The ‘all things in moderation’ error

The ‘all things in moderation’ error
Greg Laurie

The true story of the ancient Hebrew prophets, the hope of Israel & the story of Christmas.

Reblogged from Joel Rosenbergh flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/ 

In Uncategorized on December 25, 2013 at 5:49 pm

 

 

What did the ancient Hebrew prophets write about the coming of the Messiah, the much-longed for Hope of Israel? And how do those prophecies relate to the story of Christmas?

I realize that many of my readers are not Christians and don’t know the answer to these questions. Some of you are Muslims. Some are Jewish. Some of you follow other religions, and some of you have no religion at all. Thus, some of you may not know why Christmas is not really about Santa or elves or Rudolph or trees or shopping and gifts and malls and Bing Crosby movies. Some of you may be curious about the relationship between ancient prophecy and what Christians celebrate today.

Rather than have me explain it imperfectly, however, let me share with you what the Scriptures teach. I hope it’s helpful. 

If you have questions, please feel free to post them on our “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook, and I will respond in the coming days.

Thanks and may the Lord bless you and your family indeed on this Christmas Day.

Matthew Chapter One

Conception and Birth of Jesus

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus [Yeshua] the Messiah was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. ²⁰ But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name [Yeshua] Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” ²² Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” ²⁴ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, ²⁵ but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Matthew Chapter Two

The Visit of the Magi

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” ⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Luke Chapter One

Introduction

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord s with you.” ²⁹ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” ³⁵ The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. ⁴⁹ “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ “And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. ⁵¹ “He has done ^]mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. ⁵² “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. ⁵³ “He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. ⁵⁴ “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

John Is Born

⁵⁷ Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

⁵⁹ And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. ⁶⁰ But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” ⁶² And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. ⁶⁴ And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. ⁶⁵ Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.

Zacharias’s Prophecy

⁶⁷ And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

⁶⁸ “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, ⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— ⁷⁰ As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— ⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; ⁷² To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, ⁷³ The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, ⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. ⁷⁶ “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; ⁷⁷ To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸ Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, ⁷⁹ To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Jesus’ Birth in Bethlehem

Chapter Two

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶ While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Jesus Presented at the Temple

²¹ And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²² And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, ²⁸ then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

²⁹ “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; ³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation, ³¹ Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³² A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

³³ And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. ³⁴ And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— ³⁵ and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

³⁶ And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. ³⁸ At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Return to Nazareth

³⁹ When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Vain Imaginations Expressly Prohibited!

Reblogged from servehiminthewaiting.com

Posted on December 27, 2013 by sandra Lloyd

 

One of the coolest things God did when He created man, was to give man an imagination.  An imagination is an amazing thing, and it is capable of, well, amazing things of it’s own. God’s creativity is, of course, unrivaled, but isn’t it a blessing to you when you see a beautiful painting, or a graceful dance, or hear a beautiful musical score?  It is to me.  I marvel at the God who put such potential of ability into a person.  Unfortunately a lot of people marvel at the creation rather than the Creator.  No human has anything that was not given to him by God.  Our imagination and all of its potential, is given to us by God, just like our ability to work, and all the potential prosperity that comes with that.

The ability to imagine is certainly one of the things that sets humans apart from animals.  The ability to imagine is what spurs every great discovery, invention, cure, revolution, every accomplishment, really!

But imagination has an ugly flipside to it! A dark side, if you will.  That flipside can lead to a lot of issues and problems.  Many if not most folks tend to latch onto something that worries them, and extrapolate various scenarios and then proceed to worry about the imagined scenarios.   Some people are aware of this and they strive to counter-act it and nip it in the bud.  But others are world-class champions at projecting via the imagination all sorts of potential and future things to worry about.  Also the same principle often applies with anxiety-provoking events that are done and over with in the past!

I have to admit, I am guilty on both counts.  But I also am one of those who is aware of my weakness and I work to redirect my thoughts.  Feelings follow thoughts, so if a person can corral their thoughts, they can manage their feelings and emotions to a much greater degree.

Vain imaginations lead to unnecessary anxiety over one’s future, while recalling/reliving stressful and unpleasant experiences from the past, leads to resentment which taints the present  in a real way.  The body doesn’t make much distinction between real experience and “make believe” or remembered experiences.

