Be Not Offended

I'm speaking to Children of God. 

Have you felt it? That twinge? That moment of embarrassment? That moment of hesitation? You know what I mean. That feeling that you get, anytime you are out of Church, somewhere in Public, when someone says the Name Jesus. Or when someone starts talking about God, the Bible, or Salvation.

Oh, in Church it's just fine. You may even say Praise Jesus after ever other Sentence. You may talk about God for an Hour following the Service. You have no problem being as "Spiritual" as everyone else that is there for that moment.

However, AFTER Church, at the Mini-Mart, Grocery Store, Mall, or whatever and wherever you had to do or go, following Church? At work on Monday, School, or whatever or wherever you do or go during the Week, when you hear someone talking Jesus, The Bible, or God, you have that moment of cringe.

Why? Because you "know" that if people hear you talking that way, they will think that you are a backwoods, simpleton, that is old fashion, and not as smart as the average person. You are afraid to be labeled a Narrow Minded, Chauvinistic, Homophobic, Hate Filled, person, that does not like anyone that does not look like and think like you.

Why? Because that is the stereotype that has been thrown out there, and repeated so many times, some actually believe it. You do not want to be one of "Them." You don't want to be seen in this light, so you remain silent. You say nothing. If someone else brings up God, Jesus, or the Bible, you may agree with them quietly, looking around to see if anyone is looking. You may even whisper "Amen," as softly as you can.

What is that? Why? That twinge? That moment of embarrassment? That moment of hesitation? Why, that outright denial, in some cases? Is it Uncertainty? Is it Pride? Is it Fear? Why would you, a Child of God, act out in this manor, ever?

Jesus Himself knew that this would be the case. He told us...

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."{Matthew 11:6}

He foretold us that the World would hate us, because it hated him First.

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."{John 15:18}

We instinctively know this is the case. Some of us have experienced this.

Uncertainty?

Sometimes Children of God become Offended, because they are uncertain of certain things. You say, "Jesus is the only way." They say "Why? You narrow minded fool. My Grandma was a great lady. She was Jewish. She did a lot of good in the World. She fed the Homeless. She helped all those in need. She read her Tanakh every day. You telling me that just because she did not believe in 'your Jesus,' she is in Hell?" If you are not grounded in The Word, you may not know the, nor how to, answer.

Uncertainty can lead you to become Offended. It can lead you away from God all together. Uncertainty can become a powerful tool of the Devil. "Are you really sure you are saved? Are you really sure there is a God at all? Seriously, look and Mr. Lucky. He is a Billionaire. He spends more in an hour than you make in a year. He doesn't even believe in God. You do. Right? You cannot even pay your electric bill. What is this God you believe in doing for you anyway?" If you are not sure of what you believe, you may fall for this trick. You MUST read the Word, Pray, and have Faith, that those things you read and learn in Church are True. You must lay yourself a solid foundation. One that is unmovable.

Pride?

We have a President that called those of Faith "Bitter Clingers." He said, "And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them " Children of God are consistently Mocked, and Ridiculed in the Media. Children of God are labeled "Racist, Narrow Minded, Chauvinistic, Homophobic, Hate Filled, Simpletons." Anyone that speaks Jesus's name are thought too stupid to know what is best for them. They are made fun of. They have been forced to remain silent in a lot of places. You would not want to be thought of as one of "Those People." Would you?

Fear?

All around the World, there are knocks on the door. They burst in. They Rape and abuse the Women and Children. They torture and kill the Men. They burn the house, and Churches to the Ground. All around the World this can happen to you, for no other reason than this. You believe in the name Jesus. You wouldn't want a knock on your door. Would you?

Look at Peter. Right before they came to take Jesus, Peter told Jesus he was with Him to the end, even to death itself. Jesus knew better...

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples."{Matthew 26:31-35}

You know the story. Peter was asked three times if he was "One of Those" and Peter denied Jesus thee times. Why? Out of fear.

When you first say the Prayer.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

You are Saved. You...

"have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."{Romans 8:15-17}

You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You

"have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

You must come to fully understand what that means. You must learn who you are NOW as a Child of God. You need to find a Church teaching these things. Be Baptized the way Jesus commanded us to be. KNOW you are a Child of God, and if God, is now your Daddy, you no longer have to worry about what anyone else says or does. You should also no longer have any fear.

Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians..

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."{2 Corinthians 12:10}

It is no longer about us. Once you become a Child of God, it should become, all about Him. Once you have done all you can do, and you can do no more, THAT is when God begins. When you are the weakest, that is when God is working in your life the strongest. We must follow Jesus's example..

