Single Christians Blog

Praise through the Pain - Walk In The Word

2013-05-28T22:25:00.001-04:00

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
—Romans 5:1-5

You really can praise God through intense pain. I know because it happened to me. I never thought I would be able to praise the Lord while uncontrollably weeping on a hospital bathroom floor, but I did. On July 23, 2012 my wife and I lost our daughter after 20 weeks of pregnancy. By God’s grace we were able to hold our sweet Hope while experiencing His love in ways we never imagined. Though we knew God was sovereign over the whole situation, our hearts were deeply hurt, and we learned to praise through the pain.

Do you remember a pain that left you weak and motionless when its incalculable weight upon you seemed to say there was no way through it? Here’s the truth; God provides a way: we rejoice in our sufferings. This is not a cold rejoicing that says swallow hard, move on, and white-knuckle your way through the pain. This rejoicing is the result of the love of God shining in your darkest hour.

You see, God compassionately gives us a gift that takes the weight of the pain and transfers it to the beauty and strength of His glory. What is this gift? Christlikeness. In the agony we experience we are given the endurance Christ had on His way to the cross, the character Christ had on the cross, and the hope Christ gave through the cross. And this hope does not put us to shame, because Christ despised the shame (Heb. 12:2), and so should we. For hope in Christ despises sin, and its effects, by declaring it has no hold on us because we are gripped by the loving hand of God.

We can praise through pain because Christ endured the greatest of pain so we can experience God’s love in our darkest hour. God pours His pure, undefiled, spirit-filled love into our hearts, because that is where it hurts the most. Our minds can be focused, we can think about other things, but our hearts will still be pained. How good of God to show the depth of His love for us in the depths of our pain.

Whether we are living through the most painful moment of our lives, or know that pain is coming, may we be comforted knowing though the wounds of this world may cut deep, the love of the Lord goes deeper. May we praise through the pain knowing, with full assurance, the comforting hand of God is using the tragedy of today for the triumph of tomorrow.

courtesy - John Cox - Senior Pastor - Harvest Carson Tahoe, Nevada for Walk In The Word

America's Forefathers were Absolutely Christian!

2012-01-13T23:14:00.001-05:00

I just googled America's Forefathers to do some research on our history and found all kinds of garbage websites saying, "America's Forefathers were not Christian". They infested the entire first page of results! This is astounding to me!

It's not astounding that there are "lost souls" pulling for the wrong team, as many perverted and ignorant people do in so many ways in life, but I'm astounded because I just read an outstanding article on this exact topic last night by Dave Meyer, of Joyce Meyer Ministries of. The ministry's website is online at JoyceMeyer.org.

In fact, Dave did such an outstanding job with his article entitled, "Reclaiming Our Nation's Heritage" that I am going to retype it in this space for your enjoyment, so THIS IS A REPRINT OF "Reclaiming Our Nations Heritage", by Dave Meyer, found in an undated paperback edition of Enjoying Everyday Live.

Reclaiming Our Nations Heritage, Why You Need to Know Your Past to Help Your Future.

God is at the helm of our nation’s history and has been guiding American from the very beginning. Our Founding Fathers recognized this, and included the Almighty in virtually all of their writings and speeches.

For example, in the declaration of Independence - the foundational document of the United States - God is mentioned four different times. In the final reference to God, the Founders boldly state their "firm reliance on the protection of Devine Providence."

But today, most American's know very little about their Christian heritage. This lack of knowledge has caused the nation to slowly drift away from God. Secular humanism has spread like weeds, and American society is now reaping many negative results from this - the destruction of the sanctity of life and marriage being two examples.

America needs "Divine Providence."

What Exactly Is "Divine Providence"?

According to Webster’s original dictionary of 1828, providence is defined as "the care and superintendence which God exercises on His people. When we look at how providence was defined during that time period, we see that our Founding Fathers were acknowledging a belief that God - the God of the Bible - was guiding them and orchestrating His plans for America and her new form of government behind the scenes.

As our constitutional government took shape, and a new republic was constructed, the Master Craftsman left His fingerprint all over His handiwork. His touch is evident when we study the past by using providential history.

Providential History?

Providential history can be defined as the practice of including God in our historical studies instead of only learning about our past by memorizing dates and events. We must look at history through a biblical lens to see the full picture.

True history involves discerning and understanding God's plans, and recognizing His acts of influence on people and events. If we believe that God is sovereign and he is fulfilling His plan here on earth over the course of time, then as Christians, it is foolhardy not to included God in any form of history, but especially in the history of our Christian nation.

Yet, this is exactly what is taking place. Over the past fifty years or so, our society has become increasingly secular. As a result, most of our children's history books have been stripped of any mention of God. We are not into the second generation of children-the majority of them attending public schools-who are being taught their country's history from a secular humanistic point of view.

This current historical approach chooses to disregard Divine Providence, thus all references to God and the Christian faith are deleted from history textbooks and other forms of teaching. This has led our country to where it is today-a nation of people who have little knowledge of America's Christian heritage. If left unchanged for another generation or so, most Americans will be completely clueless of their nation's godly origins.

A Call to Action

As Woodrow Wilson, the twenty-eighth president of the United States, once said, "A nation which does not know what is is yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about..."But it's not too late for Christians in American to learn their providential history. In fact, it is imperative that more people here in the United States obtain this knowledge if our nation is to remain free.

Learning the providential history of the United States helps us to see how God inspired our Founding Fathers from the very beginning and how, over the course of time, we as a people allowed the religion of secular humanism to creep into tour institutions, enabling the slow erosion of our Christian heritage to the point where, today, most no longer recognize that Christianity is the back bone of our constitution. We must reverse this trend.

Once we know where we’re come from, we will see where we as a nation need to go-in fact, must go - to survive as a free and prosperous country. If Christians, living in a Christian nation, will stop being passive and take more responsibility with their nation’s stewardship, then the course of the United States will be redirected back onto the path of godliness. There is still hope for our culture and our future.