I am tackling this topic not because I am an expert in conquering this issue, but rather precisely because it is an area in which I struggle and because I know truth and honesty, even with one’s own self, are the “safest road” to travel.  When we have resentment in our spirit over something in our past, or even present, something perceived as a slight or an offense, or some unquestionably evil assault we have endured, that resentment will permeate our spirit, erode our judgment, and short-circuit our self-control, and lead to much worse damage in and of itself, over time.

Resentment is an odd bird.  Resentment springs from a perceived slight or “robbery” if you will.  Someone has demonstrated a lack of common consideration, a lack of love, a lack of loyalty, a lack of recognition of ones inherent value as a human being.  Resentment follows the detraction.

But what is resentment, when you get down to the root?  It is anger fed and kept alive in your imagination and memory.  It is anger acknowledged  repeatedly, or unceasingly, and waxed bitter. There is a resentment that is born of a conscious and intentional holding on, and then there is also a resentment that is fostered by circumstances completely outside of one’s control, but resentment has the same effect, regardless of it’s source of origin, and the choice can still be proactively made, to release the hold of resentment toward the offender.  But it requires intent, and determination.

I think that an ever-present notion of having been deprived of something we deserve, or having been judged undeserving of something fundamental that we genuinely need, contributes to all sorts of self-defeating and destructive “drives” in us.

We yearn, but can’t soothe.  We “stuff” other things into ourselves, in a misguided attempt to fill the void.  Food, compulsive shopping,  mood-altering drugs, drinking, “blissing out” to mood-altering music, or what have you.

The effected individual walks around with a constant “tooth-ache-like” discomfort that chafes and torments looking for comfort or at least distraction, in whatever form readily accessible.

A child who is neglected as an infant, sometimes grows up with an overwhelming and over-arching case of this resentment.  And it is so deeply seeded in the very core of them, that they don’t even understand where it came from and don’t even know that it is pathological and may not even be aware of it in themselves, yet it will draw trouble to them, and compound their misery and dissatisfaction in life. It becomes a handicap, an Achilles heel.  Satan knows this and will exploit it to the fullest of his ability to wreak further havoc in that life.

Others develop the resentment as a consequence and “side effect” if you will, of the circumstances of their individual life choices, disobedience, what have you.  It is a problem much more common than people realize.  As a rule, the worse case of resentment a person suffers with, the less self-aware they probably are about it.  Like all deviations from God’s purposes and designs, this eventually brings blindness and confusion. All sin degrades.  We are to be angry and sin-not.  But we are commanded to love and forgive.  If we don’t forgive, we cannot love.

This is the reason God tells us in His Word to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when our obedience is fulfilled.

What does that mean, exactly?  Well, lets look at the individual pieces.
Imaginations is the translated word for logismos, which means computation or reasoning.
 High thing is translated for the word hupsoma which means altitude or barrier.
Exalteth itself /epairo/ to raise up
Against/kata/ before, beyond, exceeding, more excellent than, (denotes opposition)
the knowledge of/gnosis/the act of knowing
God.

Putting that together:
Cast off your (own) speculation and every barrier or obstacle that crops up to oppose what you know to be true by God’s own revelation of Himself (His Word).

What has God said? 

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord…..  Fret not because of the evildoers, neither be envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall be cut down like the grass… for I say to every man among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought….for the last shall be made first, and the first last…… humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.

God is telling us to line our thoughts up with what the Bible says about Him, about justice, and about ourselves and our own nature, and to toss out and reject anything that contradicts that.

Bringing into captivity/aichmalotidzo/make captive or subdue

Every/pas /All manner of, + always + ever (all as in ALL inclusive, never-endingly, on an ongoing basis which requires continuous adherence)

Thought/noema/perception, disposition (mood, frame of mind)

To the obedience/hupakoe/submission

of

Christ/Christos/The Messiah

Putting that together:

Always rein-in every thought, subdue every disposition and mood and bring them into submission to the obedience of(demonstrated and modeled for us by) the Messiah

Messiah submitted to injustice, uncomplaining, without taking retribution, without so much as resistance, in utter obedience to His Father.   He is the standard God measures us by!

