Hear and Do The Right Thing

The Gospel of Christ is Offensive

2026-04-08T08:49:00.000-04:00

(Romans 1:16-24)

You don’t have to be offensive towards unbelievers because the gospel of Christ is already offensive against sin and a society in rebellion against Christ. Now all humans are born with a sinful nature, so no one is good (in the moral sense). Good actions do not make anyone good. Only God is good. The Gospel itself challenges the lifestyle of sin, unholiness and rebellion against God. The unbelievers’ conscience gives them trouble and uneasiness because they know, deep down, that God exists. But they make (and continue to make) decisions not to acknowledge this truth of God’s existence and power. They make their own moral rules that changes with feelings, modernization and selfish preservation. They suffer this pain of the conscience but refused to acknowledge it in their hearts. The do not want God's moral standard and make their own. They chose to ignore or deny it. They develop all kinds of philosophies to justify their rebellion against God. This is what the Apostle Paul addressed in Romans 1:16-23

Romans 1:18 (KJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Romans 1:20 (NLT) For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine

nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Romans 1:23 (NKJV)

and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

As the denial of God deepens, at some point, God will give them up to their rebellion. Their conscience becomes hardened. They will have no excuse that they were not confronted with the truth of the Gospel.

See Romans 1:24 (NKJV) Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,

So, what is the task of the believer in Christ? God requires Christians to speak the truth in love as they contend for the faith in the Gospel of Christ. We must explain what we believe and why we believe in the Gospel of Christ in a genuine gentle winsome manner.

Hear what 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV) says But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always [be] ready to [give] a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

The unbeliever is already standing against the God of the universe, and that is offensive enough. We don’t need to add an offensive attitude to them, we contend for the truth of the Gospel of Christ with truth and love. We do this because love demands that we try to lead them away from an eternal hell and separation from God. The unbeliever may say that hell is a myth, but did you wonder why the majority would like to know if there is life after death? The conscience! You see hell is real and was made for the devil and his demonic angels and the unrepentant people.

Look at these scriptures:

Matthew 25:41 (KJV) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

But God’s desire is that all mankind be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) says The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

So do not be offensive to unbelievers because the gospel of Christ is already offensive enough to a lifestyle of sin and rebellion to God.

Defeating the Spirit of Fear is Necessary to Go Deeper in Christ

2025-09-03T18:16:00.001-04:00

Foundation scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7 (King James Version) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind

Going deeper in Christ is not a slogan; it’s a declaration of purpose. My first question is, What does Going deeper in Christ look like?

I can say that the result of Going deeper in Christ is to live a life of holiness, sanctification (which means separation from the sinful habits and practices of the general society). It is also a life righteousness and humility through the leading of the Holy Spirit. In other words, my life must continue to be transformed to look more and more like Christ. It is not a one-time event, it’s a steady, constant, continuous change. Simply put, my life must show the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, faith, patient endurance, goodness, meekness, kindness, and self-control. I believe that 2 Corinthians 7:1 summarizes the concept of Going deeper in Christ. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse

ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”

When You and I decide to Go deeper in Christ, it means that we have declared war against satan, the kingdom of darkness, and people who he influences. So don’t be shocked that your walk with Christ will be challenged, hindered, and maybe obstructed.

But do not fear, do not tremble, do not lose heart, because Jesus is always with you. Remember, you and Jesus are a majority regardless of how many enemies come against you in your quest to go deeper in Christ.

By the way, do you realize that you must already be a Christian before you can go deeper in Christ? It’s like swimming vs scuba diving. You do not scuba dive under the water to see fishes, and other underwater creatures, unless you know how to swim. So, you must be a Christian first, to get the benefits of going deeper in Christ. So let me make an appeal to anyone who have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life – Get saved, please respond to the call of the Holy Spirt now, He is always calling. The signs are all around us that we are in the last days. So Call on Jesus

Now as I said before, we will have opposition in our walk to Go deeper in Christ.

Going deeper in Christ is cleansing of the heart, cleansing of the soul and spirit. Many things hinder our decision to go deeper in Christ. Our Main enemy is sin and its effects on our flesh, our soul, and our spirit. These things hinder our Christian Walk to Go deeper in Christ. Sins of the flesh include fornication, envy, and drunkenness. Those that affect the soul or mind include hatred, pride, unforgiveness, fear, bitterness, and past hurts that still fester. Those that affect our spirit include witchcraft, idolatry (which includes the worship things like your money, titles, house, education. In other words, your stuff becomes the center of your life rather than God) That is idolatry. All these things hinder our decision to Go deeper in Christ. The Apostle Paul identified many of them in Galatians 5:19-21.

Today, I want to look briefly at FEAR, and how it hinders our walk with Christ.

2 Timothy 1:7 (King James version) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. Please note that fear is a spirit.

The acronym FEAR can mean false evidence appearing real. I am convinced that the spirit of fear can hinder our Christian Walk, can frustrate our Christian Walk, derail our Christian Walk, sabotage our Christian Walk, or even defeat our Christian Walk. In other words, fear can have a detrimental impact on our purpose to Go deeper in Christ

So, we must know the origin of the spirit of fear, how it impacts our personality and how to defeat it whenever it raises its ugly head.

Let’s look at the Different types of fear

#1 Reverential fear. Proverbs 9:10 KJV The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome, all knowing, all powerful and omnipresent. That’s adoration, that’s reverential fear

#2 Protection fear or self-preservation (protection from fire, heights, water) self-preservation.

#3 Spirit of fear

Where did fear come from? What is the origin of fear? Let’s go to the book of origins Genesis. In chapter 3 we know the event of how Eve was deceived by the serpent (Revelation 12 calls him, that serpent of old, satan and the devil). Eve was deceived, disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Adam walked right into sin, eyes wide open

Genesis 3:9-10 But the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, “Adam, Where are you?” And Adam said, “I heard the sound of You [walking]

in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

THERE IT IS!! FEAR. and I was afraid because I was naked. Clearly fear comes from the devil and he has been using it to defeat Christians. The spirit of fear came because of the sin of rebellion against God. A separation from God emits fear and shame. So, Fear comes from satan and the Kingdom of darkness

Here are some Basics about the spirit of fear

Fear is the opposite of faith and works by spiritual laws.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. How do you think fear comes?

Fear comes by hearing the word that contradicts and oppose the Word of God, hearing a negative word, hearing the word of the devil.

Now how does fear affect us?

The spirit of Fear affects our minds. I have an acronym to identify where fear attacks.

The acronym is WEMII. This represents your Will, Emotions, Memory, Intellect, and Imagination

1. Our Will or decision making. This Affects our confidence, paralyzes us, We Ignore problems, act like the problems will just go away. This result in Poor decision making. God may show you what to do about a situation - but you are afraid of what would my family think, or what would my friends think. When God gives you an idea, listen to God not to people, not to your distractors who promote fear, doubt, and worry that you would not succeed in following what God says to do. Seeking wise counsel is good but not if it is in contradiction to what you know God showed you, that lines op with God’s Word. The spirit of fear wants to paralyze your decision making. You have to decide to go deeper in Christ and not let fear paralyze your decisions to follow Jesus.

2. Our Emotions. This reflects how we feel about a situation. Negative emotions affect our confidence because of fear. Fear causes our emotions to go up and down. This negatively affects our Christian Walk. We cannot let fear dominate our emotions. Fear is poison to our emotions and can destabilize going deeper in Christ.

3. Our Memory.

past experiences impact how we deal with new problems, task or challenges. A Godly testimony can defeat bad memories, the fact that you are here alive is a testimony that you defeated that past memory. Bringing up the negatives of the past, will frustrate your present and contaminate your future. I failed, but I failed yesterday. I messed up, but I messed up yesterday. Today I'm not looking at my negative past, I'm going to look at what God has for my future. I will not fear what the past has done. I set my mind on God and his word as I March confidently towards my future, and my success because God is with me. Don't let the negatives of your past contaminate your decision to go deeper in Christ.

4. Our Intellect, Mind (how you think), The Book of Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. Your thoughts determine who you become. Negative thinking eventually makes you a negative person. Your mind, your thought life can become a playground for the spirit of fear. The spirit of fear causes worry, negative thoughts and negative ideas which drains your energy and distract you from your purpose to serve, to go deeper in Christ. Colossians 3:1-2 says Set your mind and keep it focused on the things above not on things that are on the earth. In other words, set your mind and keep it set on the fruit of the Spirit. Protect your thought life from the spirit of fear. Negative thinking is a distraction to derail your faith and trust in Christ.

5. Our Imagination The spirit of fear can cause your imagination to run wild. If we are not vigilant, fear of present conditions of our life will take our imagination beyond reality into fantasy. Fear causes every negative thing or situation in your life to look bigger or seem bigger in the imagination. One of the reasons Fear is rampant in our society today, is because of all the negative news. We hear the news and imagine the worst. Fear. When we decide to go deeper in Christ, we must imagine success, winning and victory. Don’t let your imagination be stopped by the spirit of fear.

So remember the acronym WEMII – which is your will, emotions, memory, intellect, and imagination

Finally, how do we defeating the spirit of fear so we can be successful in going deeper in Christ?

#1 Be in the Word of God, – Read God’s Word, Study God’s Word, Meditate on God’s Word and Act on the Word of God. It will defeat the spirit of fear in your walk in Christ. The key is Consistency

#2 A lifestyle of Prayer – Always Pray, not just when you wake up in the morning. Pray. I copied the example of one of my best friends who prays throughout the day. 5 minutes here, 3 minutes there, 10 minutes over here. Pray when someone crosses your mind, pray for a parking spot. Sometimes while on the job you may have to go to the bathroom and pray about a situation. Pray. Going deeper in Christ means a lifestyle of prayer

#3 A lifestyle of Praise and Thanksgiving. Praise defeats fear and deepens your walk with Christ. Develop the habit of praising God throughout the day and thanking Him for His grace and protection.

#4 Walking in Love – This is a sign that we are going deeper in Christ, Walking in the fruit of the spirit.

So going deeper in Christ means a character change to be more Christlike. This means a constant battle to defeat sin and its effects on our lives. Defeating the spirit of fear helps us go deeper in Christ. So, I pray for our victory in going deeper in Christ. Amen

Deion Sanders: Coaching Colorado Football, Building Men by Samuel Johnson

2024-11-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

Today my topic is quite different. Yes different. I am talking sports. I'm talking about the Head Coach Deon Sanders of the Colorado University Buffaloes football team located in the city of Boulder, in the state of Colorado USA. Since the college football Season began in September 2023 Coach Deon Sanders and his Colorado football team has caused an unusual media phenomena and coverage unheard of in almost 20 years. This is happening both on and off the field. Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime as he is called, has upturned the way college football is covered in the media, has sold out all games, a dramatically positive impact on the economy of Boulder and a greater interest in college football especially non-traditional fans.

What is really going on here? What is behind this phenomenon? And why am I even discussing this topic?

First a brief background. Deion Sanders was a star athlete at Florida State University where he played American football, track, and baseball. He is a former top professional football and baseball player, who was recognized as one of the best athletes to perform and win awards in two professional sports. He coached football at three high schools, then was named the head football coach of Jackson State University, a the historically Black College (HBCU). He dramatically restored the university records, including winning the conference championship and many awards. in 2023Deion Sanders was hired as head coach of Colorado University, becoming one of the few black football head coaches at a major university.

As head coach, Deion Sanders (Coach Prime) had an immediate impact. It became media mania. Many top high school athletes now want to come to Colorado to be coached by Coach Prime. This has caused a titanic shift in the entire college football system. All the sports television channels covered almost every move of Mr Sanders and his players. Coaches at other colleges have expressed concerns from losing top recruits to Coach Prime, to envy of the attention the media is giving to Colorado. The significant fact is that the Colorado team has had one winning season in the past 20 years. Yes, one winning season in the past 20 years! In 2022 Colorado won one game and lost 11. This is the team Sanders took over. Coach began a turnaround during the 2023 season with 4 wins and 8 losses. So far as of November 16, 2024, their win loss record is 8 wins and 2 loses! This is a shock to the college football landscape!

So what’s going on here? Why is the media flocking? Why is the Colorado games have the highest viewership of all the teams in the nation every week? Why so many young men want to come to Colorado to play football? And Colorado was not even in the top 25 team ranking. Today (November 22, 2024) the Colorado University football team is ranked #16. What’s really happening?

I have watched interviews with football experts, I’ve looked at videos of the Colorado team, listened to press conferences of Coach Prime and examined his speeches and talks to his players. I think that there are several lessons we can learn from this phenomenon, which is more than sports.

First it is noticeably clear that Deion Sanders is a popular personality in the sports and specifically the football industry. He is bold and very self-confident. He is flashy, sometimes over the top for some people. He has declared a vision for the Colorado football team, to dominate the sport. Imagine coming to a losing program, a team with decades of losing and saying he intends to dominate. Many have caught the vision: the University president, the athletic department, the students, the people of the city, Boulder. College football players from other schools, high school athletes, and families all across the country. This is what vision does, it inspires people to another level of thinking about overcoming a mediocre mentality of the past. That’s the mark of a true leader. Generally leaders look to gain followers but true leaders inspire people to a higher pursuit. That is what Coach Deion Sanders has done at Colorado University.

Lesson No 1. Deion Sanders is a true leader. He has the secret to inspire people to follow his vision more than to follow him. True leaders inspire people to believe a vision, a purpose, an idea with undeniable passion.

Another great lesson about Coach Prime is that he is not a people pleaser. Since taking the job at Colorado University, Coach Prime has received detractors mainly from rival coaches and sports media outlets. This is normal and no one should act surprised. Criticism does not necessarily mean that people are automatically haters. Some criticize from envy i.e. Why is Coach Prime getting so much media attention? Others are deeply threatened that too many of the top high school players will want to go to Colorado. Another set claim that Coach Sanders has not “paid his dues” to become a head coach of a school like Colorado. What I appreciate is that Sanders has not been moved by most of the critics and has not responded tit for tat with the open “haters.” He understands that haters build you.

Lesson No. 2: You cannot be a great leader, a visionary, and a people pleaser. Let me repeat that - You cannot be a great leader, a visionary, and a people pleaser. Because People pleasers are a distraction to your vision and your destiny. Coach Prime is definitely not a people pleaser.

