The Ten Commandments

I know it has been a little while, but busy is too nice a word for me in the last couple of days. Working at the ministry, canning and preserving, and remodeling the house leaves very little room for blogging. But I have received your e-mails, and am answering your questions as fast as possible.

I have spent the day in prayer and fasting, and have renewed my commitment to God, family, and my Church. I have to admit, I was getting discouraged. I wasn't sure if I was at the right church, and I was having a pity party and pouting to myself. I met with my Pastor yesterday, and then went home and fell on my face before the Lord. I enjoyed our time together, and He revealed a whole lot of things to me. There were some rumors and some strife going on that I brought to her attention, and we had a big misunderstanding. But isn't God great! That's the good thing about us preachers, we can come together in the Spirit and get to the bottom of everything. She thought I was politicking for a office position in the church, and I thought she wanted me to leave the church. Man, the Devil is a liar. It turns out we were both wrong, and we dealt Satan a mighty defeat, in the name of Jesus.

But that is not the end of the story. God called me into a fast, and He has shown me where I was wrong, and how to get things right. I renewed my faith in Him, and He refreshed my Spirit, and showed me that my pride was getting in the way of my walk with Him. But no longer.

Now on to today's subject, the Ten Commandments. For you international readers, over here there is a war being fought over posting the Ten Commandments in public. The ACLU and other Antichrist groups say it is a violation of the separation of Church and State. The Christians say just the opposite; that we have a right to post them any where we want under the Constitution. So the end result is that we can post pictures of Santa, quotations from the Koran, and Kwanzaa, but cannot post anything dealing with the Christian and Jewish God.

But lets look at this from a practical standpoint. Every Commandment but one has a place in our law books. It is against the law to commit adultery, lie, cheat, steal, or murder. So what's wrong with posting those?

Is it wrong to post a list of rules in schools that say "Do not Steal"? If you are caught lieing in a court of law, you go to jail (unless you are a Democrat, then its OK), so why can we not post them in our courthouses?

The ACLU is "supposed" to protect my civil liberties. But in actually, they stand for all civil liberties, except for Christians. We are not allowed freedom of speech, expression, or the right to protest. We cannot even pray in public without the risk of being sued. In Colorado, a lawsuit has just been filed against two publishers of Bibles, claiming that they are "racist" against homosexuality. The state has already removed bibles from public libraries because they include hate speech. So now you can go to a library and check out Hitler's book, but cannot read a bible! Isn't this ridiculous? I tell you, if the church does not stand up quick, we are going to be outlawed ourselves.

Well that is my soap box for today. Don't forget to vote in our new poll today about the Bible. And also a big welcome to our newest reader from Londonberry, England, who also suffers from the same condition as me. God introduced us recently, and I hope he enjoys the site.

Guess what? I may be getting a PhD in Divinity!! I wanted to be a doctor, so the Lord does answer prayer. I just assumed it would be a medical doctor, but a Dr. is a Dr., at least on paper. I will let you know if and when it happens.

Also got some new links up, so check them out.

Jesse

Language: Is cursing bad?

With ministers on the news using G_ _ D_ _ _ _ from the pulpit and a popular preacher threatening to cut off a Presidential Candidates genitalia, it brings to mind how so many people have a bad impression of us Christians.

A while back, I was talking to another preacher here locally, whose name I will not mention. I knew he was a preacher, but he did not know that I was. He was cussing like a sailor. But when he found out that I was a preacher, his whole attitude changed, and he cleaned up his language. He is popular around here, and I was surprised that he acted that way while not behind the pulpit. Another man I was with told me that was why he did not go to church. When I reminded him that I don't talk like that, he said I was the exception.

Now, I am not perfect; I am far from it. Just the other day I was working in my shop with two of my sons, and smashed my toe with a sledge hammer. I let loose an impressive string of choice words that would have made any sailor proud. Yesterday, I caught one of the same sons cussing on the phone with one of his friends. I corrected him, and he said, "Dad, you cuss, and your a preacher. I didn't use one of the forbidden words."

And that proves my point. People are watching us Christians every day, and delight every time we screw up. The Pharisees make it even worse, as they project us as strict conformist that never sin. The Bible says "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs..."

That explains itself. We are Christ's ambassadors on Earth. We are supposed to represent Him in every thing we do. Are you?

I heard a preacher say it this way once. " Imagine you are having a routine day at home. You receive a phone call from Jesus, telling you He will be at your house in five minutes to visit (kind of like a modern day Zacheauss). Would you run to the door in great anticipation and await your Lord's arrival, thrilled that He was coming? Or would you rush through the house, changing the TV channel to a Christian station, turn the radio to K-Love, close your kids room so He could not see the posters on the wall, and hide your DVD or CD collection?"