And having in all readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled (complete, perfect)

in other words:

you, yourself, will be fit to take vengeance against the disobedience of others, on the day your own obedience is as complete and perfect as that of Christ!

All together now, in my own words:

Line up your thoughts with what the Bible reveals about God, about justice, about our own (fallen) nature, and disregard any thoughts in your head (or suggested via other sources) that don’t line up with that.  (such as the misconception that you are without sins of your own and thereby qualified to cast stones, even at someone who has harmed you).  Reign in every thought unto obedience to your example, Messiah, (who though equal with God, took on the form of the lowest servant, humbled himself and submitted to death for your sake and mine!) He is saying, essentially, you will be ready to avenge the wrongdoings of others when you, yourself are as perfect in your obedience as Christ was/is in His!!!

Which, of course, will never happen while we are still subject to the curse of the fall and this flesh.

Whether your problem is worrying unnecessarily (borrowing trouble, which is expressly forbidden in Matthew 6:34), or clinging to resentment, (which is like refusing treatment for cancer), God has spoken on the subject and His instructions are clear:

 Do Not Indulge!

It is a good rule of thumb all around, not to indulge our baser nature.  Much easier said than done, I realize, but there it is, just the same!

Bolton: Putin plot to 'reconstitute old Soviet Union' - John Bolton -

Reblogged from: Prophecy Update

http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/bolton-putin-plot-to-reconstitute-old-soviet-union/?cat_orig=world

'It's hard to imagine a worse outcome for U.S. than where we are now'

The year 2013 was one of foreign policy blunders and miscalculations that left America's standing in the world diminished, the Russians on the rise and the Middle East in greater turmoil, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told WND.

One of the biggest events in the Middle East was the collapse of the Muslim Brotherhood government of Mohamed Morsi in Egypt. After days and weeks of massive protests throughout the country, the military gave Morsi an ultimatum to leave. He refused, and the military took power. Bolton praised the move and noted the U.S. condemnation of the military's actions once puts this administration on the wrong side of the debate.

"As we come to the end of the year, we have the Egyptian military back in power, which is essentially where we were at the beginning of the Arab Spring," Bolton said. "Yet, because of the administration's inept handling of events in Egypt, we have now succeeded in alienating every major element of Egyptian society."

"The military [service members] don't trust the Obama administration," he said. "They think they're pro-Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood doesn't trust the administration. The pro-Western, pro-democracy protesters just pull their hair out when they think about how the administration has handled this. The consequence is we're now at our lowest influence in Egypt in decades. The Russians are now back in trying to sell weapons, which they haven't been in 40 years. So, it's hard to imagine a worse outcome for the United States than where we are now."

Another major foreign policy showdown came in September over Syria. After the international community concluded that President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people, President Obama attempted to convince allies and Congress that military action was necessary. Neither was interested. The political and diplomatic showdown was averted when Secretary of State John Kerry suggested Syria could avoid military strikes by giving up all chemical weapons. Kerry immediately said that would never happen, but Russia seized on the comment and eventually worked out a deal for Assad to stay in power in exchange for turning over his chemical stockpiles.

"This is another situation where the United States has absolutely failed to achieve its objectives. The president said his objective was removing the Assad regime from power. That obviously hasn't happened. If anything, momentum is now in the direction of the regime. The president said that if he saw the use of chemical weapons, that would be a red line that would prompt American intervention. Chemical weapons were used. There was no American intervention," Bolton said.

"Whether you agree with the administration's policies or not, what they have done has let the United States again in a much weaker position."

Late in the year, the U.S. touted a temporary, six-month deal to ease economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for Iran taking steps to prove it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. The short-term agreement is designed to set the stage for a permanent deal early next year.

"Since the beginning of the Obama administration, the president has believed he could find a way to deal diplomatically with Iran's nuclear weapons program, contrary to the reality that Iran's been after deliverable nuclear weapons for over 20 years. It's one of their highest national security goals. Notwithstanding that reality, President Obama thought he could cut a deal with them," Bolton said.

"Iran got what it wanted. It protected its nuclear program. At the same time it got some relief - exact quantity unknown - but it got some relief from the economic sanctions. The United States came away with essentially nothing," he said.

