The Cross and Conservatism

Fluke: Flee Youthful Lusts!

2012-03-09T00:49:00.009-06:00

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 KJV)

Lately in the myriad of news and political media a woman has emerged as a supposable poster-child for women rights and activism. This is non-other than the person of Sandra Fluke, a 30 year-old law student currently enrolled at Georgia University. The left-wing of the media has quickly catapulted this heroine of women’s health into infamy as she endeavors to include contraceptives into the insurance policy at Georgia University. There does exist some political issues that emanate from this such as the infringement of religious liberty, notwithstanding, I shall choose to address the spiritual and biblical implications from this weighty situation and subject.

Let’s start by gaining an understanding of the Scripture that’s being used. The Apostle Paul is challenging Timothy and young Christian to flee or avoid youthful or that which pertains to juvenile lusts or inordinate desires and pursue or chase after that which is right standing with God’s nature, trust and assurance with God, love or benevolence, and peace or quietness that is embodied and exemplified in Christians that call on the Lord from a heart of purity. Therefore, there are some things that God is calling us to run from, and some things that God is wanting us to chase after. Sandra Fluke a Protestant of some regard is pursuing that lascivious women should be insured of their particular lifestyle of choice to have sex outside of marriage and consequently outside of God’s plan. This is completely unbiblical and un-Christian like. I would agree with Bill O’Reilly who asserts that she’s wanting individuals to fund a certain lifestyle.

Now contraceptives are provided for in a great degree and number around the world and through the prodigious use of the World Wide Web, in no way is it necessary to demand that a school provide contraceptives at a lower price because of women’s inadequacy to make better sexual choices such as abstinence. The very audacity and impudence of Fluke to assist what will likely result in more foolish sexual decisions is appalling. Women are not weak! They are able to use restraint! The preposterous idea of enabling fornication is as outright immoral as enabling a rapist, murderer, alcoholic, gambler, or drug user. In actuality it might be worse for the Bible says: “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18 KJV) If Fluke was really for women’s health or total well being, as a Protestant she would advocate that women would practice abstinence and deliverance from sexual depravity through the salvation and liberation provided for in the person of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Her message should be in line with the Scripture that declares Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22 KJV) Be Blessed!!!

Osama is Dead but Jesus Still Lives

2011-05-04T06:27:00.001-05:00

Nine eleven are two numbers that will continue to exist in infamy due to the date of the horrible attack on the U.S. by Iraqi terrorists resulting in the death of many that worked in the World Trade Center. Since then a "war on terror" has been proclaimed and engaged in. Recently Osama bin Laden has made news not due to an attack that he orchestrated but due to his killing by US military forces. Now it seems that many in the liberal and conservative world are rejoicing at his death as if its a new holiday. Albeit, the punishment of evil always bring a sense of satisfaction, I find it sickening the way so many are rejoicing in his death. His death proves nothing! Our economy is still in the toilet. The education system is still a joke. Funding is still being sent to demonic programs like Planned Parenthood that kills innocent babies. Many are still a hostage to drugs and sex resulting in murders, rapes, and molestation. And we still have homosexuals vying for rights they don't deserve. In other words this country, our society, our communities are still in a mess and Osama death doesn't change a thing. He wasn't the first terrorist and likely not the last.
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Another Refutation of Rob Bell's Heretical View of Hell

2011-05-04T05:54:00.001-05:00

I came across a wonderful article written by Ross Douthat a New York Times columnist in the Dallas Morning News newspaper. In this article Ross Douthat makes an excellent case for the necessity of Hell as related to the consequences of our human choices. He states "...to believe in God and not in hell is ultimately to disbelieve in the reality of human choices...the doctrine of hell, by contrast, assumes that our choices are real and that we are the choices that we make. the miser can become his greed, the murderer can lose himself inside his violence, and their freedom to turn and be forgiven is inseparable from their freedom not to do so." What great point! In other words, to take away the existence or even the necessity of hell is make humans unaccountable and inculpable for their actions and decisions. If there is no punishment for wrong doing then how could their be a reward for doing the right thing? It can't be both. Contradications are non-existence in a rational world.
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Eld. Thibadeaux: God Loves You

2011-05-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

Many people don't realize what God has done to make salvation available for them. So many are deceived in thinking that loving God doesn't require much action, just an occasional visit to chuch every once in awhile and do-the-best-you-can lifestyle. Listen to this awesome message that explains what it means to be loved of God and how to love God back preached by Elder Thibadeaux at a street serviceEld. Thibadeaux God Loves You

