January 22, 2013
The Lord God has simply stated that we as individuals have two courses of action to take in life as dictated in the Bible. These two choices can be encapsulated into a few different terms such as life and death, blessings and curses, truth and lies, but ultimately they lead to the same place when an individual life ends – which is dictated by God – life and death. Many will bristle at the word ‘dictated’ but this is just the way it is – God is the eternal Creator of ALL things, and therefore, what he dictates goes. Of course, the brainwashing instilled by the world systems has programmed people to be against ‘dictators’. We are reminded of the likes of King George, Hitler, Stalin, Mao etc., and so people automatically reject the notion of a king or a dictator and you can’t really blame them to a point because frankly – most if not all for the last 2,000+ years have been evil. Even now you have one of the newly anointed conservative young gun ‘hopefuls’, Rand Paul, talking about how this ‘king complex’ must be stopped. But if you just stop for minute and think – where is all the ‘good’ in so-called democracies or republics around the globe? Recently, they deposed the alleged democratic president of Egypt with yet another regime that is definitely no better and probably worse. How does that make sense? Surly, if we are ‘evolving’ as a race of people things would be getting better, yet they are not. No matter who is in charge, whether it be conservative or liberal (the only real so-called ‘choices’ people are given), things are progressively getting worse. If you can’t see it then you are being blinded by your own mind or those that are manipulating it. Governments on earth have gone through regime change after regime change and the only things that have gotten ‘better’ are the devices and methods for keeping people bound and chained – namely entertainment/pleasure and technology. And in this case ‘better’ is actually worse – but who can see it? We’ve been so duped that these advances are effectively overshadowing the grim underbelly.
The grim underbelly:
- Massive increase in sickness and disease
- Massive increase in mental illness and insanity
- Massive increase of use of prescription pharmaceuticals and other legal and illegal drugs.
- Massive increase of obesity and gluttony
- Massive increase of violence in video games/music/movies/TV which spills into society
- Massive increase of crime, especially murders (abortions at the top of that list) and murder/suicides
- Massive increase in prison population
- Massive increase in poverty, inflation, debt and economic struggles
- Massive increase and acceptance of homosexuality and other sexual perversions.
Don’t like to hear about the grim underbelly? Well, it’s here and it’s real. Don’t try to sugarcoat it with some fantasy about how most people are basically ‘good’ and there is ‘hope’ in men and women coming together in some universal conscious awareness that will culminate in Nirvana. If you are believing in that then let me tell you (in case nobody else does) – you are being deceived!
Ultimately, there are only two choices in LIFE – and – DEATH. These choices are predicated on one absolute and that is God’s Word. In his inaugural speech yesterday (January 21st, 2013), Barack Obama stated: “We cannot mistake absolutism for principle…” That statement of belief will be a fatal mistake. The word ‘principle’ means code, belief, attitude, opinion, value, standard or norm. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was Mitt Romney standing there or anyone else – they would have been saying essentially the exact same thing. This Obama speak revoIves around ‘situational ethics’ rather than absolute truth. They talk about a Creator that endows people this so-called ‘right to life’ yet a baby’s life can be snuffed out before he or she is even born to pursue the liberty and happiness – and this is right out of your Declaration of Independence that so many like to quote – including Barack Obama. Here it is so you can read it for yourself:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by theirCreator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
It’s amazing that people will go on about a Creator and a God and hold to some personal belief about some Supreme Being without ever considering how this Being would communicate to his people in a practical and tangible way. Instead, people fashion their own impressions based on their own inputs which come from any and all kinds of inspirations. Then the kicker is that in these people’s minds anyone who speaks in terms of the standard of the Bible is a cultist. Most people at some time in their lives will gravitate toward religion of some kind and for the most part it will leave them discouraged, frustrated and empty. This is because there are two missing ingredients: 1.) Absolute TRUTH, and 2.) A humility that enables a person to see themselves as a puny microbe in this vast universe which will then enable them to submit to the absolute truth. So without those two factors, you end up with all these doctrines and dogmas being talked about and debated but they are all over the map without an absolute. Some are more well-meaning than others but are thwarted by a double mindedness that comes from…get ready – here comes the dreaded ‘S’ word that everyone cringes at – SIN. You see, situational ethics or non-absolutism allows for sin, which is exemplified by putting SELF first. It will allow for a woman to make the choice to have an abortion because her self-life is being infringed upon. It’s not acceptable to have the woman make a CHOICE to NOT engage in the activity that gets her pregnant in the first place, so they promote a promiscuous lifestyle and then just say – go have an abortion if you get pregnant. This way you can go on with your life without the responsibility of caring for this new life. It’s sad when young women goo-goo over other’s babies but have or will have terminated a life that was growing in them and have no remorse. Thankfully for those that have committed this sin there is a plan of redemption actively in place and you can be forgiven and freed from the guilt and shame (of any sins confessed). BUT - this can only be accomplished in one ABSOLUTE way – repenting and turning to the Truth. It is a spiritual undertaking but for those that are sincere about their convictions the Lord is faithful to bring you to place where you can learn and grow and mature in a personal relationship with Him – and that can only be done by him revealing himself to you through his Holy Spirit and through the words in the Bible. Initially, it is somewhat easy but there is a hard part. The hard part is Satan. Satan is the one that most are referring to (knowingly or ignorantly) when they talk about this Creator or God that I mentioned before. Satan is the one that has this world saturated with confusion and chaos, hatred and bloodshed. Satan is the one that has it in for you and will attempt to make your life miserable if you choose to turn your life around and walk away from your former lifestyles. This can be intimidating and churches don't really prepare people for the warfare. They just talk about how glorious life will be but it is in fact a war. God says do it anyway, don't be afraid - just trust in Me. You're better off knowing this going in else you'll be more apt to give up when things get tough.