In each of these diplomatic matters, Russia played a key role and Bolton said they are just some of the signs that Russian aggression is on the rise. Not only does he see Russia more influential now than at any time in the past four decades, but he warns of Vladimir Putin's attempts to reconstitute the old Soviet Union.

In 2014, Bolton expects all of these issues to create more headaches for the United States in addition to the threat posed by renewed aggression by China in its sphere of influence.

"This is the consequence of an inattentive, weak administration," he said. "American interests are going by the boards. Other countries see this weakness and lack of attention and they recalibrate their policies accordingly to take advantage of it. So I'm afraid we're in for pretty heavy sailing here over the next three years."

He came down!

Reblogged  from Elizabeth Prata: the-end-time.blogspot.com 

 

Today is a day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. He deigned to leave his holy place and incarnate as God and as Man, to live among us. His story extends beyond the manger. The helpless babe, innocent and swaddled, grew in stature and wisdom. (Luke 2:52). And the grace of God was upon Him. (Luke 2:40).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Coming of the Kingdom

 

"Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

"And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. "And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. "For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."
(Luke 17:20-25)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Kingdom is still in your midst. The Holy Spirit who indwells believers is crafting a sanctified kingdom of wisdom and stature which pleases God. If you seek entry to this kingdom, which is among you in this age of grace, do not reject the cornerstone of the kingdom, who is Jesus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Living Stone and a Holy People

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

 

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

(2 Peter 2:1-7)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

(Mark 1:14b-15)

Merry Christmas! The Lord has come. Will you believe?

Merry Christmas! Rejoice! Jesus the King of Kings was born 2000 years ago!

To all the readers of my blog, a very joyful Christmas. Jean-Louis
Reblogged from http://teachervjcpjoani.blogspot.com.br/

UMA MENSAGEM DE DEUS

Ray Tomlinson, em 1971, fez experimentos sobre a interação de pessoas com computadores. Ao enviar uma mensagem de seu computador, através de uma rede, a outro no escritório, enviara o primeiro e-mail.
Agora, décadas depois, mais de um bilhão de e-mails são enviados todos os dias. Muitos com notícias importantes de familiares e amigos, mas outros podem levar propaganda indesejada ou vírus. A regra básica que rege o uso do e-mail é: “Não abra se não confiar no remetente.”

Deus nos enviou uma mensagem na Pessoa de Seu Filho e nós podemos confiar no Remetente. No Antigo Testamento, Deus falou por meio de profetas e muitas pessoas rejeitaram Sua Palavra. Mas, tudo levava a isto: “Havendo Deus, outrora, falado, muitas vezes e de muitas maneiras, aos pais, pelos profetas, nestes últimos dias, nos falou pelo Filho, que em diversos tempos e de diversas maneiras falou no passado aos pais por meio dos profetas, tem falado a quem constituiu herdeiro de todas as coisas, pelo qual também fez o universo” (Hebreus 1:1-2).

Podemos nos sentir intimidados pelo inexplicável mistério do Deus Todo-poderoso vir ao mundo como bebê e ainda permanecermos indecisos em acolher Cristo totalmente e depositar nossas vidas em Suas mãos.

O Natal é a inesquecível mensagem de amor, redenção e esperança enviada por Deus. Você confiará no Remetente e abrirá a Sua mensagem hoje? 

A mensagem de esperança divina é atemporal e está aguardando para ser recebida. 

(RBC)

A MESSAGE FROM GOD

In 1971, Ray Tomlinson was experi- menting with ways people and computers could interact. When he sent a message from his computer through a network to a different unit in his office, he had sent the first e-mail. Now decades later, more than a billion e-mails are sent every day. Many contain important news from family and friends, but others may carry unwanted advertising or a destructive virus. A basic rule governing e-mail use is: “Don’t open it unless you trust the sender.”

God has sent us a message in the Person of His Son, and we can trust the Sender. In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people through the prophets and many rejected God’s Word. But it was all leading to this: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1-2).

We may be awed by the inexplicable mystery of Almighty God entering our world as a baby, yet remain hesitant to embrace Christ fully and place our lives in His hands.

Christmas is the unforgettable message of love, redemption, and hope sent by God. Will you trust the Sender and open His message today?