"“who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth”; who when He was reviled, reviled not in return; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously; who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed."{1 Peter 2:22-24}

Paul wrote to the Ephesians...

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"{Ephesians 5:1-8}

Those that know not God, are not of God. Those that revile you, mock you, insult you, hate you, do these things unknowingly. They do not know what it is that awaits them. They have no idea what awaits us. If they did, they would be one of us. But they would rather believe the lie. No God. No God, no Devil, no Hell, no Sin. They like to believe these things because it becomes easy then, to do what you will. No Sin, no Hell, no reason for a Savior. No reason for a Loving God. No rules no Morals.

So whenever someone attacks you, for no other reason than your Faith in Jesus, do not become Offended. Just understand that,,,,

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."{John 3:18}

We are not the fools.,,,

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good."{Psalm 53:1}

There is nothing that they can do to separate you from the love of God...

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."{Romans 8:31-39}

Are you a Child of God? Are you sure? If God is your Daddy, The SAME Spirit that Raise Jesus from the Dead is IN you. You are Blood Bought. You are Blood Cleansed. You are Saved. They do not deserve the power to offend you. They do not deserve the power to put fear in you. They are nothing. They will come to nothing. Be the Child of God you are. Be certain. Be humble, knowing that it is not about you at all. Have no longer ANY fear. God is now your Daddy. Do not allow any to offend you. Do not allow any to persuade you. What do they have that you see as so precious that you need to forsake who you have become for their approval? They will try to offend you. Just remember, you are the one Saved..

Be blessed. Be a blessing. Be the Child of God you are...

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Do not Pray For The World

I understand the compassion. But it is false.

I understand the good intentions. I did it myself for years. We read Scriptures that tells us that God wants all to be saved. We read Scriptures that tell us God loved us so Jesus came and died for us all. That He made the way simple for all to find it. It is merely a matter of acceptance or rejection on our part. Not His.

We read about Jesus telling us to go out into all the World and Preach the Gospel. We read about loving our enemies and loving those that hate us. Doing good to those that use us, and those, that abuse us. Turn the other cheek. All that kind of stuff. So would it not make sense to Pray for the World? To Pray that the World will Convert, and accept Christ, and be Saved. I mean, after all, Jesus Himself while they were mocking, beating, and killing Him, Prayed

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."{Luke 23:34}

Perhaps, if the World would Convert, then Jesus would not need to come back. Perhaps, God could simply continue things as is. All could be Saved, and Paradise could be here on Earth. Sounds great. Does it not? Like that famous Beatles song Imagine...

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace..."

Compassion. Love. Hope. Charity. Loving Kindness. The desire to return to a time when God Himself would come and walk amongst us. However, there is one HUGE problem with that. It is not possible. It is never going to happen. It is not real. As a matter of fact, the World's Fate is sealed.

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before." {Matthew 24:4-25}

"Take heed that no man deceive you." "See that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass," "Behold, I have told you before." Jesus is telling us that the World's Fate is sealed. These things MUST come to pass. These things WILL happen. Jesus also told us..

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." {John 16:33}

It will happen. The end will come.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."{Mark 13:31}

This is why The Word tells us...

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." {1 John 2:15}

This is why we are told..

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."{Romans 12:2}

The World's Fate is Sealed. It is going to pass away. Remember,,

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." {James 4:4}

Truth is, God, Jesus, The Word, never, tells us to go out and change the World. We are not told to change anything. We are told to teach the Gospel. We are told to tell the Truth. We are obligated to tell people the Truth. We are not responsible for their decision to accept it or not. We are not responsible for changing the World. Remember what Jesus told Peter, when Peter cut off Malchus's Ear?

"Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" {Matthew 26:53-54}

Ever think about this in this way? Jesus could have stopped all this at any time. He chose not to. He allowed the Mocking, Abuse, and He allowed them, to nail Him to the Cross. Why? "Thus it must be." This is why Jesus told them NO ONE takes His Life..

"No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."{John 10:18}

He could have waved His hand at anytime and wiped them all out. But He didn't. Because it must be. The World is going to end. Why? It must be. The Fate is Sealed. The Scriptures will be fulfilled. He told us all these things before they happen. He does not want you to change the World. He wants you to tell people the Truth and allow them, give them an opportunity to accept it or not. To Live or not. The choice is thier's to make.

In one of His Prayers, Jesus said this.

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine." {John 17:9}

Jesus even told us this..