We Need You

As a Christian, it is our responsibility - our duty - to participate in the political process. Together, let's learn as much about our godly heritage as we can so that we can make wise voting decisions.

With the knowledge of providential history combined with God's Word, we will be equipped to recognize those candidates running for office that stand on the principles of our godly heritage. Proverbs 2:6 says, For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

We will be able to look at issues such as stem-cell research, the environment, and taxes form God's perspective-then hold our leaders accountable to uphold and maintain our godly heritage.

DAVE MEYER

is the Vice President of Joyce Meyer Ministries and has been married to Joyce for over forty years. He passionately shares the truth about our rich Christian heritage in conferences nationwide, encouraging people to get educated, pray and take action.

Enjoying everyday life is a publication by Joyce Meyers Ministries and all information contained herein is credited to such.

How To Get Acceptance

2012-01-12T08:10:00.002-05:00

Acceptance, or approval from others is a primal need that all men and women share. It knows no boundaries and reaches across all socioeconmical spectrum's. It applies to people in the back rooms of crack houses, all the way up to the white house and even (much) further up to Heaven. It affects the billions of people in between.

Acceptance knows no boundaries and the thought of how to get acceptance, in every situation, usually permeates the very core of our beings.

It is the reason for life to many. It doesn't matter if you are black, white, brown, yellow, red or pink. It affects, short people, tall people and everyone in between. It crosses all boundaries and is an inherent need that is almost unexplainable. Why does this emotion carry so much weight in the heart of all humans? What is it about acceptance or approval, that makes most people work ourselves to death and betray anyone who threatens our ability to receive it... including ourselves?

To read more about why this part of you exists and how you can learn to use it to benefit your life, read my article entitled, "Me Accept You?" at this link >>

Christian Profession of Faith

2012-01-08T22:01:00.007-05:00

Our Profession of Christian Faith

We are a Protestant Christian Ministry who believes in The Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and that ours is the only God, manifested into three entities that are one. We profess God as the creator of all things natural as set for in The Bible in Genesis1.

We profess that The Holy Bible is the complete word of God and not the complete works of God, spoken through people called Apostles. We believe that God The Spirit who resides outside of time and space sent Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our savior, to the earth to teach man about God’s Intentions for our lives and that we shall find salvation for man’s sin nature – only through Him.

We believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth died to pay for our sin and was resurrected on the third day as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

We believe that we can find not just our salvation but our purpose for life through scripture and a personal relationship of faith with God Almighty.

Considering God and need to know more? Read the Article - Is God real?

by Single Christians Ministries International

Is God real?

2012-01-07T22:14:00.003-05:00

That's a great question! Better yet, that’s "The" question!

It's not rocket science to assume that those before - those before us had parents, so we know that our ancestors were created by something. The first people on earth did not evolve from sand, or a fish or whatever. God combined very specific ingredients of water, energy, nutrients and other cellular properties to form a human in His own likeness, for His own entertainment and reasons. Not exactly like God but similar to Him. His name was Adam, as the Bible clearly tells us. He was unable to reproduce by himself, as an earthly being with many limitations that God does not have, so God created a similar creature that was a female version, called Eve. We are here, so we know that something created those before us, so let's get to exposing the truth!

In John 15:15, Jesus calls us his friend and said that he gave us, as humans, all that he knows about God in scripture. That's the purpose of the Bible, to let you know that there is a divine Creator and a reason that we are all here. It was critical that our creator (God) got that information to our eyes, brain, heart and then spirit. Moreover, it's really important that we find out what it is for each of us because all things work together for the glory of God. A prime indicator that God is real is the Holy Spirit inside each Christian. The Holy Spirit is an almost unexplainable feeling inside, that represents a small portion of the spirit of God himself. It's almost too much for the human mind to comprehend, because it's unbound by worldly limits but we somehow know when we feel it coming to life inside us. The amount of it that is inside you is directly related to how you live your thought life and how much faith you have that the Bible is absolutely true.

I believe that we experience the Holy Spirit often, for some it's daily, whether we recognize it for what it is or not. It usually occurs when we see another person in need, or witness someone living in the spirit themselves, doing what God created them to do. We somehow instinctively know that they are so good at doing whatever it is that they are doing, that watching them do it is incredible and we actually feel it! It's that chill that runs through your whole body, or down your spine when you hear a beautiful song sang fantastically for the first time, or the feeling of complete love in your heart when your child or spouse tells you that they love you at certain times, when you know it's coming from their heart.

How much Holy Spirit you experience depends on what you choose to acknowledge or what you do with the God given free will inside you and your level of Faith. In short, how badly you desire to experience and be closer to God and to live as He designed you to live, will determine how much God you experience. Now let's discover what the Bible tells us about God.

The word "God, Lord or King" appears in The Bible over 14,000 times. A few of those "Kings" are about actual earthly King's but the rest are about God. Is it possible that this book is truly about Him and for us? Could it be that the passages, which says we were created for His enjoyment be true?

I never want anyone to think that I am some Christian Scholar (I can barely spell it) who is giving you my opinion of God from some "High-horse" because of "over education" but it's also important that we don't find ourselves in a situation of analysis paralysis on the topic. Christian Education comes through experience, research, exposure of truth and faith. My question was always "how come he did/didn't______", when I needed Him? I learned that all things work for His glory. I asked questions like, "why do infants die?" and it was revealed to me that His purposes are sometimes beyond my understanding. You know the conversations I'm talking about. I somehow knew all along that I was truly here for something very specific, even though I knew I would never find that without Spiritual Leadership from God, which I had little idea how to receive.

It still consumes my thoughts and desires and I sometimes feel like I can't write this information down fast and accurately enough to keep up with how God is revealing it to me. All I know is that as He reveals His truths about our lives through scripture, research and experience, I get more peace in my soul. Not in a "oh, I just love my sweet little Jesus so much for changing that traffic light so quickly" type of change but a "soul shift" that rocks my world to the core and gives me a new understanding of something that I was previously oblivious to or confused about before. It has changed many things about the person I am today, compared to a decade ago, as He does for so many others who accept and believe in Him and what His word says about how to live life and it has taken my personal views from a point of weakness, or personal gain, to a perspective that it's about Him and not me.