It would seem elementary for anyone that claims to believe in an all-good God to also believe that there is an all-evil entity as well - even just given a glance at the news headlines. It would be foolish not to because then you have no way to explain the condition of a depraved and dying world unless your all-good God was a sadist or a masochist – or Satan. The gospel tells us that Satan is the god of this world. He has a kingdom and he is vying to wrestle away from God Almighty the dominions of the heavens and the earth which God possess and has bequeathed to us. We must choose which path to go and there are only two paths. The path to righteousness and holiness is narrow and straight and it only goes in one direction (to the Father). The path to unrighteousness and unholiness is broad and will have many branches and ways that seemingly lead to the greater good. The narrow and absolute choice is the choice that involves accepting the Bible as God’s truth and making a conscious effort to abide by what he has written in it, which is ultimately for our own good and which is all that He really wants for us - goodness. It does not matter in the least if a person does not believe it. It does not matter if you say that the Bible is mythology or man made – it will not make God unreal, it will not make him go away, and it will not keep him from doing the things that he has promised to do.
Today, Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013, is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban most states laws restricting abortions, known as Roe v. Wade. For forty years in America, abortion clinics have been sucking the life out of women’s wombs to the tune of over 50 million lives lost. Worldwide since 1980 the number is over 1.2 billion. God is pro-choice. He says to choose life. This statement is not just about killing babies. By the way, the slam-dunk statement against those that say ‘well we believe, because science says, that life does not begin at conception but at physical birth’. The FACT of the matter is – if anything is growing – that alone proves that there is life. A human begins to grow the instant that life is conceived in the womb. The point of God’s desire for us to choose life is so that we can enter into eternity with Him. We only have this one lifetime to get this right. God the Father says choose life. If we do not then by default we choose death. He says if we adhere to His word then we will be blessed in many, many ways both physically and spiritually. He also says that if we do not – and we will then by default follow after other gods to the point where we can become gods in our own mind, which is exactly the lie that Satan told the woman in the Garden of Eden. In these times, God is speaking to and through His chosen men and women. He is begging us to turn fully toward him because the nation/world that turns against Him will be turned into HELL. If you do not believe that you will be in for a very rude and a very terrifying awakening.
If you are reading this sentence and are not yet walking according to the path dictated by Jesus Christ we are praying for you to join God’s family. You see, Jesus is a king. We were not designed for a democracy or a republic; we were designed for a kingdom and Jesus is the only Good King! The world has nothing to offer but temporary pleasures. Please don’t drink down the words that will have you thinking you know God without ever consulting his Word and getting to know him. How can you get to know a person unless you spend time with that person? God will talk to you, but He has only given us one avenue to communicate with Him. The world will have you thinking that there are many ways to God, but He is very particular and jealous and He wants us to be the same – and He is right! Choose Eternal Life!
3 comments:
"The narrow and absolute choice is the choice that involves accepting the Bible as God’s truth and making a conscious effort to abide by what he has written in it, which is ultimately for our own good and which is all that He really wants for us - goodness."
First of all, this is Ben Chaplin.
The Bible declares that reliance on Jesus' work and righteousness for justification is the narrow and absolute path, not a certain level of willingness to be obedient to the sanctifying commands of the NT.
You appear to be mixing works of righteousness and discipleship with salvation, thus telling people that justification comes by grace (unmerited, undeserved favor)+ obedience which, ironically, nullifies grace.
"This is the message of the gospel – we have to change."
No, that is the message of the Catholic Church - “ex opere operato” meaning salvation “from work done”.
The Gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose on the third day so that through faith in His work we would be saved.
The Biblical repentance required is the acceptance and admittance that you are a sinner that deserves eternal punishment. If you truly believe this, you see your need to rely on Jesus Christ for salvation. Those who rely on Him are given the gift of the Spirit whose job is to give us new desires which make us new creatures.