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." {Matthew 10:34-36}

Jesus Himself did not come to the Earth to Save all, but to give the Elect an opportunity to be Saved. Remember, God gave us this World Perfect. We gave the World to the Devil. It has been Evil ever since. Man's heart has been Evil ever since. The World cannot , nor will it, ever, be Saved. Compassion. Love. Hope. Charity. Loving Kindness. These are the Fruit of the Spirit. These are the rewards of those Adopted out of the World and into the Family of God. These are the evidence of those that are Saved. They are so precious because the are opposite of the World.

I have stopped Praying for the World. I now simply Pray for the Lost to be Saved, for the Kingdom's Sake. For the Praise and Glory of God. I share the Truth in this Hope. The Hope that the Individual will accept it and be Saved. Again, the World's Fate is Sealed. This is WHY it is so important that people hear the Truth, and be given an opportunity to accept it or not. The choice is their's.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Papers Please?

Are you a Citizen?

What Country were you born in? What Country do you call Home? Chances are, you have something in your wallet, purse, or pocket, that identifies you are a Citizen of that land. Many have left their Birth land and have moved to another. America is made up of those who did just that.

From time to time, you are required to show Proof of Citizenship. Many have pride, and pull out their ID with a smile, and present their "Papers" to proof they belong. They have pride that they are a part of their Country. Many, that have just come to America, can't wait to show their Proof of Citizenship. They worked hard to get it.

I got news for you. You are not a Citizen. Not anymore. Not even Duel Citizenship. You are now a Stranger in a strange land. But I am not talking about the Country you live in. I'm talking about the whole World. Remember what Jesus told us?

"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." {John 15:19}

In his Prayer, Jesus said this,,,

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world."{John 17-14:18}

Notice He said, twice, "they are not of the world." However, He did NOT say you will be taken out of the World, but that He was sending you into the World. This is where that popular phrase "In the World, not of it."comes from. Next time we will talk about not praying for the World, but for our fellow Brothers and Sisters. We are no longer OF the World and this is why the World hates us so.

Once you accept Jesus, once you receive The Spirit of Adoption, once you become able to call the Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the end. The Creator of all that is, was, or ever will be, Daddy, you are no longer a Citizen of Earth.

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." {Romans 8-14:17}

Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" {Ephesians 2:19}

You are a Citizen of Heaven. The Lord of lords, and the King of kings, is your Daddy. You are a Prince or Princess of HEAVEN. It doesn't matter who you are, or rather who you were,,

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." {Galatians 3:28}

We are all the same. We have all been washed clean with the Blood of The Christ. The Blood of Jesus. We have all been Adopted into the Family of God. We are all now Citizens of Heaven. This is why we are not to be conformed to this World.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." {Romans 12:1-2}

We are not to do the things they do, but we are to be the NEW Creatures God made us to be. His Children. James warned us about being a friend of the World..

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." {James 4:4}

Let the World be the World. It's fate is sealed. Let the dead bury the dead. Their fate is sealed. Let them love Money, their fate is sealed. Be the Child of God HE called you to be. Be a Prince or Princess of Heaven. Be an Ambassador. Be a Sower of the Seed. Tell the Truth.

If someone asks you to show them your papers? Show them your Works. As James told someone who asked for proof..

"But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."{James 2:18}

Jesus said,,

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."{Matthew 7:20}

What fruit?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: "{Galatians 5:22-23}

If someone claims that they are fellow Citizens, and yet, you see they are producing fruit that is,,,,

"Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:" {Galatians 5:19-21}

You know they are lying. They are of the World and NOT of God. Have nothing to do with people like this. Do not Pray for, conform to, or become as, the World. You are above all that. God is your Daddy. You have Citizenship in Heaven. Your Treasure is in Heaven. Your Reward is in Heaven. You are on your way HOME. Be the Child of God you are. Produce good fruit. Do your Father's Will. Keep Jesus's sayings. Rest in the Fact, you are now a Stranger in a strange land. Your Home is not here. It is awaiting for you to come.

Are you a Citizen of Heaven? Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

10 Characteristics Of Religious Church Systems Jesus Warns Us Against

Special Guest, Bishop Joseph Mattera  

Every church and/or organization has a corporate culture with norms, rules and expectations that pressure participants to conform. Some cultures are good and some bad.

That being said, there are particular attributes that characterize false religions or become the norm during religious decline in a true faith such as Christianity.

The Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Micah and Amos decried religious ritual that was without true righteousness, humility and love for neighbor (Is. 1:10-17; 58; Amos 5:21-24; Mic. 6:8). The line of prophets arose starting in the 8th century B.C. primarily because Israel had a tendency to focus more on adhering to the temple ritual worship of the Levitical system than the ethical lifestyle required by the Law of Moses as found in the Ten Commandments. For this, the prophets pronounced judgment upon the nation, and God dispersed the people and, on two occasions, let enemies destroy their temple.