The things that I was used to seeing every day changed. Everything that I felt a given way about somehow shifted in meaning. After a period of time where I was "devastated in a God way" which was happening while God was "cleaning out my heart", I began to notice that my priorities started shifting and I "actually" became a different person who wanted only to do what is right in a given situation, as the Bible states that it is.

I was not born into a "Christian Family" or taught who God is as a child, or of His importance in life, because my parents don't know themselves. As a result, my childhood life was miserable and I thought it was because of "Generational Sin", or "Bad Fruit" as it is described in the Bible but I was deceived! Generational Sin is ignorance and ignorant parents cause ignorant children. That is bad fruit or offspring and it can be overcome by Gods Truth!

Whatever your thoughts on the topic of, "Is God Real" that you may have... I've likely been there in those times of trouble, ignorance or need as I grew up and I assure you, The Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is as real as you are.

Many people perceive God as this "Kid in the sky with a magnifying glass, just waiting to burn us up". They fear Him, not because they are called to - but because He is unknown to them. They do not "get" His ways and are disconnected from their purpose in life. They are not happy, but they sometimes fake it well.

While people searching for the truth about their existence tend to get hung up on the semantics of evolution, compared to the big bang theory, I submit that they are both equally true. Truth is truth, period. There was a big bang and things evolved from there. We know that man evolves for many reasons. Look at what was considered beauty in a woman 100 years ago, compared to now. Or simply because we are now four (4) inches taller than the average man was in the 1800's.

I believe that evolution is an important Blessing from God and it’s needed to maintain his perfect balance in the universe. His perfect balance will be a future message but for now, just know that its there. Examples are: God/Lucifer, Life/Death, Man/Woman, Day/Night, Good/Evil, Offense/Defense, Happy/Sad, etc. You get my point.

God started everything by giving it life and made it specifically to grow itself beyond that. Genesis 1:1 tells us that God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:14-19 tells us that God created time. It even tells which order He created many of those things, including man. He even goes on to tell us how long man is designed to live under the right circumstances, 120 years.

I researched this and found it to be true. Only one person is documented to have lived longer than 120 years. She is a woman from France named Jeanne Calment who lived to be 122. My deduction for her extra 2 years of life is one of two things; first, that she was woman - not man, and the scripture is literal. Second, she made it past her expiration date by Gods grace. There are multiple other men and women in history though, who live very long lives that always end before 120 years. Gen. 6:3

Skeptics and non-Believers will say that, "for all we know this is just some big experiment for aliens", or "we are but one of the millions of earths and millions of galaxies. no being could keep up with that". I have a family member that thinks God is a "energy" and that everything evolved from space dust. They are on to something with the energy part because God does project energy through all things. It’s now comical to me because I used to be one of those people.

The Bible can be confusing sometimes because scripture is repeated and occasionally spoken in parables. Gen. 1:26-27 says that man was created after animals, while Gen 2:18-19 states that man was first. That's called scripture out of context. The second chapter of Genesis is the account of God creating woman (Eve) for man (Adam). The bible also repeats itself in multiple places for reference and is "perceived" and "marketed" as a contradiction. Not so at all.

I get a big kick out of hearing of Pastors trying to prove God through science and Scientists trying to (dis) prove God with logic. These folks should stick to their own jobs but I understand their intentions. The truth is, we have only a very small piece of the puzzle in the Bible. It's His complete word, not complete works.

Think of the Bible as "The Owners Manual for Life on Earth". It has just enough information to prove that God is real, if you exercise your free will to choose Him and just enough "scriptural cross-reference and parable type wording" to keep "outsiders" with zero faith in Him out.

This meaning that if God is real and The Bible is true, then He's a parent to us and views actually views us as his children. Parents protect their offspring by nature. He designed us that way because in this lost world, we need it! We are built in Gods image, remember? I also believe that if God would have built us to be able to use more than 10-15% of our brain, we clearly see Him and our deceased ancestors all around us. As well as His and Lucifer's representatives with us but that will have to be another message but my point is that it would drive us insane!

This is a big hang up for some people because they cannot conceive or "process" the true information that the highest purpose for their life and the reason that they have life, is for the enjoyment of another "being". A being that they can’t physically touch or hug. The idea of an entity that truly lives outside of time, space, thought and perception, as reality, is beyond their comprehension right now. That's okay though, we evolve as we learn truth! I was one of these people in the past.

The question "Is God Real" can be used for multiple reasons. Agnostics and other lost souls will look for this type of article so that they can somehow compile information that proves to themselves somehow that God isn't real. If this is your reason for reading this, the next question you should be asking yourself is, "do I have an agenda, or is there a question below my question?"

Most skeptics and lost souls have somehow come to a place in their life that is not a spiritually healthy place to be. Many are skeptics who think they have no faith. They have faith in chairs with legs not breaking and oncoming traffic staying in their lane, etc. It's manly and superficial faith - but it's faith.

Others, seekers of their creator - God, need and desire this type of information to confirm what they already somehow "feel" is true. These are usually the "lukewarm" Christians that you hear about being "on the fence", or they attend Church and fellowship as "Fire Insurance". Then you have the Christian "power houses" who drink this kind of information like water and are completely in love with God. They can't seem to ever "get enough Jesus". These are the people who change the world and whom we all desire to be like, whether publicly or not.

When these folks die, their funerals are packed with people saying things like, "What an awesome person they were!". He/She was sure happy or in love with Jesus! Or I found God through him/her." Their stories end well" to quote Francis Chan in Crazy Love.

So the question, "Is God real" to me seems almost arrogant and becomes a statement. The truth is that God is as real as you want him to be because like it or not, His cause of salvation, procreation and love for fellow humans is the reason that you have life. Spiritually connected and Happy Christians can see God as clear as day. Continue reading at Single Christians Website >>

Why "Man" is on Earth

2012-01-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

God put people on earth for his reasons.

