2 Chronicles 7 Repentance

What does Repentance actually mean?

"I'm sorry." Do it again. "I'm sorry." Do it again. "I'm sorry."" Do it again.. How many of you are Parents? I see some hands. When you tell your child, "Do not do that." They do it anyway. What do you do? When they do it continually. What do you do? Is "I'm sorry" a magical phrase that erases the deed? Is "I'm Sorry" a legal defense? Is it OK to do whatever you want, even if you know it's wrong, as long as you say "I'm Sorry" after?

We have been discussing 2 Chronicles 7. Here it is..

"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."

First God says "If." He said If we Humble ourselves, If we Pray, If we seek His face. and If we Repent, THEN He will hear, forgive, and heal. We have discussed Humility. We discussed Prayer. We just discussed Seeking first, the Kingdom of Heaven. But what does Repentance actually mean? Does it mean "I'm sorry," and continuing to do it anyway? Or does it indeed mean "turn from our wicked ways"

{Luke 13:1-5}

"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Jesus tells us there is no difference in Sin. Sin is Sin. If you are guilty of Sin, you are worthy of death. It does not matter if your Sin is Lying, Stealing, Sexual Immorality, or Murder. If you are, and you are by the way, guilty of Sin, they you are worthy of death. There is only one reason you will not die, and be separated from God for all eternity. His name is Jesus the Christ.

It doesn't matter who you think you are. It does not matter how much money you have. It does not matter the color of your skin. It does matter what man-made Tradition, called Religion, that your Parents practice. All that matters is if you accept Jesus's Sacrifice for you. Allow His blood to be a substitute for your blood. Allow His death, rather, His Resurrection, to be payment for all your Sins. He came, humbled Himself, and laid down His life for you. He died so that you didn't have to. All you have to do to receive the Spirit of Adoption , is believe He did all this for you. He made the way simple. He made the way all inclusive.

{Mark 16:16}

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Paul wrote,,,

{Romans 10:13}

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

It is not an exclusive club. It is wide open and totally free for any to join.

Peter Put it this way....

{2 Peter 3:9}

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

However, what happens if you do this, then continue to live your life as you did before? Many question if you actually meant it. Some question if you CAN be Saved and continue to Sin. You must be careful. John teaches us that even the Children of God Sin. He said this...

{1 John:8-10}

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

So we all Sin daily. We need to Pray, and ask forgiveness Daily. If we do, "he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But be careful that you are not WILLFULLY Sinning. In other words, "I'm Saved, so I can do whatsoever I want." This is NOT true..

Just like you, your Heavenly Father loves His Children. Just like you, Your Heavenly Father knows what is best for His Children. Just like you, your Heavenly Father tells you certain things that you should not do. He does so out of love and concern for your well being. Just like you, He loves His Children unconditionally. However, just like you, He will not tolerate you Sinning against Him and His ways forever. I'm sorry only goes so far.

Paul warned us of this in his letter to the Hebrews...

{Hebrews 10:26-31}

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Look, if you come to me, and say, please adopt me into your family. I agree. I tell you to be a part of my family, I will require from you the same as I would require from all my children. If you are a faithful and good child, you, as with all my children, will inherit part of my vast estate and fortune.

However, you decide to stop coming to my house. You decide to go off and do your own thing. You decide to forsake me and my family. That is totally your choice. By doing this though, you are disqualifying yourself from all my blessings and promises. I can not bless you, help you, or even love you, if you are no longer with me. I am still in my house. I am still blessing my Children. YOU chose to leave and go somewhere else. As in all things, the choice is yours.

But the good news is, you can come home. As long as you do not wait too long. Be careful Child of God. There is a VAST difference in battling your Sin and failing, and Willfully Sinning. God loves us unconditionally. Yet, God does not give anyone a license to Sin, as long as you say sorry after.

If you are truly trying to overcome your Sin, and are truly remorseful whenever you mess up, then He is "he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." However, if you Willfully Sin, thinking that you are covered because you are Saved by Christ? "There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins"

"I'm Sorry." Then doing it anyway is NOT "turning from our wicked ways." God says "IF" He then says "Then." If we "shall humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways" Then God tells us, "If" we do all these things  "then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." IF we do, Then He will do. If we do not do, then He will not do. It seems pretty simple to understand. Now we just have to do it..THEN, He will do His part. That is what we will be talking about next time..

If you are called according to His name. How? 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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

2 Chronicles 7 Seeking the Kingdom of Heaven

Seeking God

Hello, welcome today. We have been discussing 2 Chronicles 7. Here is the Passage...

"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."