If you doubt this interpretation, re-read the Parable of the Publican and Pharisee and note that the Pharisee even went as far to credit his righteousness to God's grace in his life "I thank you God for I am not like this man", yet the Publican humbly admitted his guilt and need for forgiveness "I am a sinner, forgive me". Who left justified? The Pharisee did not because he trusted in his own level of righteousness for justification - even though he accredited that righteousness to God.
We cannot rely on our level of righteousness because it will always fall short of the perfection required for eternal life. We rely on Jesus' righteousness.
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (ONE) shall many be made righteous."
"Let me first state emphatically, if you say you are a Christian, and you read this article and do not agree with it whole-heartedly, then you have been victimized by the very things described below and you will not be an overcomer at the end of your life or this age - whichever comes first."
Why then did you not once mention justification by faith in Jesus' substitutionary atonement for sin, or the gift of imputed righteousness?
Also, the Bible describes the overcomers in 1 John 5: 4-5.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Faith is evidence by works. Works do not earn or maintain salvation.
If I misrepresented your beliefs, rebuke me.
Hi Ben,
I hope I don’t have to answer this post solely for the sake of others that read it but for your sake as well. I remember you from a while back when I found a blog a comment you made on
Latter Day’s Ministry blog. I contacted you privately to alert you to the fact that your postings regarding once saved always saved are heretical. The reason why I approached you is because of the fact that I knew that you were just a babe in Christ and as I recall you have not been a Christian for even a good year yet. I hope that for your sake and for the sakes of others that read your blog that you have removed the lies about OSAS.
Now, on to what you have addressed here. First of all, I don’t see how you can try to pluck an argument out the first statement you quoted. That’s about as generically true as it gets. As I write this now, I’m reminded of how people will pull apart one statement someone makes or one sermon someone preaches and try to poke scriptural holes into what was said without realizing that we have the context of the entire Bible to consider (of which we cannot reach the end of) because the minister didn’t mention some specific portion of doctrine that you happen to be hung up on. We’re dealing with God’s Word here and we cannot be so arrogant as to assume that everyone is missing something if they don’t always bring up the points that we’re focused on at a particular time. One of your problems is that you have yet to be properly discipled and taught long enough to be able to rightly divide God’s Word. That was part of the rebuke I made to you back then. You were in a good place (Latter Day’s) to be ministered to and taught, and it’s also a good sign that you’re reading my blog – and if I hadn’t already I will recommend our home ministry site Omega Ministries for more sound teaching.
The bottom line is, your argument here is specious at a minimal. Let me break it down this way: I perceive that you still have some deep down angst against proper authority due to your being raised in the matriarchal hell-hole of Roman Catholicism. I say: the message of the gospel is that we have to change – and you argue: that statement is Catholic. What??? Your confusion is in what ‘work’ is. From that perspective ‘work’ is something done on the external – feed the poor, visit the sick, donate money etc. But when we’re saying ‘we have to change’ – yes, we are talking about a work – but it is a work on the inner man. It is a work that nobody really can see and know how effective it is being done except the individual and the Lord (and I suspect to a degree, Satan’s spiritual army). Do a word search in the new testament on the words labor, laboring, labored, works, working. You’ll probably be surprised.
Part 2:
Look at 1st Thessalonians 1:3:
“Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”
These are works that God sees and he honors and respects IF we actually engage in them. You and others like Calvinists are painting this rosy picture of us just receiving this nice gift from Jesus – and then we just go skipping along into a meadow, stopping to smell flowers and being extra careful that we don’t fall down and get a little dirt on our knickers. That my friend is hogwash. This is a war. You just don’t get delivered from the clutches of Satan with a flower in your hand like some hippie flower child saying “God is Love”. We have to fight a major warfare and we each have to WORK out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).
Also have a look at 2nd Corinthians 4 (chapter 3 and Romans 6-8) – but look at the end of chapter 4:
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace (cause – inserted by me) might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish (effect of grace – inserted by me), yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
He’s plainly telling us that we are given this ‘abundant grace’, but ‘for which cause (the abundant grace) – we faint not’…he’s not saying ‘oh we’ll just never faint’ – he’s saying that God has given us this grace but grace is going to engage us in the war to put this old man to death in order to be renewed and resurrected…and it will be trying to the point of fainting…it is tiring…it is a war – don’t give up!
Again, I remind you – sit down…take a deep breath (for like at least 3 or 12 years) and THEN go forth – if God permits. Remember even Paul having just been baptized with the Holy Ghost after being converted went forth preaching up a storm. But – he soon realized that he had to reel it in because the Holy Spirit was beckoning him to go down to Arabia and other places – laying low – to learn from Him. Then he came back in some serious power which is our quest and it cannot be done without being labor intensive to put this old nature to death so Christ can live in us. But if you have not received the Holy Spirit – you will not be able to understand this and you will contend with it – that’s just the way it is.
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