Well, which would you do? I challenge you today to make a commitment to represent Christ well in every thing you do. Of course, you can never be perfect, but you can live live to its fullest the best way you know how. That is what the Holy Ghost is here for: to teach you and show you how to live your life.

Can you do it, or is it too much trouble?

Jesse

Isn't God Good!

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted, as I have been a little under the weather. I have been in bed since Wed. of last week, with only a few trips up and about. Yesterday I made it to VBS, and today, I am feeling much better! For those that don't know, I have Crohn's Disease, which is a major digestive disorder, and had a brief flare up. I feel blessed, because the last flare I had lasted for months, and darn near killed me. But God is good, and no pain this time!! I have been pain free since March, and I do not miss it at all.

Ever wonder what the Apostle Paul would have done with blogs? Man at the insight we could have had if he had a PDA or Blackberry with him everywhere he went. Or even all of the Apostles, at that. Our Bible would have been a lot bigger, and I think they may be a little dissappointed with the Church as a whole. This Pharisee Doctrine of exclusion and holier than thou would send the ill tempered Paul into a frenzy!

And what if Jesus came in, dusty and road weary, with dirt on His brow, and sat down. Some Churches would probably ask Him to leave!! It is both sad, and yet quiet amazing at the same time. Sad, because Love is supposed to be our greatest virtue as Christians. Amazing, because prophecy is coming to pass right before our very eyes, and the stage is being set for the Apostate Church of Pharisees and half truths remain, while the rest of us are out of here. For those workers around us, the harvest is ripe! It cannot remain in the field much longer before it begins to rot!!!

Thank God for His mercy and goodness, and for His provision provided for us in His One and Only Son. We could never be good enough friends. We are just sinners, saved by the Grace of God!

"Look up, for your redemption draweth nigh" Praise God

Take a look at our new poll...and vote. And don't be afraid to post your questions here. I welcome the e-mails, but would love to share with all of you!!

Up date on the Praise report

Want to give you all an update on my brother. Thanks for all of the encouraging e-mails!

Codey was really messed up on Crystal Meth. We went to Alabama over the Fourth, and when I saw him he smelled of death, and decay. Since we run a drug rehab here in Kentucky, I talked him into coming, and then the Holy Spirit done the rest. He gave his life to the Lord, and I look forward to baptizing him soon. This not only saved his soul, but I believe it has saved his life as well!

Praise God!

On a side note, please leave your comments and suggestions on the blog. It is more yours than mine, and I would rather gear it toward your needs and wants. Don't forget about the poll, and feel free to use the search engine. If you use the search from here, or click on any of the ads, it generates revenue for our ministry. Mind you, that you do not have to buy anything, just click on it.

Also, comment on the ads, as I cannot see any of them from here. They are geared toward you, and subject matter from the blog. If they seem inappropriate or offensive, let me know and I can block that specific company. Have a great day!

For all of you wrestling fans, even closet ones, check out http://wrestlingrambler.blogspot.com. It is clean, as I am not one of those Christians, or preachers for that matter, with split personalities! I am who I am, no matter the venue!!!

Jesse

Praise Report

Just a quick praise report. My brother has just recently entered our drug rehab. Well any way, today he went to church and gave his life to the Lord. Praise God! Isn't he Great!!

Jesse

1st Lesson: Hell: Is it real?

For some reason, hell is a touchy subject in Christianity now a days. I a recent Gallup Poll, 87% of Americans professed a belief in God, yet only 27% said they believed hell is real. Well first off, let me tell you straight up that hell is real. As Christians, we must believe it, because Jesus did. As a matter of fact, Jesus almost exclusively uses the most severe word for hell, Gehenna, in the New Testament. Lets start off by going over what the Bible says about hell.

The Bible uses four different terms that are translated hell in the King James Version. If you have a more modern version taken from the original scripture, such as the NIV, or the TNIV, it may be properly translated. They are:

Sheol-This is a Hebrew word meaning "hollow", or "deep" place. It can mean two different things, either simply "grave", or an actual existence beyond death, or after life. It is used 65 times in the Old Testament and can be translated hell 31 times (ie. Deut 32:22, PS 9:17), grave 31 times (Jon 7:9, 14:13) and pit 3 times. (Num 16:30, 33, Job 17:16). It can be simply defined as the "abode of the dead", and is the place where the dead, both righteous or evil, from before Christ dwell until the Resurrection.