Another thing about this Coach Prime phenomenon. This is about business. About money. According to Black Enterprise Magazine, Coach Deion Sanders has been a major asset for the University of Colorado (Boulder). It continues “From ad deals to celebrity endorsements and increased media coverage, the NFL Hall of Famer has reportedly generated $90.6 million in revenue for the school according to Yahoo Finance. They also quoted Colorado University Chancellor Phil DeStefano who said “CU Boulder has been the epicenter of the national sports world, which has provided unprecedented exposure for the university across the country. I am impressed by the excitement that has permeated camps which is less quantifiable but certainly as important as record-setting merchandise and ticket sales” Sanders has already helped some of his players to obtain endorsement deals and I am sure more is to come. The colleges and the College Football organizations make millions off these athletes who rarely receive little compensation for their efforts because they were amateur athletes. However the Supreme Court ruling in July 2021 changed all that with a program known by the acronym NIL Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is a term that describes the means through which college athletes are allowed to receive financial compensation. NIL refers to the use of an athlete's name, image, and likeness through marketing and promotional endeavors. Coach Prime is one of the few coaches who have boldly supported the new avenues where players can make money for the use of their images. There is a reward for following your passion without wavering. Never listen to naysayers. Coach Prime has proved that following your passion can bring rewards not only for you but others connected to you.

Lesson No 3: Sports is a business and Coach Prime is one who shows his players how to profit from their labor. The bible says “A workman is worthy of his hire” I agree. In addition, Coach Prime has hired several e and/or retired NFL players. This will change the supply chain for new football coaches. The “good old—boy” coach pipeline has been challenged by the arrival of Coach Prime and exposed the biased tradition of limiting former NFL players from coaching jobs in college.

Lesson No 4. is the best lesson I see that Coach Prime is teaching. This is more than playing football, more than winning games and making money. It’s about building men to make a positive impact on society. The fourth lesson to me is the most impactful because it creates a legacy for the next generations. College football is the supply route for the professional football leagues, primarily the National Football League. Coaches focus on building football skills for the players in preparation a professional career. Interestingly only 2% of all college football players ever make it to the professional level. So how do coaches manage this challenge? The major pressure is to win games and the players are the tool they use to maintain a winning record, bowl games, and make money. There is nothing wrong that most coaches are focused on this goal and treat their stars as prima donnas of the teams. Then here comes Coach Prime who has a deeper and well-rounded vision in coaching. Coach Prime stated on many occasions that this is more than playing football, more than winning games and making money. It’s about building men to make a positive impact on society. He recognizes that the overwhelming majority of players would not make the professional leagues. He is about turning boys into men. That is a long-term vision and it frightens many in the college football management including many opposing coaches. This is revolutionary thinking.

Coach Prime teaches these young men to build wealth, to prepare them for leadership in society. As a Christian, I am glad to see Coach Prime and some of his coaches pray openly for the players. It is simply great.

I just can’t wait to see what transpires by the end this second season, (December 2024) especially if they face setbacks that will likely come. This is a part of life. How they respond to defeats is a part of growing and maturing into men. Let’s see what happens.

Is it Fair why People must Be Restrained by the Law and Government? by Samuel Johnson

2024-11-22T10:36:00.002-05:00

Today I will address the reasons why the law and the government must restrain people. Why society must be restrained must be limited in their actions and their behavior by the law and the government. We are speaking about the restraining hand of government. But we have questions. What about unjust laws? What about a repressive government? What about unjust government officials? Should we pray for a government who breaks or suspends the laws? We will address these questions.

In the past, we spoke about why we have conscience. That is to restrain us, because we need to live based what's right and wrong. You also spoke about parents. Parents are important in the role of restraining children and teenagers from wrong so they can develop the character of doing the right thing. Why the restraint?

Because the foundational issue is that all humanity is born with a sin nature, with the nature to be independent of God and to do whatever they feel like doing. Hear what the Bible says in the book of Romans 10: 10-12 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

So, none of us is good, we are all born with a sin nature. I know that this is hard to hear. Our education system, and those who study human psychology would claim that everyone is basically good. Not true. This means that we all need a restraining force, a restraining rule to keep order, to keep peace so society can develop and grow in an orderly way.

Now, if we were to allow people to behave the way they want to at any time, in any circumstance, we would have chaos in society. We will have Disorder in society. Hence. The role of law and government.

Now the originator of law and government is God. We would like to think that humans developed the concepts of law and government. Sorry but was God who established the first moral law to our human parents, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the law of good and evil, the law of right and wrong. God is the ultimate authority and all leaders, all presidents, all rules, and all governments owe their authority to God.

For example, English common law is the foundation of American law. And the Bible, especially the book of Romans is the foundation of English common law. So, the foundation of American Law can be traced back to the Bible. In fact, the Book of Romans was required reading and study in American Law schools. So, people who prattle that “the Bible is irrelevant”,” the Bible is old fashioned and not needed in our modern society” lack the knowledge about the foundations of our legal system.

This is the ultimate reason Christians are commanded to uphold the laws of the land and to pray for the Government. Many questions will arise from this statement which I will discuss shortly.

First hear what the scriptures say in Romans 13:1 – 7.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Let’s break this down. The Bible says that we must honor governing authorities – Government and the Laws, the Constitution

Why? because authority of the Government and the Laws, the Constitution comes from God; These institutions are God’s instrument to reward good and punish evil and rebellion. The scripture says that the governing authorities are God’s ministers.

So, in America, we expect the government to make and uphold just laws. We expect those who disobey the law to be punished regardless of social status, ethnicity, male or female, lifestyle, economic or political position. Those who obey the law should have no fear of the government. That’s what Romans 13 is saying.

So, what if the government fails to uphold the standards it is authorized by God to implement? This is a challenging question for Christians and also for unbelievers. There are many scenarios that we can address.

How do we manage oppressive government and laws? How about unjust laws?

It’s interesting that Jesus walked the earth at a time when the Roman government oppressed the people in Israel and other surrounding provinces and nations. Yet there is no documented statement where Jesus called for the removal of the Roman authorities although he had to power to do so. Everywhere, the commandment in the scriptures is that Christians pray for the government and obey the laws. This is why Liberation Theology is contrary to the scriptures, to the Bible and to the Christian faith - Liberation Theology is not focused on saving souls, it is focused on the transfer of civil power to the poor, the oppressed etc. However we find many examples in the last 100 years, that the majority former oppressed become the new abusers of power. Why? Man is basically not good, born in sin and shaped in iniquity. In other words, every person is born with a sinful nature. Only a change in nature can achieve an peaceful extended society. The Bible is clear that oppressors shall not enter the Kingdom of God, and will face the wrath of God. Christians have to trust God who has all authority.

Dealing with unjust laws is a different issue. Slavery laws, Jim Crow laws, restrictions of voting rights are opposed to scripture and requires the active participation of Christians to change these unjust laws. We must have a clear understanding between unjust laws and the failure to implement just laws in any nation. The occurrences of racial discrimination, racism etc. does not necessarily require actions to remove the government. Replacing one set of sin nature leaders with another set is not the solution. Sure, there must be legal avenues to vote out bad governments within the law. This is the restraining effect of the law. The key endeavor of Christians is to win souls, to change people internally, one person at a time. This is the basic way to change a society not through many diverse types of man-made philosophies and sociopolitical movements. At another time, I will discuss why all man-made philosophies ranging from socialism, communism, capitalism and even democracy have failed, or will fail. Because any man-made system is full of fallen mankind and their systems eventually fail. The coming Kingdom of God 1,000 years rule (See the Book of Revelation chapter 20) will demonstrate how a just society is governed. But I’m getting off topic.

The bottom line is that the authority all governments and laws (regardless of type), are subject to God’s authority. They are God’s instruments to reward good and punish evil commensurate with just laws. The government and laws are God’s instrument of restraining evil so we can have a peaceful and orderly life. This is why we Christians must pray for the government. We demonstrate our trust in God and His commandments. It is indeed better to share the Gospel is a peaceful society.

Why Parents are God's Ministers to Restrain Children and Teens by Samuel H Johnson

2023-10-17T10:50:00.001-04:00

HADTRT15b Why People must Be Restrained - Parents

Hello and welcome everyone to another episode of Hear and Do the Right Thing.

This is the second message in the series – Why People need to be Restrained? Today, the focus is on Parents. Now, what do parents have to do with restraining people? Or more accurately, restraining children and teenagers? They have a lot to do with it. The role of the parents is central in helping to develop a sound moral character. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I want you to be clear about what I mean by restraining people. To be restrained means to be Muted, to be Confined, to be Controlled, to be Boxed in, to Set limitations, to be Led and to be Directed. Most importantly, the key is restraining people from a lifestyle of doing or practicing evil, rebellion and sin. Why? Because all people are sinful by nature. Let me repeat that - all humanity is born with a sin nature, separated from God, and headed for death, hell, and the grave, never to be reconnected back to God. But God has established a solution for this depraved nature of man. That solution is the in Jesus Christ, by his death on the cross, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven. That unparalleled act presents to all humanity a hope of reconciliation with God, a gift of salvation, and escape the certainty of hell and complete separation from God. So why is restraining important? Because it gives us an opportunity to resist our proclivity, our tendency to rebel and sin and gives us a chance to be saved.

So parents play a significant role at the beginning of our lives through our teenage years. I know that it’s hard to accept the truth that babies are born with a sin nature, with a selfish nature. They look so cute, so sweet. Right? Have you seen how a baby or toddler behaves when they don’t get their way? They cry, wail, bawl, throw a tantrum. Why is that? They want what they want when they want it. Hungry or not they don’t like being restrained from what they want.

All are born with a sin nature, and there is no one who is born good, no one who is born righteous. No not one.

And thank God that babies are little, otherwise they might knock over the parents to get whatever they want. Babies need the restraining hand of parents.

So parents are the first restraining authority ordained by God. Let me repeat that, Parents are the first restraining authority ordained by God. Parents have the responsibility to train a child to know right from wrong, to restrain their rebellious, sin prone nature. Without the restraining hand of parents, the future of society would be chaos everywhere. Thank God for Parents

Do you remember times when our parents warned us about certain people that we were hanging out with? certain groups that we’re hanging out with? Why do parents do this? Because they already have experience but you are the child; you’re a teenager who thinks that you know better than your parents; and you say, “Oh there’s nothing wrong with this group “ “they are nice people” But deep down inside of your heart you know at least something is wrong. Teenagers listen to this. Do you have any friends who bully people, who undermine others, who cheat on exams, who steal items in department stores and you are silent about it? Why? You don’t want to be a snitch? Did you want to be a part of the group? Did you want to be recognized by others? But you know it is wrong and your parents taught you better, taught you right from wrong! In addition, many of the people in those groups you followed have a tragic end – death, prison, or a troubled life. These are some of the results of the sin nature of human beings. Of course there are exceptions. But it is only by the grace of God that some of us survived. Some people may not believe this but the devil and his fallen angels influence people who rebel and do wrong. Yes, satan is a real personality in the spirit realm. Satan tries to destroy your future early in life. So you and I need to listen to our parents. Their instructions are a restraint against wrongdoing, against evil and against wickedness. This is a God ordained function for parents.

Now the first 7 chapters of the Book of Proverbs in the Bible are an excellent guidelines by which parents can lead their children and restrain their desires to do selfish acts.

Hear what Proverbs 1: 8-10 says: “My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent”

That is clear and direct. So, Listen to your parents, Honor your parents. I am an adult and I still listen to my parents because you can’t buy wisdom. God ordained parents for this.

The restraining hand of parents empowers children and teens to be willing to stand up and say no to wrong things - done by their friends, by their classmates and colleagues; If parents fail to clearly instruct by word and deed good moral standards, then children will fulfill the scriptures which says “bad company corrupts good character”

Also God provides a blessing for honoring parents. In the Book of Ephesians the first three verses of chapter 6 say: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Hear the promise? “It may be well with you and live a long life”

One of the reasons why so many young people are dying early in society today is because of dishonoring this promise by God. In fact, many of us adults realize the value of parental restraint in our lives when we are in our thirties!!!

Now, there are people who object to my proposal, my presentation of the necessity of parental authority and restraint. They would cite an encroachment on freedom and self-expression of children and teenagers. In other words, children have rights and we should emphasize how they feel about rules. We see this in the open attacks on parental authority from many quarters including the government institutions like the education and child welfare departments; certain social groups and Hollywood. In my view, God gave parents the responsibility for teaching their children the morals standards for life, not the government, not the schools and universities. Morality is not based on what’s popular, on poling data, or what the celebrities and high-profile people do in our society. Feelings are important but do not determine character. We express feelings but we live by principles of truth and discerning between right and wrong. Parental restraint keeps you from sin, protect your life and gives you a solid foundation for life relationships. Sure many rebel, many ignore the restraint, but most to their detriment. God ordained parental authority – to lay the foundation for overcoming our sin nature, a reconciliation back to God through Christ. Parental restraint is a good thing ordained by God. It is the foundation on which the future salvation of children is built. In summary I can conclude that restraint is the guidepost through which God’s calling will be fulfilled in the life of every child. Parents please continue to restrain your children in the obedience and love of God. Indeed, parental restraint is a good thing ordained by God

I want to thank all of you for reading this blog. Please share this information with others, your family, and friends. We hope that the principles we share will help to advance your thinking, especially in the lives of our young people. We would like to hear from you.

And remember that you always need to Hear and Do the Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but the wisdom of God is the principal thing.

Until next time..

Why People must Be Restrained by Samuel H Johnson

2023-10-15T19:26:00.001-04:00

My topic is Why People must Be Restrained.

Wow. That’s a mouthful “People must Be Restrained” Restrain means to be Muted, to be Confined, to be Controlled, to be Boxed in, to Set limitations. Someone would probably ask - Bro Sam, Why would you say that People must Be Restrained? After all, this sounds like a violation of my rights.

On the surface, it may sound like a violation but we must dig deeper. What is the state of humankind today? How are people behaving? How are they treating family, neighbors? strangers? People in the community? How is the behavior of politicians? Business Leaders? Religious leaders?

