Some Things I cannot do as a Christian - When God says NO!

As a Christian, there are certain things that I cannot do. These are things that others may be allowed or able to do, but the Grace of God upon me prevents me from doing these things:

First is the Obvious - As a Christian I cannot:

1) Sell any alcoholic drink - I cannot partake in the creation, distribution or sale or use of any alcoholic drinks (beer, wine liquor, whiskey, ect). This means I cannot work in a convenience store in any city where alcoholic beverages are sold. I have taken a vow to the Lord. As Jesus said at the Last supper he would not taste of the fruit of the vine until he drinks it anew with his apolstles in the coming Kingdom of God. Good enough for me as well. I will not drink any alcoholic drink - including wine, until I sit at the Lord's table and he serves me in the Kingdom of God.

2) Sell any pornographic material. This means I cannot work in any store that sells pornographic books or magazines or any other media. That means I cannot work in a common bookstore like Barnes and Noble or Books a Million. Also this means I cannot work in any convenience store that sells pornographic magazines.

So those are the obvious restrictions that the Grace of God has placed on me in regard to where I can and cannot work and what I can and cannot sell.

However there are a few things that might surprise you that I cannot do as well:

I am married therefore I am restrained by the Grace of God from having physical sexual relations with another woman. I know that people and Christians do it all the time, but I cannot. However, I can imagine a situation where it may occur, but I belive that the Grace of God keeps me from those situations. I am restrained by Grace.

Also, I am not allowed to have an Apple iTouch.
I had a plan.
When my Blackberry curve 2 year cell phone contract expires in 2011, I was going to go with a simple Track Phone and and iTouch on WiFi. The Track phone would be just a phone, and the iTouch would do everything else that my current smartphone does.
However, I am constrained by Grace.
I cannot have an iTouch or iPhone or any other Apple technological product. Why? Well, I guess its because I see Apple as EVIL. From the first kits that Apple sold mail order for $666.66 - their origional computer (I know that the 2 Steve's started this business in their garage). The symbol for Apple is the Apple from the garden of Eden with a bite taken out of it - the symbol of the Origional Sin of disobedience against God which caused Jesus to have to live among us - die on the cross - be raised from the dead - and redeem a lost and dying mankind from the ravages of sin. The line drawings of the Apple have been Eve giving Adam the fruit (presumably and Apple) in the garden of Eden. Glorifying disobedience and rebellion against God. I know all this, I've seen it and lived through it. So, God will NOT allow me to have an Apple technological product.
I tried.
My son has an iTouch and I used his for awhile- he was going to give it to me, but then my wife developed moderate to severe pancreas attacks and I had to give it back.
However I thought if I buy one myself I would be allowed to keep it. So, I went to eBay and bought a new one. However when I received it I discovered my mistake. My wife became sick again and I had to loan it to a friend at work.
How do I know that the Lord does not want me to have or do something?
I know when things go wrong.
I loose the Blessing of the Lord on myself, my work, my family.

When God says NO, he means it!
The Israelites had to wait 40 years in the desert because of their lack of faith in God as their protector against the people of Cannan. There was no repentence on the part of the Lord. That entire generation had to die in the wilderness and not until a new generation had grown up could the nation of Israel cross the Jordan River and begin the occupancy of Cannan.
Not long after that an act of disobedience on the part of Achan caused 36 men to die and 3000 to flee before the people of Ai. The nation mourned and their hearts melted as water. All day they fasted and prayed and at evening God told Joshua to get up - because the people had sinned in taking the accursed thing in a previous battle against the Lord's strict orders. Achan had to be found out by lot and killed before the people of Israel could go on.
It's the same in the life of every Christian. The Accursed thing must be destroyed out of our lives before the Lord will continue on with us on the Road to Christian growth and fellowship.
So, God has allowed me to have many things that I enjoy - a computer, PSP, DS, Blackberry curve smartphone. These things are allowed, but an iTouch is not allowed.
And no touchy of any other woman than my wife as well.

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World - Dr. David Jeremiah

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah
Published by Thomas Nelson

Do we live in a Chaotic world?