We have already discussed how you must first be a Child of God. No, we are not all Children of God. Second, God said "If". If we do this, "Then" God will do that. The first "If" is Humility. The Second "If" is Prayer. Today we will be talking about "If" we seek His face.

Again, Jesus went to great lengths in describing how we, now as Children of God, should have no fear. We should not worry about what we will eat, drink, wear, or anything else, what we need to do is...

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

In his letter to the Church in Colossae, Paul wrote this...

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye 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:

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." {Colossians 3:1-14}

You see, when you are seeking Him, you will not have time to worry about anything else. When you realize that God said, "I will meet your needs. I know what you need before you do." and you realize that the Creator of all that is, was, or ever will be, has got your back??? Do you think He cannot feed you? Cloth you? Do you not think He knows you need a Job? A Car? A Home?

Jesus compares God to your Early Father. He asked us this question...

{Matthew 7:9-11}

"What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

God wants to be your Father. He wants you to be His Child. He wants that one on one relationship with you. When you achieve this relationship by spending time with Him. Reading the Word, Praying. Spending time with your Heavenly Family, the Church,,,,,,

{Jeremiah 29:12-14}

"Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."

But wait... You can use this? This is God talking to Jews. I'm not Jewish. I was never led away Captive. I was never a Slave. This is God's Promise to the Jews. Not to me...

Really? Are you sure? You are in Bondage right now. You are a Slave to Fear. You are a Slave to Sin. You are under the Bondage of Death. God wants to set you free. His Promise to the Jews is the same as His Promise to you. Remember,,,,

{Romans 10:10-13}

"For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”"

Did you lose your Job? Did you lose your Home? Has a loved one Passed on? What do you do??? GOD!!!! But what if all is going good? What if you just got a new Home. A New Car? What if all is going along smoothly? Where are your thoughts on God now? During the good times? Are you a Foul Weather Child? I hope not. God want you to have that Daddy / Child  relationship with Him 24-7.

{1 Chronicles 16:8-12}

"Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;"

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote this...

{Lamentations 3:21-26}

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

Think about this. We all deserve the same fate as the Devil himself. We Sin daily. We reject God and His Word daily. We do the opposite of what He tells us daily. He made us. He made His way simple. He came and died for our Sins. He has all the answers you will ever seek. He is GOD. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. The Creator of all that is or ever will be. He is GOD. and all He wants from you, is a one on one relationship. A Parent / Child relationship. He wants you to include Him first in your life. No matter what is going on. We must Seek His face.

The good news is, those that do seek His face, will find it..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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

2 Chronicles 7, Prayer

Prayer

Last time we talked about the first thing God said in the Passage. He said "IF my people, called according by my name, shall humble themselves".... We talked about the Words IF and THEN. We talked about the fact we are NOT all God's People, but only are IF, we have accepted God's Plan of Salvation through Jesus's Sacrifice and the Adoption of the Holy Spirit. We then discussed the very first thing we need to do. God said here, we need to humble ourselves. Today we are talking about Prayer...

Here is the Passage we are working through

{2 Chronicles 7}

"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."

Now we know all about Prayer? Right? Well, according to The Word..

{Mark 11:24}

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Well that's GREAT!!! Lord, I want that new Red Sports Car. Or, better yet, just let me hit the Lotto and then I can buy it myself. Then I promise I will do some good with the money too. What? Hey your Word says "whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be mine." So??? Where is it???

Oh we know,,,

{Matthew 7:7}

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"

And what about this one????

{John 15:7}

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."

So come on God,, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for me" SO?????? Where is my big pile of money????

Do you know people like this? Have you been people like this? Why does this type of Prayer never seem to work out? Or, then you have people that go to Church every week. They do what Jesus said to do. They Pray the "Our Father Prayer" three times. They go home. Again, it seems nothing works out. Why? They are saying the Prayer that Jesus Himself taught us to Pray? Right?

Well, no. Not exactly. Did Jesus give us the "Our Father Prayer?" in Matthew 6? Of course. But what was He actually telling us? You see, He was teaching us how to Pray, by teaching us the formula. He was giving us an example of HOW to Pray. He never meant for us to simply repeat it, in the hopes that we would be heard by God, and God will do whatever we asked Him. As a matter of fact, right before He gave us this example, He said THIS.....

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

He goes on to say, not, Pray this Prayer, but

"After this manner therefore pray ye."

He tells us that this is the formula. This is an example. "After this manner" or, to resemble in appearance, character, behavior, etc. or, to follow as an example. Keep in mind, He just said, "when ye pray, use not vain repetitions." So was Jesus telling us, Say the Our Father Prayer and all will be good? No. He was saying, this is how you should Pray..