We have the same issue in today's church, irrespective of the denomination or expression of the body of Christ.

The following are 10 of the characteristics of false religious systems as taught by Jesus in Matthew 23:

1. There are onerous rules and regulations some call legalism (Matt. 23:1-3).

In the contemporary church, there are numerous man-made traditions and requirements that never arose from the Word, which have become an unnecessary burden upon believers. For example, in many Pentecostal churches the emphasis is on outward holiness related to attire, makeup, the cutting of hair, jewelry and other regulations. I have spoken to numerous young people who stopped attending church because these regulations made them feel weird in front of their unchurched friends. Fundamentalists in the past forbade any form of entertainment, including watching movies, listening to the radio, watching television, etc. These are legalistic efforts to bring holiness that have resulted in numerous churches losing their next generation.

2. The church leaders serve to receive prestige from men (vv. 5-7).

God makes it clear in His word that some religious leaders love the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43). The judgment of God is against the leaders who are constantly posturing themselves within their denomination to attain the highest seats of authority and places of honor among men. Truly, some of the greatest people of God in the earth today are hidden from the public eye.

3. The leaders crave titles and moving up the ranks of hierarchical religious systems (vv. 8-11).

Today's church is replete with people who use titles to validate their ministries. I can't tell you how many people I have met with the title apostle, bishop, doctor or archbishop on their business cards who have very little influence in the church and secular world. Truly God doesn't care about an apostolic title; God looks more at apostolic function and fruit. I have found that, the more a person speaks about their academic achievements and ecclesial titles, the more insecure they are as a person and about their ministry accomplishments.

I say this as a person who has been consecrated both a bishop and apostle and who flows in circles with leaders who use these titles. There is nothing wrong with these titles (both are biblical) as long as we don't flaunt them, crave them and depend upon them for validation and/or to hide that we do not have real apostolic function and fruit. Many of the greatest leaders in the church world do not insist upon people referring to them with a title.

4. The leaders have an entitlement mentality (vv. 11-12).

I believe in the biblical principle of serving the people of God as a prerequisite to being qualified to function in the same ministry as they do. For example, Joshua was called the servant of Moses; Elisha served Elijah; David served Samuel and Saul, and the 12 apostles served Jesus.

That being said, there has also been abuse of this principle since many people desire to become leaders partially because it enables them to be waited upon. I believe younger ministers should serve older, more mature ministers out of honor and proper protocol, but at the same time older ministers should not demand it or become abusive if they do not receive it. We do not receive titles in the kingdom so we can be waited upon but so that we can have greater opportunity to serve in the church.

The more mature a Christ follower is, the more they will celebrate service as the highest form of ministry and leadership. God resists those leaders who emotionally abuse and/or lord it over those under their care (1 Pet. 5:3).

5. The leaders become a stumbling block to others seeking the kingdom (vv. 13-15).

It has been evident the past 30 years in both the evangelical and Roman Catholic churches that leaders can become huge stumbling blocks instead of assets to the kingdom. Whether it is lavish lifestyles, sexual misconduct, abuse of power, or other forms of narcissism, many believers have been turned off from Christianity by those who are supposed to represent it. Truly those who handle the Word of God will receive the most scrutiny at the judgment seat of Christ (James 3:1).

6. The leaders value and love money and wealth more than anything else (vv. 16-17).

While I do not believe church leaders should live in poverty, nor do I believe they should receive salaries from their churches that are greatly disproportionate to the average income of their congregation and/or community. The religious leaders Jesus denounced seemed to value gold more than the glory and honor of God. Leaders should never serve primarily for money but for the love of God and His people (1 Pet. 5:2).

7. The weightier matters of the Word are neglected (vv. 23-24).

Although I believe and practice the principles of tithing, fasting, church attendance and the like, they should never be an excuse for me to think I have fulfilled all of my Christian duties. Jesus says here that we ought to continue to tithe but also include in our lifestyle the practice of treating others with justice, mercy and faithfulness.

For example, if we tithe but treat our spouse poorly, neglect the poor in our midst, or mistreat others, our tithe will not do us any good. Then we are just like the Pharisee Jesus describes in Luke 18:10-14.

8. Ritual is valued more than inner transformation (vv. 25-28).

In the church we all have our traditions and rituals; whether it is the high-church liturgies of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox or Anglican churches, and/or the more informal gatherings of the Pentecostals and evangelicals. The tendency for human beings is to fall into a routine and equate our routine with true worship. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that she worshipped what she did not know (John 4), which means that people can worship in ignorance and/or without a true experience with God.