Revelation 4:11 tells us that God created all things and because of him they have life. That he is worthy of our power and glory. The Bible also states that he loves us his children and that we were called to unite together in the seeking of his will without division.

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." 1 Corinthians 1:10

That gives us a little more of an insight as to how we are called to live but why did God create man and woman specifically? Genesis 1:26-27 says that God created man (Adam) to rule over his other creations. These include the land, the sea and the air and the animals that occupy them. It says he created man and women and created them in his image as man - and as woman.

As I get older and hopefully wiser, I begin to notice that each person is truly and completely different from the next. Although we share certain traits like looks, personality types, stature, general disposition and level of education, to name a few, at the most core part of our hearts and beings though, zero of us are the identical. That wasn't an accident and we didn't get there from evolving from monkeys or gorilla's. While these are a couple of the animals have similar genetic design and composition, we are not the same and thus could not have evolved from them. I believe that man, in all of his intellectual superiority simply could not accept that religion is an acceptable option, so we must find the animal we are most like, so that we may deduce our descent the only way we know how. Man's mind is truly powerful, analytically and imaginative. That's also Gods design manifested in our life. I believe that God understood that we would be born into an earth at spiritual war and equipped us to survive long enough to get to our destiny in this lost, confusing and violent world.

This because God has a plan for you and everything you have ever done wrong is forgiven when you accept God as your creator and Jesus Christ your savior! That's the good news they speak of in Isaiah 61:1 As I earlier stated, each of us are equipped with a very specific skill-set that was designed into you specifically, to seek his will for your life. It may be easier for some to think of life as "Gods Movie" of life. Our destiny is to find your "place" in God's movie.

So how do we do that? As we all know, the road of life is full of twists and turns. New friends are made with both fruitful and unfruitful results along the way. There is a constant flow of new people and new things coming and going. There are easy things to accomplish and very hard things. There are scary times and euphoric or brave times, confusing things and things that are very clear. What does it all mean and how does it all fit together? Why is life so hard to understand and confusing for Christians, while lost souls seem to just “glide” through it?

Well, first of all, lost souls are... well, lost. They either have a lack of information, or have exercised their free will to turn away from the very reason that they are alive. They have no idea that their creator, God, calls us to know him personally through Jesus Christ. This, so that he can forgive your sins as stated in Jeremiah 31:34 and lead us to "our part" in his movie. Some folks don't like to hear it, but he does not need you, you need him! More than 100 Billion (with a "B") Christians have walked the earth before you and I, attempting to do the exact thing that I am speaking of. We too are called for the same purpose, seek Him!

I was one of these folks in a past life and I feel for these folks. Not in a condescending or prideful way, but real pain in my heart for their pain. I have no doubt that they have a life that I no longer want.

Most of them are angry and frustrated in general. This "mental place", which is such a dangerous place to be, creates what are called "strongholds", or "Satan strings", meaning he can manipulate your thoughts with guilt and/or doubt because of discrepancies that have occurred in the past. Many have turned to bad habits and addictions to "kill the pain" and they are disillusioned and exhausted because these "fixes" are only temporary and will continue leaving their hearts empty, their minds confused and their spirit repressed. The Lord revealed it to me through "numbness". I didn't feel anything. I read the Bible twice from cover to cover but couldn't understand it. For me, I knew that I felt repressed and scared most of the time and it was a bummer to live!

This is exactly where Lucifer wants them, so that he can get "his" work done too. His work is death, divorce, confusion, strife, depression, doubt and many other things that humans know to be "bad" in our hearts and it often seems that we somehow know it almost by accident. These (bad) things must exist for good to exist. They are in balance. Most of these people have zero concept of the fact that God calls all men to serve the kingdom of heaven, in his honor, as stated in Isaiah 48.

Many of us walk through life doing our best to survive, so that we can later thrive, when it's our time to. This in spite of having no daily purpose to get out of bed, except to work and continue walking what we call a "life". That is of course, until we find the woman of our dreams, have children or discover an unbelievable career or hobby. Then we have all kinds of “reasons” for life. While those things “become” why we strive and are alive, I submit that it’s not the “main” reason that God gave us life.

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans!” – John Lennon

To get a better understanding of how and why God made each of us different, let's look at both man and woman, individually.

Most Christian Men believe that their responsibility on earth is to be a "good guy". They are to be loyal, caring, honest, patient, reverent and understanding. They feel like if they can just "hold the push-up or be enough like Jesus" long enough to please God, their lives will somehow become easy and their relationships and/or marriages will be blessed and they will no longer have the problems of the American Male as we know them today. If they sacrifice enough, they will somehow reach the lofty goal of being a "good guy".

I think this is killing men on the inside and I submit that while we are called to act in accordance with Gods design for us, we need to know more about exactly "what that is", to achieve our Divine Destiny.

Men in general are bored and angry. I wonder why? We’ve been taught that “our nature”, adventurous and aggressive and dominating is wrong. It’s repressed many men to a point of no return. A place where emasculation has become normal and accepted by him his heart is all but dead. This is a very dangerous place to live gentlemen and regardless of who you are and what you have, it will eventually kill your heart, soul and eventually mind. This is regardless of whether or not your body survives to a ripe old age!

Male masculinity is under attack! Its been happening for decades, but most notably in the 70’s when a few "abused" women got together because they either got hurt by a "man" who was overly aggressive or confused about how to treat a woman, or they no longer felt beautiful and eloquent as they were designed to be. Many of them got an attitude about it and turned to her own kind to get her social and physical needs met.

This began the war against the American Male that has become the central part of many women’s purpose in life. A cause set in motion I suppose. Instead of realizing that they were dealing with an evil or uneducated person, usually because of his positional authority in her life or in the situation and moving on, she turned against her very nature and why God put HER here. Oh, it’s not just bad for us guys, it’s killing her too. If masculinity is under attack, femininity has been slaughtered!

