CAN MERCY AND JUDGMENT COEXIST? 2

GodThoughtsWired!            Thursday, December 30, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% CAN MERCY AND JUDGMENT COEXIST? 2 "LIFE IS NOT FAIR, BUT GOD IS JUST... AND HE HAS AN ETERNITY TO PROVE IT!" -Pastor Brad Illustration:  A child is brutally raped, beaten, tortured and murdered.  The guilty man is caught and brought before a judge with whom the child's grieving mother and father await the verdict.  The judge says, "Because I am a loving and forgiving judge, I am letting the offender go free without any punishment." Now let's say you are the mother or father in this illustration.  How do you feel about the judge's verdict? Mercy has been extended but justice has not been served! May I suggest to you that judgment is an extension of God's love! (see Hebrews 12:5-11).  And may I also suggest to you that, in this illustration, righteously judging the criminal would have extended mercy to both the victims parents...AND the criminal.* "WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF GOD UNTIL WE GRASP THE HORROR OF OUR SIN AND THE SACRIFICIAL TORMENT THAT JESUS CHOSE TO PAY ON OUR BEHALF." -Pastor Brad In God's kingdom, mercy and justice coexist. *I'm interested to hear from you - How could it be possible that  judging the criminal righteously would be "merciful?" For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here. PLEASE prayerfully remember GodThoughts with your year-end giving (click on "donate" button below). The cost to provide this FREE Ministry world-wide in 2010 was $40,700.00 (see Annual Report for full details).

CAN MERCY AND JUDGMENT COEXIST? 1

GodThoughtsWired!         Wednesday, December 29, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% CAN MERCY AND JUDGMENT COEXIST? 1 "The Lord loves justice... It is I (God) who judges with equity... For the Lord is a God of justice."Psalm 37:28; 75:2; Isaiah 30:18 When I first came into my current pastorate roughly seven years ago, an otherwise kind and loving family left the church because of my unwavering commitment to the Bible as "inspired by God, inerrant and infallible as originally given" (see Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).  They readily accepted the "love and forgiveness" part of God's character, but they did not believe in His "justice." "Our God is NOT PUNITIVE!," the woman assured me, as she left the church parking lot for the final time. To the contrary Oswald Chambers declares, "In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out - it is the sign of the loving God.-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 5 So, what do you think?  Can mercy and judgment coexist? More tomorrow. For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here. PLEASE prayerfully remember GodThoughts with your year-end giving (click on "donate" button below). The cost to provide this FREE Ministry world-wide in 2010 was $40,700.00 (see Annual Report for full details).

THE EARLY MORNING

GodThoughtsWired!             Wednesday, December 22, 2010 An Inspiration for Today...A Resource for a Lifetime!

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report is NOW AVAILABLE! This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email us your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. THE EARLY MORNING "In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch." Psalm 5:3 Spending time with the Lord EARLY in the morning is often the best part of my life! "The Lord is with you when you are with Him." 2 Chronicles 15:2b God invited Moses saying, "So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain." Exodus 34:2 Most of my most profound experiences with God have been before the arrival of the day's sun.  As always, our model is Jesus: "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." Mark 1:35 And I can hear someone say, "But I'm not a morning person."  And I would respond, "It's not the time...it's the principle." "So that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."Colossians 1:18c For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here. PLEASE prayerfully remember GodThoughts with your year-end giving (click on "donate" button below).  The expenditures of the GodThoughts Ministry world-wide in 2010 was $40,700.00 (see Annual Report for full details).

A 'HATED' GENERATION? Introduction

GodThoughtsWired!        Thursday, December16, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report is NOW AVAILABLE! We will be sending them out at the end of this week! This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email us your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. A 'HATED' GENERATION? Introduction"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..."-2 Timothy 3:1-4 Did you ever ask yourself, "How could such a generation of men ever become so...evil?" Honestly, I never really thought about it, 'til now (see yesterday's GTWired! for context). "Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." -Hosea 4:6 Did you ever ask yourself, "How could that happen, an entire generation (save those who repent and turn to God for salvation) forgotten by God?"  Again, I never really thought about it, 'til now. In fact, my thoughts have been consumed by it since my experience two nights ago (see A Forgotten Generation).  Why would God cause me such "grief?" Why would He 'break my heart' like that? What did He want me to see?  "What did He want me to learn?" I'll answer every one of those questions tomorrow. For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.

A 'HATED' GENERATION? Conclusion

GodThoughtsWired!        Thursday, December16, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report is NOW AVAILABLE! We will be sending them out at the end of this week! This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email us your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. A 'HATED' GENERATION? Introduction"But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God..."-2 Timothy 3:1-4 Did you ever ask yourself, "How could such a generation of men ever become so...evil?" Honestly, I never really thought about it, 'til now (see yesterday's GTWired! for context). "Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." -Hosea 4:6 Did you ever ask yourself, "How could that happen, an entire generation (save those who repent and turn to God for salvation) forgotten by God?"  Again, I never really thought about it, 'til now. In fact, my thoughts have been consumed by it since my experience two nights ago (see A Forgotten Generation).  Why would God cause me such "grief?" Why would He 'break my heart' like that? What did He want me to see?  "What did He want me to learn?" I'll answer every one of those questions tomorrow. For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.