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

But what does it mean? Let's break it down shall we. First,,,

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

Stop. Have no other God before God. Jesus tells us, when we Pray, we should start off, recognizing God, first as our Father, our Daddy, and we need to recognize His Godhood. We should praise Him. Thank Him. Honor Him. Let Him know we understand that it is not about us, but His Will. Put Him first in our lives.

See the very first Commandment is "Have no other God before God." Jesus tells us we should "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." So of course it makes sense that Jesus tells us the very first thing we should do when we Pray, is Worship Him and give Him the Honor He deserves.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Stop. Jesus is telling us that we must rely on God, and not ourselves, to meet our daily needs. He just tells us right before this Prayer example that, "for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Jesus then goes into great detail explaining this truth.

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Again, He tells us "for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Fear not. Your Daddy will meet your needs. Know that He is with you always. Thank Him for meeting those needs. Have faith He will.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Stop. What is He saying here. Forgive those that have sinned against you. Those that have abused you. Mistreated you. Used you. Forgive any that you have cause of to forgive. Why? In explaining the Prayer example, Jesus starts out with this.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you::"

Be careful Child of God. Jesus tells us plainly..

"But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Remember, when Peter asked our Lord,

{Matthew 18:21-22}

"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

And in...

{Mark 11:25}

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

As we have discussed before, there is NOTHING you could possibly even dream up, that is worthy to be compared to what God can do to these people. The most powerful words you could ever use against them is "I forgive you." Why? because then they are in God's hands. You are forgiven of all those Sins you are worthy of Hell for, and they are out of your hands, and control, and are now God's. Never forget...

{Romans 12:19}

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

If you give in to your anger, it can lead to hate. You could lust after the desired end of another person. "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Do not let it take you. Forgive. Besides all that, what have you, or what DO you, still do, daily, that is worthy of damnation? Trust me. There is a list. Mine is REALLY long. Do not fool yourself.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"

Did you know that God will never test you with Sin?

{James 1:12-15}

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

What Jesus is in essence saying here, is ask your Father, to protect you from yourself. What He is saying is that you need to strengthen yourself in Truth and Righteousness. Strengthen your Spirit, to overcome the temptations of the flesh.

The devil never screams. He whispers. He reminds. He allows you to feel. Were or are you addicted to Porn? Have you overcome it? Now, you are walking through the Mall with your Family, and right there in front of you, is a teenage girl is one of the skimpiest little outfits you ever saw. Now you can't get the imagine out of your head. Or recovering from Drugs? All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you smell it. You taste it. Perhaps you have a dream about doing it. What happens? Now you can't get that imagine out of your head. If you give in, you may go right back into the bondage of the Sin you have overcome. Did the devil make you? Nope. You did it. All by yourself.

So Jesus tells us to be ever vigilant. Spend time with your Father. Ask Him to give you the strength to overcome. To be steadfast.

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Again, as you starting out the Prayer, finish it, praising God. Thanking Him for being your Daddy. Thank Him for His majesty. For His Creation. Praise Him.

So to recap. Start your Prayers Praising God, ask Him and thank Him for meeting your daily needs, forgive any you ought to forgive and ask forgiveness for your Sins, ask Him for protection against the fleshly desire to Sin, and wrap it up with more Praising.

You see, Jesus never intended, nor does God intend, to only spend an hour or two a week with you. He wants you to be spending time with Him everyday. He wants the same relationship with you, that you have with your Earthy Father. He wants to be your Father. He wants you to talk with Him. Walk with Him. Not just an hour or two a week, if you feel like going, but everyday.

He does not want you to allow the cares of the World to press Him out of your life. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."The first thing in the forefront of your mind, should be God and His Will and Way. His Word. His love. If you allow Him to be your Father, He will be. If you allow Him to be your Daddy, He will treat you as His Child. It really is this simple. He has little concern that you go to a Man-made Building, and follow Man-made Traditions. He does not want vain repetitions. He wants a true relationship with you. Remember IF, and Then. If you Pray to God, Then He will hear you. If you seek a Father / Child relationship with Him, He will become your Daddy.

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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

2 Chronicles 7 Humility

IF and THEN

IF,Then. If, Then. If, Then. If, you walk in the Rain, Then, you will get wet. If, you stay inside, Then, you will stay dry. If, you touch the hot stove, Then, you will get burned. If, you do not touch the Hot stove, Then, you will not get burned. If, you call on the name of our Lord, Then, you will be Saved. If, you do not, Then, you are not Saved. If, Then. If, Then. If, Then. If, Then.

If - on (the) condition that, provided (that), providing (that), presuming (that), supposing (that), assuming (that), as long as, given that, in the event that.

Then - after that; next; afterward.