You see, she’s not living her role either. She was created to be our “soft rock, comforter, the precious vine of our lineage or “helper” as the Bible states, it means way more though. It means that she completes us and together we become a “whole one”. Without her we are lost in this world and very vulnerable to moral and sexual sin, to name a couple of them.

Men were not created to be alone. We were created to protect, provide for and procreate with... her. We are designed in His image to do very specific jobs and we need to start acting like it! Genesis 1:27

And if we were created in His image, we must remember that, "The Lord God is a warrior and The Lord is his name! Exodus 15:3

Does this sound like a repressed or depressed man? I don't think it does. 2 Chronicles 36:15-17 tells of a time when He tried to reach the people of Jerusalem time and again, with nobody willing to listen and they "mocked" his messengers. After many attempts to “reach them” and when nobody would respond after all of those attempts, He killed them all through King Nebuchadnezzar. Also, I’m sure you are familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, right? Also all dead! Does that sound like the father of the “warm and fuzzy” Jesus in almost every single picture of him that we've ever seen?

No, of course it doesn't! I submit that these are worldly pictures of JC. The artists intent was pure, I have no doubt and I'm sure that they are strategically designed to be “inviting”, or “inoffensive” to lost souls or “potential future candidates” for the work of God.

The logic and reasoning behind why most artists did this is sound, but not an accurate depiction and it's turned many men "off". Jesus, as His son and our "friend" as Christians, was also a “very bad dude”. He absolutely wreaked havoc when needed to. He cleared the entire temple with a vine, very “matter-of-factly”, when “God came upon Him”. No big deal to Him but devastated the people of Jerusalem's marketplace that day.

Picture this for a moment if you like... Your Jewish, it's Festival Passover, an important Jewish Celebration of the coming spring harvest and their freedom from Egypt, back in Bible times. Thousands of Jews are celebrating and the "money changers" are collecting taxes for the selling of animals in the Temple, so that they were properly able to worship our one and only God. It was scandalous to turn the Holy Temple of Jerusalem into a market place and Jesus flipped!

There are tax collectors and soldiers walking about the Temple, ensuring transactions go down as planned and Jesus has loads of reasons and opportunities to just "turn the other cheek" and leave things alone. Does he? Nope!

He blasts right in and basically "goes postal", kicking and punching these "for profit" figures inside the temple and even using a vine for a whip, he violently and completely clears the temple! He's upset because Gods Temple is not where you do business for profit! This is the act that eventually gets him Killed, accused of political insurrection and a threat to Pax Romana, Greek for "Roman Peace".

Does this sound like the feeble kind of Jesus depicted in the artists renderings? It's important that we "get" this, because.. we are created in his image.

We are told to “turn the other cheek” when dealing with ignorant people because they deserve God’s Grace through us and because God's Grace truly is sufficient, or none of us would be here today. This isn't a call to act like an idiot and go begin finding the "money changers" of the world for discipline but and attempt to make you see why you feel the way you do, deep inside as a male.

Don’t mistake this though, if you, yourself give grace continuously and still get “beat up”, don’t take it! Get aggressive and let them know that you have no problem with “going back to prison!”. In context, I’m speaking of the metaphorical prison of emasculation and cowardice, but he doesn’t need to know that. If he still persists in being nasty and you can’t walk away, clock him in the chops! If he gets up, knock him ALL THE WAY OUT! As in, out cold! This is not a good situation here guys but you must “come through” for God and your family!

Pastor Rick Warren, of Saddleback Church in California, stated it well when he said, "The Bible is very practical here: it says “as much as it depends on you … as far as it's possible on your behalf, live at peace with everybody." However, I think this is also implying that sometimes it’s impossible to live at peace with others. Have you ever met someone who - no matter what you did - you just couldn't get along with? No matter what you did, he could not be appeased?" “The Bible states... If it is possible …” For instance, if someone abused my children and abused my wife, I would likely not have peace with him. I don't think God would expect me to be at peace with him as long as the abuse remained a threat."

I’m so committed to this way of life that I carry a sidearm all of the time. Not because I’m afraid of, or unable to, fight - or that I am unable to turn the other cheek when dealing with ignorant people, but so that I’ll be prepared if I happen to be present when attacked by a "violent" man with a guy himself. What then? If you get into an altercation with someone like this and win hand-to-hand, what would a "mad-man" usually do next? or one What do you do with a guy who can’t take “being whooped” like a man and opts to take it to the next level? I'll tell you what you do... fight or die! I desire nothing more than for this to never happen but if it does, I'm protecting my family at whatever cost it brings me! Gods Grace is sufficient.

Women and men alike... if you are attacked by someone carrying a gun, as most “bad people” do today who plan on attacking someone - you’d better have one too! Bad men of the world have been taking whatever they want by force from of women and weak men since the beginning of time and it’s time to respond as our forefathers did!

If you choose to exercise your free will to accept your role as a "man"... protector, pro-creator and provider and live this lifestyle, as an American, you have rights under the second amendment but you’d better mean it all the time - or you can get yourself shot and killed very easily! Abide by all laws and exercise extreme gun safety, especially if there are children present!

Matthew 5:38-44 says do not resist evil and to turn the other cheek. There are many times that we, as men, have to turn the other cheek or "bite our tongues" but there are also times that you do not. I believe that this is because no man is so far gone that God cannot use him, if called. Ours is not to make a life decision for someone else (ie… intentionally kill without cause), but Christian men are called to protect those we love and our gifts for the Kingdom of God. If we are not there because we "turned around, or turned the other cheek" and get shot or stabbed to death, we cannot be used on earth for Gods cause! Do you think God calls men to be men, in his image (warriors) and not battle? How is this possible? It's not!

God's Grace is sufficient and our sin debt has been paid in full by Jesus Christ! You cannot win a battle if you will not fight!

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize!" 1 Corinthians 9:24

There are some pretty violent rules for life and we are abiding by very few of them! Exodus 21:12-17 talks about how anyone who attacks or curses his mother or father, kills someone and God allows it and kidnappers… are to be killed! Who’s going to enforce those rules? Maybe Oprah or her mouthpiece - Dr. Phil? No… it will be a "real" man or "real" men.