A FORGOTTEN GENERATION

GodThoughtsWired!        Wednesday, December 15, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% A FORGOTTEN GENERATION "Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." Hosea 4:6 Last night I was asked to be a chaperone for one of our local, public high-schools (these schools are so prestigious and highly esteemed that families have moved cross-country to provide the opportunity for their children to attend).  It was a  community presentation by the frosh/soph boys and girls chorale.  This school has quite an excellent reputation...and deservedly so.  The teachers are superb and truly care for the kids. With about 150 students, they are divided into three groups, two groups of girls...and the boys.  Since the teachers can't be in two places at one time, they need "chaperones" to watch the students who are waiting to perform, while the teachers are with the students on stage. Anyway, the "chaperone assignments" were given out before the show and I, along with another gentleman was in charge of the boys.  Each student was well-groomed, well-dressed, white shirts and black ties all.  It provided a rare and unique glimse into today's youth culture, away from the confines of their established authority figures. No parents, no teachers, they felt free to be themselves...and they were.* 2 Timothy 3:1-4 talks about some of the characteristics and attributes that we can expect from men in this "Age of Delusion."  Last night I saw the boys...who will become those men... And I've been weeping ever since. *I imagine that some of you, like me are asking yourself, "Didn't the fact that two adult, male, chaperones were there, influence their behavior?  Astonishingly...very, very little. For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.

THE SACRIFICE OF...FOOLS!

GodThoughtsWired!                Friday, December 3, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report will be available in mid-December. This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email me your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. THE SACRIFICE OF...FOOLS! "Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil."Ecclesiastes 5:1, bold mine The sacrifice of fools...hmmm.  What initially strikes me is that these "evil sacrifices" are being made by fools unaware of their folly (see above).  1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that, "to obey is better than sacrifice." God Himself reiterates this concept in Hosea 6:6 by saying, "I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice." God further states in Isaiah 1:15-16, "Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen...remove the evil of your deeds from My sight...Learn to do good."  And again, God continues to express His passionate hatred of hypocrisy in Amos 5:23 by warning, "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps" (see alsoMatthew, chapter 23). Jesus insightfully defined, "the sacrifice of fools" by quoting Isaiah 29:13 in Mark 7:6-7, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites...This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from  Me.  But in vain do they worship Me."  Vain Worship?  Wow! Empty, futile, worthless worship...Hmmm. Some things feel good and seem right...but aren't (seeProverbs 16:25). Such is the religious spirit (see again Matthew, chapter 23)... Such is "The Sacrifice of Fools." For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.

THE SACRIFICE OF...FOOLS!

GodThoughtsWired!                Friday, December 3, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report will be available in mid-December. This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email me your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. THE SACRIFICE OF...FOOLS! "Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil."Ecclesiastes 5:1, bold mine The sacrifice of fools...hmmm.  What initially strikes me is that these "evil sacrifices" are being made by fools unaware of their folly (see above).  1 Samuel 15:22 tells us that, "to obey is better than sacrifice." God Himself reiterates this concept in Hosea 6:6 by saying, "I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice." God further states in Isaiah 1:15-16, "Even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen...remove the evil of your deeds from My sight...Learn to do good."  And again, God continues to express His passionate hatred of hypocrisy in Amos 5:23 by warning, "Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps" (see alsoMatthew, chapter 23). Jesus insightfully defined, "the sacrifice of fools" by quoting Isaiah 29:13 in Mark 7:6-7, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites...This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from  Me.  But in vain do they worship Me."  Vain Worship?  Wow! Empty, futile, worthless worship...Hmmm. Some things feel good and seem right...but aren't (seeProverbs 16:25). Such is the religious spirit (see again Matthew, chapter 23)... Such is "The Sacrifice of Fools." For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.

The Road to SLAVERY

GodThoughtsWired!                 Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion You are subscribed as %%emailaddress%% The GodThoughts Annual Report will be available in mid-December. This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email me your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.* *LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY. The Road to SLAVERY Generally, it appears to me that the average American is both selfish and lazy.  When it comes to who they vote for, pocketbooks win over morality.  In other words,people have either forgotten, or are completely ignorant of the responsibilities of freedom. "No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14 His rise to power and ability to win the favor of otherwise hard-working and intelligent people is a monument to human gullibility.  He rose to prominence and power because of a promise to shore up the economy and put people back to work. Once they  had health-care, job security, and paid vacations, it was "all good."  In fact, it is said of Hitler's Germany, "If freedom meant starvation, then slavery was preferable." -Gerald Suster, Hitler:  The Occult Messiah, p.135 And I remember reading something about the Old Testament Israelites that was strikingly similar...* That would never happen here in the United States of America though...right? *On more than one occasion the Israelites expressed the opinion that they would rather "return to Egypt" than face the challenges of the wilderness (see Exodus 16:2-3, as an example). For more information about the GodThoughts Ministry, click here. For more information about the author of GodThoughts, click here.