You see, If, is you. Then, is consequences of your actions. The second part of a Covenant, between you and someone else. If, you do this, Then, I agree to do that. If, you work for me, Then, I will pay you. ETC. Well, God said in.....

{2 Chronicles 7:14}

"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."

God said, IF. God said Then. In other words, God said on (the) condition that, provided (that), providing (that), presuming (that), supposing (that), assuming (that), as long as, given that, in the event that. WE, "shall humble ourselves, and pray, and seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways;" God said THEN. In other words, after that; next; afterward, "Will I hear from heaven, and will forgive your sin, and will heal your land."

Now if there is no IF? There can be no Then. If, you work for me, Then, I will pay you. But, IF, you do not work for me, how would you expect me to Then pay you? You can not have a Then. Without having an IF. We are going to spend the next five times we get together, in an in-depth study of this one verse. Why, because this one verse is so important for us, as Children of God, to understand. We Pray for things all the time. We seek the Then. But have we did the IF?

Notice the first thing here, and what we will be discussing today, is Humility. God said, well, actually, the first thing God said here was IF, "my people, which are called by my name." Are we all Children of God? Nope. We are all God's Creation. But we are NOT all Children of God. So, if you have NOT been called to God, through Jesus Christ, and through the Adoption of the Holy Spirit, then you are NOT His Child and He will not hear you, help you, save you. Or do anything for you. You are in this alone and will suffer the consequences for your actions all by yourself.

So God is not talking to everyone here. But He is talking to those that have the Right to cry Abba Father. He is talking to His Children. He is talking to YOU. He said. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves."

Humility?

{Matthew 18:2-4}

"And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Why? Why become as a Child? Because a Child knows little to nothing about Pride. A Child loves unconditionally. A Child BELIEVES anything that their Parents tell them. If I was to tell my Children, they could fly, with this magic cape I made and put on them, they would go outside and try to fly, BELIEVING they could, because Daddy said so.

They do not say, "Is this Cape aerodynamic? Does the Law of Gravity not apply here? It's not possible." No, they picture themselves soaring as a bird in the sky. They imagine feeling the wind in their face. They hope one of their friends might see them flying high. Why? Cause Daddy said so.

God told Noah to build a really big boat, on a Sunny day. God Told Moses to go into the presence of the most Powerful Man on the Planet, and tell him to let all his Slaves go free. He told David to fight a Giant with a rock and a Slingshot. God wants to put a Cape on you, and tell you to fly. He does not want you to analyze it, question it, or doubt it. He wants you to say OK. Why? Daddy said so.

God is not concerned about your Pride. He wants you to be Humble. When the Disciples were arguing which one of them should be seen as the most important, Jesus told them this...

{Mark 9:33-37}

"And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me."

God wants you to be humble. Loving. Trusting. Obedient. He wants to be able to say to you, go here and do this. He wants you to love Him with all you Heat, Mind, and Soul. He wants you to have the Faith of a Child, for Him, as that Child has with his earthly Father.

He wants to empower you. He wants to mold you into the person He wants you to be. But you need to forget about YOU and start thinking about Him. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." Let's look at what Paul said in his letter to the Philippians

{Philippians 2:3-11}

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father...."

We should look to Jesus as an example. He laid down His Godhood. He left His Power and Authority in Heaven. He came to earth as a helpless little baby. He grew up with the same desires and temptations, trials and tribulations, that we all face. He, knowing full well, every brutal and bloody detail, {Luke 18:31-33} willingly came here to die, for us. A bunch of talking Monkeys. A bunch of ants in comparison to Him. The Creator of all, came to Earth, and willingly allowed us to abuse and kill Him.

We have talked about this before. What makes Jesus ever more deserving, is that He could have stopped it at any time. With a wave of His hand, He could have wiped us out. He could have stepped on us. Remember what He said to Peter?

{Matthew 26:53-54}

"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?"

He could have laughed at us, and ruled over us with an iron fist. One of the temptation of the Devil was this very thing. But He did none of that. He willing laid down His life for us all. Because it is written, this is what will happen. He did these things in essence, because Daddy said so..

God wants you to unlearn, most if not all, of what you have learned from Man. He wants you to forget about Self, Pride, Greed, and other worldly desires. He wants you to stop worrying about this or that Bill, this or that Person, or what Tomorrow may bring. He wants you to Humble yourself, so that He can lift you up..

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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

Waiting On The Lord

What should you be doing?

The Word tells us that....

"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." {Luke 17:26-30}

The Word tells us....

"It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night." {Luke 12:37-38}

We could spend all day talking about the End Times. Armageddon. Revelations. The return of Christ. Oh, we could spend weeks breaking it all down. It WILL happen. It is coming. However, when it does? It will then be too late to do anything.