Whether it is the sacraments of denominational churches or the shouting, shaking and tongue talking of the Pentecostals, human nature has a tendency to fall into habit patterns of outward worship bereft of the life-changing dynamic of encountering the living God. We do not have to do away with these rituals, sacraments and traditions but should integrate them with true heartfelt worship and passion for our Lord.

9. They honor the departed saints without living like them in the present (vv. 29-32).

I have found that it is much easier to study about revival than to actually work hard for it. It is much easier to study church history than it is to make history. Every denomination and expression of the church has its Christian heroes of the past, but very few denominations, churches and adherents attempt to emulate the life, passion and sacrifice of the saints of old (for example: Ignatius, Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Francis, Whitefield, Wesley, Edwards, Finney, Spurgeon, Moody, Hudson Taylor, John G. Lake, Wigglesworth, Maria Woodworth-Etter, Francis Schaeffer and more).

Jesus wants us to honor the prophets of old by living like them, not merely by building and revering their tombs.

10. They reject the prophets and wise men who confront their false systems (vv. 33-37).

Those who are captivated by a religious system will never listen to those speaking for God who are not of their denomination and/or do not have acceptable academic credentials. Sound familiar? The Pharisees and Sadducees rejected Jesus (John 7:14-18) and Peter (Acts 4:13) for the same reason. It is not an accident that in Luke 3:1-2 it shows that the Word of God came to John in the wilderness and not to an already established institutional leader. Thus, God bypassed the litany of prominent political and religious leaders and their systems (3:1) because they were so corrupt.

When a leader is captivated by their religious system or dead institution they become blind to the pure Word of the Lord. God has to bypass them and speak prophetically through those outside the dead institution. Those who are humble and have ears to hear (as Nicodemus in John 3) will recognize and receive the people God sends to them, irrespective of their institutional affiliation.

Truly, God cannot be contained in a temple, an institution, a denomination or any one religious system. He is Lord of all and will seek after those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

May God help us to avoid these 10 judgments!

It's a Heart Thing

You need to have a Heart Transplant..

Have you tried and failed? Have you run and fallen? Have you walked away? Do you feel unworthy to be a Child of God? Are you discouraged? What is the condition of your Mind? Have you given up?

God doesn't care so much the condition of your mind. He can see your heart. Remember what Jesus said about what defiles a man?

"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." {Matthew 15:11}

He explained,,,

"But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."{Matthew 15: 18-20}

God discovered this following The Flood. You see, before the Flood, God saw man's heart.

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."{Genesis 6:5}

After The Flood, God saw man's heart was still Evil,,

"And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done."{Genesis 8:21}

As a matter of fact, this is why you can rest assured, that all these rumors of "The End of the World" are false, unless they are coming from Revelations itself. Every time you look up in the Sky, you see the evidence of this Covenant between God and Noah. It's called a Rainbow..

"And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." {Genesis 9:12-17}

However, even after The Flood, God saw man's heart was evil continuously. This is why we have the Tenth Commandment.

"You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."{Exodus 20:17}

Why? As Jesus also told us,,,

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."{Matthew 5:28}

It is the heart of man that brings forth Sin. What starts as a desire in the heart, leads to thoughts in the mind,

"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." {James 1:15}

It is when we allow these things to take place, that we fall into Judgement..

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." {Jeremiah 17:10}

This is why we must be Born Again. Why we must receive the Spirit of Adoption. Become a new Creature. A new Created Being. With a renewed Heart. This is also why God tells us to Judge no man. This is His Job and His alone. Why??

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." {1 Samuel 16:7}

The heart is what leads to Sin, Destruction, and Death. It is also the heart that can renew the mind and lead us to Love one another and to seek first the Kingdom of God.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." {Philippians 4:4-9}

You must,,,

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." {Colossians 3:2}

It is a Heart thing. What you allow your heart to love, is what you will seek, and what you will do. Remember Jesus told us to,,,,

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." {Matthew 6:20-21}

We all Sin. We all fall way short of worthiness of the Grace of God. Without the Sacrifice of Jesus, we have nothing. Without the Spirit of Adoption, we are not Children of God. Without renewing our hearts, we have nothing. But here's the thing. If we DO have the right heart, though our flesh may Sin, God will see our hearts, and will cover us with his Grace, Mercy, and Love.

With the right heart, when we fall, God will lift us up. When we are weak, God will strengthen us. When we yield to Him, He will Glorify us with Jesus Himself. Do you need a Heart Transplant? Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Faith, by R.C. Spoul

Faith

Christianity is often called a religion. More properly it is called a "faith." We often speak of the Christian faith. It is called a faith because there is a body of knowledge that is affirmed or believed by its adherents. It is also called a faith because the virtue of faith is central to its understanding of redemption.