Desensitization: A Trick of the Devil

2011-05-01T02:00:00.001-05:00

The word desensitize means to make less sensitive or to reduce the reactive power of something for a stimulus. For instance if a person wants to increase his resistance to an allergen, all they would need to do is constantly be exposed to that allergen over time until their immune system develops a resistance to it. Now desensitization is good for medical reasons, but when it comes to spiritual things or spiritual matters it can actually have harmful repercussions. When you consider the annual celebration of the Christian holiday, Easter, its not hard to guess what the subject matter is going to be on the 3rd Sunday of April. Usually a minister or pastor mounts the pulpit to take a text from a passage of scripture and relate it to the miracle of all miracles the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Every year, I'm sure, he/she hopes the message will have positve resounding effects as the believers are once again reminded of the great sacrifice Christ made at Calvary and the gurantee of our salvation and acceptance with God demonstrated by the resurrection of Christ on that glorious Sunday morning.
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Love Doesn't Always Win

2011-04-20T03:46:00.000-05:00

Last month a book was published entitled Love Wins by esteemed author and pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, Rob Bell. Pastor Bell is an interesting fellow because he follows Christianity with Eastern overtones. His latest book has caused a stir amongst evangelicals due to the interpretation of the doctrine regarding Hell. Pastor Bell asserts that this book deals with the misguided understanding of Hell as a place of eternal torment and that a "loving God" would not permit His creatures to fall prey to such a place. In this book Pastor Bell becomes another promoter of the fallacious doctrine of universal reconciliation or universalism, which is the same doctrine that caused popular evangelist Carlton Pearson to be ousted from bishopric and labeled as an heretic. Pastor Bell's description of his book, in his own words, is that it "is a case for living with mystery rather than demanding certitude." The problem with this statement is that the Bible is quite clear on whether hell exists, why people go there, and ultimately what could be done to prevent a person's entrance. God does not leave us in ignorance.

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Its Wrong Because It Is SIN

2011-03-28T02:04:00.000-05:00

We hear so much in this day and time about the LGBT agenda and homophobia and the like. Those that subscribe to the LGBT lifestyle says that anyone who disagrees with their lifestyle is promoting hate, while some of the people that disagree with the LGBT lifestyle treats homosexuals as a sub-human species. The fact of the matter is that homosexuals lesbians, gays, bi and transexuals are people. There every bit of human as anyone else. The issue with homosexuality is that so many are treating the symptoms but not getting to the root of the problem. One of the problems people have with the LGBT lifestyle is that its nasty, which I agree. Anytime a man plays with the sewage line of another male is wrong, disgusting, and putrid. But I don't disagree with the homosexual lifestyle based on its despicable repugnance, I disagree with it because it is sin. See sin is the root of it all, and too many are treating homosexuals wrong because they think their sexual orientation is nasty. First of all, they should be treated like human beings, and second of all, it should be understood that they (the LGBT) are battling with a problem called sin. Sin is the root that's causing the fruit of homosexuality to be as filthy and damaging that it is. Those that live that lifestyle should be delivered from sin; when sin is dealt with people will see the LGBT changed-or what the Bible calls, born again. This is the message that we should carry to those of the LGBT community, that what they are doing is not only nasty from man's point of view but its sin from God's point of view and God would have them delivered through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The LGBT community should know that God loves them and wants to heal them just as he wants to heal/deliver the alcoholic from his drunken stupor, the prostitute from her promiscuity, the liar from lying, the gambler from gambling, the gangster from thugging, etc. SIN is the problem, but JESUS is the solution. We must not forget that the LGBT lifestyle is wrong because its sin, not simply because its nasty, and that God loves us all. Be Blessed!

Disease or Demons???

2011-02-21T03:03:00.000-06:00

I'm back and I have a lot of material and issues to get off my chest. Truly these are the last days and its time to become aware of the enemy of our souls-the devil/Satan, and his exploits in this world. This blog post is coming from an article I read in the Dallas Morning News paper detailing an incident with a young man who killed a teacher in cold blood. It was said of this young man named Byron that "he's proved he is a continuing threat...he's committed five knife attacks by the time he's 16, with one death and several other serious injuries. There's no reason to think it won't happen again. But there's a bigger question here: What do we do with kids like this?" In order to answer Tonda Curry's question, the Assistant DA of Smith County, we need to determine the root cause of this young man's dilemma. Most people would probably say this is a young man with mental issues. In fact according to the report Emily Fallis, a forensic pschologist, concluded that the teen is a schizophrenic and remains delusional and dangerous. It is true that there are people who suffer from schizophrenia and is manic depressive and bipolar, however, it would be wrong to assume that each case of psychotic manslaughter is due to mental instability.