Look around and we can agree that sin and rebellion is on the rise in our society. We see crimes at every level of our society today, from top to bottom. Political leaders are in a ruthless binge for power, lying and cheating is becoming normal in politics and business. We see laws implemented that support sinful practices. There is an open attempt to destroy democracy as we know it in America. It’s normal to see when a political party gets into power, it forgets all the ideals they were promoting – equality, concern for the poor and oppressed, justice, fairness for all etc. And it does not matter what ideology they claim to follow. Crimes like tax cheating, murder, robbery, domestic violence are at an all-time high despite charlatans who try to manipulate the statistics to fit their ideology. Family stability is diminishing, being redefined to fit what people feel. Truth and facts are despised for feelings. I even heard someone said that “feelings are more important than the truth.”

All this reminds me of the recurring statement in the book of Judges in the Bible. It says, “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” In other words Truth is relative. It’s the me, myself, and I philosophy. It’s the height of selfishness. And, because of this mentality our country, our world is headed for chaos and destruction.

What is really happening? People put themselves at the center of their morality, their philosophy, their outlook, and their worldview. They just know that they are good. They are fine when others accept them or agree with them; regardless of truth or facts. But if you disagree with them, then that’s judging. But objectively,

that is idolatry, self-worship. What people fail to realize or accept is that there is no one that is good, no one that is righteous. Only God is good, only God is righteous! Humans will inevitably destroy themselves and the world, if left to do whatever they feel, whatever they want. This is why humans must be restrained, and I will give the reasons later

In the Book of Genesis 6 Verse 5, God had to implement a global flood and save eight people to start humanity again. Why? Verse 5 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Let me repeat that clause “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Yes, evil continually. That’s the heart of man; we are not born good. We are all born with a sin nature, a proclivity to rebel, a tendency to sin, to do wrong, to be selfish. In Genesis 19, God destroyed two cities, Sodom, and Gomorrah, because of blatant sin and iniquity. Yes, the heart of man is desperately wicked and that is why all humans need to be born again, born from above, because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sin of all humanity.

So, God had to set systems in place to restrain humans, so He can complete His plan of redemption before humans destroy themselves and the planet. First, God gave every human a conscience. We all have a sense to distinguish between right and wrong. But many people have dumb-down their conscience, defy and deny the warnings of their conscience when they sin, rebel and do wrong. We hear some people being described as having a cold heart, a hard heart, or no conscience. God gave us that conscience as a warning against evil and sin but most of us rebel. God also gave humans parents, a father, and a mother to restrain us from doing wrong from an early age. He also gave us the law, government, and the church to restrain our human proclivity to sin, our human tendency to do wrong. This indeed is a serious matter, the necessity of restraining humanity. We will look at each restraint next time. We will look at why God gave us parents, the law, government, and the church. So look for the next blog.

Remember that you always need to Hear and Do the Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but the wisdom of God is the principal thing.

The Origin of Black People by Samuel H Johnson

2022-08-19T09:08:00.001-04:00

What is The Origin of Black People? Where did we come from? This may seem like a ridiculous question, but I am serious about it. This might be a strange topic in 2022 but let’s look at the reality of life in America and how Black people are perceived and portrayed

When we look at how history is taught in America, it makes sense to ask this question. What is The Origin of Black People? Generally, Black History in America is seen as separate from American History, sometimes even separate from world history in our schools. So why are we surprised when some parents and politicians use this scenario to claim that teaching Black History is contrary to American values? And that teaching Black History is against white people or other nationalities? This is the reality we are living in today. In my opinion, teaching Black History as a separate subject should be for specialization mainly in colleges and universities.

When history is first introduced to children it must include the histories of all people in that nation as one comprehensive subject. Let me repeat that: When history is first introduced to children in schools it must include the histories of all people (all ethnicities, all nationalities) in that nation as one comprehensive subject. And it must be grounded in truth - the good history, the bad history, and the ugly history. Why am I saying this? Because we all live in one nation, one country. It’s simple logic. If Black history is

separate, then the question becomes: Is the origin of Black people different?

Other questions arise because to this thinking. Are Black people real Americans? What about the original Americans? What about the so-called Native Americans? All this goes to a question of origins. And for me, this goes directly to the question of authority and truth about real history and real origins.

There are some events in American history that we mislabel primarily as Black History. LISTEN TO THIS – the Civil Rights movement is American History; Jim Crow is American History; Chattel Slavery is American History; Reconstruction is American History; Black Panther Movement is American History; Anti-Slavery Abolition Movement is American History; Black Lives Matter is American History. Why? Because all these events occurred in America – Past and Present! Remember I am dealing with the origins of Black people.

So, what is the origin of Black people? Black history is the same as human history. Glory to God. The origin of Black people is connected to/and a part of human history. The origin of Black people is a part of human origin.

Education, especially history is central to any people who need to know their origin. A look at world history is relevant to understand where we are today.

It’s well known that the first global world power was in Africa, specifically Egypt. Their domination lasted about 2,500 years. And they were Africans. Other world powers followed Egypt were Assyria (Mesopotamia), Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece then Rome. Egypt remains the longest ruling world power in human history. And they were Africans.

Now Greece was the first European world power in the history of humanity.

In 323 BC the Greek military leader, Alexander the Great, achieved an important victory over the Meado-Persian empire. This event marked the first time a European power gained world dominance in human history. The next world power was the Roman Empire. Each succeeding empire learned from the previous power. Both Greek and Roman cultures learned and coveted many achievements of Egyptian (African) people, some without acknowledgement. Some tried to make Egypt, a non-African nation while others Europeanized Egyptian achievements. By now, we know that the Egyptian Theorem was renamed Pythagoras’s theorem by the Greeks. This theorem was/and still is the foundation in building construction. However, to coin a phrase, the Greeks practiced “Stolen Legacy” (ref. the book by George G. M. James)

Western culture, including American culture, is based on Greek and Roman philosophy. These two cultures took a lot from Egyptian (African) culture, much without acknowledgement. Unfortunately, it took until the discipline of African or Black Studies began to make its way into our schools and educational institutions that the truth of the origin and contribution of Black people became known in common society. Black history had to correct much of the false and incomplete notions of the origin and history of Black peoples in America, Africa, and the world. This miseducation caused many to conclude that Black people made little contribution to the world and thus their origin was suspect. These facts also influenced much of the Christian church historically and even today. Thanks be to God that many historians have debunked these false, negative concepts of Black people, their origin and history.

So, what about the origin of Black people? First, we have the same origin and roots as every other human being on this planet. All humans came from Adam and Eve as clearly outlined in the Bible, in the scriptures. Humans did not come from apes or monkeys as taught in our schools and universities. This is a falsehood perpetuated by so-called scientists and people of reason.

Now I know that there are those who are against the Bible, and call it outdated fables, yet they accept the “big bang theory” that the earth was created from nothing!! And that all human beings came from apes! Incredible! but that’s another topic - the origin of the earth.

So, all humans came from Adam and Eve, according to the scriptures. To be even more definitive we all came from the three sons of Noah, who lived about 1,100 years after Adam.

Let’s look at the book of Genesis. In Genesis 10:1 (ESV) "These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood"

Note the names of Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In the Bible, names have meanings that explain the person and his/her nationality and origin. These names give clues to a person’s ancestor · forefather · forebear · parent · begetter · primogenitor · procreator ·

These are the three sons of Noah from whom all people descended. So technically, one third of the planet are brothers and sisters and the other two—thirds are your cousins (starting 5,000 years ago). So, what's all this fight, prejudice and racism about among people?

A study of the names of the descendants of these three sons is a guide to their origin. Middle eastern/ Asian peoples came from Shem. African (Black) people came from Ham and Caucasian white people came from Japheth.

To follow the origin of Black people, we go to Genesis 10: 6 which says, “The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan”. Let me repeat -

“The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan”

Now the meaning of these names is very revealing. All you have to find these words in any good Bible dictionary which define the root of words. This discipline is called Etymology, the study of the root or source meaning of words. Cush means Ethiopia. So, Cush was the progenitor of Ethiopia, the African nation.

According to Strong’s Bible dictionary Cush means black. Strong’s dictionary also says that “Cush is the son of Ham and grandson of Noah and the progenitor of the southernmost peoples located in Africa”

Friends this is Bible, we are presenting what the scriptures says about the origin of Black people. Everywhere you see Cush, or Cushite in the Bible you are talking about one root of Black people.

Next Mizriam, the next son of Ham. Mizriam means Egypt, another African people. Bible dictionary Egypt = "land of the Copts" the root of the word Coptic. The definition continues “a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows”

Remember this is before to beginning of the Egyptian Dynasties.

Look and the next son of Ham, Phut. Phut means Libya, a nation, and people of northern Africa, most likely Libyans.

Look and the next son of Ham, Canaan. He was the fourth son of Ham and the progenitor (ancestor) of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine

So quite clearly, according to the scriptures, Black people have their origin in the Bible. Also, the Bible identifies many leaders and prominent persons who were Black and the descendent of Ham, through one of his four sons. For example, the Joshua, the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses, had black blood in him. Specifically, remember Joseph, Jacob’s 11th son who became prime minister of Egypt, second in command to the Pharaoh? Read Genesis chapter 41. Joseph married a Black woman of Egypt, Asenath

who had two sons - Manasseh, and Ephraim. The general Joshua in the sixth book of the Bible is from the bloodline of Ephraim. The Bible identified other people who were Black or had black bloodline. These include Rahab, who helped the Israel spies on their reconnaissance mission before the fall of Jericho; Bathsheba, King Solomon’s mother, had direct genealogy back to Ham via Heth (Hittite) see Genesis 10:15. King David and King Solomon both had black bloodline in their genes. The prophet Zephaniah was a Cushite. There are many examples in the scriptures.

You see, God already knew that people in the 21st century would promote false and misguided information about the origin of Black people. God already knew that so-called Christians would use the Bible to justify

the slavery and negative images of Black people. So, what did God do? God placed the truth plainly in the scriptures. So at least Christians have no excuse.

So, the bottom line is this. Black history is the same as human history. Glory to God. The origin of Black people is connected to/and a part of human history. The origin of Black people is a part of human origins - so do not separate it. All peoples, all ethnicities, all nationalities have the same origin.

Thank God for all the historians and biblical scholars who through diligent studies have brought enlightenment to the entire world about the origin and magnificent contributions of Black people to all of humanity. Black History is Human History. Black origins are the same as the origin of all peoples, all nationalities, and all ethnicities. It’s time to teach history in a comprehensive truthful manner. It's time.

Jesus is not black or white, Jesus is God by Samuel H Johnson

2022-07-16T09:50:00.001-04:00

Now the color of Jesus is not a new topic in our society. This debate about the color of Jesus has ebbed and flowed for a long time in history of Christianity and religion especially in the North America and Western Europe.

It is a controversial topic but we must confront this idea, because it has had a detrimental impact on Christianity. Therefore my topic, my assertion is that Jesus in not black or white. Jesus is God. When we understand who Jesus really is, then we will understand the futility of the discussion about the color of Jesus.

Why do I make this bold statement? Because the truth of scriptures will show that the color of Jesus is a pointless, shallow evil proposition for many reasons. My primary point is that the people who promote the color of Jesus idea are in one of two camps. Either they are trying to deceive or they really don’t know who Jesus is. And it’s not who Jesus was, but who He is. According to the scriptures, right now Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, as the advocate for Christians, for believers.

Then who is Jesus? Some people and religions believe that Jesus was just a prophet who lived a highly moral life and was a good example. Some, especially those who believe in reincarnation, see Jesus as achieving the highest moral state that a human can achieve i.e. Nirvana. Some even believe that Jesus was not a real person who lived on earth about 2,000 years ago (Its January 2022)

However there is historical, archeological, and documented evidence that Jesus lived on earth during the time that the Caesars ruled Rome. Any scholar worth their salt can easily find the evidence of a historical Jesus, including His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The Roman form of execution at that time was crucifixion of the most dangerous rebels. And Jesus was considered a rebel against the ruling authorities of that day.

But Jesus is more than that according to the scriptures, according to the Bible.

According to the gospel of John, Jesus was in the beginning with God before the creation of the earth. John opened his writing in the gospel this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” The Word is synonymous with Jesus. So Jesus was in the beginning with God. Note the Word was with God and the Word was God. These are 2 distinct personalities but one God. Our limited mind cannot understand this, it takes faith in God.

Also, we can go back to the first book of the Bible, Genesis, which begins this way “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the Spirit of God moved Upon the surface of the earth and God said “Let there be light”; and there was light” So we see God, the Holy Spirit and the Word (which is Jesus) working together in the creation. So we see here again that Jesus is not some prophet or holy person, He is a part of the Godhead (which consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost).

So Jesus is part of the Holy Trinity; God the father God the son and God the Holy Spirit and they are three persons but one God. You cannot apply human reasoning to understand the Godhead, it’s by faith in Christ. This is why unbelievers cannot understand this truth, because they do not have the Holy Spirit, who is in us from the time of salvation, being born again in Christ.

There are many passages in the Old Testament which shows the presence of Jesus. Jesus was in the burning bush that appeared to Moses in the book of Exodus 3 when God chose Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt

This is called a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ

You see, Jesus did not just appear as a baby to Mary and Joseph in the New Testament. Mary became pregnant through the miracle work of the Holy Spirit. You may say; Wait, if Jesus was born of a woman then He mst have the sin nature. It’s a scientific truth that the blood of the baby does not mix with the blood of the mother. So He was born without the sin nature of human beings. So, only a perfect, sinless person could give their life for the salvation of all humanity. That was Jesus.

So far we demonstrated that, Jesus was at the creation of the world, He was in the Old Testament and He was perfect, without the sin nature of mankind

That person was Jesus who lived as fully God and fully man on the earth for approximately 33 years. Jesus is not half-god half man like the Greek gods. We read about Greek idols like Zeus and Apollo who are demi-gods. Jesus is fully god and fully man. He is not close to God or hang out with God. Jesus is God.

Now if Jesus is not God then Christians are in trouble with our worship. It would mean that Christians are worshipping someone who is not God. The conclusion of this scenario would be that Christians are worshipping an idol. That is idolatry. But Jesus is God.

So I have established that Jesus is God, or as the scriptures say, God the Son. And we can understand that people who claim the Jesus is black or white are either deceived or don’t understand the real Jesus of the scriptures.But why the debate about the color of Jesus?