Every day the news gets worse. Major industries are laying off emplyees by the thousands. Manufacturing plants are closing. People who bought houses are defaulting on their mortgauges. Each week 7000 people loose their unemployment benefits and find themselves without work and without money to pay their bills and buy their groceries.
These are people, many of whom, have worked hard all their lives and planned to retire only to find their retirement savings disappear literally overnight. The jobs they trusted in to bring
them into retirement just diappeared in the wake of the Global Recession. Banks have gotten their bailout money, but are reluctant to issue loans to businesses.
Terrorism is uppermost on everyone's mind after 9/11. Two wars have been fought for years with no tangible results. The threat of terrorism is still a worldwide concern.

Where is God in all of this?

With plentiful illustrations and skill Dr. Jeremiah tells us how to be Confident in a Chaotic world. He takes the age old truths of God's Word and applies them with skill to the situations we are facing in the world and particualy in America today.
As I read this book I asked myself, "What are you trusting in?" The Govenment, the Military, the Economy, my bank account, my job? The answer is that all these things can and will fail. And with that failure my Trust and security fail with them. Or am I trusting in the Eternal God who has all things under control? The Eternal God who gave His only Son Jesus Christ to a lost and dying and indeed Chaotic world?

God is Eternal. He has no beginning and He has no end. God has given us tremendous promises through His Written Word and through His Living Word - Jesus Christ. God has given us His own Holy Spirit to live and dwell within us and to teach us all things.
How can we have Confidence in a Chaotic world? By trusting in the Living God and the Living Christ.

Using a Series of 10 words that begin with the letter "C" Dr. Jeremiah shows us from both the pages of today's headlines and from God's Eternal Word how to Stay Calm, Compassionate, Constructive, Challenged, Connected, Centered, Confident, Consistant,Committed and Convinced. The main theme of this book is the same theme that has resounded for over 2000 years - Trust in the Lord. Only in the Lord. Only in His Word. The Christian can have peace when the world around him is in Chaos.

How?

Because God in still in control although Atheists are getting bold in their message that God does not exist - putting slogans on busses and billboards. Jesus promised that He is going to prepair a place for us. In His Father's house are many mansions (or rooms as some new translations put it). And Jesus promises that if He goes to prepair a place for us - He will come back to take us to
Himself. The promise of the Return of Jesus Christ to the earth is closer today than it was yesterday. Dr. Jeremiah asks the question - are you ready for Jesus to come back? What will you be doing when He returns. We know that no man knows the day or the hour , so we are to be ready, and we are to be busy about the Lord's work. So that when Jesus comes back He will
find us working.

By applying the truths of God's Word to ourselves. We can be Confident in a world of Chaos. We can be busy doing the Lord's Work when Jesus returns. Dr. Jeremiah brings up the question of what the Church is doing? Is is asleep? How can God's People help the hurting and homeless and destitute today? Dr. Jeremiah speaks about a few men who had all the wealth this world has to offer. They were not hurting for money or family or fame or anything that people work so hard to obtain in this world - but it was not enough and they died either by disease or by suicide. We hear of fathers killing their families today because they lost their jobs or lost their savings. money was their god and money failed them!

What are you trusting in today? Is is total surrender to the Creator of the Universe and His Son Jesus Christ , or is it an idol this world has produced? We are so smart in America. We don't bow down to stone or wood or silver or gold idols.
We bow down to Corporations and Financial Institutions. We bow down to government leaders. They are our saviours.
But they have all failed. Our confidence in them has been destroyed. We bow down to the technology that we have created.
That technology will fail. Everthing not of God will fail. God Himself is our Confidence in a Chaotic world. Jesus with His promise to return is our assurance than this world will be judged and wrongs will be righted. And only God's Word - the Bible holds the truths that we can claim and live and receive Confidence from.
The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most awesome power ever given to mankind. It can turn a Palastinian killer into a man who loves Jews. It can transform ordinary men and women into loving, caring, giving people who know the formula for JOY - Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. This is how we can be confident in a chaotic world.