God’s timeless message of hope is waiting to be received. (RBC)

UN MENSAJE DE DIOS

En 1971, Ray Tomlinson experimentaba con diversas formas de interacción entre las personas y las computadoras. Cuando envió un mensaje desde su máquina a otra unidad de la oficina a través de una red, surgió el primer correo electrónico. Hoy, décadas más tarde, se envían más de mil millones por día. Muchos contienen noticias importantes de familiares y amigos, pero otros llevan anuncios desagradables o virus destructivos. Una regla básica para el uso de los e-mails es: «No abrirlo a menos que confíes en el remitente».

Dios nos ha enviado un mensaje en la Persona de su Hijo, y podemos confiar en el Remitente. En el Antiguo Testamento, el Señor le habló a su pueblo mediante los profetas, y muchos rechazaron la Palabra de Dios. Pero todo guiaba a lo siguiente: «Dios, habiendo hablado muchas veces y de muchas maneras en otro tiempo a los padres por los profetas, en estos postreros días nos ha hablado por el Hijo, a quien constituyó heredero de todo, y por quien asimismo hizo el universo» (Hebreos 1:1-2).

Tal vez nos asombre el misterio inexplicable del Dios Todopoderoso que entró en nuestro mundo como un bebé; aun así, seguimos dudando de recibir a Cristo y colocar nuestra vida en sus manos.

La Navidad es el mensaje inolvidable del amor, la redención y la esperanza que Dios ha enviado. ¿Confiarás en el Remitente y abrirás hoy su mensaje? 

El eterno mensaje de esperanza divino aguarda ser recibido. (RBC)

UN MESSAGE DE LA PART DE DIEU

En 1971, Ray Tomlinson faisait des expériences pour voir comment les gens et les ordinateurs pouvaient interagir. En envoyant par son ordinateur un message à un autre appareil de son bureau par un réseau, il a envoyé le tout premier courriel. Aujourd’hui, des décennies plus tard, plus d’un milliard de courriels sont envoyés chaque jour, un grand nombre renfermant d’importantes nouvelles, mais d’autres véhiculant parfois des publicités indésirables ou un virus destructeur. Voici une règle fondamentale régissant les courriels : « Ne les ouvrez pas, à moins d’en connaître les expéditeurs. »

Dieu nous a envoyé un message en la personne de son Fils, et cet Expéditeur est digne de confiance. Dans l’Ancien Testament, Dieu s’est adressé à son peuple par l’intermédiaire de ses prophètes et beaucoup de gens ont rejeté sa Parole : « Après avoir autrefois, à plusieurs reprises et de plusieurs manières, parlé à nos pères par les prophètes, Dieu, dans ces derniers temps, nous a parlé par le Fils ; il l’a établi héritier de toutes choses ; par lui il a aussi créé l’univers » (Hé 1.1,2).

Il se peut que le mystère inexplicable du Dieu tout-puissant venant dans le monde sous la forme d’un bébé nous émerveille, mais que nous hésitions malgré tout à accueillir pleinement Christ et à lui confier notre vie.

Noël est le message inoubliable d’amour, de rédemption et d’espoir que Dieu nous a envoyé. Ferez-vous confiance à cet Expéditeur et ouvrirez-vous son message dès aujourd’hui ?

Le message d’espoir atemporel de Dieu
attend d’être reçu.(RBC)

Discernment about "Christian Yoga" and Breathing in contemplative, centering prayer.

Here is a posting of an email sent to me from http://www.spiritual-research-network.com/home.html  

Dear Jean-Louis,

"Yoga may for a time provide seemingly beneficial health and an abundance of physical energy. However, in the end there is a trade off, the human soul and spirit become spiritually defiled. Moreover, a built in hostile resistance against the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Word becomes a subtle, and even blatant, reality in the life of the practitioner. When one engages in Yoga, biblical discernment goes out, and human will softness and the free acceptance of New Age spirituality comes in. In the end, the forces of darkness have their way - the practitioner of Yoga is enslaved to the will of hostile baleful entities. Although all might seem well and happy on the outside, the internal life of the striving yogi becomes dismantled, piece by piece, year after year, until at last, the soul is damned in its rejection of Christ the Savior of the world."  - Chris Lawson

Telling the truth because I love you!