What does faith mean? In our culture it is often mistaken for a blind belief in something that is unreasonable. To call the Christian faith a "blind faith," however, is not only demeaning to Christians, but an outrage to God. When the Bible speaks of blindness it uses this image for people who, by their sin, walk in darkness. Christianity calls people out of the darkness, not into the darkness. Faith is the antidote to blindness, not the cause of it.

At its root, the term faith means "trust." To trust God is not an act of unreasonable belief. God demonstrates Himself to be eminently trustworthy. He gives ample reason for us to trust Him. He proves that He Himself is faithful and worthy of our trust.

There is a huge difference between faith and credulity. To be credulous is to believe something for no sound reason. It is the stuff of which superstition is made and thrives on. Faith is established upon coherent and consistent reasoning and upon sound empirical evidence. Peter writes, 

"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" (2 Peter 1:16).

Christianity does not rest upon myths and fables but on the testimony of those who saw with their eyes and heard with their ears. The truth of the gospel is based on historical events. If the account of those events is not trustworthy, then indeed our faith would be in vain. But God does not ask us to believe anything on the basis of myth.

The book of Hebrews gives us a definition of faith: 

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith comprises the essence of our hope for the future. In simple terms this means that we trust God for the future based on our faith in what He has accomplished in the past. To believe that God will continue to be trustworthy is not a gratuitous faith. There is every reason to believe that God will be as faithful to His promises in the future as He has been in the past. There is a reason, a substantive reason, for the hope that is within us.

The faith that is the evidence of things unseen has primary but not exclusive reference to the future. Nobody has a crystal ball that works. We all walk into the future by faith and not by sight. We may plan and make projections, but even the best foresight we have is based upon our educated guesses. None of us has experiential knowledge of tomorrow. We view the present and can recall the past. We are experts in hindsight. The only solid evidence we have for our own future is drawn from the promises of God. Here faith offers evidence for things unseen. We trust God for tomorrow.

We also trust or believe that God exists. And although God Himself is unseen, the Scriptures make it clear that the invisible God is made manifest through the things that are visible (Romans 1:20). Though God is not visible to us, we believe that He is there because He has manifested Himself so clearly in creation and in history.

Faith includes believing in God. Yet that kind of faith is not particularly praiseworthy. James writes, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:19). Here sarcasm drips from James's pen. To believe in the existence of God merely qualifies us to be demons. It is one thing to believe in God; it is another thing to believe God. To believe God, to trust in Him for our very life, is the essence of the Christian faith.

The Difference in Forgiving and Condoning

"How dare you sir."

"How dare you judge others. How dare you say that Gay people are going to Hell. Or that if a Woman, practices her LEGAL RIGHT to have an Abortion, she is going to Hell. How dare you tell me that my loving, sweet, generous Grandma, is in Hell right now, because she didn't believe in your Jesus. How dare you sir. You narrow minded, Homophobic, Chauvinistic, Bigot.."

Yup. Some were a bit upset with the last message. "There is No Compromise." Some, and perhaps you may have been one of them, feel it was a bit over the top. God is a God of Love. God is a God of Forgiveness. God is a God of Grace and Mercy. How dare I say people are going to Hell for doing what Man has decided to Condone. How dare I tell the Truth that there is no other way..

God IS a God of Love. He IS a God of Mercy. He IS a God of Forgiveness. This is why He made Salvation so simple to receive. Why He made Forgiveness so easy to obtain. That is why God...

"maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." {Matthew 5:45}

Peter tells us...

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." {2 Peter 3:9}

Not willing that ANY should perish. He desires ALL to come to repentance. He loves us so much that He laid down his Godhood and came to Earth as a helpless little Baby. He laid down His Life for us. All we have to do is accept. That's it. Accept the Truth, The Gift. All we have to do is accept His substitute for us. He made the way simple, and obtainable, for all.

He is not sitting on His Throne, leaning over, watching your every step, just waiting for you to mess up, so He can send you to an ever lasting place of torment. He is waiting for you to repent. He is waiting for you to accept the Truth.

Sad thing is, it is in this very simplicity that Mankind gets so lost. It can't be so simple. It can't be this easy. We have to not eat meat on Fridays. We have to Pray to this Saint or that. Bow before this Statute or that. We have to Pray to the West. We have to do all these things to become worthy of acceptance.