Remember, it was not raining, nor even cloudy, when Noah started building the Ark. All those people who died, waited until the last minute. But when the flood came, it was to late. In Sodom, the same. They continued to live in their routines. In their Sins. They went about their daily lives. Then the fire fell from the sky. Too late..

So the question is not, will it come, or what do we do when it comes. The question is, what do we do now? Like I said, we could talk for weeks about the End Times. We could talk for weeks about the Antichrist. We could look around and see the decline of America. The slaughter of Christians all around the World. We could talk about the hatred of Jews. The cashless society. The One world Government. We could talk about all the signs and wonders that are depicted in The Bible. We could question, are we in the End Times?

Could the World end tomorrow? Yup. Could Jesus descend from Heaven, open that door in the back, walk down that Isle before I'm done speaking today? Yup. Could He return a thousand years from now? Yup. See, truth is, we have no idea. Jesus even told us we have no idea..

{Matthew 24:36}

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

What do we do then? What should we be doing? When giving the Parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus made this statement "Occupy till I come." He talked about the Master, going away, and given charge to ten of his Servants. When he returned, he found 9 were faithful, however one, was not. He took away what he gave the one unfaithful Servant, and gave it to the most Faithful.

"Occupy till I come." "It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready." See, we know these things are coming.

{2 Timothy 3:1-5 }

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

That last part? You can use the Word "Religion" here. This move to include the Sins of Man with the Teachings of God. In some cases, doing away with God, to justify Man. Turn away from such. Do not be sucked into believing that compassion and compromise have ANY place whatsoever, in the Teaching of the Truth according to God.

So what should we, as Children of God, be doing in these times? Should we become recluses? Should we lock ourselves away and wait? No. "Occupy till I come." Live your life, but be watchful and ready.

{Habakkuk 2:1-5}

" I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people"

What we need to do, is ready ourselves, and inform others, that this time is coming, so that they may ready themselves. We need to read His Word. We need to Pray to Him. We need to find a Church and become part of a Community, of the Family of God. We need to wait upon the Lord..

{Isaiah 40:31}

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

You see, even though we know that this end time is coming. Even though we know, that even the very world we all know, will indeed pass away, we know that WE are Children of God.

{1 John 3:2}

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

It doesn't matter if they see us as anything special. It doesn't matter what Man says at all. It doesn't matter what they believe. We should all be living our lives, on a daily bases. Then one day, tomorrow or a hundred years from now, Jesus will return. People will be going to Work. Or perhaps coming home. People will be eating dinner. People will be sleeping. People will be planning out the next few days, weeks, months, years.

Then the Sky will grow dark. The Clouds will form. Jesus will ascend in the Clouds. "we shall see him as he is." Oh, He will not be coming as the Lamb this time. He will not be coming to tell you that you must accept all people no matter who or how they live. He will not be coming to remind us to turn the other cheek. No, no, no. He will be coming as a Lion.

People will run to Him and fall on their face. "I did not believe. But I do now." Too late. Jesus could ask them, "Why did you mock me?" Their answer? "I did not believe. But I do now." Too late. "Why did you persecute My people?" "I did not believe. But I do now." Too late. "Why did you kill My people?" "I did not believe. But I do now." Too late. Why did you not believe them when they warned you this was coming?" "I did not believe. But I do now." Too late.

The Religious will run to Him. They will say this..

"‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" {Matthew 7:21-23}

Too late. We do not need to hide. We do not need to fear. We need only to wait on the Lord. Now while there is time. Today. We need to tell people the Truth. We need to be Sowers of the Seed. We need to BE the Children of God we claim to be. Share the Gospel. Especially, with those you love. Let them know that although these dark days are coming, we have no reason to worry. This same Jesus that will be coming to destroy everything, will also be coming to bring us home.

Live your life. "Occupy till I come." Be watchful and ready. "When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Even though it will happen "as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." We need to be assured, that we, have nothing to fear. They can have nothing to fear as well. All they need to do is say a 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!"

That's it. It really is that simple. If you just said that Prayer, 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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..

The Homosexual Answer. Revisited

Is it OK to be Gay

There is an all out war on the Christian Faith as of late. The Homosexuals are attacking any and all Christian Business, Organizations, Individuals, and even the Church itself. This is NOT a "Gay Rights Movement." This is nothing like the Civil Rights Movement. Want Proof? Colorado Bakery {Christian Owners} refused to Bake a Gay Wedding Cake. Forced to close down. What happens when Steven Crowder goes into a Muslim Bakery in Dearborn Michigan, and asked for a Gay Wedding Cake? He is refused. Where is NBC, ABC, Where are the Gay Activists? Where are the Lawyers? Where is all the rage in Social Media?

