Christ too. And give to others as much as you give yourself. But often overlooked is do reserve something for yourself.
So waste nothing,  give everything.  This includes our assets.  So what does that mean?
To answer that question, I think of who I love most in this world, my daughter.  So how do I try and show love for my daughter?
- respect
- trust
- understanding
- time
- money, be careful here not to spoil.
Time too perhaps can be overly given. but none of the others, unless they are undeserved.

Recall the model for love
- Commitment - time, communication, giving
- Communication - show respect, develop understanding and trust grows with understanding.
- Giving - all of respect, trust, understanding,  and time.

But Love contains none of the following.

• Hate, haters do not give, unless it is to pose, which buys nothing in God's eyes
• Fear, if you fear your not giving trust
• Control, if you control you are not giving trust and respect
• Jealous, no trust or respect or understanding
• Judge, not giving trust or respect
• Secrecy, not giving trust or respect, denies understanding

All these things are negative.   There are more but you get the point.

God's Gift of German Engineering and a Rock

I feel confident that the car I was driving was blessed the night of Sept 14 2010. Around Midnight I fell asleep a the wheel not more than a mile from home.  The road turned but I failed to, and I dropped off the road.  I awoke at that point as I was squarely striking a rock about the size of the engine. The car pushed it for many feet through the dirt until the cross street pavement stopped its forward motion.  That abrupt stop caused the car to flip end over and land in the middle of the road.  It continued spinnut it could not have been given my final position was in the road.  I feel that the rock and the reliability of Porsche safety equipment are the two gifts from God that saved my life.  If any of the safety equipment had failed to work I would not have made it.  The seatbelt which I had to release to drop down and get out, as I was upside down.  The Airbag that was blown. The popup roll cage,  Which was essential as the front driver side was collapsing.  And the structural elements that kept my legs from being mangled by the rock that pushed through the boot(trunk) area.  That caused and end over flip vs just letting the rock keep  plowing into the car passenger area.  The car was a 2001 Porsche 911 Cabriolet.  I can't afford them any more but they are in my biased opinion the safest cars on the road.

This was a 2001 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (Convertible)

Driver Side 

I walked away thanks to God