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Aim for the Heart not the Mind

2011-01-13T14:35:00.001-06:00

"'It is what it is, you can't changed somebody's mind' I heard this yesterday as someone looked at the article 'Disclaimer to Every Homosexual' on my blog. I take issue with this statement because essentially you CAN change somebody's mind if you get them to look at the situation differently or rather, consider another viewpoint. In the case of homosexuality, many believed that they are born that way, eventually leading them to accept a lifestyle that's met with hostility and unacceptability. There is rise in accepting this alternate way of living through the LGBT movement. But irregardless to this recent increase of acceptance, many if not most that live that way are not happy of the way that they are living. They feel llike outcasts to this society, and even unsatisfied to themselves. I refuse to feel or think that it is what it is and I shouldn't try to change their minds when I know that God loves them despite not approving of their way of living. Once I can get them to see that God loves them and that they CAN live a different way-changing their perspective-I'm not satisfied with just changing their minds, I should offer Christ to them so that their HEART can be changed! God is all about the Heart. And it doesn't matter who you are or what kind of lifestyle you live, God can change your heart and consequently change your lifestyle. GOD Loves everybody and wants all to be saved through Jesus Christ. If there's anything that's is what it is it, its that!"

Don't Forget about Love

2011-01-07T05:58:00.001-06:00

"Christians, or those upon whom the term is so used, we must remember that God is a God of love and redemption. We CANNOT try to educate people, unbelievers, or what-have-you about the doctrines and teachings of the Bible and then turn around a curse or say some lewd comment! And some of us got the nerve to wonder why atheists and other disbelievers don't want to be classified as a 'Christian'. We MUST set a better example and show the world that God LOVES all men and wants all to be saved, and we in turn, must live the way of Life Christ set for us, who left us an example that we should walk after his footsteps. Remember 'let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity'-2 Tim 2:19" We are to ministers of love because it was out of lovingkindness that God drew us that are born again. We can't forget that! Dogmatic ramblings and bullying doesn't win souls to the lost; he that winneth should be wise enough to know that you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. Don't forget about love; if we wasn't first loved we wouldn't have loved...

DON'T BE DECIEVED!

2011-01-04T13:06:00.002-06:00

Heal the Land

2010-12-27T21:18:00.001-06:00

"If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." -2 Chronicles 7:13-14

These are the words of God in answer to the prayer made by Solomon at the dedication of the Holy Temple. God briefly lets the people of Israel know that destruction or calamity may occur in the land of Israel where they dwelt due to disobedience on their part. He further lets the people know the proper response if they begin to see this calamity happen to them: humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways. If they would respond in the manner that God detailed it would result in him hearing from heaven and eventually healing their land. Now I want you to know that if that was the way to get things to changed from destructive effects back then, it behooves us to do the same in this day and hour.

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Christams is here...but where is the Mas of Christ?

2010-12-25T13:00:00.004-06:00

So, today is the day. I'm sure most people woke up, and the kids couldn't wait to open their gifts, and people wanted to see who bought them what. But who opened up to talk about Jesus Christ, his divinity and his reason for coming, our reason for celebrating this time, or what the implications of him not coming would have meant to humanity? I just ask the question, living in a country that rejects Christ, but don't mind taking off for the holiday. Or using it as a time to commercialize any and everything that they can. I don't mind the commercialization. I just hate what we've lost in the process. I don't mind knowing I can get certain things cheaper, but I hate knowing that's all that is on people's mind. You know that it's pretty insane for people to be camped out in front of stores for days, trampling people to death for an item that their kids are going to dismiss in about a month. Is this the more of Christ, or the more of the anti-Christ? All we want is what we want, and trust me, the gifts that are given isn't done because of self-sacrifice. Let's just remember that the reason for the season is because God gave his Son. His Son gave his life. And we have an opportunity; not an automatic spot, but an opportunity to be saved, and to go back with Jesus when he comes.

Christmas...A Pagan Holiday? I beg to differ

2010-12-24T01:59:00.002-06:00

As I debated on whether or not to write an article on this subject I ran across on of the most interesting articles I had ever read on the Orgins of Christmas. This proves that contrary to societal belief Christmas was not derived from a pagan holiday! Enjoy!

