Enemies of Your Faith by Samuel H Johnson

Romans 1: 16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

If we are to be faithful we must understand what faith is, what it takes to be faithful and what are the enemies to our faith. It is the nature of God to be faithful because everything in the kingdom of God system operates by faith and motivated by love.

The scripture says that just shall live by faith. Who is the just? The just then are Christians. We are justified because of our right-standing with God through Christ. The just are believers. We know that going to church does not make you a believer. You must be saved to be a believer. If you are not saved you are not justified. But you have an opportunity every day to accept and follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life and to conform your life to His image.

2 Cor 5:7 We walk by faith and not by sight. We live by faith in God not in circumstances and situations nor by our 5 senses. We use our 5 senses to confirm the result of our faith. We have more confidence in the Word of God than what we see with our natural eyes or hear with our natural ears. That’s living by faith. We do not live by what is popular in society, not by what is the latest trend in society, not by the statements of talk-show hosts or even by our own intelligence. We live by faith.

Faith is not natural, faith is spiritual. Faith is a spiritual gift from God. You get this gift when you receive Jesus as Lord of your life, as the Commander-in-Chief of your life. Unsaved people have natural faith – faith in Wall Street, faith in their material possessions, faith in their friends, their employer, and their government. But Wall Street fails, Material possessions lose their value, Friends disappoint, employers go bankrupt and government fails. Why because all natural faith have their foundation on natural, fallen humankind. God is beyond man, outside of man. The triune God has all knowledge, is all powerful and is everywhere at the same time. God never fails. So the foundation of your faith must be in God through Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Now faith is not wishful thinking, a pie-in-the-sky feeling that everything will be all right. Some people think of "faith" as either a feeling or a collection of ideas that represent their convictions. That is not faith. It is God who backs up your faith and guarantees results when it's consistent with the Word of God (the Bible).

We know how the Bible defines faith. Hebrews 11: 1 The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is substance and evidence. The healing or deliverance you pray for may already exist although you have not seen it yet. It exists in the spiritual realm. Then, faith is perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the human senses yet. In other words we receive our healing by faith.

A word about belief and faith. As the apostle James noted: (James 2:19). "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons [fallen angels] believe—and tremble!" We must go beyond the level of the faith exhibited by demons.

Faith is not belief but belief is a part of faith. To believe in God is only the starting point of faith. But believing in God does not necessarily involve conviction or commitment to Jesus Christ and God the Father. Belief in God is good, but is incomplete.

Example of belief: I live in the country and have a job interview in the city. I believe that I will get the job if I travel to the city. But if I do not act on my belief I definitely will not get the job. So you have to act to demonstrate your faith.

Heb 11: 6. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” Diligently seeking is an action.

Definition: Faith is belief and corresponding action consistent with the Word of God. To believe God, is to have faith that God will do whatever He has promised to do in the scriptures. He expects us to act on that belief. He requires that we have living faith in His existence, power, and promises.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,  but to think soberly; as God has dealt to each on the measure of faith.

So we are all given the measure of faith we need to navigate this Christian life. But our faith must be developed the same way you develop your muscles. Your muscles develop by resistance to the machines in the gym or by pushing against gravity. Your faith is developed by fighting against temptations, trials, and tests as you walk the life of Christ. So you and I must look at trials as the exercise machine for our faith. Troubles come to test you and to develop your faith. So we must stop complaining, and worrying about troubles. The is nothing positive about complaining, murmuring and worrying. Give God praise and thanks while you are in a trial, facing temptations and tests. You are not thanking God for the trial but thank Him for the victory you expect while you are in the trial. That’s how you develop your faith. That’s what James says in James 1: 2-4 Count it joy when you fall into trials, temptations and tests, because it is trying or developing your faith which will develop you to be more like Jesus.

There are many types or levels of faith – faithlessness, lack, weak, little, wavering, radical, strong, and great, overcoming faith. Jesus encountered them all in the Gospels. The three Hebrew boys in the Book of Daniel had radical faith because they placed their lives on the line for the Word of God. Jesus demonstrated overcoming faith while he was on earth. Overcoming faith is where you win against trials, temptations, and tests, every time. That’s the kind of faith you and I must aspire to have but it can only happen through Christ for we can do nothing worthy without Him.