It’s no coincidence that movies like Gladiator, Die Hard, Terminator, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Conan, Warriors, Braveheart and the like are blockbusters! These are all movies where men are “acting like men”. We must remember also though, that they are acting! Real world doesn't work like that but most "violent men" don't quite understand the separation.

When we watch this kind of show though, something inside of us just knows that we were created for this, to find a battle worth fighting, and adventure to live and a beauty to rescue. - John Eldredge, Wild At Heart. So what’s the problem?

The problem is that educated people are taught that violence is not acceptable. Really, isn't it? Great! - Whose going to let the uneducated violent guys know?

Why do little boys play with weapons? I submit that men were built for battle and God has "built us" with physical and mental facilities that are somehow preparing us for life. This, in spite of how “life” says we should be acting.

Man to man, let me ask you; were we really only “acting” like warriors or was that somehow the “identity”, that so many men seek and that we somehow alienated somewhere down the line in some frail attempt to gain acceptance? I propose that we were rehearsing for life's battles.

It's natural to us and it flows so easily out of boys and young men because it’s how God built us! Think about the implications here and you will gain clarity on the topic.

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent men take it by force.” Mathew 11:12

Does that sound familiar? Does it sound like a “good” thing? Have you seen the TV show “Cops” lately? Better yet, why do we have “Law Enforcement Officers?” To enforce the law right? Isn't most of their slogans something to the effect of, "To protect and to serve?" Sounds like a man's job to me.

What if we added just one word to both ends of that slogan and it said, "To protect (women) and to serve (God)?” It changes how you think about it. Doesn't that effectively make us our own protector against “man?” Man enforces law. Are you starting to get it yet?

Christian men were created by God to be warriors! This isn’t a license to go “kick the crap” out of those Pharisees though; it’s a call to become who you were created to be in Gods Strength. The strength you were given before birth, to do the job that God created you to.

Find what you enjoy doing and are good at. That’s how God designed you! Your desires will expose how God designed you. Your design exposes Gods destiny for you.

I know who I am. I speak out of turn sometimes but it got me here. That’s how I know God called me to speak. God gave me a heart with courage and physical strength, thick bones and a hard head that’s afraid of nothing. That’s how I know I was born for battle.

I’m madly in love with my lady and I can touch her like nobody else can, within the confines of our (now) unmarried situation. That’s how I know that God made me a lover of a woman. Do you see how that works? Write this stuff down too because it’s just the tip of the iceberg for your life.

Once you establish a “baseline” of how God designed you through your desires, it will automatically become very important to you to that you develop and exploit those talents, as they are the tools that God gave you for your part in his movie.

Again, women are missing the mark too it seems. How can we protect someone who not only is trustless with men, but demands to be the controller? What happened?

It goes back to Adam and Eve. The original sin was a man not protecting a woman, or the garden of the tree of truth and evil, as God instructed Adam to. He fell second. Eve fell first! She “listened” to Lucifer’s temptation and because she wanted “true” wisdom, gave in. She began controlling the situation immediately because Adam was weak and she knew it. She even had Adam take a bite of the apple, to ensure that He was involved. Adam stood right there, listened to the temptation and then not only wimped-out by watching in fear but he succumbed to her temptation too. That’s the sin we are still dealing with today!

Let me ask you something. The last time you were on the freeway, trying to get where you were going, do you remember seeing a slow car in the fast lane…ever? Of course you do. We all do and it’s horribly annoying, but it plays to my point. People are angry and feel out of control for a reason. The safety of their car (of so they think) is a great place to have control! They are moving for nobody and now you know why… How about the DMV? Been there lately, how was it? Any lazy people (admittedly that this just happens to be minority females usually) controlling their environment and your actions there? Do you see the patterns of people craving control in the world yet?

Do you see why now? I’ll advise you to start your new life’s journey with some great reading, or books on CD, as I prefer.

Hebrews 13:6 says we are to Fear no man, as he was created exactly as you were with a different purpose.

The only true threat you should feel toward them is the possibility of losing your societal freedom if he so chooses to relinquish his remaining days on earth by your hand. Don’t give it away by doing anything stupid though!

So, seek your own adventure, win your beauty (or win her back - she needs you!) and don’t be scared to “kick-butt” to do it if you have to!

You are best Brave Warrior in your home! You are the best husband in your marriage, the best father to your children, the “William Wallace”, the “Randy Couture” or the “John Riggs” of your part of “Gods life movie!” Who else could be?

It's your part, go live it!

Courtesy - Single Christians Ministries International, located on the web at http://www.SingleChristians.com

Gods Design for Man

2012-01-02T00:55:00.000-05:00

What does it take to be a “real man”? This is the question that many Christian and secular men alike are haunted by and are internally screaming to themselves in frustration.

As we all know, the road of life is full of twists and turns. Each day brings new challenges and decisions to make and answers that have to be given. Old friends reside and new friends are made with both fruitful and unfruitful results along the way. There is a constant flow of new people and things coming and going, easy things to accomplish and hard things. Scary times and euphoric or brave times, confusing things and things that are very clear. What does it all mean? How does it all fit together? Why is life so hard to understand and confusing for Christians, while many lost souls just seem to just “glide” through it, with everything handed to them?

Well, first of all, lost souls are ignorant. They have a lack of information, which makes them such, and many of them perceive that Ignorance truly is bliss but not for long, as all men are called to serve God and they will eventually have to make a decision about answering that call or living life with a large hole in their spirit, where God belongs. No offense is intended here, so you must understand that there is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. Ignorance means that you have not yet gained the information that will give you wisdom in an area. Stupidity is different. It means that you have no will or capacity to learn and retain truth as God created it. They are VERY different!

Being a man is a decision and a state of mind. You’ve got to reconcile with death! It’s going to happen to all of us either way, so you need to make a decision. Would you rather go out defending your wife, or children against an assailant in one beautiful and honorable stand for what is right, or would you rather pass while being beat down like an abused animal because you are too busy turning the other cheek? I'm not advocating unnecessary violence here but there is no honor in the latter and nobody but you can make that decision for you, so seeks Gods Will for your life in prayer before having to face this situation!