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v

"You're taking this too far..." from Passive to Passion

2010-12-22T20:45:00.001-06:00

I was talking to a friend of mine recently discussing the recent ethical problems with our government and its effect on society. He jokingly remarked that I was "taking this too far" and implied that I needed to calm down. After laughing it off we began to talk about how alot of people seriously feel that once you become passionate about the issues of society, especially those dealing with our government, getting too involved is equated with going beyond your bounds. Well the problem with that mentality is that too many sit back and watch situations occur without speaking up and letting their voice be heard. We have to understand that as a people trusting in God, we can effect change in this world. Jesus said it like this in John 17:14-18:
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A Disclaimer to Every Homosexual

2010-12-17T03:38:00.001-06:00

One cannot deny that there is a gay agenda in America. This agenda is purported on the radio, news, and movies. There are many in the LGBT community that thinks Christians are hateful towards their cause and lifestyle, and let me say, I ask the apology of those that have been discriminated or treated less than a human due to your particular lifestyle from a "Christian". I do not excuse religous extremists that go as far to say that "God hate Gays". Listen God does NOT hate gays or any of the LGBT community. God hates sin, and sin is at the roots of the LGBT lifestyle. Homosexuality goes against the very nature and law of God. It is against the laws of nature for 2 men or 2 women cannot produce children or procreate. Sinners, if they don't repent for their sins will go to a place called hell. This place exists, this place is real and this place should be avoided.

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Tradition is NOT a Synonym for Ignorance

2010-12-17T01:28:00.000-06:00

Folks, we are living in a day and time where people are living in ignorance; not aware of the issues or have no knowledge to confirm or justify why they live they way they do. Why is this? Because so many people will listen to what somebody says, or rather, believe what someone "credible" told them and that this is what they should do because of tradition. Well, tradition is not a synonym for ignorance; we need to know what we believe and why we believe it. Tradition is defined by Webster as "a long-established custom or belief, often one that has been handed down from generation to generation, that are valued by a particular culture."

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If it doesn't fit, don't force it: Biological Argument Against Same Sex Marriage

2010-12-15T15:48:00.000-06:00

In the November 20, 2009 issue of the New York Times the headline reads something like this “Gay Spouses Due Benefits in the State, Court Finds” this story entails how the state government of New York is recognizing same-sex unions in other states. (NY Times) If you are paying any attention to the media same-sex marriage is the center of attention at every election and ballot vote. Chances are everyone has an opinion on this subject. So what is the purpose of marriage in today’s modern society? Can marriage between two males or two females be really considered a marriage?

If Marxists Ruled the World with a Strong Left Hand

2010-12-11T03:47:00.000-06:00

Marxism is defined by Wikipedia as "an economic and socio-political worldview that contains within it a political ideology for how to change and improve society by implementing socialism." Furthermore it is defined by Webster as "the political and economic theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in western societies." Socialism-for the most part-carries a negative connotation; it uses the means of chaos to procure communism as its end. Personally, I wouldn't want to be labeled a socialist but the majority on the Left doesn't appear to have a problem with it. The question is, if Marxists ruled the world through the influence of the Left, where would it lead us? Where would it lead this nation? I agree with Glenn Beck, who believes there is an agenda underway and its called Bottom Up, Top Down, and Inside out. You can find more of Glenn Beck's thoughts on that at therightscoop.
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I Will Trust in the Lord!

2010-12-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

Trust is defined by Webster as "Reliance or something in which confidence is placed; it is a person who or thing that people place confidence or faith in."

It matters what we put our trust in. If your about to fall off a cliff and someone desiring to save you says "Grab ahold to my rope!" and you clearly see that "rope" is made of Cottonelle Tissue, while another says "Grab onto me!" and you see he's supported by a secure line, hopefully common sense would move you to grab onto something that's secure because it matters what you put your trust in. The above example is similar to the Biblical view of placing trust in man vs God. It says it like this in the Psalms 20:7-8

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Welcome to the Struggle!

2010-12-08T23:16:00.000-06:00

Yes, there is a struggle, a war, a fight going on, and sitting back on the side lines is not an option. Whether you believe it or not, you're involved in this struggle one way or the other; you're either fighting on the right side or not. What is this struggle? I'm glad you asked: it is a struggle that pans human history from the very beginning of time, namely, God's truth versus the Devil's lies. Now, as a Christian you're either helping the God's cause or not, or vice-a-versa, you're either helping the devil's plans or not. The Bible says this in Ephesians 6:11-12:

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Can There Be Freedom..

2010-12-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

I was reading my local newspaper (Dallas Morning News) and I came across a story about someone impersonating a student on Facebook and bullying kids in his name. While bullying is an issue that will possibly be covered some other time; people these days are insistent on being free and doing whatever they want to do. People want to be free in every walk of life: slaves want to be freed from their masters, children from the tyrannical rule of their parents and citizens from the rules of society. People have died and others have gone to great lengths to gain freedom. My question is, though, can a person really be free? Is it really possible for a person to be free without some form of restriction?
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God is Concerned about What you Believe

2010-12-07T02:33:00.000-06:00

An individual has the right or ability to believe what he may, but I'm of the persuasion that one should utilize discretion at choosing what to believe in.
Webster's College Dictionary defines believe as "to accept as truthful, or accept that somebody is telling the truth"
From this definition we can see why it is dangerous to believe something carelessly or foolishly.