 1 Timothy 4: 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4: 7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:  

Paul is stating that we are in a faith fight. Why? Because we Christians represent the Body of Christ on the earth, then satan and the kingdom of darkness is fighting against us through trials, temptations, and tests. Also it is a good fight for those with strong faith.

The fight is good because we win. You can’t win a faith fight with weak faith, or little faith or wavering faith. You need to develop strong faith to win that faith fight against the kingdom of darkness. The challenge is that you develop strong faith through temptations, trials and tests. The Christian life cannot avoid these challenges and it is a life of cross-bearing.

But there are many enemies to your faith – fear, worry, doubt, and unbelief, the love of money and dependence on material possessions, pleasing people instead of pleasing God, love of title or position, believing in your own intellect, accepting the practices of secular society and human reasoning without spiritual understanding. I want to identify three enemies to your faith – fear, worry, and doubt.

Fear

I believe that the greatest enemy to your faith is fear. Because fear comes by hearing the word of the devil. Fear is the opposite of faith. The source of fear is satan. Fear leads to worry, doubt, and unbelief

The greatest challenge to our faith is fear. This is where the devil lives. The greatest fear of the devil is for you and I to believe that the Word of God would always come to pass and that the promises of God would not fail. If we live like that we will defeat fear.

Fear paralyzes you, intimidates you, and makes you inactive and ineffective. It leads to depression, sickness, and even death. The devil and his kingdom of darkness does not want you to act on the Word. He does not mind if you only believe and stay inactive. The Bible says we must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. The foundation of fear is unbelief that what God promises in his Word will not happen.

While on a boat in the middle of a storm, the disciples awoke Jesus and pleaded that He saved them from drowning. He answered, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He rebuked the sea and it immediately grew calm (Matthew 8:23-26). That was overcoming faith.

How do you handle fear? You have to speak to it by reminding yourself of what the Bible says about fear. You speak what the Word says to fear. Remember 2 Tim 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.

Worry

Worry is negative meditation. Worry is negative forecasting about things that you do not have control over. Worry means that you are depending on your own strength and intellect; and that is neither wise nor healthy. When you worry you dig up the fears of your past, let them disturb your present and contaminate your future. You forget that God is (omnipresent) in your past, your present, and your future all at the same time. You have to trust God who is already ahead of you.

Worry changes nothing positively. It is wasted energy that undermines your faith. It makes you sick, miserable, and not a nice person to be around. People don’t like to be around worriers because worry is like the flu. It contaminates if you stay around it. Worry is a silent killer of your faith.

I believe that worry is a decision. Some people think that worry is normal or natural. Jesus tells us differently. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, 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?

“Take no thought” means “do not worry”. Jesus would not tell us this if he knew we could not do it. Obey Him. Make a decision

not to worry. Instead do what he says in verse 33 - But seek first the kingdom of God"

The apostle Paul gives the same instructions in Phil 4:6-7. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. He says be careful for nothing or be anxious for nothing – in other words “Don’t worry about anything”

So don’t worry - pray! Don’t worry – give God praise. Don’t worry – give God thanks that He is bringing you out of your trouble, sickness, depression, strongholds. Don’t worry but make a decision to praise and thank God in the middle of your trial, temptation, or test. It may not make human sense but we are not interested in making human sense when we are about pleasing God. Why? Because in Isaiah 55:11-12 He says the His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. So don’t worry about making human sense, focus on pleasing God. This is what will defeat the enemy of worry and increase your faith.

Doubt (and Unbelief) 

Few attitudes are more disheartening and destructive to your faith than the notion that God doesn't hear our prayers, doesn't answer, or doesn't care. It is easy to come to such conclusions when God doesn't respond when we want or how we want. Too many times we look want satisfy our senses when we pray. But the Bible says in 2 Cor. 5:7 “We walk by faith and not by our physical senses)

Doubt is deadly to your prayer of faith (or petition prayer). 