Hades-Hades is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word sheol, with one exception. In the New Testament it was always the abode of the "wicked dead:.

Tartaros- This term is only used in scripture once, in 2 Peter2:4, describing where the fallen angels were cast down into. It is a Greek word meaning " the lowest level of the 9 levels of hell in Greek thought"

Gehenna- This is the hell we are most familiar with, the eternal resting place for Satan, his Angels, and all of those who reject Christ, at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ. This word is almost exclusively used by Jesus, and it originally meant the Valley of Hinnom, outside Jerusalem, where trash and those that were executed by the Romans and not considered worthy of burial was burned. It was a worm, and maggot filled area that would have smelled terrible.

Now, the hell we are talking about in this discussion, is the last one. The Bible says that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. For those of you that believe that Satan is in hell now, that is not biblically correct. Based on Job, Revelation 12:10, Satan is actively roaming the world, and even stands before God accusing believers. Satan angels are the ones that rebelled with him, and were cast out at the same time. How many are there? The Bible said he took a third of the angels in heaven with him. In Revelation 5:11, the "good" angels numbered "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." So if a third was cast out, that would be a whole bunch, as we say here in Kentucky. Some believe (as I do), that these are the demons mentioned in scripture, spirits that people see, and guides that "real" psychics and mediums use. These would also be those that "pose" as other Gods, such as in Wicca, Hindu, and others. They are powerful, but Praise God, not all powerful.

Hell is a place of darkness, and "weeping and gnashing of teeth". A place where the rich man cried in Luke 16:24, "have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." Not a place where I would want to be. For, contrary to what some denominations teach, the Bible says that there is no coming back in the same story. A great gulf, where none can pass from one to the other.

I have went and made this long, haven't I? You have to watch us preachers, we are bad to do that, ha.

So, in wrapping up, is hell real? Does God really send people there? If you take the Scriptures as the very Word of God, (which as a Christian, you should) and believe it to be true, then it is pretty cut and dried: Yes, it is very real! If you are what I call a "selective" Christian, or a "convenient" Christian (this means you believe what is easy for you, or what you agree with, or what you want, and what you don't agree with you throw out the window), then this may be a sticking point for you. Jesus teaches that there will be lots of people that claim Him, prophesy in His Name, and worked in His name would be sent to hell, because He "knows them not", and that everyone that says "Lord, Lord" will not enter into His kingdom. If you don't make it into His kingdom, there is only one other place for you to go. And for those that do not believe, stop for a second.......look around you......listen to the birds.........get real still, and listen to your own breathing......don't worry, we'll wait....hear your heart beat. Do you really think that is all a "mistake" of a monkeys genes? Have you ever seen a monkey jump out of a tree and say "hey, you humans are making it, we are almost extinct, so we are going to evolve into you"?

So now the question I get asked more than any other. How can a loving God, who the bible says "God is Love", and that He "is not willing any to perish" send one of His creations to a place of torment, like hell?

Here is the answer so many cannot come up with. memorize it, for it is a great witnessing tool.

It is true that our God is a loving God. He is Almighty, the Alpha and Omega. He spoke the world into existence. And His love for us is so great that He would send His son to die in our place, so we could be with Him. If He loved us that much, how could He send us to Hell.

God is Love!......But God is also Holy. And Him being Holy, sin can have no presence with Him. He cannot bear to look at it. That is why He had to turn away when Jesus was on the cross, for the sins of the entire world (your too) were upon Him. And we, no matter how hard we try, can never be truly Holy. We may follow as many commandments, follow all the rules our churches place on us, attend church every time the door opens, give thousands of dollars to charity, but we still wouldn't be good enough. We are destined for destruction.

But cheer up friend, this Holy, Awesome God has made a provision for us!!!! Yes, we can never be good enough, but His Son was!! And Jesus said all that know Him, would know the Father. The way to avoid hell, and be able to stand before God unashamed is Jesus. You see, Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man cometh to the Father except through Me".

Man that makes me want to shout!!! When you come to know Jesus (not know about Him, but truly know Him), He stands in for you by covering you with His precious blood. So when God sees you, he sees His provision, not the sinful person we really are. We are all sinners...saved by Grace.

Whew, this is long. Hopefully the next one will be shorter. I plan to talk about "being saved", what does it mean, etc. But, it will be shorter. If you are not saved, and would like to know how, e-mail me. If you want to avoid hell, I cannot save you, but I know a Man who can!

Until next time, remember friends, that God loves you. He cares for you. And He has made Provision for you!!