God is ready to forgive you of any and all Sins you have, or still are, committing. When Peter asked Jesus, how many times do we need to forgive our Brother, who may Sin against us, Jesus told him 490 times.

"I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." {Matthew 18:22}

Now I'm sure that if Peter was to ask Jesus 490? Jesus would have most likely said No 7 times 490. The point is, Jesus tells us that we are to forgive those that Sin against us, EVERY TIME, they Sin against us. If Jesus is telling us, being Evil, to do this, how much more do you think God is willing to forgive us of our Sins.

He so loved us, that He came and died for us, while we were not only Sinners, but in the middle of our Sins..

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." {Romans 5:8}

It really is simple. Accept Jesus and Live, do not, and die. There is no Compromise. There is not other way.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." {Acts 4:12}

Not Mary. Not Joseph Smith, Jr., Martin Luther, Confucius, Buddha, nor Mohammed. Not Peter, Paul, Luke, John. Neither Jennifer, Karen, or Billy-bob. NO OTHER NAME. Only Jesus. The Son of God. The Word in the Flesh. God as Man. He and He alone,,,

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." {John 14:6}

If this offends you, sorry. Truth is Truth. He is the only way to get to Heaven. In the end,,,

"As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." {Romans 14:11}

Sad truth is, at that point, it will be too late for many. But it doesn't matter if you believe this is true, or accept Him or not. No does it matter if you become offended at the name Jesus. It changes nothing. He is STILL Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and the ONLY way to get to Heaven. Sorry. It is just that simple.

Now as for Sin? Perhaps you are confusing Forgiving and Condoning. There is a major difference. God gave us Free Will. He also gave us a choice. Follow Him, or not. Do what He tells us to do, or go it alone, and do as we will. He will not force you to follow Him, and His Will, and His ways. But He will also NOT Condone your Sin. Just because WE have decided Sin to be Good and Good to be Sin, doesn't change it, or make it so.

It does not matter if Man says it's OK to be Gay, or to Slaughter innocent life. God calls it abominations and Sin. It doesn't matter if man says it's OK to take from someone else for the benefit or good of others, God calls it Theft and Sin. It doesn't matter what Man says. It matters what God says.

Jesus gave us such an example...

"Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."{Matthew 15:3-9}

Paul warned us about this as well in his letter to the Romans..

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." {Romans 1-18:25}

We have done this. Through the Condoning of Sin. We have traded Man Made Traditions, and Man Made Concepts, for the Commandments of God. Through this process, not only have we Condoned Sin, but we have also justified it. Called it good. Through "compassion" we now say "It's OK." "It's acceptable." "Do not speak against it." Some no longer see Sin as Sin. Why?

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."{Romans 1-26:32}

God gave them over to a reprobate mind. God said, you want to do things your way, have at it. You will reap what you sow. It is like me telling my Son, do not play in Traffic. Yet everyday he goes out after school and plays in Traffic. I grow weary of warning him, so I just let him go it alone. Let him play in traffic all he wants. Then one day he gets hit by a car. Did I do that to him? Was this his punishment for not listening to me? Nope. I simply gave him up to his own thoughts and desires. He went out into Traffic. He played where I warned him not to. He did what I warned him not to. He suffered the consequences for his own actions. While he was obedient to me, and in the house, he was protected. But when he decided to leave the house, become disobedient, I could no longer protect him. He was on his own.

God is the same. He loves you so much that He made the Way of Salvation easy and accessible to all. He tells you how you can avoid the bad stuff, or at least the best way to deal with it, and live a long and happy life. It is not God who turned His back on Man, it is Man who turns his back on God. Jesus told us simply, believe on Him, keep His and His Father's Word, live. Chose not to, and you are of your Father the Devil. {John 8:44}

You either receive the Spirit of Adoption, walk in the Spirit, forsake the things of the flesh, or you do not. {Romans 8} The choice is totally yours to make.

However, no matter how compassionate it may sound or seem, no matter what Man says, no matter how you feel, Sin is still Sin, and Good is still Good, and there is only one way to Life. Condoning Sin will never make it right. But the good news is, God is able to, and willing, to forgive. Again, the choice is yours to make..

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

There is NO Compromising

Sometimes you need to compromise.

You've heard that right? Sometimes you need to compromise, to get most of what you want. You need to compromise to ensure everyone gets something. You need to compromise your message, to win more people to God.

Oh yeah. It is said all the time.

"If you lighten up a bit, and compromise a bit, you will have more people listen to what you have to say about God and The Bible."

Suggestions??