We have seen Jesus depicted as a white man, a slender hippie looking white man with long hair. This is an abomination against the Word of God and the 10 commandments. The second commandment clearly states that we should not make any image or likeness of God.

Exodus 20:4-5 (NKJV) 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness [of anything] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.“

So any image, any picture, any sculpture, or any drawing of Jesus is a violation of God’s law. And to worship or lift up any such image is wrong. . And God hates it according to the scriptures In my opinion, churches need to take down all such images.

How did we get here? You see, the origin of Christianity was the Middle East not Europe. However at the time Jesus walked the earth, the European powers (Greece then Rome, otherwise known as the Roman empire) was in control of the entire region. The Caesars tried to eliminate the growth of the belief in Jesus, especially after His crucifixion death and resurrection. However they were unsuccessful. About 300 years later, the Roman emperor Constantine incorporated Christianity into their pagan religions which eventually became what is known as the Roman Catholic religion. However they also kept most of the pagan practices. It’s under this system that we begin to see paintings of Jesus, the angels and apostles as white Europeans.

So we can say that Christianity was Romanized and Europeanized. This abomination has had a negative influence on Christianity. Chattel slavery and colonialism have been justified in many quarters by this idolatry including the abominable image of Jesus as white. Christianity has been painted as a white, “a white man’s religion” etc.

Unfortunately even most church history taught in seminaries are really European church history. The history of the Christian church in Asia , the Middle East and Africa are hardly taught. The historical truth is that Christians were in Egypt, Ethiopia Northwest Africa even parts of west Africa before Islam and the European chattel slave trade. This is neglected by the majority of "Christian" scholars. But that's a whole teaching by itself. No because people paint Jesus as white means it's true. That's abominable and all Christian leaders and churches must expose this lie. No such thing in the Bible, end of story

The American Civil War was largely influenced by this abomination of a white Jesus, the betrayal of the Reconstruction, Jim Crow period were all influenced by this image of a white Jesus. Fake Christians always tried to justify a white Jesus. However, real Christians like William Wilberforce made great contributions to the abolition of slavery. So that we cannot make generalized statement that Christianity is a “white” religion. The Bible clearly contradicts such a philosophy. Also there is no biblical justification to leave Christianity by saying it’s a “white man’s religion”. This must be addressed because it’s a reason nonwhite people use to reject the Gospel. The church must address it, its roots and sins against God and His Word.

This philosophy of a white Jesus promotes white superiority. No question about it. Some like to pretend that it’s not relevant to Christians. There are many Christians who battle the sin of racism and prejudice. This philosophy has nothing to do with the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible knows nothing about race the way we define it today Let me Repeat that ]the Bible knows nothing about race the way we define it today]. The Scriptures are clear - there is only one race, the human race. In Acts 17:24-29 the Bible clearly states that all humanity came from one blood, meaning Adam and Eve; we all came from the same ancestor. Race, as we know it is a human construct designed to divide and exploit people for power and financial gain. (Let me repeat that) Race, as we know it, is a human construct designed to divide and exploit people for power and financial gain. Division of people based on “race” or “skin color” is an affront to God and an affront to the Scriptures. It is sad that too many churches today still practice this abomination, this lie, some openly, some subtly. The American church needs to intensify its guard because this philosophy is constantly promoted in almost all areas of our society: in media, in business, in movies, in schools and especially in the home. It is understandable why some people are angry and opposed to a white Jesus image in our churches (including images, written materials for children etc.)

So, the color of Jesus is hardly relevant to the Bible. The people who promote the color of Jesus idea are Either trying to deceive or they really don’t know who Jesus is. Like I said, Jesus is neither black nor white. Jesus is God and the color of God is irrelevant. Jesus is neither black nor white. He is God. I like how Dr. Frederick Price put it. "We don't need a black Jesus We don't need a white Jesus We need the real Jesus"

Remember that you always need to Hear and Do the Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but the wisdom of God is the principal thing.

Until next time, see you right here. Peace

The Time for Real Men to Stand Up Is Now by Samuel H Johnson

2021-08-10T06:27:00.002-04:00

The Time for More Real Men to Stand Up is Now

I remember when I was a boy, all the men of my community had the authority to correct and discipline any youth when it was necessary. Today it is a different situation. We are living at the stage in the history of mankind where too many young men have no regard for the adults around them and believe that they can and should do whatever feels good. If you travel, you can see and hear the foul language and rude, lawless, and lewd behavior of some youth in the presence of their elders. Even more tragic is that some of this behavior is from young girls! How did this happen? What is going on?

The first typical response is to blame the youth. This is incorrect. We have to first look at the adults, especially the men in our society. Young people see some preachers preach one thing and practice the opposite. They see rich men commit crimes and do not get punished. They hear politicians make promises and never keep them. They see “celebrities” break the law and get a slap on the wrist by our justice system. I did not say all, but it is too much – enough is enough. Children see parents do wrong and tell the child "do what I say and not what I do"; Young people see businessmen use sex and violence to exploit women and youth in movies, television, videos and the internet and call it "just doing business" Young people hear talk show hosts tell people to do whatever feels good and that there is no absolute truth nor right or wrong.

In other words, "Do whatever feels good to you". Sounds familiar?

Indeed, we are in moral decline in our society. Simple behaviors like politeness, like kindness, good manners, common courtesy are in short supply. Some people think foolishly that a display of kindness is a display of a weak person. Children and young people tease their classmates and colleagues who display good manners. If you think kindness, goodness, courtesy, and good manners are for weak people, you are sadly mistaken. You are actually exhibiting is a clear example of a lack of proper human development.

What many people do not realize is that it takes more strength of character to be mannerly. Any weakling can be rude, obnoxious, and vulgar. It takes more strength to be gentle than to be tasteless.

You see gentleness reflects strength under control. People who use curse words in almost every sentence show a lack of vocabulary words and are almost incapable of wholesome verbal expression. There should be no pride in verbal expressions of foul language; it is actually an example of limited speaking ability. It is an indication that we need to learn and mature as adults. It is indeed necessary for us, the adults, to set the example of moral maturity. We must stop making excuses for rudeness and obnoxious behavior. It all begins with the adults, first in the home, to set proper examples for the younger generation.

More than 2,000 years ago the Bible predicted that these things will happen.

2 Timothy 3: 1-5 says: "You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that"

Surprised? So, you thought that the Bible was an irrelevant book? In the last 30 years, young people have seen this type of behavior from adults more and more. Our youth are the product of the examples set by the adults.

One of the reasons for this moral decline is fatherlessness. Yes fatherlessness. Fatherlessness does not necessarily mean that the father is not in the home. A father could be in the home but not lead their children in honesty, truth, and integrity. Men must operate in their role of father to their children. The role of father cannot be performed by a woman. Fatherhood is a male assignment and motherhood is a female assignment. There are things only a man can impart to a child or youth and there are things only a mother can impart to a child or youth. Some may not agree with this, but we need to understand the difference between identity and function.

For example, the Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. Although they are equal, they have different functions. People will just have to agree to disagree with me on this. The lack of a father’s guidance leads to frustration in the child and young person. This impacts on the rounded personality of the child. But despite the moral decline we see in our society there is hope. I want to briefly address the role of men in fostering this hope.

First there is an attack on men who are manly, men who speak boldly to issues that confront our society. We see this negative portrayal of manly men in movies, TV shows where the manliness of men have been deemphasized for the more “sensitive, emotional” male image. I am not saying that men are not sensitive nor emotional, indeed we are but why the attack the manly character? Young girls need examples of strong moral fathers, to compare to potential husbands because two-parent families are still foundational in the life of a child. Again, some may disagree but let us agree to disagree on this too.

But, there is hope if more men would begin to stand up for truth, holiness, and righteousness instead of worrying about what "society" thinks or what is popular. Popularity is temporary, but holiness is eternal. Popularity is short lived, but righteousness is eternal. Popularity is temporary, but truth is eternal. Popularity is temporary, but kindness, goodness and gentleness are eternal and lasting. It is time for more men to stop seeking power, position, and titles and seek high moral character in leading their children and families.

This answer is Jesus Christ who is the source of holiness, righteousness, and integrity. I believe, more men need to get to know God through Jesus Christ to mirror these characteristics. The acceptance and knowledge of Christ is necessary to the full development of real men. Real men are kind, and gentle, and bold, and loving, and courteous. Real men are power under control. Real men follow the pattern of Christ by displaying the strength of Christ, the purity of Christ and the love of Christ. Young people would follow such men of integrity, courage, and wisdom.

A few years ago a dear friend of mine gave me a birthday card which said:

• This world needs more real men and fewer pretenders
• More courage, fewer excuses
• More wisdom, less egotism
• More stepping up to the plate and less beating around the bush
• More leaders, fewer players
• More muscle, less beef
• What this world needs is more men of character.

I could not have stated it better myself. Every woman would want such a man for a father, brother, or husband. So, men, let us take up the challenge and fulfill that call.

Preparing a Solid Foundation for your Child by Samuel H Johnson

2021-01-24T08:17:00.003-05:00

Preparing a Solid Foundation for your Child.

You and I know that our future and the future of our society and country is dependent of the type of foundation we give our children and our young people.

I want us to examine how are we preparing our youth for the next generation. What type of foundation are we giving the next generation? I believe that children are a gift and a blessing from God. They are our inheritance and we are to prepare this gift to continue to build our nation and the world into a better place. In addition, as Christians, we are required to provide the foundation that our children can use to conform to the character of Jesus Christ, a character of loving your neighbor as yourself, a character of kindness, goodness, faith and self control. A character of doing right because it’s right.

I believe that there is a universal question in the heart of every human being on earth. This question may scare some people, may bother some people and inspire some people. That question is Why was I born? Some people may not admit this truth while others spend their entire life and never discover their true purpose in life. This is a question about the purpose of your life.

One of the first thing every parent and adult must appreciate and understand is that every child is born to fulfill a purpose. I strongly believe that God places a purpose in the heart of every person born into this world.

In the Book of Jeremiah 1:5 , "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." That scripture is saying that God knew the prophet Jeremiah before his father met his mother, before he was born. To me, that is incredible. And since God never changes He knows every child before they were born. Now God’s purpose for Jeremiah was to be a prophet and God is a god of purpose. God does nothing by chance or randomly. And since God does not show preferential treatment nor partiality, he also has a purpose for you and me before we were born. When God created the earth, the heavens, the universe and human beings, He did it all with purpose. When God created man and woman the Bible says in Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

God did not just make Adam and Eve, He gave them instructions. Again purpose. This is God’s pattern, everything He does is with a plan in mind. Here’s my first principle, God places a purpose in every human being. So, all of us have responsibility to discover our purpose. And parents and adults have responsibility to help children discover their purpose.

The greatest example of purpose was Jesus. He came to the earth to die for the sin of all people of every nation, every ethnic group, to save every person from hell and the grave. He conquered death when he rose from the tomb after three days and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Jesus fulfilled his earthly purpose. Jesus fulfilled His purpose to destroy sin. So every person was born with a sin nature and need Jesus to be restored from sin.

Parents, teachers and our elders are to help the child identify and discover their purpose. We adults are caretakers for the purpose God has placed in every child. It is vital for every parent, every adult and every teacher to recognize that they are caretakers and guides for children under their care and under their influence. Why? Because every child contains a God ordained purpose. When I say every child I mean every child. It does not matter if the child is poor or rich, comes from the “perfect family” or not. The color of the child’s skin or their social background does not matter to God.

It does not matter if the child is disabled or not, we are to treat every child with love and compassion. Why? Because every child contains a God given purpose. When you abuse a child, you are tampering with God’s purpose.

When you hurt a child, you are tampering with purpose. When you discriminate or or cast racial prejudice against a child, you are tampering with God’s purpose. Some of us need to repent if we had hurt or hindered any child from their purpose.

This means that no child is an accident. It does not matter is they were born out of wedlock, the color of their skin, their social or economic status or even if they survive an abortion. Every child is valuable and precious to God and all of us must recognize and accept this fact. Every child is valuable and precious to our families, our communities and our nation. That is every child!

Generally, if we ask any adult what they want for their child’s future, the answers fall into three categories; Parents want their child to:

1. Get a good education,
2. A good job and
3. To be a good person.

The parents may not use those exact words, but the concepts are there. We can further define them as a mind issue, a material issue and a moral issue. Remember these three categories - Mind, Material and Moral.

So, we must help to develop these three areas in the life of a child to give them a proper foundation.

Let’s look at the first category, a good education. A Good education is related to the development of the mind. Education helps to develop the mind of a child, it determines how they think and their worldview. Education is indeed vital to development.

The second category, a good job is related to the material things that a job can provide including money, land, entertainment car, or a home. One of the mistakes parents often make is to only emphasize a job without also encouraging them to start and own a business. I believe this is a shortcoming on how we help a child set their foundation for life. We must encourage starting a business as essential and maybe even more important than finding a job. Why? Simply because a business creates wealth better than a job. A business also helps to develop self-discipline. A business can also provide jobs for others.

The third category - a good person, is related to the moral character a child develops. In my opinion, the moral character of the child is the most important of the three categories. Your morality is what can make or break everything else in your life. You may have all the educational qualifications possible, all the wealth and riches you can acquire – but without a good, moral value system, all your achievements can crumble. The moral character is the most essential part of every child and every adult. All the time in the news we see many men and women of great achievement, high social, political and financial standing crumble because of character flaws. It is your moral compass that is the foundation of your integrity, honesty and character.

For example, the rise of the “Me Too” movement is a direct response to the moral failings of prominent people in our society, especially in the entertainment world. It is really sad to see how moral failings can destroy a person’s reputation, business and family.

I was making the point about the three categories that address the future of the child – Mind Issue, Material Issue and Moral issues. These three issues have their pattern in the Bible.

For me the Bible gives the blueprint for these three categories - Mind, Material and Moral. In Genesis 2:7 it says “God made man out of the dust of the ground breathing into him the breath of life and man became a living soul”. The material relates to the dust of the ground, Spirit of God relates to the moral character and the mind relates to the soul.

According to the Bible man is a tripartite being - we have a body, a soul, and a spirit. You see the soul contains the mind which is the center of our will (that’s our decision maker), emotions, memory, imagination and intellect. Education and morality impacts these characteristics. The job or material things provide what the body wants - comfort and satisfaction. But it’s the spirit that provides the morality of the human being - to know and do the right thing every time.