A Christian owner of a small Pizza Place speaks their mind, They are force to close down. Owner of a VERY Popular Chicken Restaurant speaks his mind? An all out attack. Where are all the Activist when Muslim Businesses flat out "Discriminates" against Gays? Where is the News Outlets speaking out against Muslim Organizations not allowing Gay members? Where are the cries against all the countries around the World that are enslaving, torturing, and slaughtering Gays and Lesbians?

Where is the outrage, and the cries for tolerance when Christians are being rounded up and slaughtered all around the World? Why is it only hate, discrimination, and evil, if there is a Christian component in the mix?

I have been asked what I think of Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage. No mater how I answer it, unless of course I jump one the bandwagon and say all is fine, good, and natural, while wrapping myself in the Rainbow Flag, I am imminently attacked. I am a Hate filled, Homophobic, Racist, Bigoted, back woods hick that is stuck in the stone age. Uh, OK? Tell me again why you are OK with any other group, but not Christians, that speak out against Homosexuality?

Since this is still making news today, and I doubt it is going away any time soon, and since I still have some people wondering my view on all this, I will repost the Topic that I posted 2 years ago. Here it is...

We live in a nation that is more and more accepting of Homosexuality, and more and more accepting of Homosexual Marriage. Politicians have created laws to protect Gay and Lesbians, of whom now have their own class. There is even a movement to attempt to make "Gay Rights" the next Civil Rights Movement.

In our country, there is even a movement to attack and degrade anyone who speaks out against Homosexuality. Chances are, no matter what I say here today, I will be attacked by some that either have an agenda, or those that have blindly accepted the lie. But what we are going to talk about today is the simple Truth. The Truth according to God Himself.

First I want to start off by saying this. I condemn no one. I do not advocate violence toward anyone. I'm not saying what I'm about to say to hurt anyone. However, the Truth is the Truth. Is it OK to be Gay? According to God and His Word, no. It is not only against Him, but nature itself.

Let's start in the beginning. God tells his Children to follow Him and His ways, and not do the things that others do. First He talks about incest In...

{Leviticus 18}

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the Lord your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord. The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness. The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness."

Then Adultery.

"Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord."

Then Homosexuality.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

Bestiality.

"Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion."

So right here, God calls all these things an abomination unto Him. Incest, Adultery, Homosexuality, and Bestiality. He calls these all equal Sins. He says...

"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."

Keep this passage in mind talking about Nations. America Today is in danger of falling into this same Condemnation. More on this in a bit.

God says keep His Way. Live by the Spirit and do not walk in the flesh.

"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:  (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God."

Again, keep this in mind. this applies today to America. One more time I want to make crystal clear, I am not advocating violence toward Gay people. However, if you want to know if God is serious?

{Leviticus 20:13}

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Now this is what God says. He also says that Murders should be put to death. He also says the end result of all Sin is death. Jesus came to pay the price for all of it. God knows the heart and mind of the individual. Do I have the right to condemn one for being Gay? Not anymore than I have the Right to condemn anyone else. Once they come before God and repent their Sins, they, just like all, are forgiven and they become a new Creature. If they reject Christ and God, then there is nothing I could do to them that is worthy to compare to what they shall face, Gay or Straight.

Turn to...

{Ezekiel 16:48-51}

"As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done."

Now bring back to your mind the passages we just read.. Here they are...

"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:  And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you."

"And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done."

This movement in America to justify Homosexuality and to accept it as normal, places America today in the same category as Samaria. Attacking all that simply tell the truth of it, is slowly, and sadly, actually working. More people are falling for the lie that it is compassion. That it is right to allow Gays to Marry. That they deserve equality to all others in America today.

By doing this, America is multiplying it's abominations in God's eyes. Not only do we remain silent, we are attempting to justify sin. Make no mistake about it. Homosexuality is sin. In...

{Romans 1:18-32}

"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.

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 recompence 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, covenantbreakers, 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."

Now this is filled with truth that you really need to understand. No one is born Gay. Sorry. No one is born Gay. God would not create something that doesn't fit. The puzzle pieces don't line up. Take an island. On this island there are two men and two women. Nature says the men and women come together, babies are born, time goes on, mankind on that island is multiplied. Homosexuality says, man and man come together, woman and woman come together, they have long lasting, loving, perfect relationships. Yet, they die, no more mankind on the island.

God created man and woman.

{Genesis 1:28}

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

He will not fashion someone in the womb to be born in a way that is completely contrary to His plan. He laid out Marriage very clear.