All of you that know me personally know that I am kind and gracious and patient with people of all religious persuasions, and that I never poke fun at or belittle people just because they have a different belief system than I do.

I spend time refuting the things that threaten, undermine, convolute, pervert, pollute and destroy the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I proclaim the biblical Gospel in order to win people to Christ, that is, Jesus of Nazareth. It is not popular but I do it, and my family and I endure much in order that we may continue to do it.

When I became a Christian, I did not sign up to play a game, I signed up to follow Jesus Christ, obey His Word, and trust Him. I have chosen year after year to follow Jesus, not people, and the latest rubbish that the Christian marketplace and false teachers can drum up.

Upholding the truth

You also know that in the last 25 years I have never compromised my biblical position on upholding sound doctrine, defending the historic Christian faith, and separating from aberrant and false doctrine in the church and in the world.

Because I am a Christian and believe the teachings of Scripture, I stand against cultic abuses and occult deceptions in the church, Interfaith spirituality and ecumenical apostasy, and many dangerous and popular mystical/occult practices such as Reiki, Therapeutic Massage (Touch), Christianized clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, etc., Yoga, centering prayer, etc.

The simple fact is, many people don't like it that I speak out against these things, ESPECIALLY Yoga, Well, over the years I have purchased over 200 hundred books that deal in some way shape or form with Yoga, from every perspective imaginable. I have done extensive research on Yoga and its dangers so I guess perhaps my opinion ought to count for something.

Holiday cheer, Yoga gift cards are here???

I am writing the following because the 2013 holiday cheer is increasing and many people will be giving Yoga studio gift cards for Christmas gifts. It comes with the territory as New Years resolutions approach. Simply stated, people are considering "getting fit" - the Yoga way.

Here is something interesting:

Google search - "gift card yoga":

About 46,600,000 results (0.22 seconds)

Source link: click here

Google search - "Christmas gift card yoga":

About 41,800,000 results (0.27 seconds)

Source link: click here

I personally will stick to push-ups, walking, swimming, surfing, running on a Eliptical fitness machine, paddling/swimming on land with a VASA Trainer (no pool here), basic calisthenics, and eating healthy. I know far too much about the philosophy and dangers of Yoga to consider it to be any type of option for a "fitness program," let alone a safe practice. Occult literature is rife with warnings about the dangers of yoga.

If your co-workers and loved ones are interested in Yoga I want to encourage you to kindly warn them of the fact that Yoga is entirely based upon the philosophy of Eastern occultism. This is the truth and nothing can change it, even if someone tries to Christianize Yoga. Even Rick Warren's Saddleback Church Rancho Capistrano campus holds Brook Boons "Holy Yoga" classes.
Yoga an occult, New Age practice

Yoga by its very nature is an occult practice. The goal of the true yoga practitioner is to channel hidden cosmic energies (occult power) throughout the body through "breath work" (pranayama, chakras) and body postures (asanas, postural yoga). Yoga is New Age and thoroughly anti-Christian. Basic research on Yoga proves this point beyond any shadow of a doubt.

I have done the research and here are some of the - over 200 - books that prove my point. Christians that think they can just slap some Bible verses onto Yoga and its occult philosophy are seriously misled.

It is a fact that the primary philosophy of Yoga is diametrically opposed to the fundamental teachings of the historic Christian faith. If people tell you otherwise they are either lying to you, joking around, or are totally ignorant and don't have a clue what they are talking about.

One should also note that the dangers of yoga are myriad. Eastern and Western adepts warn about the many dangers of yoga, yet many Christians are ignorant of this, or could simply care less, they just want their Yoga.

Occult practitioners of Yoga have for centuries warned about the dangers of Yoga, yet alleged "Christian yogi's" come along and hijack the occult practice and tell the church that Yoga is not dangerous, especially "Christian Yoga."

On the contrary, discerning Bible believers are not ignorant of Satan's devices. Why? "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11).

C'mon pastors, stand up and tell the truth!

The willful blindness of those who reject the idea that Yoga can be dangerous seems to be characteristic of more and more Christians these days. What's even worse is the fact that many church leaders just won't say anything at all about Yoga's dangers. Why? Because they might lose churchgoers and faithful tithers, and of course, it would not be "popular."