So, preparing a child for the fulfillment of their purpose, we must pay attention to these thee areas, but I contend that most important area is the moral or spiritual side. Some people may argue that it’s your education that gives you your values and morals. I beg to differ. Education is basically the consuming and application of information. But how you apply the information and the value system with that application is rooted in your moral foundation. We have had many educated people who are evil and commit many atrocities. It’s your spiritual outlook that determines your character and values.

The foundation for our children is dependent on who teaches them, what they are taught and the amount of time they spend in learning and development. This is very critical for Christian children because the moral values we should teach may run contrary to the values they will learn in society.

Let me say this – Neither the school (whether public or private), nor the church, nor the media (in all its formats) nor the society in general – none of them are responsible for the moral foundation a child. That responsibility belongs to the parents. The Bible says that we should train up a child in the way he/she should go. That direction is biblical morality. Uncles and aunts and grandparents have their role to play. The school and the church have their role to play and there is nothing wrong with seeking help. But the ultimate responsibility for the moral development is the parents and that is the way it’s prescribed by God.

This is a great challenge for parents. Now parents, you can have a partner with the church and together, we can provide the mental and moral foundation that is necessary for our children. Let us look at how this occurs in real life. From age 3 to 18 children spend an overwhelming amount of time being taught in public and private schools to develop their mind and moral compass compared to the time spend at home or church. Here are the numbers

A child spends on average 20 to 30 hours weekly at school.

Parents spend 5 to 8 hours weekly hours at home the evening to impart their values.

I have not considered the time for homework, extracurricular activities, sports, television and social media time. In addition, the church may have the child for 2 hours weekly to impart some moral and spiritual values. The comparison is revealing and challenging - 20 to 30 hours of teaching from the society vs 5 to 8 hours for parents and church.

Let me repeat that point. 20 to 30 hours of teaching from the society vs 5 to 8 hours for parents and church

It means that parents must be wise and strategic in how they lay the foundation for the life of the child. Parents, even if you are not a Christian, your are responsible to impart moral values to your child. Some of the lawlessness we see displayed by our young people is a confirmation of a lack of moral values. Notice that I said some of the lawlessness.

A moral character is essential for the future of the church, our institutions, our society. A moral character is essential for how the children will fulfill their true purpose and destiny. The child will eventually influence the place where they are stationed as adults – whether they are in business, government, church, educational institutions, media, or even Hollywood.

Finally! Children are a gift from God with an ordained purpose. We are to help the child identify and develop that purpose, A good education, a good job or business and good moral and spiritual values are essential to fulfill that purpose. However, I contend that without a good moral, spiritual foundation, a child cannot fulfill their true purpose. Everything will crumble without high moral standards. Next time I will speak directly to Christian parents about one key the child needs to fulfill purpose.

You can also view this message here; Preparing a Solid Foundation and Purpose for Your Child - YouTube

Share this information with others, your family and friends. Your comments are welcome. And remember that you always need to Hear and Do the Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but wisdom is the principal thing. Until next time, see you right here. Peace

Do We Still Need the Bible Today? Part 2 by Samuel H Johnson

2019-10-10T07:08:00.002-04:00

Do We Still Need the Bible Today? Part 2

Our teaching today is part 2 of the answer this question DO WE STILL NEED THE BIBLE TODAY? let me repeat that question DO WE STILL NEED THE BIBLE TODAY?

Before I begin let me do a quick review of Part 1.

I am looking at the seminal explanation of why you can trust the Bible which was first done by the great Bible Apologist and Scholar Dr. Voddie Baucham, who is currently the Dean of the Seminary at the African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia in Southern Africa. He stated that - The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses, who reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies, and claim that their writings are of divine and not human in origin.

In Part 1, I demonstrated that the Bible was a reliable historical document which was a collection of the writings of more that 40 authors. I explained why the idea that the Bible has errors to be false. I showed that the Bible had more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts and more reliable manuscripts than any ancient books of in the libraries of universities and institutions of higher learning. I also explained that one reason people don’t want the Bible to be true is because they don’t want to be held accountable to the Bible’s moral and ethical standards.

Today we will look at the three remaining points.

1. The Bible was written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses
2. The writers reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies.
3. The writers claim that their writings are of divine and not human in origin.

Let us begin with point # 1 – The Bible was written by eyewitness during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. Now there is no doubt that eyewitness testimony is best and most reliable evidence of the truth for any ancient book of the first century. It is the best evidence to confirm what really happened. The great majority of the writers of the New Testament were eyewitnesses.

Let me demonstrate why eyewitnesses are so vital to the authenticity of any historical writing. Suppose a college student was doing research about the life of US President Abraham Lincoln. The student would look at the writings of current historians who wrote about President Lincoln. The student would also look at the writings of those who lived during that time, observed and worked with Mr Lincoln. Who would likely to be the most credible writers? Of course – those who lived at the time President Lincoln was alive. The same rule must be applied for the writers of the Bible.

Let us look at the writings of some of the eyewitnesses who wrote about the Bible. Of course, the most credible authors would be the disciples of Jesus.

Look at Peter, the most well-known of the twelve apostles of Jesus. The Apostle Peter was one of the leading disciples of Jesus and this is what he wrote in 2 Peter 1:16 - 18 “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty”.

Peter is saying that he did not make up stories and fables, but he was an eyewitness among the twelve. He was there with Jesus throughout Christ’s three and a half years ministry. He saw the healings and miracles. He then further writes in the next two verses:

17 For He (that’s Jesus) received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

He is testifying of a specific event which took place when Jesus and his inner circle of disciples (Peter, James and John) were on the Mount of Transfiguration. This event was also documented by another disciple, Matthew.

Matthew also documented the arrest and trial of Jesus under Pontius Pilate, the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. These were actual events which were corroborated by non-biblical, historical sources and archaeology.

Let’s turn to another eyewitness, Apostle John. Now look what the Apostle John writes in his eyewitness testimony. In I John 1:1-4 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life" John is saying the they heard Jesus, they saw Him with his eyes, touched Him and proclaimed what all he observed and experienced This is bold, this is clear.

He then writes in the next three verses; read carefully "2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our [a] joy complete."

- This is eyewitness testimony; he emphasizes seeing, touching, fellow-shipping with Jesus. Then he also states that it gives him joy to report his testimony. These men are not shy to report their actual experiences.

So far, we have identified the eyewitness testimonies of Peter, Matthew and John, three disciples of Jesus. Let us look at the other writers of the four gospels, Mark and Luke. These two men were closely associated with the apostles. Mark traveled extensively with the Apostle Paul and was very close to the Apostle Peter. He was an eyewitness to the events of the life of Jesus.

Luke was special, he was a medical doctor and historian. He was detailed, orderly and comprehensive in writings of his gospel and the book of Acts. Hear how Dr. Luke introduces his gospel in the first chapter of Luke:

"Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed"

This is awesome testimony from Luke as he makes several points:

Luke is writing to an official named Theophilus, providing his reasons for writing his gospel
Many people were writing about the events surrounding Jesus and Luke needed to do this also. But he was relying on the original eyewitnesses.
He wrote an orderly report after first investigating and researching everything
His goal was to give the reader a clear understanding of what took place

Luke also wrote the Book of Acts which is a documented narrative of the activities of the early church. He traveled extensively with the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys. In the book “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” by Frank Turek and Norman Geisler, they noted that Luke “correctly recorded the names of local politicians, local slang, local weather patterns, local topography, local business practices; and even the right depth of the water a quarter mile of the island of Malta, where their ship was about to run aground. In fact, Frank Turek and Norman Geisler wrote that Luke documented over 84 such details in the last half of the book of Acts. Classical scholar and archaeologist William M. Ramsey was skeptical of Luke’s writing, but he wrote “I began with a mind unfavorable to it [Acts] … but more recently I found myself often brought into contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities and society of Ancient Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth”. Luke was indeed a master historian"

I gave you the writers of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as eyewitnesses who were authors in the Bible. Some of you may ask - why these writers did not all write the identical things about Jesus. Think about this – if you were to ask four authors to write about the Presidency of Barack Obama you would not get the identical document. The point is that each writer may have a different focus or goal. Independent sources usually tell the same story with differing details depending upon their emphasis and goals. This is exactly the point with the four gospels.

Matthew’s goal was to demonstrate to the Jewish audience that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. Mark’s goal was to show Jesus as the servant who came to serve, and his gospel is brief and straight to the point. Luke, the doctor and historian, wrote a detailed gospel in a chronological order. Luke’s genealogy goes all the way back to Adam and Eve which demonstrated his goal of an orderly gospel. John, on the other hand, wanted to show that Jesus was God in the flesh. So, you find Jesus making statements like these in the Gospel of John:

Before Abraham was, I am – John 8:58

I and my Father are one – John 10:30

I am the resurrection and the life – John 11:25

I am the way, the truth and the life – John 14:6

So, it is a normal expectation that the gospels were four perspectives on the same story, the life of Jesus Christ. In addition, all four gospels mentioned women as eyewitnesses naming Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joana and of course Mary the mother of Jesus

Now there is another eyewitness whose writings are vital to this discussion, the only and only Apostle Paul. Hear what Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:3-8

"3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time"

Paul made several points

1 - He identified the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- He identified the early eyewitnesses, the twelve apostles
- He identified 500 eyewitnesses of Christ activities after His resurrection of which the overwhelming majority were alive when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians.
- He also said he was an eyewitness who met Jesus supernaturally on the road to Damascus

Now skeptics may question the truthfulness or bias of the eyewitnesses. How do we know that these writers did not have something to gain personally? I will look at a couple of reasons (there are at least 10 reasons of explanation). First, remember that there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. If the writers were not truthful, they could be easily exposed as charlatans by some of those eyewitnesses. Also, by following Jesus, writing and proclaiming His messages, all these Bible writers were risking everything – their lives, their livelihood. They abandoned their centuries old Jewish faith to follow Jesus, only to be hunted and persecuted. Almost all of them were martyred (hanged, murdered, crucified, stoned to death). No sane person would risk life and limb to write and promote a false faith knowing that they are signing their death warrant. The New Testament writers must have seen strong evidence for the gospel to turn from Judaism to the gospel of Christ.

There is also the principle historians call “the principle of embarrassment” It states that – generally authors do not write or embellish facts that are a personal embarrassment or make themselves look bad or foolish. The New Testament is full of embarrassing, negative, compromising facts about the writers. The Gospels are full of this – the disciples flee and left Jesus, Peter denied Him three times, they failed many tests, were fearful, showed little faith, lied and were cowards. Many reports showed them as uncaring, selfish cowards. They even wrote embarrassing things about their leader Jesus, who they were willing to give up everything to follow, and even willing to sacrifice their lives for the promotion of the message of Christ. The men ran away and hide when Jesus was arrested and crucified. It was the women were first to visit Jesus tomb. Writers tend to leave out such embarrassing facts. The writers of the Bible did write about all these unflattering moments.

So, I just addressed that the Bible was written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses. Next, we said that the Bible "Reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies"

There are many supernatural events in the new Testament that confirmed specific prophecies made by the Old Testament prophets. The prophesied birth of Jesus is one of the greatest supernatural event that fulfilled Old Testament prophesies. The first prophecy of Jesus birth can be found in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, specifically Genesis chapter 3:15 “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” That seed that will strike the serpent Satan’s head is Jesus.

The virgin birth of Jesus was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah over 700 years before the birth of Christ. Hear what the scripture says in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel”

- That was a supernatural prophesy that was fulfilled when Mary gave birth to Jesus recorded in gospels of Mathew and Luke. Emmanuel means God with us

The prophet Isaiah prophesied the coming birth of Jesus through the line Israel’s king David. Isaiah chapter 9: 6-7 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

- A part of this prophesy was fulfilled with the first coming of Jesus to die for the sins of all humans to give them a chance for salvation and redemption from hell. The second part of this prophesy will be fulfilled with the second coming of Christ to rule the earth, beginning with the 1,000-year rule described in the Book of Revelation 20

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was prophesied in Isaiah 53, over 700 years before the event occurred. There is hardly any Bible scholar who would dare dispute that Isaiah 53 speaks specifically of Jesus' death on the cross.

There is a fascinating prophesy in the Book of Psalms Chapter 22, written by David, which described some of the events occurring during the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. We can read the confirmation of this in the book of Matthew chapter 27 which was written over 1,000 years after the prophecy.

Prophecy	Fulfillment
Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou so] far from helping me, [and from] the words of my roaring?	Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Psalms 22: 8 [Old Testament, 1,000 years earlier] “He trusted in the Lord, let him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”	Matt 27:39-40 [New Testament, 1.000 years later] And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ^and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” Matt 27:42 He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. ⁴³He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God
Psalms 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.	Matt 27: 35 “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots

There are several other passages in Psalms that you can read on your own. There is no question that the prophecy of Psalms 22 was fulfilled over 1,000 years later in the Gospel writings

Now we know that Christians celebrate Pentecost as the marker for the beginning of the New Testament church. This was documented in the Book of Acts chapter 2 by Luke when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus and they spoke in languages (tongues) that they did not learn or know. The result was that Jews who were visiting Jerusalem from many foreign nations could understand the apostles in their own language. For example, it would be like if I was invited to Portugal to speak at a conference. I am speaking in English and I have a translator who translates what I say into Portuguese. If suddenly I started speaking in Portuguese, a language I did not learn or know. This basically is what happened to the apostles in Jerusalem that day. This supernatural event was prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Joel in Chapter 2 which the Apostle Peter confirmed.

There is one other supernatural event that I want to mention. This was a prophesy by the Old Testament prophet Daniel. In Daniel 2, he prophesied about three future world empires before they came into existence – the Medeo-Persian Empire, the Grecian Empire (founded by Alexander the Great) and the Roman Empire.

The final point is that the authors of the Bible claim that their writings are of divine and not human in origin

The authors of the Bible who I demonstrated were eyewitnesses stated clearly that they were inspired by God to write. Very few of them were men of higher learning – most were farmers, fishermen, warriors, former killers and shepherds. The Apostle Paul, kings David and Solomon were exceptions. The authors of the Bible were vessels used by God to write the scriptures with the message of the restoration of humankind back to God so that His Kingdom can be reestablished on earth

Several of the Apostles clearly stated that they were moved or inspired by God. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”

Again, Paul confirms he did not get his revelation from human origin. He wrote in

Galatians 1:11 "For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that has been proclaimed by me, that it is not ⌊of human origin⌋. 12 For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ"

The Apostle Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:21 (NKJV) 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

When you read many of the Books of the Old Testament prophets you find this common phrase “And the Word of the Lord came to me saying….”