Matthew 11:12 tells us, "From the days of John The Baptist until now, The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and violent take it by force. Luckily for the weak and the meek by worldly standards, it also tells Christian Men to "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men and be strong." in 1 Corinthians 16:13

There’s really nothing physical that makes us different from each other besides a little stature and mindset, so how are some guys so “manly?” while others seem so feeble and emasculated? The difference is prior confirmation from a male authority and some sort of “right of passage.” Other “manly men” are almost always raised well by a caring father and had their question answered when they asked their earthly father, “do I have what it takes to be a man, dad?” Many did not! We had to fight our way out of this paper-bag of a worldly life that we are born into to see that we have as much, if not more, of what other “men” have.

I submit this; both male and female Christians have a very specific purpose in life! God called you for a very specific “role” in this movie of His that we call life, yet many of us have no idea why we are here - whatsoever. That is of course, until we find the woman of our dreams, have children or discover an unbelievable career or hobby. Then we have all kinds of “reasons” for life. While those things “become” why we strive and are alive, I submit that it’s not the “main” reason that God gave us life. Remember, “Life is what happens to you. While you're busy making other plans!” – John Lennon

Men in general are bored and angry. I wonder why? We’ve been taught that “our nature”, adventurous and aggressive and dominating is wrong. It’s repressed many men to a point of no return. A place where emasculation has become normal and accepted by him. This is a VERY dangerous place to live gentlemen and it will kill your heart, even if your body survives to a ripe old age!

Male masculinity is under attack! It happened because some bra-burner back in the 70’s got hurt by a man that was overly aggressive or confused about how to treat a woman and she got P-O’d and turned to her own kind to get her social and physical needs met. That began a war against the American Male that has become the central part of many women’s purpose in life. Instead of realizing she was dealing with a dirt bag, usually because of his positional authority in her life or the situation and moving on, she turned against her nature and why God put HER here. Oh, it’s not just bad for us either guys, it’s killing her too. If masculinity is under attack, femininity has been slaughtered!

You see, she’s not living her role either. She was created to be our “soft rock, comforter, the precious vine of our lineage and nazir edgo, or “helper”, it means way more though. It means she completes us a “whole one” and without her, we are lost.

God is a warrior and we are created in His image! Exodus 15:3 states, “The Lord is a warrior, and the Lord is his name.” 2 Chronicles 36:15-17 tells of a time when He tried to reach the people of Jerusalem time and again, with nobody willing to listen. After MANY attempts to “reach them” and when nobody would respond after numerous attempts, he killed them all through King Nebuchadnezzar. Also, I’m sure you are familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, right? Also all dead! Does that sound like the “fuzzy” Jesus in EVERY SINGLE PICTURE YOU’VE EVER SEEN OF HIM?

No, of course it doesn’t! I submit that these are worldly pictures of JC, strategically designed to be “inviting”, or “inoffensive” to lost souls or “potential future candidates” for the work of God. The logic and reasoning behind why every single artist in history did this is sound, but not an accurate depiction. Jesus, as His son and our brother as Christian Men was also a “very bad dude”. He absolutely wreaked havoc when needed to. He cleared the entire temple with a vine, very “matter-of-factly”, when “God came upon Him”. No big deal to Him but devastated the people of Jerusalem. It was Passover and there were ox, sheep and goats being sold off with other animals there, in the temples market place, with what must have been hundreds of people trading goods and animals, tax collectors and soldiers walking about and LOADS of reasons to “turn the other cheek”. Does He? Nope! He blasts right through them on Their Religious Holiday, like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning. John 2 – 12:20

We are told to “turn the other cheek” when dealing with other men because they have not enough information to know with whom they are dealing, not because we are scared!

I think it’s more than this though. I believe that like God, Jesus had a great sense of humor, thirst for adventure and confidence above reproach. He was after all, the Son of God! That’s strong creds where I come from!

Matthew 5:38-44 says to turn the other cheek to evil. I believe because no man is so far gone that God cannot use him, if called. Ours is not to make a life decision for someone else (ie… intentionally kill without cause), but Christian men are called to protect those we love and our gifts for the Kingdom of God. We cannot be used otherwise!

There are some pretty violent rules for life and we are abiding by very few of them! Exodus 21:12-17 talks about how anyone who attacks or curses his mother or father, kills someone and God allows it and kidnappers… ALL ARE TO BE KILLED! Who’s going to enforce those rules? Maybe Oprah or her mouthpiece Dr. Phil? No… ITS MEN!

It’s no coincidence that movies like Gladiator, Die Hard, Terminator, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Conan, Warriors and the like are blockbusters! These are all movies where men are being men in these movies and they are “acting like men.” When we watch this kind of show, something inside of us knows that we were created for this, to find a battle worth fighting, and adventure to live and a beauty to rescue. So what’s the problem?

The problem is, that HOLLY WOOD is living our lives for us because society has said, “those are just actors being dramatic and violence is not acceptable”. Really, is it? Or are the fairy tales of our childhood memories, before they were “socially conditioned” real?

Why do boys play with guns, knives and swords? I submit that we were built for that and God is preparing us for life. This, in spite of how “life” says we should be acting. Were they fake or some kind of fantasy? I think not, ask your heart. Were we only “acting” like a warrior or was that our “identity”, that we somehow alienated somewhere down the line in some frail attempt to gain acceptance? I propose that we were built for it and it flows easily out of boys and young men because it’s how God built us! Think about the implications here and you will gain clarity on the topic.

Mathew 11:12 says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and violent men take it by force.” Does that sound familiar? Seen the TV show “Cops” lately? Better yet, why do we have “Law Enforcement Officers?” To enforce the law right? To protect and to serve right?

What if we added a couple of words to the average Police Department’s Slogan and said, “To protect (women) and to serve (God)?” Doesn’t that effectively make us our own protector against man? Are you starting to get it yet?