{Genesis 2:24}

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

So when you read Romans 1 "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. 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 recompence of their error which was meet." You can clearly see what it is referring to. We have started worshiping the creature, man, and our desires and lust over God.

Even some of our Churches have been bullied into becoming silent on this matter. Whole religions have started not only being silent, but accepting Gay members, some even have starting allowing Gay Leaders. Priests, Pastors, and whatnot. Those on the side of "Gay Rights" love to tell you how evolved, and enlightened they are. They love to tell you that anyone who would even dare question the legitimacy of their arguments and positions, are nothing more than outdated, dumb, hicks. Well?

"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,"

I understand, most that are die-hard "Gay Rights" activists are also people who never read the Word, nor believe in God. I get that. That is because they think themselves wise. They think themselves intelligent. They do not what to accept a God that would tell them they are wrong. But you know what God says about the wisdom of the world?

{1 Corinthians 3:16-23}

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."

The wisdom of the world is foolishness. You know, truth is, the Spectrum of Life is not that far apart. You have the Children of God, the Saints, on one end. The Children of darkness on the other. The Jeffery Dahmers, Edmund Kempers, David Berkowitz, Son of Sam. These are true evil in the world. But most people live somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. They drive their happy cars. Live in their happy homes. Live their entire lives without a single solitary clue, as to what reality really is. Without a single clue as to what the Truth is. They truly do not know that there is a greater Wisdom than that they get on the local five o'clock news. A Greater Wisdom than what they get from our Politicians, even our President. There is a greater Wisdom than they could ever get, from any man that ever walked the earth, save one. The Christ. Jesus Himself. Most do not even realize that the access to this Wisdom is right there, in the Bible, for them to receive anytime they want it. It is the Wisdom of God.

{1 Timothy 1:9-11}

"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."

Anything that is not in the Word, is corrupt. Anything that is against God, is evil. It really is this simple. The Wisdom of the world is foolishness next to the Wisdom of God. To them, it's the other way around. Who would you trust more?

{John 14:6-7}

"Jesus saith unto him, 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."

Look, truth is, one of the best friends I have ever had in my life, is a boot laced, flag waving, Lesbian Activist. I'm not even joking. I love her to death. I would lay down my life for her if the occasion came about. There is no doubt that she would do the same for me. We are total and polar opposites. We are total opposites in our views on Politics, and of course, God. The Wisdom of the world tells us we should be enemies. We should hate each other. We should actually run when we see the other coming. But we are like Brother and Sister. Why? Contradiction? How can I say that while giving this message? Because I love her for who she is. She loves me for who I am. Neither of us really care what we are.

As a Child of God, you should treat everyone the same. Meet them. Extend your hand in friendship. If you find them to be a good person, be their friend. If not, move on. It matters not if she is Gay. We are all Captains of our own ships. We all have free will. We all receive the consequences for the actions we decide to make. Would I love it if she came to me and said "Pete, tell me more about this Jesus stuff."? Of course I would share the Prayer of Salvation and embrace her with the biggest hug I have ever given her. But what if she doesn't? I will continue to love her for who she is.

It is not my intent here to encourage you to hate Gay people or to denounce them as human beings. It is not my intent here to encourage you to accept Homosexuality. It is my intent to share with you the truth. Homosexuality is Sin and is against God and Nature. America accepting it, and attempting to justify it, puts America in a place of other nations that God has totally wiped out. That is not a place we want to be as a country. Love the Sinner, hate the Sin. Tell, and stand up for, the Truth. Always.

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

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS Lord of all!

Until You Walk A Mile In My Shoes

He did.

Have you ever thought this sort of thing? I have. You go to the Eye Doctor, and see he wears Glasses, or a Dentist with False Teeth, and you think, "How can this person help me, when they could not seem to help themselves?" Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever gone to a Marriage Counselor who has never been Married? Or an Addiction Counselor that has never been Addicted? How can they really help you?

That always amazed me. Oh, you are having problems, go to the Priest, or this "Certified" Counselor, and they will help you, because they read a book, or took a class. At least that Eye Doctor with Glasses, knows what it is like, to have Vision Problems. At least that Dentist with False Teeth knows what it is like to loose his teeth. They have been where you are. They have gone through what you have gone through.

Well, I got some good news for you. We do not need to say "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." We can go to the one that not only did, but went through more than you will EVER go through in your life. Think about that. He was Homeless. Hungry. Tempted with Riches and Total Power. Hated. Mocked. Stripped publicly. Whipped. Beaten. Imprisoned. Murdered by being hung on a Cross. So uh, what is it you are going through? He can relate.

"Wait, Jesus was not Married. how could He help me there?" He created Marriage. He made it plain and clear what Marriage is suppose to be all about..