This is one reason why we pray for the same thing over and over and over. It's a lack of confidence in our prayers. When you order something on the Internet or by phone today, you don’t go back and order the same thing tomorrow. You have confidence that what you ordered will be delivered to your house. It is the same type of confidence we must develop in our prayer. I am not saying it’s wrong to pray for something over and over. Developing the faith to believe and receive takes time, it’s a process. You have confidence that you will get what you ordered. You must develop the confidence that God has answered your prayer by faith and begin to thank Him. You also must now behave like you already have the answer. This is what the word says – believe and receive. And even if you don't receive what you pray for, still thank God because He knows what you need more than you and I.

Mark 11:22-23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them

Remember your prayer request must be consistent with the Word of God. Believe you receive – thank God that your prayer is answered.  But you must continue to pursue a life of holiness and sanctification. Your prayer must also be in line with the scriptures. Believe you receive by faith and thank Him until you see the answer to your prayers. He may even answer in a way you may not like but we trust Him because he loves us and knows what's best for us.

Do you have confidence in your employers because they promise to pay you at the end of the week but doubt when it comes to God? God is greater than your employer, so we must believe and receive the promises that God makes in the Bible and eliminate your doubt.

Conclusion:

So we understand that to win the faith fight we need strong faith, overcoming faith. That type of faith is developed by resisting temptations, trials, and tests of the kingdom of darkness. They are enemies of our faith that must be defeated. We must speak and practice the Word of God to our doubts and fears.

• Don’t worry, pray. Don’t worry give God thanks. Give God praise and glory
• By faith in God we expect victory every time. Victory over fear, doubt and worry.
• It’s by our faith in God that we please Him. 
• Let us be “Be faithful as He is faithful”

The Black Muslim Religion, the Black Male and the Christian Church by Samuel H Johnson

The horrendous social and economic conditions of African American young men in America must be a cause for deep concern for Christians, especially for those in the urban areas of our nation. Many are alienated from the churches in their communities, which is a great tragedy for the Black American family and community. Historically and currently these conditions have provided an opening for the Muslim religion, especially the Nation of Islam, (the Black Muslim religion), to make inroads into the Black American community. It appears that Islam attracts and influence Black American men more than any other religion in America. Jonah Blank noted that,

 Five to six million strong, Muslims in America already outnumber Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Mormons, and they are more numerous than Quakers, Unitarians, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian Scientists, combined. Many demographers say Islam has overtaken Judaism as the country's second-most commonly practiced religion; others say it is in the passing lane.[1]

Black Americans make up about 42 percent of the American Muslim population and the Nation of Islam, (the Black Muslim religion), has a significant influence within the Black American community. An analysis of the Nation of Islam’s role towards Black American men will provide some answers to this phenomenon.

The socioeconomic conditions, the history of the Black American experience and the role of the church in addressing these issues may help explain the significantly lower church membership of Black American men relative to women. Noted educational consultant and author, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, reported to ministers at the Texas Black Baptist Fellowship's sixth annual conference in Houston that 

"the percentage of Black-American females in church is roughly equal to the percentage of Black American males in mosques".[2] 

The low attendance of Black males was not always the case. Black men were very involved in the church of early generations of the "Black Church" in America. Note that the origin of most "Black Churches" was due to the fact that the majority of "white" American churches rejected former black slaves after the end of slavery. The church sowed a bad seed as a part of the untold and sordid history of the American church. This was the origin of how the "white church" mainly contributed to the formation of the "black church" - a uniquely sad American phenomenon. "Herbert Tollor observed the following:

In earlier generations, black men were much more involved in the church, and their religious faith bolstered their commitment to families and neighborhoods. The most effective way to reduce black crime, and to strengthen black families, may be to return African-American men to their spiritual roots.[3]

Today the Christian Church must understand the reasons and find remedies to this challenge. In addition, in this climate of political correctness, it seems that many churches are a bit off balance by focusing much more on personal spiritual growth and development at the expense of social and community responsibility. Many in the community believe that the Black Muslim religion has the answer to these socioeconomic and moral problems facing young Black-American males. The Christian Church must find answers to the following questions. What are the fundamental reasons for this phenomenon? Can the Nation of Islam save the Black American youth? Is the Christian church marginalized in this process? What can the Christian Church do to improve its approaches to these problems and attract Black American males? Can the American church dispel the impression that equates "Christianity" with "European or white culture"? Is the American church (i.e. "mostly "white churches") afraid to address issues like white supremacy, racial discrimination and economic bias? When will the American church dispel the notions of "black church" and "white church" for the sake of unity of the body of Christ as the Apostle Paul describes in Ephesians 4:11-13.