Christian men were created by God to be warriors! This isn’t a license to go “kick the crap” out of those Pharisees though; it’s a call to strength. The strength you were given before birth, to do the job that God created you to.

Again, women are missing the mark too it seems. How can we protect someone who not only is trustless with men, but becomes the controller? What happened there?

It goes back to Adam and Eve. The original sin was a man not protecting a woman, or the garden of the tree of truth and evil as God instructed Adam to. He fell second. Eve fell first! She “listened” to Lucifer’s temptation and because she wanted “true” wisdom, gave in. She began controlling the situation immediately because Adam was weak and she knew it. She even had Adam take a bite of the apple, to ensure that He was involved. Adam stood right there, listened to the temptation and then not only wimped-out by watching in fear but he succumbed to her temptation too. That’s the sin we are still dealing with today!

Let me ask you something. The last time you were on the freeway, trying to get where you were going, do you remember seeing a slow car in the fast lane…ever? Of course you do. We all do and it’s horribly annoying, but it plays to my point. People are angry and feel out of control for a reason. The safety of their car (of so they think) is a great place to have control! They are moving for nobody and now you know why… How about the DMV? Been there lately, how was it? Any lazy people (admittedly minority females usually) controlling their environment and actions there? Do you see the patterns of frustrated people in the world yet?

Do you see why now? I’ll advise you to start your new life’s journey with some great reading, or books on CD, as I prefer. 2 books by 1 author; John Eldredge – Fathered by God, but only after reading Wild at Heart, discovering the keys to a mans soul. These books, when confirmed with scripture - among others, will open doors in your mind and heart that you never even knew were there. If your results are similar to mine, your soul will shift and completely change your life and priorities, giving your walk a perspective that will create a “generation gap” type feeling with yourself and Married or Single Christians who are unhappy and don’t know why.

So, do not fear any man, as he was created exactly as you were, with a different purpose. The only true threat you should feel toward them is the possibility of losing your societal freedom if he so chooses to risk life and limb by your hand. Don’t give it away by doing anything silly though!

Seek your adventure, win your beauty (or win her back - she needs you!) and don’t be scared to “kick-ass” to do it, if necessary! You are best husband, the best father, the “William Wallace”, the “Randy Couture” and the “John Riggs” of your part of “Gods life movie!” Who else could be?

*Single Christians Ministries International is not affiliated with John Eldredge or his employees in any way and no money is changing hands anywhere for book recommendations. I only wish my freedom and happiness for you, our brothers and sisters of the world.

Courtesy - Single Christians Ministries International, located on the web at http://www.SingleChristians.com

Submit Is A Tough Word for Christian Women Today!

2012-01-01T17:15:00.000-05:00

Today's Woman Submit? Notsomuch

It's no wonder! They've likely had it thrown in their face about a thousand time before they marry. Unfortunately for their new spouse, they have already become desensatized to the word. If it's not some jockey-jockey trying to manipulate words for his "social benefit", it's some other guy that may not even qualify for "submission from women". This is a problems that Single and Married Christians alike have had issues with and... continue reading at Single Christians Ministries Internationals Facebook Page >>

courtesy - Single Christians Ministries International, located on the web at http://www.singlechristians.com/

Is America Damned because of Entitlements and Reparations?

2012-01-01T17:09:00.000-05:00

American entitlement greed has run rampant and someone really needs to address this huge problem that we have in The United States!

The only people entitled to anything are those who paid for it! Specifically, I'm talking about The Armed Forces and Social Security entitlements for RETIRED PERSONS. That's our only Government Entitlement because we paid for it. Yet still, somehow, we can look to people that are taking it away, while smiling and looking in our face, as leaders of our country. Really folks? Unbelievable!

The rest is given in charity, or assistance, for a specified period of time because we are a civil and compassionate Nation. This is a tough topic that has sparked much debate between Government Parties and Christians alike. There are multiple things that happen in America every day, related to someone feeling they are supposed to "get something for nothing", just because they were born in America, the land of "freedom" and now a country where every child who competes in most any sport gets a trophy because some liberal (according to sources) manipulated the court legal system by turning it into a "racial thing". Sound familiar? Why can't we get a grip on this in our country folks?

Why does wrong continue to win - over right in this country and this earth? Everyone should win the contest right? If you look up the word contest, you'll see that, "its a struggle for victory or superiority" according to dictionary.com. Why would we need that if we can make everyone equal right? I submit that equality is a sham! A farce, created by the manipulation of our legal system by angry and damaged people from grade school, who used this type of thought process to "fuel" their desire for wealth and power, specifically so that they may rebel! We've all seen the Kayak dot com commercial about Frank being banned from using Kayak, right? I digress. These are the men and women leading our country folks!

Let's just finish this part by saying that you should be glad that your mother didn't feel that way about men, because you wouldn't be here as your mother would have been exhausted from having illegitimate children all over the place. Or maybe she did and you are one of the people I'm taking about? I have no idea but my point doesn't change.

While this aggravates the death out of me, I understand. God's Universe is in perfect balance! The world has to have evil and takers (losers) and good or givers (winners) to keep it that way.

I say these "provoking words" on the topic of entitlements - not just to "engage" your thoughts and bring this thought process to light but moreover, to bring light to the real problem at hand, that we need to start being responsible for our own resources and we need God back!

What's going on here?

Let me tell you what's going on. We kicked God (and Jesus Christ) out of our schools in 1962, which of course has bled into our homes and workplaces now and well, it's not good. The really scary part is that it's getting worse. If we continue down the road we are on, as a country, at the same pace that we have the past 40 years, the damage will be devastating and the free way of life that enjoy today will be gone. The opposite of what most "think" they are doing with liberalism and government entitlements.

The laws set forth in the Bible are for our benefit, not just as a governing authority but so that we may enjoy the fruits of life through understanding of our creator's intent when he made you and I.. Continue reading this article on Single Christians Facebook Page >>

courtesy of http://www.singlechristians.com/ - Single Christians Ministries International