{Matthew 19:4-6}

"Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

Problems in your Family? Are you following God's Plan for Family?

{Ephesians 5:19-31}

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."

"Man is the head of the woman??? That's Chauvinistic.You Chauvinistic, narrow minded, Fool." Hey, it's not what I said, it is what God set up. Do you teach your Children the ways of God? Do you Honor them, Teach them, Spank them?

{Proverbs 22:6}

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

{Psalm 127:3-4}

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."

You must teach them. Instruct them. Lay the Foundation for them. Another thing that is a tool of the enemy is correction of a child. Teachers cannot use red ink. There is no winner in sports. Everyone gets a trophy. Parents, you better understand that your Child is a person and has rights. They have a right to say no to you. You have to consider their feelings. You have to allow them to make mistakes on their own that they may learn from them. You have better NEVER Spank them. That creates emotional scars and you can be arrested. Really?

{Proverbs 13:24}

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."

{Proverbs 23:13-14}

"Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."

God's Plan for Family is simple...

{Colossians 3:18-21}

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged."

Trouble in your Marriage, Family? God is the one that created it. Who established it. Who knows all about it. Forget going to see what a Person that has never been Married says. God CREATED Marriage. He Created YOU. Your Wife. He Blessed you with, and Created, your Children. Trust me, you do not need someone who read a book. You have the Book, with all the answers in it, right there in your Hand. The Word of God.

"But you don't know the Temptations I have." You are right. I do not. But let's see, could Jesus understand? First off, never assume that when that temptation comes, it comes from God as some kind of test. It doesn't.

{James 1:13-15}

"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

God does not tempt you. The Devil may whisper in your ear. He may put an imagine in your head. But even HE does not force you to Sin. Also know this. The Devil will never Tempt you with A, something that does not appeal to you, and B, something you cannot obtain. Looks look at the meeting between Jesus and the Devil..

{Matthew 4:1-11}

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

First, notice that the Devil Tempted Jesus with a need in His Life. Food. Jesus had not eaten in 40 days. The Devil tempted Him with Food. "command that these stones be made bread.." This must have appealed to Jesus. He was hungry. Remember, the Devil will never tempt you with something you cannot obtain. He knew Jesus, with a thought, with a Prayer, with a wave of His hand, COULD have turned the Stones into Bread and ate. But He didn't.

Second, the Devil tempted Jesus with His Faith. He tried His understanding of the Word of God. He attempted to get Jesus to do something so reckless that He could have died before His appointed time. But Jesus, just like the Devil, was there when The Word was written. See, the Devil knows the Bible. He can quote it Chapter and Verse. Can you? Would you know a lie if you heard it. Like "Did you know that the Bible says "There is no God." It really does say that." This is true. However, the total verse is "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." {Psalm 14:1}

Then the Devil tempted Jesus with Power and Riches. Again, The Devil Tempted Him with all the Kingdoms of the Earth. He had the Authority over the Earth, given to Adam by God, and given to him by Adam. The Devil knew what Jesus was about to go through. The Devil knew that Jesus knew. He was telling Jesus, "You are going to let these talking Monkeys, these Humans, these created beings, that are so far beneath me and you, do all these bad things to you? You are going to let them beat you, mock you, and ultimately, kill you? WHY? They do not love you. They HATE you. They will not listen to you. Why let these nothings do all this to you. Bow down to me, and I will make you their Ruler. YOU could be their God on earth, and you can live in peace, with complete domination over them."

Again, the Devil had the Authority to do this. Jesus knew that this was possible. Yet He chose to follow His Father's Plan. He chose to serve the one True God. The Devil had to leave Him. He was then filled in the Spirit.

Also understand this. Whatever Temptation you may be facing is not a new thing..

{1 Corinthians 10:13}

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

You see, Jesus knows your pain. He knows your Temptations. He knows your sadness. He knows what it is like when you lose one you love. He know all about people hating you. He knows all about betrayal. He knows Hunger, Thirst, Homelessness, public shame, mockery, and He even knows what it is like, to be falsely charged with a Crime, imprisoned, and executed.

I may not know your Temptations. I do not understand why some folks, knowing this or that will kill them, do this or that. I do not understand why I have done some of the things I have done in my life. But He does. Not only did he walk a mile in our shoes, he walk further than we will ever walk. He does not judge you. He does not reject you. He does not condemn you. He is the answer. He is the Way, Truth, and Life. He is the Solution. He has been here, and done that. Jesus IS the shoes we should be trying to walk in. Trust in Him. Learn from Him. Let Him love you, and set you free.

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}

Until next time, be Blessed, be a Blessing, and Jesus IS Lord..