The prophets are all announcing that it is God’s words they are writing. Therefore, all Christians must be very careful when they claim “The Lord told me to tell you this or that…”

- God is too much God for people to take this lightly claiming conversations with God. God is so awesome that you would literally faint if God really spoke to you as often as some people claim. Just be careful.

Well I believe that have demonstrated that the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies. They claim that their writings were of divine and not human origin.

So, do we still need the Bible today? The answer is a definite Yes, the Bible is very relevant and vital in our society today.

I want to thank all of you for reading. Please share this information with others, your family and friends. We provide foundational principles so we can to see advancement in our lives, the lives of our young people and in our communities.

Remember that you always need to Hear and Do the Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but the wisdom of God is the principal thing. Until next time, Peace

Do We Still Need the Bible Today? by Samuel H Johnson

2019-07-17T09:58:00.003-04:00

My task is to answer this question DO WE STILL NEED THE BIBLE TODAY? This is a

fascinating topic. We are living in a generation and an age where the idea that the Bible is irrelevant, continues to gain momentum. The attack on the reliability and truth of the Bible is promoted in every area of life in our society – in schools, colleges and universities, in the media, on television, in politics, business, social and community organizations of every kind. One of the most radical thing that happened to America is the increased bias against the biblical viewpoint in schools. And people are convinced that this is good because of the separation of church and state. Children are taught evolution, that man came from apes, and that science disproves the Bible. Many people accept these ideas as truth without any question. There are even Christians who believe in evolution, an idea which opposes the Bible truth of creation. If creation is false, then how can anybody believe anything else in the Bible?

Let us first examine this prevailing strategy that the Bible is irrelevant in the public square of ideas, particularly in schools and universities. This methodology is not an accident. If the children are taught that the Bible is not relevant today, by the time they become the adults of the society, a ban of some parts of the Bible will be easier to make the law of the land. You may think that I am crazy but there are organizations proposing laws to make some sections of the Bible hate speech, mainly because it condemns certain lifestyles and practices. This trend to make some parts of the Bible hate speech is gaining momentum in many parts of the Western world including America.

There is one organization I want to warn people about – the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). The SPLC is based in Montgomery, in the state of Alabama, USA It was founded on great principles as an offshoot of the civil rights era. It is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation, dedicated to "fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society”. Overall it does a fantastic job in exposing hate groups, especially the Klu Klu Klan (KKK) and other Nazi and white nationalists groups. However, it has labeled several non-profit Christian, socially conservative organizations hate groups because of their stand on the definition of marriage and other moral issues based Bible principles. Now the SPLC lumps these Christian conservative groups in with the Ku Klux Klan and other Neo-Nazi based organizations as hate groups. Yet the Southern Poverty Law Center did not label the Catholic Church, a hate group even though the Catholic Church has the same views as those conservative groups on those moral questions. In August 2017, the Washington Post reported that a federal lawsuit was filed by the Dr James Kennedy Ministries of Fort Lauderdale, FL against the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC tracks and publicly names organizations it considers hate groups. The list included Dr James Kennedy Ministries, also known as Coral Ridge Ministries Media Inc. for its stand against LGBT practices.

I believe that we should be for the competition of ideas instead of trying to ban or stop an idea by labeling an organization a hate group. Share your ideas on moral issues and let people decide. Give people a choice and that is why I am going to show why you can believe that the Bible is relevant today. It is the responsibility

of the parents and the church to teach Bible truths and equip the children for life. Our children need a proper biblical foundation to compete in the arena of ideas about the purpose of life, the Bible and its relevance in our society and the eternal life of mankind.

There is a fundamental reason why the world wants to eliminate the Bible from public life. According to the Bible every person is born with a sin nature and naturally wants to disobey any moral law or at least reduce or eliminate any restrictions. Some even believe that any moral restriction is an attack of their freedom of expression. However, many do not realize that this is a subjective outlook because my freedom of expression could be completely opposed to your idea of freedom of expression. So, who sets the standards? Is it the church? Is it the rich and powerful? Is it the political elite or the consensus of the regular people? This is a fundamental purpose of the law, to set an objective standard for the society.

What most of us fail to understand or remember is that the foundations of our laws in America were the Bible and English Common Law. And what was the root of English Common Law? The Bible of course. So, the Bible is at the root of all our laws. Yet in our society in 2019 our educational, political and civil systems are bombarded with calls to remove the Bible from everything. It is like uprooting your foundation. How do you uproot and overturn your foundation without any consequences? And where do you think it will eventually lead? Obviously chaos and eventually "every man for himself." The book of Judges in the Bible gives us many examples of what happens in society when everyone thinks that their personal rights and viewpoint is the sole measuring yardstick. Yes, you guessed it – chaos in society. The famous sentence in the book of Judges is – "And everyone did what was right in his own eyes". This breeds selfishness and pride. This outlook brings division and social disruption in our society. We see this scenario playing out every day in our politics in 2019. When will we learn?

As I have been saying, most people want to live as they feel without any moral standards or restrictions and without any accountability. Every individual believes that their personal moral standard is best. Their motto is - whatever feels good do it or just do you. However, for Christians, the Bible provides an objective standard outside of human reasoning, human intellect or human bias.

Unfortunately, this continuous attack on the Bible and its relevance is affecting Christians in that too many of us are not able to effectively explain why we believe the Bible to others as we should. We must be able to explain what we believe and why we believe what we believe in a winning manner. We find it easier to distribute Christian tracts and share bible verses on social media than defending the foundations of our belief. If I were to ask most Christians, why they believe the Bible I think I know how many of us Christians will respond. Two of the top five answers most likely answers will be

1. I believe the Bible because that is the way I was brought up

2. I believe the Bible because I tried it and it works for me

While these answers are good and reasonable, they do not justify nor confirm that the Bible is true, relevant today or reliable. What am I saying? They way we were brought up or our experience does not confirm the authority of the Bible. What am I saying? While our testimony of the way we grew up or how our belief provides the foundation for how we live, this cannot prove the authority of the Bible. The authority of the Bible must be independent of how we feel, independent of our experiences or independent of how we were raised. Now remember Christians are about sharing the gospel with unbelievers to win them to Christ.

Reason 1: I believe the Bible because that is the way I was brought up.

What about people who were brought up to believe another book? another philosophy or another religion? They are justified in their belief and their religious book has just as much authority as the Bible. In addition, you know that some of the things you were taught by your parents and guardians turned out not to be correct or true. So, the authority of the Bible cannot be based on the way you were brought up because your parents and guardians will make errors.

Reason 2: I believe the Bible because I tried it and it works in my life

Now what about the person who tried the Wicca religion? Or voodoo? Or a palm reader? Or obeah? And it works for them. Why should they listen to your Bible?

What do you say if someone asks - How to do you know the Bible is true or accurate? The point is that the Bible must be independent of how you feel or your experience. I know that truth can be hard on Christians, but we must be forthright and strategic about how we explain what we believe and why we believe the Bible. The souls of non-believers are at stake.

We live in a modern world where young people have access to a lot of information and they question everything. We must be equipped to show the reliability and truth of the Bible.

During my research I came across the writings of Dr. Voddie Baucham currently the Dean of the Seminary at African Christian University (ACU) in Lusaka, Zambia. I believe that his rendition of Why Christians Can Choose to Believe the Bible is one of the best methods we can use to share the Bible and Christ with non-believers. He wrote:

The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses, who reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies, and claim that their writings are of divine and not human in origin.

Let me repeat that for you. The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses, who reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies, and claim that their writings are of divine and not human in origin

I am going to go through this definition step by step to help us build up our ability to defend our faith in the Bible.

Let me assure you that every Christian can understand this, can do this, can build their confidence when sharing the gospel of Christ.

The apostle Peter wrote the following in I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

This verse is saying that it is important to know what you believe and why you believe it, so you can give clear, simple and effective reasons for your faith, so you can win others to Christ. All Christians must be ready to give a reasonable defense of their faith without an argument but in a calm, peaceful manner.

Generally, people have the idea that anyone who believes the Bible is narrow-minded, "coo coo", even weird. Some would even ask - How could take that old book literally? Even when archaeology proves the truth of the Bible events to be accurate, many people would not accept that proof. Their response generally is to ignore the proof and bring up another question. Obviously, such people are not interested in truth, they just want to prove the Bible wrong or irrelevant in today’s society. We are not here to prove the Bible just to show why you can believe the Bible. Personally, I believe that the Bible is the law and constitution of the Kingdom of God and the Bible is the highest authority

#1. The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents

First, the Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents. We are saying that it is reliable, it is a collection and it is historical. All these three points are important because this demonstrates why the Bible is different from all other religious and ancient books.

The Bible was written on three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe. It was written in three languages, Hebrew, Greek and some Aramaic. It contains 66 different books written by over 40 authors from many different walks of life – kings, shepherds, reformed killers, warriors, tax collectors, fishermen, historians and lawyers. These are 40 authentic authors who heard from God and inspired by the Holy Spirit. It's not one person who claims to hear from God and wants everyone else to believe him. The time span between the time the authors wrote the Bible was over 1,500 years. Imagine the time between when the first book was written, and the last book was over 1,500 years yet all the parts fit together into one book with one message – the restoration of the kingdom of God which Adam lost due to disobedience in the garden of Eden. Now that’s a collection. Today you can hardly get four eye-witnesses in a courtroom to give the same testimony about an incident. Imagine 1,500 years with consistency and no contradiction! That is the true definition of a collection.

The Bible is different from other ancient religious or secular books. It is not one author who says he heard from God and so people should follow him. The difference between the Bible and other holy books, is most holy books have one author who states he received a message from a god, an angel or nature. The Bible with 40 authors with the same message over 1,500 years is reliable. Compared to the Bible with 40 authors within 1,500 years, other ancient books are not as reliable.

The Bible is filled with names, dates, places and events. There are over 25,000 archaeological digs relating to the subject matters reported in the Bible. None has contradicted the Bible, and most have affirmed the scriptures. No other ancient books comes close.

Many times, you see front page news about some archaeologist who claim that he/she found an artifact that proves the Bible untrue. We always read these claims on the front page of newspapers and magazines or breaking news on television. However, when further investigation proves their claims to be false, it is rarely reported on the front pages. It is usually hidden in some obscure page. Like I said before, people are constantly trying to find errors in the Bible but when they are given the truth their response is typically to look for another error. They never say, "You know maybe I was wrong about that claim". The typical response is But what about this or what about that. The truth is people are not interested in the truth of the Bible, they are interested in justifying their own preconceived ideas about the Bible.

False Claims #1 There was error in translation

The Bible is not like a rumor – one person tells another who tells another so by the time we get to the 8th person, the original information is lost. The Bible is sourced from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic manuscripts which can be tested. All copies and translations are from the same source, compared and verified. Look at this chart which provides a typical demonstration of how the books of the Bible were copied

This generic example is about the Apostle Paul who wrote the book of Romans. In ancient times skilled copiers called scribes copied the original manuscripts of the writer. There were usually 8 to 12 scribes who copied the book. Then there would be a comparison between the copies and the original. If one scribe made an error, all the copies were destroyed, and the scribes would repeat the process until all the copies were accurate. This is how the integrity and reliability of the Bible was preserved. Archaeological artifacts bear this out.

False Claims #2 Men wrote the Bible

We can compare the source manuscripts of the Bible and some of the ancient books found in colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning. The ancient writings of Aristotle and Socrates, the writings of Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars and the Homer’s classic Greek poem, the Iliad, are recognized as some of the pinnacle writings of the ancient world and these writings are central to the foundations of Western civilization and thought. We will compare the Bible to these writings.

We have documentation for the New Testament as early as AD 50 to 120 years of the writing of the original manuscripts. The New Testament has over 6,000 manuscripts. Aristotle's poetry has about 12 manuscripts with earliest manuscripts written about 1,000 years after they were written. Julius Caesar Gallic Wars has less than 12 manuscripts and are about 1,000 years after the originals. Homer’s Iliad has about 640 manuscripts, the earliest being about 2,150 years after the original. There are zero, yes it's not a mistake, zero manuscripts about Socrates and Alexander the Great, yet no one doubts that the authenticity of existence of them as real people!

Let me show you a chart which will demonstrate what I just wrote:

Here is a comparison of source manuscripts of the bible and other ancient books. The New Testament has over 6,000 manuscripts authenticated today which many scholars can corroborate, Aristotle 12 manuscripts, Julius Caesar 12 manuscripts, Homer’s Iliad 640 manuscripts and Socrates 0, (yes 0).The comparison is explosive. 6,000 verses 640, 6,000 vs 12. This is laughable yet many professors in universities still claim the Bible is out dated but the teach about the reliability of Julius Caesar, the ancient Greek philosophers and even Alexander the Great. This is educational hijacking on the highest order and poor scholarship. The Bible has more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts and more reliable manuscripts than all other ancient books in our colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning. It is a no contest.

If the Bible is not considered trustworthy then there is no ancient document or book in the world today in any institution of higher learning that is trustworthy.

This is Part 1 in answering the question Do we still need the Bible today? We demonstrated that the Bible is a reliable historical book and more reliable and more accurate than all the ancient books in the colleges and universities in Western countries. I hope that the truths I shared will give you additional confidence in explaining why you can choose to believe the Bible and it is relevance today. The next time in Part 2, I will look at the three other truths about the Bible.

The Bible was written by eyewitnesses, during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses.
The writers reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophesies. The writers claim that their writings are of Divine and not human in origin

Please share this information with others, your family and friends. We want to see improvement in our lives, the lives of our young people and in our communities. You can reach us with your comments, your ideas and your suggestions by sending an email to hadtrt@gmail.com . We would like to hear from you.

And remember that you always need to Hear and Do The Right Thing. Knowledge is powerful, but the wisdom of God is the principal thing.