The answers to these questions have serious implications and consequences for the Christian Church and the role Black American males play in them. What do you think?

---

[1] Jonah Blank,  “The Muslim Mainstream Islam Is Growing Fast In America, And Its Members Defy Stereotypes,” U.S. News & World Report, [20 July, 1998] 11.

[2] Camp, Ken. “Turning Points: Why Black Men Won’t go to Church.” The Baptist Standard;  [29 July 1998] : 16.

[3] Toller Jr., Herbert H. “Fisher of Men.” Policy Review Online, No. 72. [Hoover Institution of Stanford University. Spring 1995] : 33.

The Natural Man vs The Spiritual Man by Samuel H Johnson

When a man thinks that his intellect is above Jehovah God and he does not have the Holy Spirit, he cannot understand the Bible. He only believes in his five senses and nothing supernatural. He does not understand that Jesus is God in the flesh thus he cannot understand that Jesus was before the beginning, before Adam and every human civilization including Egypt, the first world power.Even Nimrod in the book of Genesis was before Egypt.
 

A serious study of the bible shows these truths. Some people claim that Christianity is a European or "white man's religion" They don't understand that the Europeans or Americans who used Christianity to oppress and enslave black people are false Christians; and they will have their end in hell in the lake of fire - according to the Bible. They need to repent. The real enemy of black people is satan, the kingdom of darkness and all those who follow him including those who worship and bow to the idols in secret organizations. The natural man looks at external things like skin color but the spiritual man looks at the world view of the person - Christian or Human.

I believe that Christians should not debate continuously with those  whose world view is opposed to ours, (which is faith in Jesus Christ). They say the Bible is not God's Word. At some point the debate will become circular so we must use
wisdom. Just ensure that you share that they need to FIRST receive Jesus. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. The natural man's foundation is man's word as opposed the God's Word.

The Bible says: "But the natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God; for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them], because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.” -‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:14‬ ‭AMP‬‬

HALLOWEEN: SATAN BEHIND THE MASK

Every year, on the evening of Oct. 31, millions of families celebrate a distinctly odd holiday known as Halloween. For your own good, you need to know what lurks behind the mask of Halloween.

by Jerold Aust

Halloween is undoubtedly one of the strangest holidays people celebrate, with its symbolism of witches, devils, skeletons, bats and black cats. Is it not a little bizarre that children are taught to dress up as ghosts and monsters to go from house to house demanding "trick or treat!" (with the threat of a trick or prank constituting a playful form of extortion)? While tricks are no longer the norm in most places, it used to be common in many areas that refusal to give trick-or-treaters candy invited minor acts of vandalism, such as having one's windows marred with a bar of soap, trash dumped on the lawn, toilet paper unrolled across tree limbs, and raw eggs thrown against the house and car.

Where, how and when did such strange customs begin? And why do they continue?

Many parents encourage their children to celebrate Halloween, assuming it to be harmless and innocent fun. But why? Would parents honor this holiday if they knew what's behind it—behind the mask?

Halloween's origins

Few people really understand the origins of Halloween. However, many clues are obvious from the trappings of the holiday—witches, ghosts, jack-o'-lanterns, skeletons and the like.

History shows that behind the dark mask of this popular children's holiday reside the terrors of an ancient Celtic festival renamed All Hallows Eve. It was originally a holiday marking the mythical time when the dead supposedly rose from their graves to walk the earth.

The Encyclopedia of Religion then explains the origin of the bizarre customs that survive in today's Halloween: "Divination activities remained a popular practice. Adults, dressed in fantastic disguises and masks, imitated supernatural beings and visited homes where occupants would offer tributes of food and drink to them. A fear of nocturnal creatures, such as bats and owls, persisted, since these animals were believed to communicate with the spirits of the dead".