It is simply incredible that church leaders will push away, downplay and even warn against those of us who warn about Yoga and its dangers. They say, "Yoga is just exercise" and, "We do Christian Yoga!"  Well, when one takes a close look at the facts, from occultists, from medical doctors, from gurus, from cultists, from popular magazines, etc., one finds that the Christian yogi is leading people into spiritual defilement. The ultimate goal of yoga is to "yoga" (yuj = yoke) with Brahman, the divine consciousness of Hindusim, and to arouse the Kundalini serpent power of Hinduism. How? Through breath prayers and yoga poses.

Christians refusing to separate from evil

How do I know how people in the church are responding? Because I have heard
a vast array of lame excuses from Christians and weak arguments from church leaders who are in favor of Yoga and who, no matter how much original source documentation they are presented with, still refuse to warn people in the church.

 

Here is the bottom line and the point I am trying to make here - many Christians who say they love Jesus don't want to hear what the thoroughly entrenched occultists say about Yoga. Nor do they want to hear what Hindu University professors say about Yoga, or what people whose lives have been totally destroyed by Yoga, say about Yoga. Nor will they listen when we warn them about what formerly demon possessed practitioners of Yoga declare about Yoga and its dangers. No, many "Christians" these days just want their Yoga.

Tragic as it may be, Yoga for many seems to take precedence over the biblical commands to separate from pagan, occult and dangerous spiritual practices (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Romans 16:17-21; Ephesians 5:11, etc.)

Holiday Cheer & Christianizing "Shiva" - Lord of Yoga?

If you did not know yet, Shiva is the Lord of Yoga, according to Hinduism. Yoga is also an occult practice utilized by Buddhist, Jains, and many other occult and esoteric based belief systems.

Yoga originated from Shiva

The Times of India: Life & Style
SADHGURU, Mar 19, 2009, 12.00am IST

"In the yogic culture, Shiva is not known as a God, but as the first Guru or the Adi Guru. He is the Adi Yogi or the first Yogi. Out of his realisation, he became ecstatic and danced all over the mountains or sat absolutely still. He was constantly into bouts of stillness and bouts of mad dancing. All the gods who saw him, saw something was happening to him that they themselves did not know. Suddenly heaven felt like a bad place, because this guy is having such a good time! They felt, "We are missing out on something." When they finally got him to teach the method, Shiva expounded various types of yogas depending upon the level of preparedness of the person who was sitting in front of him."

Source:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-03-19/vintage-wisdom/28031005_1_shiva-yoga-intimacy

But what about the God of the Bible?

But what about the God of the Bible? What does His Word have to say on the subject of assimilating pagan spirituality into worship of the true God, and about yoking (yuj: to yoke = yoga) with anti-Christian philosophies and practices?

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

(Ephesians 5:11)

"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine." (1 Timothy 1:3)

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" (1 Timothy 4:1)


More answers can be found at these links, and much of it may just shock you.

 Yoga And The Dangers of Yoga:  

What You Probably Haven't Been Told by Your Yoga Instructors

YOGA and Christian YOGA: All the things they failed to warn you about!

Resources on the Philosophy, Teachings and Dangers of Yoga

YOGA and Christianity - Are They Compatible?  (ARTICLE & PRINTED BOOKLET)

Sincerely in Christ,
Chris LawsonHelp support Chris and his ministry.

CHRIS LAWSON

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LISTEN TO PODCAST  Warning About New Age Influences in Rick Warren's Daniel Plan Dr. Oz, Hyman & Amen  - Click here -

WHO IS PROMOTING,   TEACHING and ENDORSING CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY and YOGA in  THE CHURCH? Find out here & protect your wife and kids! WARNING:  - Google Images -   "Shiva: Lord of Yoga!" GOD'S WORD SAYS: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)

Christian YOGA:  Rooted In Hindu Occultism By Chris Lawson Even Hindu's recognize that "Christian Yoga is still Hindu".  Learn more...

WARNING:

 - Google Images -  

"Shiva: Lord of Yoga!"

GOD'S WORD SAYS:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them

which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple

concerning evil. And the God of peace shall

bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

(Romans