I recommend you read Dr. Jeremiah's book. It contains the truth of God's Word applied to the modern world.

The book is a signpost that points you in the right direction for Peace, Safety and Security even when everything around you is failing and everyone around you turns against you.

The world will continue in its state of Chaos until Jesus returns.

In the mean time Christians can keep spreading he Gospel to a lost and dying and chaotic world.

Christians are called to be the Lights and the Salt.
Let the light of Christ shine through you and keep the meat of the world from rotting by your saltiness in Christ.

A Video everyone should see!

Dustin , a friend of mine posted this on Facebook. Its a Video everyone should see!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1109188780391

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The Popularity of the New King James Version

It seems that the New King James Version of the Bible is very popular in many churches and with alot of people. It's advertised as replacing he "Thees and Thous" and archaic words of the King James Authorized Version. However, it goes beyond the simple Thees and Thous. Hell, for example is a reference to the Valley of the sons on Hinnom. It was in this place while the Israelites were taken into captivity that human sacrifices were made and so when the Jews returned they made it a DUMP or Refuse Heap. All the litter and waste of Israel was dumped into the Valley of the sons of Hinnom. It is referred to in the Greek as Gehenna. The NKJV translates Hell into Gehenna. Can you imagine what would have happened if the NKJV preceeded the KVJ Bible? We would be saying
"Go to Gehenna!" or "What the Gehenna is going on here?" or "Gehenna's Bells!" It would certainly change language a bit. However, even more disturbing is the fact that the Old Testament manuscript differs from the KJV Old Testament document, and it has changes in it. Compare Zechariah 13:6 between the various translations. Some say hands (KJV) some say Chest, some say between your arms (NKJV) some even say back. Quite a difference there between the translations! everything but legs. This should be a reference to the nail pierced hands of Jesus from the cross, but NKJV says between your arms! Quite a difference indeed! So, even though the NKJV is popular I ask, is it trustworthy? Is the HCSB, or NIV, or NASV, or NIV or TNIV, or RSV, or NRSV, or The Message, or the Net or any one of dozens of others trustworthy? This is a question we must ask ourselves and ask God. Which does God's Holy Spirit prefer? Which is the English translation God's Spirit has used and uses the most for all English speaking people. Yes the NKJV may be popular, but is it reliable?

Some thoughts on New Bible English Translations.

Putting schoarship aside in the area of Bible Translations I would simply ask the question, “Does this translation of God’s Holy Word produce better Christians? Does this translation move the reader closer to Jesus Christ and God the Father? Does it make “our hearts burn within us?” Luke 24:32. To me these are the tests of a Bible translation. Does it move us closer to the God who in whom we “live and move and have our being?” Is the Bible translation saturated with prayer and fasting and thanksgiving? We are talking about the foundation of the Christian faith here, not some tranlation of the Illiad or Odyssey. But I think most scholars approach Bible translation as if it were an intellectual exercise – like translating Homer’s books, rather than the Word of God. I belive that God has the power to Preserve His Word throught the ages, no matter what language the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek is translated into. So again I ask “Do these modern translations make better Christians than the KJV which has produced Christians for over 400 years? I like the idea of an English translation. I think that the Koine Greek New Testament books and letters were written in the language of the people. The common language of the people. And any modern English translation should be true to the origional texts and intents. I think a modern translation should be as readable as today’s newspaper, yet at the same time avoid crass language (like preganant and sex) and elevate the reader into the very Throne Room of Heaven. We don’t need a McDonalds fast food Bible, but Bible translations that contain the meat of the Word. Does the ESV and HCSB contain the meat of the Word. I have to ask, “Where’s the Beef?” I would be more interested in hearing about the prayer meetings that were held before the translation commitees meetings than about the results of the meetings. I would be more interested in hearding about the conversion experiences and God at work in the daily lives of the translators than about their scholarly achievements and titles. I am hopeful that the HCSB will meet or exceed my expections. I pray that it does, and I will buy the HCSB Second Edition when it is available. I also pray that my comments will be taken to heart by the Bible Translators.