Jesse

New Features

OK, just want to update you on our new features. You will notice that we added a search engine at the top. This is a Google based engine that is filtered from any adult content. The results are the same as if you used Google's web page to search, only this creates revenue for our ministry.

Also, take some time to look at the poll question on the left of the pane. Feel free to vote. I will use the results to plan future content, and to also get a feel for my audience. Thanks for all of the encouraging e-mails, I personally read and respond (if needed) to each one. Even the negative ones! Any way, will have a new post this evening. Until then, enjoy your Saturday!!

Please keep Tony Snow's family in your prayers. As some of you know, this former Fox News anchor and White House Press Secretary passed away today. (or last night). He was a great, honest God fearing man!

Jesse

Quick update

Just a quick note to say that I have hopefully got this site off to a good start. I hope you all like it, and I hope all of you will migrate here from my other blog. Which reminds me, I need to post there, directing people here, lol. Any way, I will eventually be running three blogs. One on Christianity with my thoughts and teachings there, one a question and answer site, and one on wrestling. Yes, pro wrestling, with some MMA, UFC, and of course WWE and TNA (If I can force myself to watch it). So what does a preacher have to do with men beating each other up. Well, 5 boys, and my wife and I own quiet a bit of stock in all three. Well, how else does a medically retired, half crippled soldier that has been thrown to the curb by Uncle Sam after he has fired as many bullets as he can, earn a living. The stock market, of course. Of course, I will not comment on things that contradict what I believe, and if something is in poor taste, I will say so. I am very blunt and opiniated, and cannot wait to rile some of you up. Wrestling fans and Pharisees alike! Ha. Well I will get this thing started in full tomorrow. For those of you interested in the items we are auctioning for the ministry, stay tuned and I will let you know. TTFN............Jesse

God and Politics

I am wondering, is God interested in politics? How many politicians have claimed God, yet do not really believe? What about the ones that claim to be a Christian, yet their record says otherwise? Why do politicians put their political parties bottom lines before God?

These questions are really hard for us ministers and clergy of all denominations to answer. As an evangelical minister, I can tell you that theocracy's are both dangerous (think Iran) and doomed to failure. So what is the answer? History proves that nations that follow Gods basic laws and values (think 10 commandments) are blessed. Nations that do not, eventually fail. The bible is very clear on this matter; yet it also states in prophecy that when Jesus returns, there will be a theocracy with Him as King, sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem. So what gives? If theocracy's do not work, why does God set one up with His Son as King? Now keep in mind, that even Christian theocracy's do not work. If you were to tally all of the martyrs from Jesus until now, you will find that most of them were at the hands of other Christians. Lots of people would substitute the Catholic Church for Christians in the previous sentence, but Protestants did their fair share of persecuting others as well.

Here's the answer. Glad you waited for it. Today, there are no perfect people. There has only been one, and we crucified Him. When Jesus returns, the earth will have done been judged. The Book of Revelations describes this as the "pouring out of Gods wrath" on the earth and its inhabitants. When He returns, we that believed and were saved, will be with Him. I will talk about this in another post, but just trust me, its in the Book. But even then, the theocracy will not work. After 1000 years, there will be a rebellion against Christ and His followers. Christ overcomes, and then the real reward is given. A new heaven and a new earth, with no sin. Then their will be a perfect theocracy.

So does God care about politics? I believe He does. Politics are rushing us head long into prophecy. As a matter of fact, the Antichrist is a politician that turns into a dictator. So if you are a Christian, enjoy the ride, it won't be long. If you are not, I would only have to urge you to study a little prophecy. See what has already come to pass, and then ask yourself: If all of these were fulfilled as written in the Bible, why won't the last remaining few be.

I hope to write more and fill in the blanks for those of you that are not familiar. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as our drug ministry is moving at a blistering pace.

Jesse

Intro

Hello to all. Just a little to introduce myself. I normally blog on myspace, but decided to go this route. I am a 31 year old minister from southeastern KY and am the director for a non-profit drug rehab facility. The ministry is still youg, but we are having a lot of success. I am a father to 5 wonderful little boys ranging in age from 6-11, and am married to a wonderful woman that I probally don't deserve, but I got her!! She is the mother to all of my children. I know thats unusual for the same people to stay married and have all of their kids together. We were married at 19, and still going strong!! I am a retired Army veteran.

The way I want this to work is for you all to read, and comment. Feel free to ask questions..I get a lot of those. I am a counselor, and hope to help as many as possible. Free, of course. While I consider myself a conservative politically, I am very opininionated and am quiet disgusted with the state of our political system today. I do not belong to any political parties. Any way, hope to get this started and have as enthuastic response as from my previous blog.