"Well, it's 2014. You know what I'm saying. Talk about God, The Bible, Faith, all that, but don't say things like Homosexuality is a Sin. Like I said, it's 2014. No one sees being Gay as a Sin anymore. Besides, who cares? It's OK to be Gay if they want. Forget that.

Also understand that it is the Law of the Land. It has become a Constitutional Right, for a Woman to choose. So go ahead and talk about Noah, Moses, and King David. Talk about how much God loves us. But, uh, stay away from Abortion.

While you are at it, if you really want to get more people to listen to you, you may want to consider leaving out Jesus. Oh Preach The Bible. Talk about Moses, David, Solomon, the Ten Commandments. Talk about how God created everything, and how much He loves us. But leave out that whole Jesus thing. There are so many Religions out there. So many that do not believe in this Jesus. They believe they are going to Heaven.

I mean really? Who really believes that God came to earth as a man named Jesus, and rose from the dead? Really? You are telling people that unless they accept Jesus, they are going to hell. Seriously? That's pretty close minded and offensive. Hell? Seriously, most people do not even believe in Hell, or the Devil, or Demons. Makes for good TV or Movies, but let's leave all that out. We are all God's Children.. Right?"

Are you done?

"Well, that's a start.. You know, just compromise a bit."

There is no compromise.

Homosexuality?

Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Ezekiel 16:48-51, {Think America} Romans 1: 18-32. There is no compromise. The Word is crystal clear that Homosexuality is both an Abomination and Sin to God, and against Nature itself. As a matter of fact, God destroyed entire Cities because of it.

Remember Sodom? God sent two Angels to Sodom to seek out Faithful Children of God, as an answered Prayer to Lot, when this happened???

"Before bedtime, men both young and old and from every part of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house. They called to Lot, “Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sexual relations with them.” Lot went outside to them, closing the door behind him. He said, “No, my brothers! Do not do this evil thing. Look! I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. I will give them to you, and you may do anything you want with them. But please don’t do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them.”

The men around the house answered, “Move out of the way!” Then they said to each other, “This man Lot came to our city as a stranger, and now he wants to tell us what to do!” They said to Lot, “We will do worse things to you than to them.” They started pushing him back and were ready to break down the door." {Genesis 19}

You know the story. God destroyed the Cities and even Lot's Wife was killed because she turned back. There is no compromise. The time of Sodom and Gomorrah, or 2014, there is no compromise.

Abortion?

Exodus 20:13, Exodus 21:22-24, Psalm 139. There is no compromise. You have heard Eye for an eye? That was referring to Abortion..

Exodus 21:

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

So accidental death of an unborn child is even punishable according to God. Of course, if the intent IS to harm the unborn, then one is guilty of Murder. Here is one of those passages that is constantly misunderstood. In many cases, is taught incorrectly.

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

God is talking about an unborn child here. God says that if men strive to hurt a woman with child, or does so with the intent to harm that child, they are guilty of the Murder of the most innocent of life. If they interfere with God's plan, then the price is simple. If God said, you will have two legs and two arms, and man interferes with that, causing the child to be born with only one arm, then the one that caused it, is required to give up theirs. That is how important that God sees the unborn. His greatest gift to us, save Salvation itself, is Children. Of course Abortion is Murder. The Murder of the most innocent of all life. There is no Compromise.

Preach God, and do good, just leave out Jesus?

Man says, "Jesus is not God, nor anything but a Rabbi. You can get to Heaven any way you see as truth."

The Word says,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." {John 1:1-14}

Jesus said:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."{John 3:16-18}

Jesus said:

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
{John 10:9-11}

Jesus said:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." {John 14:6-7}

There is no compromise. Oh, you can wash all the Pots and Pans you want. You can Pray to the West all you want. You can say "Hail Mary" all you want. You can abstain from Meat all you want. It doesn't matter. Man made Traditions called Religion, doesn't matter. Without the acceptance for the Sacrifice of Jesus for you, without the Spirit of Adoption {Romans 8} you will in no means enter into Heaven. Without Jesus, your Religion is worthless.

"Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain." {Psalms 127:1}

Without Jesus, you have nothing. There is no compromise. It doesn't matter if you are Black, White, Male, Female, Rich, Poor, Muslim, Jew, Christian, Presbyterian, Buddhist, or anything else. All are false and useless. Without Jesus, there is no God. Without Jesus, there is no Salvation. Without Jesus, you are already dead. There is no compromise.

Saying that you need to compromise when you are teaching The Word of God, means telling people half Truths and Lies. It means idle and useless talk that produces nothing. It can also be a tool of the enemy to actually KEEP people from the Truth. No thank you. I will serve the Lord and I will teach His Word. You compromise all you want. I do not have time.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}