African Church Father and the Trinity by Samuel H Johnson

2019-03-21T19:52:00.001-04:00

Athanasian Creed Synopsis

Athanasius of Alexandria was one of the African Church Fathers who lived at the

time of Roman emperor Constantine. He included a treatise of the Trinity in his Athanasian Creed. This Creed is one of the best explanation of the Holy Trinity. It exposes two false doctrines about the Trinity.

The first is Arianism - the belief that Jesus is not God but a created being and not coeternal with the Father.

The second is Sabellianism or Modalism. They believe in transition and not separate persons of the Godhead. So the Father became the Son who became the Holy Spirit. The tip-off for false doctrine is when they say "The Father in creation, the Son in redemption and the Holy Spirit in sanctification” In these last days, Christians must be able to defend the Bible and expose false christs.

Here is a synopsis of the Creed: (Please read more than once)

"Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the global faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the global faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost.

The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

"The Father is God, The Son is God, The Holy Spirit is God; God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit; The Father is not the Son, The Son is not the Father, The Father is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Father, The Son is not the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not the Son.

That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord"

Personally this definition has helped me tremendously in understanding the Trinity, which cannot be understood by human reasoning. The central issue is Jesus where critics want to make Him just a prophet, a good person or a great teacher. Their main problem is that Jesus is God. So beware of false teachers, especially those who want to minimize Jesus. As Jesus said on many occasions, "I and the Father are one"

* Image source - ntcanon.org

Christians Tolerate Racism? by Samuel H Johnson

2018-03-20T12:38:00.001-04:00

Jesus says to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves, (see Deut. 6:4-6; Matt 22:37-41; Mark 12: 29-31, Luke 10:27).

Yet I am actually appalled that some Christians and some denominations are very active and in an uproar against abortion and same sex “marriage” BUT are silent about that demonic spirit of racism in our nation. They don’t seem to understand that this demonic spirit is a massive force to whose goal is to destroy the American experiment.

I have heard the excuses from some leading pastors that racism is a social matter and Jesus was not a social reformer. Others try to excuse the perpetrators saying that no one is perfect or “let’s pray for them” However you cannot have real social changes unless there is real change in the heart. It’s only Christ who can create a new heart.

The fight against racism by the church cannot be left to the “black church” and a few “white churches”. It’s sad that we still have to say “Black Chuch” and “White Church” in 2018 and maybe we should eliminate these terms from our conversation. I am speaking to the Body of Christ and not to the secular society. The church must stand as one body against this evil. When are we going to learn the lessons of Dr Martin Luther King?

The bottom line is Christians MUST stand against all sin. Jesus wept because He loved Lazarus who died and He is probably weeping because we Christians can’t be consistent about His Word.

It Takes Strength and Courage to Do the Right Thing by Samuel H Johnson

2018-02-21T21:35:00.001-05:00

Hear and Do the Right Thing is founded on the scripture in the Book of James 1:22 which says, But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

We live in a world today with huge amounts of information and knowledge about many subjects ranging from religion, education, science, lifestyles, social media, health and family. But despite the availability of knowledge, many people are still searching for their purpose in life.

I believe that the key to this endeavor is applying the knowledge you have gained to your everyday life - hence the title of the show Hear and Do the Right Thing includes not only hearing but doing the right thing. It is not only important to have information, or to have knowledge; but the key to living and fulfilling your purpose is how you apply that knowledge. In other words, we need wisdom, which is the application the knowledge we have gained in life.

Hearing the right thing means you must search for the truth in every endeavor. Sometimes seeking the truth can be challenging and may even offend others. Also, you can hear and discover the truth but still not do the right thing. You and I must learn to do the right thing, because it is right. Basic common things are not respected as much anymore. There is nothing wrong with being polite, kind, courteous, saying good morning to someone. Having good manners does not make you a wimp. Sometimes it takes mental strength to be kind to a rude arrogant person. Doing the right thing is actually strength of character. We don’t do the right thing to please others or to be popular. In fact, popularity does not always come with doing the right thing, so, don’t expect that a lot of people will like you if you pursue the truth and do right. Why? Because most people don’t want to be accountable to anyone. They want to do whatever their hearts desire, whatever feels good do it. We are in these times now which were prophesied by the Bible over 2,000 years ago.

2 Timothy 3 verse 1 to 5 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people

So, hearing and doing the right thing will not be easy but we need people of character and truth to do the right thing in society. We will make errors and fall sometimes but we must continue to strive to do the right thing.

I am dedicated to sharing information and knowledge on various topics which may help us to determine our true purpose in life, so we can make a valuable contribution to our families and society.

First, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Samuel Johnson and I’m a minister of the gospel and I am a member of the Rugby Deliverance Tabernacle church in Brooklyn NY and the senior pastor is Archbishop Sidley Mullings. My college background is an undergraduate in engineering, then a graduate degree in business administration and now I am pursuing education in Christian Apologetics and Theology which is designed to help me as a promoter and defender of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I discovered that education without Jesus is empty. I have been a Christian since 1998 but my path to Christianity was a radical one. I grew up in a typical Christian household and family tradition where church attendance and Sunday school were required. You never questioned your parents nor your grandparents. You just went to church, but I couldn’t say that I understood much about the Bible or what it meant to be a Christian.

My time in college transformed me into an atheist, I did not believe in God. If fact, I challenged Christians with science and I thought Christians were weird people who believed in a God which you cannot see or touch. I thought Christianity was a white man’s religion, but I never really studied the Bible. However, I joined my church, through a business partner who is a Christian. It was there I heard the gospel and began to read and study the Bible for the first time. I received information and knowledge about the scriptures, which caused a real change in me. My life experience demonstrated that through knowledge and understanding, the wisdom of God can change us. Now I can say I have a biblical worldview about life, science, technology, religion, marriage, race – in short, every area of life. Every person has a foundation or worldview through which they view and interpret society. I respect other people’s worldview but my foundation and worldview is biblical.

Many of the topics that I will address on this show will come from a biblical perspective because I operate from a biblical worldview. I am aware that many people have problems with the Bible, it’s authenticity, reliability and truths. I will deal with such issues in ways that is not the normal way. I am always questioning things – enquiring minds want to know.

One of my greatest concerns is the future of the next generation of our country. I am especially thinking of Christian youth in junior high, high school and college. Are we preparing them to lead the next generation of Christians? I had many questions as a youth and had difficulty in finding the truth about Christianity, the Bible, and evolution.

We know of many studies done about young people and Christianity show that our youth are abandoning the church more than 70% of the time. There may be some church leaders who don’t pay enough attention to this but the results of many studies and life experience clearly demonstrate this trend. The implications of this trend are troubling. What can the church do? What is the role of the church leaders, the family in this effort to slow down and reverse this trend?

I want to identify a few studies which show this disturbing trend.

The Barna Group in association with USA Today in 2007

70-75% of Christian youth leave the church after high school

Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers

By Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, Oxford University Press, 2005

1 The majority of teenagers are unable to explain their faith, religious beliefs and practices, and its place in their lives

2 The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself

3 God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem

4 Good people go to heaven when they die.

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change By Barbara A. Lewis, Free Spirit Publishing, 2007

More teens are embracing a nebulous belief in God in which they combine the beliefs of several different religions

The State of Theology by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research (2015)

Christian young people between the ages of 18 and 34 consistently held heretical views at a higher percentage than older respondents. In other words, their views were contrary to bible doctrines in scripture.

Let’s look at Our society as a whole

America’s Changing Religious Landscape by Pew Research Center (2015)

“The percentage of adults, ages 18 and older, who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4% in an equally massive Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6% in 2014. Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular has jumped more than six points, from 16.1% to 22.8%.

Christians dropped 8 points in 7 years while unbelievers increase 6 points in the same 7 years.

This trend is worse in Canada and Western Europe. All these alarming numbers means that the churches are losing the youth, and this is not acceptable. Christians must make a stronger effort to teach basic Bible doctrine and truths in clearer ways, taking note of all the unbiblical things they learn in school and the general media.

Some of the reasons for leaving the church given by young people:

1. They left because they had troubling, unanswered questions about the faith.
2. They left because their faith was not “working” for them.
3. They left because they allowed other things to take priority.
4. They left because they never personally owned their faith.

This trend indicates that young people are more religious during their early teen years, and their numbers decline as teens grow older towards adulthood. Church attendance also drops during the teen and young adult years.

Now these are some of the reasons for my passion to share truths and address issues from a biblical worldview. No topic is off the table – science, relationships, dating, history, education, crime or business. I am of the firm belief that the foundational doctrines in the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis is critical to the gospel of Christ in defending the faith of skeptical young people against the modern theories of science and evolution.

We in the church and Christians globally have a challenge ahead because we need to stop or slow down this trend leaving the church. We know that the rate at which churches are closed in America is increasing. We need to preach and teach the gospel with a renewed passion to win souls for the Kingdom of God. No topic must be ignored. All of us need to teach and share the truth of the biblical worldview more consistently.

Hear and Do the Right Thing - webshow

2018-01-03T23:33:00.002-05:00

The new show Hear and Do the Right Thing will be launched early 2018.

Watch out for it.

Now Hear and Do the Right Thing is a challenge for most people. The show will address the hard topics of life from a biblical perspective.

We don’t do the right thing to please others or to be popular. In fact, popularity does not always come with doing the right thing; so, don’t expect that a lot of people will like you if you pursue the truth on do right. Why? Because most people don’t want to be accountable to anyone. They want to do whatever their hearts desire.

So watch out for the show. Coming soon

The Two Judgments by Samuel H Johnson

2017-11-25T12:49:00.001-05:00

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” - Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

Since there is judgment after death then death is not the final event. It’s a transition from redemption to consummation.

Also there are two judgments: The Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.

Depending upon your relationship with Christ every person will be in one judgment or the other.

Psalm 1:5 (KJV) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

There is a judgment for the righteous and a judgment for unbelievers and all who reject Christ. This is a hard thing but we must follow the Word of God. God is love but he must judge sin, rebellion and disobedience. He is holy and His judgment is righteous and just.

The Judgment Seat of Christ: This judgment is for those who are saved, for believers for whom Christ is Lord of their lives.

2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

When were you in the body? – this is when you are on earth, when you are alive. You will receive rewards for what you do for the kingdom of God while you are a Christian. (I Corinthians 3:12-15 NKJV)

There are crowns and rewards at the Judgment Seat – e.g. for sharing the gospel, overcoming temptation, for faithfulness, for developing a Christlike character. For Christians, death should remind you and wake you up – what am I doing for the advancement of the kingdom of God? Is my priority God, family then ministry? We have to always reevaluate our salvation progress.

But there is another judgment – The Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for unbelievers, those who reject Christ. I would not want anyone, friend or foe, to be in this judgment.

Revelation 20:11-14 NKJV “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Here what the Bible says about the finality of this Great White Throne Judgment:

Revelation 21: 8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Now you may be scared after hearing all this about judgment, but there is no need for alarm. There is still good news. The good news is the love of God. You can see from the creation through the fall of man, redemption and consummation God’s love is the overriding factor. He loves all mankind and he desires that all would come to repentance through Jesus Christ. God wants everyone saved.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

You have a choice to make. Respond positively to the call of Jesus Christ and be saved. Christ has already done the work of salvation, you make the choice.

Pulling Down Statues is a Foolish Distraction by Samuel H Johnson

2017-08-22T09:16:00.002-04:00

America is experiencing an increasing flood of hate and anger as we wind down the summer of 2017. Our current president, Donald Trump is at the center of this turmoil with several misguided, divisive and racist statements, especially concerning the ill-advised march and the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. One of the central issues surrounding this upheaval is the increase in decisions by state and city governments to remove the statues of supporters of slavery and segregation from the places of honor in the public square.

However, pulling down statues of slave owners and segregationists is a misguided distraction. It's foolish, overly emotional, divisive and short sighted. These statues are representatives of evil in our nation but can you think of other representations of evil in our society? What about those institutions which quietly and subtly propagate the same racist values but under a more "decent" veneer? Many people and organizations have a political and/or economic agenda in using this division to further their self interests. Others hide their true, hidden racist practice by publicly condemning racism, white supermists, nazism etc, so as to appear ethical. This is how the hidden agenda of satan is promoted. It is important that Christians identify that real enemy - Satan. Evil must be exposed and condemned because it is detrimental to our nation.

We are missing a teachable moment. There is no need to pull down these statues. The wiser option is to place a sculpture and/or plaque next to these statues with the truth about what these individuals represented so our children can learn. Imagine a big visible plaque or sculpture next to General Robert Lee's statue with this:

General Robert Lee: military genius, a supporter of slavery and segregation and a traitor to the idea of the American ideal.

Now that is education, truth and an exposition of evil. Also an artist or sculptor can get a job! So beware and never get distracted by the noise of the moment. Take a look at the big picture and don't fall for the emotional confusion. Remember I Peter 5:8 "Your adversary, the devil' prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"

Pulling down statues is a short-sighted distraction. We must expose evil with wise decisions. Don't fall for the bait.

Arrogance and Pride in Christians? by Samuel H Johnson

2017-07-08T15:04:00.001-04:00

Many of us Christians carry around a pride and arrogance because we are saved and are not like the unbeliever or sinners. We think that we are special because we are saved. We made the decision to follow Christ and others should too we say. We sometimes think that God saw something good in us and that's why he saved us.

But truth be told that is false because there is nothing good in us. God's choice is not based on who we are or what we do or into what family we were born. It's not based on our education, our knowledge of the Bible, our character, wealth, charitable works, eloquence of speech or popularity. There is nothing good in us, not one. We are all born depraved, full of sin and designated for hell.

Scripture says: “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:10-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬. This scripture "tells it like it really is"

God chose us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1), so there is nothing you and I could do to be saved. It's by His grace we are saved.

So we Christians must be humble and grateful that God chose us, that we responded to His call. There was NOTHING good in us. We are no better than the unbelievers or sinners. We are no better than the murderer nor the serial killer or the rapist. It's by God's grace that we are not.

We should be seeking God daily to show us how to share the gospel with others. When we think of our own depravity and sinful nature we should passionately desire the salvation of everyone we meet. So stop the arrogance and destroy the pride. We need to be humble and seek the will of God, the love of Christ and the direction of the Holy Spirit.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

‭‭- Romans‬ ‭3:23

Arrogance and Pride are deadly

How is the Condition of Your Heart ? by Samuel H Johnson

2017-06-06T09:07:00.003-04:00

Heart Condition

Hello Christians how is your heart? Can we say that our heart is getting more and more sincere towards God and people? So now that we are saved, are we transforming daily to be more and more like Christ?

How much time are we spending in the Word and prayer? Are we caught up with the things that are popular in this world? Are we indulging in "secret sins" by ignoring the warnings of the Holy Spirit? Is Facebook, Whatsapp, Snapchat etc. our way to be involved in inappropriate and sinful communications, pictures and videos that dishonor God? Are we spending time in the scriptures that we share on social media everyday?

I believe that we really need to reevaluate how the Internet and social media has opened vast opportunities to indulge in sin. I know the modern Information Age has indeed opened more ways to spread the gospel of Christ. How are you using it Christians? We all need a heart check. The Bible says that we have to give account for every single idle word we express.

Sin is a heart killer and dulls our hearing and sensitivity to the voice of God. We need a heart that is sensitive to the voice of God. We all need to answer the question - How is the condition our heart?

Black American Experience of Racism is an insult to Jesus Christ by Samuel H Johnson

2017-01-18T19:07:00.001-05:00

The Black experience has been one of chattel slavery, rebellion against slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, sabotage of Reconstruction, Jim Crow, lynchings, segregation, civil rights, unbelievable courage, boldness and sacrifice, less pay in many instances even when more qualified and the audacity for many to hurl personal insults to President Obama because he is black while "leaders" stayed silent. There is nothing wrong with disagreement but why the venom?

The big lie from the justification of slavery is still in effect that "Blacks are lazy and depend on government."

I have heard even some Christian pastors imply all the time that blacks vote people into office to get free stuff (i.e. welfare, Medicaid etc). Are we to ignore the rich and powerful who donate to (i.e. buy/bribe) politicians to get things done for PROFIT. You get the truth when you follow the money in our system.

What are the facts since Blacks landed in America? Let's look at the work experience:

1619 to 1865 No Pay - 246 years
1865 to 1964 Low Pay - 99 years
1964 to 2016 Unequal Pay - 52 years

Imagine almost 400 YEARS (397 actually) of free labor and pay inequality for black people in America and yet many say affirmative action is reverse discrimination and if blacks would just work hard they will get ahead. The majority of them work hard but the system is rigged and needs fixing. The fixes of the past was progress but we are a far way from the true America.This racism is demonic and comes from the pit of hell.

I call on all Christians to root out this demon of racism from their hearts, their homes, their families, their churches and their communities. Stop being silent- it's an insult to Jesus Christ.

I call on government leaders at all levels to execute real justice. The book of Romans (chapter 13) says that it is God who allowed you your office because you are His ministers to do good. Stop caving into to the money changers. You must stand with boldness and integrity so the wicked will fear you.

America, God will execute justice unexpectedly and harshly unless we change and those He allowed to do justice will do their jobs. There is work to be done. We will either sink or rise together.

Romans 13

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:3-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
http://bible.com/114/rom.13.3-6.nkjv

Keeping Christ in Christmas by Samuel H Johnson

2016-12-16T10:26:00.004-05:00

In December, we are celebrating the birth of Christ. However, Christians are celebrating more than Christmas; Why? Because Christmas has both spiritual and social connotations. Similarly, we do not celebrate Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. However, we see that society, the world out there, is always interfering and trying to redefine what Christians should believe and celebrate. In our society, today, the world has problems with the word Christmas.

Why? Because they have a problem with the Christ is in Christmas. First, they changed Christmas to Xmas and now Christ is completely out and we now have “Season’s’ Greetings and “Happy Holidays” and the general greeting. Some people may say that “it makes no difference – Christmas or Xmas” But this matters to Christians. Christ is not an “X”. He is incomparable, indescribable, and immutable. Christ is God. There is no Christmas without Christ.

What we must understand is that satan’s agenda is strategic and long term. His plan is to remove Christ from everything and he uses people to implement his aim. We must always nip every anti-Christ idea as soon as it appears and not let it slide. Why? Because false ideas will grow into monsters which will becomes more difficult to stop or expelled. Christians must be vigilant to ensure that our celebrations must be consistent with scriptures because we believe in the authority of the Bible. This requires that we know which traditions are inconsistent with Christmas.

2 Timothy 2:15 reminds us “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.

Rightly dividing the scriptures and not giving traditions more authority helps us keep Christ in Christmas.

Christ is the reason for Christmas because his birth was prophesied 4,000 years before it occurred, he was born of a virgin, his deity and humanity was prophesied and he was recognized as a king at his birth.

This first prophesy of Christ’s coming to restore the kingdom lost by Adam is in the Bible.

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

That Seed is Jesus. We know that women do not have a seed - the seed comes from the man and the egg from the woman. We know that the seed will not come from the man but from the Holy Spirit.

Now per the medical profession, the mother's blood does not normally mix with the baby's blood during the pregnancy, unless there has been a medical invasive procedure (such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling) or bleeding. During delivery, however, there is a good chance that some of the baby's blood cells may enter the mother's bloodstream. God’s design the human anatomy is just fantastic and this could never happen by evolution. Why is this important? Because humanity’s original parents Adam and Eve had the sin nature, (they were tempted by satan and disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden by eating the fruit of the tree of good and evil), which is passed on to all humans.

It is important to understand the role of blood. The blood contains life. Both Adam and Eve had the sin nature and if Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary, then Jesus would also have the sin nature. Jesus had to be pure to die for the sins of humanity. Isn’t God great? The more you study the Bible the more you can find science and biology. Christ is the reason for Christmas.

Prophesy of the virgin birth found in:

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Why was Jesus born of a woman? God made Adam fully grown and He could have done the same. The reason is that Jesus can be completely identified with humanity and fulfill all prophecies.

Christ deity, humanity and kingship were prophesied in:

Isaiah 9: 6-7 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

A child is born identifies His humanity; A Son is given identifies His divinity, Titles emphasizes the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)

We find the confirmation of the prophecies concerning the birth of Christ in the early chapters of the books of Matthew and Luke. These accounts of the birth and childhood of Jesus show us where some of our traditions do not line up with scriptures. We must be aware of them to keep Jesus in Christmas. When we look at Christmas cards, nativity scenes, even Christmas pageants, we will see whether they line up with scriptures. While the world may do what they want, we Christians must be consistent with the Bible because it is the foundation for truth.

Matthew confirms that:

Mary was a virgin (Matt 1:18 - 21)
Wise men came from the East in recognition of the birth of a king. The Bible does not indicate how many wise men were in the group (Matt 2: 1)
The wise men were looking for a young child and not a babe (Matt 2:8-11, 16 - 18)
The wise men saw Jesus in the house and not in the manger (Matt 2:11)
The wise men gave three types of gifts – Gold (a symbol of royalty), Frankincense (a symbol of worship and sacrifice), and Myrrh (a symbol of embalming, bitterness, suffering, and affliction)

Luke confirms that:

Jesus was a real historical person in the time of Roman leader Caesar Augustus and Syrian governor Cyrenius (Luke 2: 1 - 2)
Jesus was the babe in a manger (Luke 2:12)
Shepherds came and saw the babe in the manger (Luke 2:16)

So, we know many things:

The birth of Jesus was prophesied in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 3
We know that all the prophecies made by the Old Testament prophets concerning the birth of Christ were fulfilled
We know that Jesus was born in a manger. We know shepherds and animals saw Jesus as a baby in the manger
We know that the wise men saw Jesus as a young child about 2 years old in a house.
The shepherds and the wise men did not see each other.

So, when we have our Christmas cards, nativity scenes and pageants we must convey the truth. Santa and the reindeers were not in the manger but they have their place in the social aspect of the Christmas season. Some people will object that a Christian may use Santa in their Christmas decorations.

But consider all the pagan things we use in everyday life – clothes made by pagans and unbelievers, food produced by unbelievers, Saturday is named after the pagan god Saturn etc. We know the truth and must put things in perspective. But the real reason for Christmas was, is and will always be Jesus Christ.

The real Christmas story is the event of God becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why would God do this thing? Because He loves us! Why was the birth of Jesus necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love Himself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

The true meaning of Christmas is God loved His own and provided the only Way for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that gift of love.

"But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

America is in the Empire Trap by Samuel H Johnson

2016-07-19T13:07:00.001-04:00

America is falling apart like the great empires of history. One of the contributing factors is an overabundance of poor and prideful leadership.

In Job 12; 24-25, God spoke through Job about disobedient leaders - "He takes away the understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth, And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness. They grope in the dark without light, And He makes them stagger like a drunken man"

This is America in 2016. Too many of our leaders have a blindness over them that they cannot seem to be honorable statesmen putting the needs of the country above their lust for money and power. They justify and defend lies and wrongdoing of mostly the rich, the influential and the powerful but toss the poor and lowly into bondage or prison for the smallest offences. They toss aside integrity and principles for the sake of power and influence. These are leaders in every area of society - politics, business, entertainment even the church.

This message is to those who fit this category and to warn others to expose, stay away from or find better replacement for them. So

To politicians - it is God who give you the authority to enforce true justice because you are His ministers (Romans 13:1-4)

To business leaders - it is God who gave you life and the talent to conduct business, so do it with integrity (John 2:14-16; 1 Timothy 6:9-10)

To church leaders - it is God who gave you the ministry gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors/teachers to equip and edify the saints for ministering to people and conforming to Christ character. Stop compromising the scriptures for worldly desires and giving Christianity and the name of Christ a bad name among the society. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Satan and the kingdom of darkness has has indeed blinded too many of our leaders. When a nation abandons God and makes sin and idolatry normal, the consequences are what we see around us. It is indeed the time for more principled leaders to stand up and be counted worthy of truth, honesty and integrity. Principled and honest leaders be encouraged and stand firm. God loves the world and He wants the world to repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 (NKJV) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God also loves America but He is looking for America to repent and return to Him.

Corrupt Speech by Samuel H Johnson

2016-07-10T00:06:00.001-04:00

This excerpt from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator is such a powerful piece on corrupt speech that I felt the urge to share it. It servis a warning to Christians and unbelievers alike.

Corrupt Speech (Romans 3:13-14) As Thomas Schreiner notes, "The universal dimension of sin is nowhere more evident than [in] human speech." The evil in a person's heart inevitably comes out in a person's speech. Here Paul, (the writer of the book of Romans), drew upon Psalms 5:9, 140:3 and 10:7 to picture this aspect of human depravity. The comparison of people's throats to an open sepulchre or grave, likens their speech to the stench of decay. Although it may not always be evident, their speech flows from an unclean heart and has a corrupting effect on others.

The tongues of sinners are purposely used to deceive others. Flattery and lies are crafted to lead people astray and promote self-interest. Their speech is pictured as the deadly venom of asps or vipers, spiritually poisoning people with their words.

Finally borrowing from Psalms 10:7, Paul describes their mouths as "full of cursing and bitterness." (Romans 3:14). It is not just on rare occasions that they spew forth curses and evil words; their mouths are filled with such speech.

A clean heart is the key to clean speech (Matthew 12:34-35). Yet even believers find it hard to break sinful habits; and unwholesome and evil communication can come out in an instant. Our tongue is perhaps the most deadly weapon any of us will ever wield. Undoubtedly, this is why the Bible has so much to say about controlling our speech. By so doing, we become a source of blessing rather than destruction, and we save ourselves much grief.

Source: Bible Expositor and Illuminator, Summer Quarter 2016, Published by Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, Ohio. page 77

GOD DOES NOT NEED US by Samuel H Johnson

2016-06-08T11:17:00.005-04:00

Why do men give in to compromise when their reputation, position or personal gain is threatened by truth and integrity? Why is it so difficult in these days to find leaders of good character? We see this lack in politics, business, entertainment and even religion in society today. It is an indication that people are willing to do anything to gain power and success. It may explain what has happened in the 2016 Presidential elections in America and the moral decline in our nation. Too many leaders find it hard to condemn politicians who use hatred and bigotry to advance their political ambition. Some leaders sit quietly when others promote abominable behavior as the norm in our society. Even some Christian leaders are unwilling to speak boldly and publicly against the legalization of sinful practice - for fear of losing their 501 (3)c status? When morality declines in any society - economic and social decline follows. The decline in the character of leadership is indeed a warning sign. While many leaders are standing firm, we need more leaders to stand up for truth and integrity, because the true leaders are under severe attacks.

What is going on? I believe a key reason is that too many leaders trust themselves more than they trust God. They trust their education and experience more than they trust God. Even Christians leaders in this category trust their own experience more than trusting the Holy Spirit. It is time for people to demand more integrity from their leaders. Leaders who fear truth and lack integrity are actually saying that they don't need God. But God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. In other words, God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is everywhere at the same time. As the prophet Isaiah says "God knows the end of a thing at its beginning" (Isa 46:9-10). And God is not a respecter of persons. He will bypass our education, our experience, our money, our knowledge to get what he wants done on earth. God does not need us.

Did not Paul say in I Corinthians 1 that God confounds the wise and the strong of this world by using the simple and weak? God does not need you or me to get things done. I know it is hard on our pride to hear that God does not need us. He has no needs because HE is God. He can use anybody when he wants, where He wants and how He wants. He does not ask our permission to get things done. He does not have to consult with any type of leader to use an individual to complete a task. God does not need you and I, we need God. So it is high time that leaders humble themselves before God, seek His face and do whatever He shows them regardless of the consequences. He knows the end so we must put our trust in Him and not in our own strength, position, title or experience.

Without God we can't breathe a breath of oxygen; without Him we can't walk or sleep, Without Him we can't read or sing; without Him we can't truly love our family, our enemies or feed the dog. We need Him and we need Him all the time. So every leader and every person must stop boasting about their education and money, their experience and charisma, their social connections or position. We could not get any of it if God did not keep us alive and brought some of us through some mind blowing dangers and situations which should have caused us to go crazy, put us in the mental institution or even killed us. We need God. I heard some preachers say that God needs a man to get anything done on the earth. That's not what my Bible says. I read in the Book of Acts 12 where God sent sent the angel of the Lord to destroy King Herod who blasphemed the name of God. He did not use a man. So never feel that God needs you and I. He does not need us. So let us humble ourselves because we need God.