Today, says The Encyclopedia of Religion, "modern Halloween activities have centered on mischief making and masquerading in costumes, often resembling otherworldly characters. Folk customs, now treated as games (such as bobbing for apples), have continued from the various divination practices of the ancient celebrants of this occasion. Supernatural figures (such as the ghost, the witch, the vampire, the devil) play a key role in supplying an aura of the mysterious to the evening, whether or not they originally had an association with the festival. "Children are particularly susceptible to the imagery of Halloween, as can be seen in their fascination with the demonic likeness of a carved and illuminated pumpkin, known as the jack-o'-lantern. In recent times, children have taken up the practice of dressing in Halloween costumes and visiting homes in search of edible and monetary treats, lightly threatening to play a trick on the owner if a treat is not produced . . .

"There also has been renewed interest in Halloween as a time when adults can also cross cultural boundaries and shed their identities by indulging in an uninhibited evening of frivolity. Thus, the basic Celtic quality of the festival as an evening of annual escape from normal realities and expectations has remained into the twentieth century" (p. 177).

God unmasks Halloween

Does the Bible have anything to say about strange customs and holidays such as this? In fact, it does—and none of it is good. While God's Holy Days in the Bible celebrate the role of Jesus Christ in bringing mankind to salvation in the eternal family of God, 

Halloween is a celebration of the opposite—of demonism, witchcraft, death and evil spirits. God's Word makes it clear that no one should dare entertain witchcraft or act as a sorcerer. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD" (Deuteronomy 18:10-11, emphasis added throughout).

God pronounced death on any Israelites who would dare dally with demonism or Satanism: "A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:27). "You shall not permit a sorceress to live" (Exodus 22:18).

Why such a harsh penalty?

God did not want such perverted, demonic practices to spread among His people and corrupt others. "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 13:5).

Would God be against something as harmless as Halloween, especially since it allows children to have fun and enjoy a little entertainment? Can't we let them have a little harmless fun? Frankly, Halloween is anything but harmless. It focuses one's attention on witchcraft and demonism, which flies in the face of the holy God Almighty! When parents not only allow but also encourage their children to celebrate witches and goblins, they are teaching them that it's acceptable to deal in demonism. And we have seen what God thinks of that. God is a God of light and truth (1 John 1:5). Satan, "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), is a very real being—a being of darkness, deception and death (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44). We are to have nothing to do with his ways. Do not assume that Halloween is a harmless holiday. God hates mankind's dabbling in the spirit world of Satan and his demons! If there were no other reason available, that should be enough. But there are more reasons. Halloween keeps humankind, and many Christians, confused, disoriented and separated from the one and only true God.

God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Nor is He the author of Halloween or any other "Christianized" pagan holidays (Amos 5:21). Why would the only true God who loves mankind support any worldly holiday that blinds human beings to Him and His truth and that holds men, women and children captive to deception?

What does God expect from you on Halloween?

You now know what lurks behind Halloween's mask: Satan the devil! God will one day unmask the ritual and tradition of Halloween to all people (Hebrews 8:10-11).

If you believe that God exists and you understand that He is highly offended by the holidays designed and perpetuated by the god of this age, then you have a choice: whether you will begin honoring God the way He expects to be honored and be blessed for doing it, or whether you will ignore the truth revealed in history and His Word. Don't wait!

God is not a god of masks, but a God of truth. God says that if you honor Him, He will honor you (1 Samuel 2:30). Ignore God and He will leave you subject to the god of this world and all that entails. God expects all who love and honor Him to repent from dead works and turn in faith toward Him, the only true God.

- Excerpted from Good News Magazine

The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit by Samuel H Johnson

Sometimes we need understanding about Christians being "filled with the Spirit" The scripture in John 14:16-17 says "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever;  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you"

This statement by Jesus is profound yet simple as a typical method of the teaching technique of Jesus. It might seem contradictory for Jesus to say the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit. But when you evaluate it you realize the great truth. This scripture is not about salvation but about receiving the Holy Spirit. Salvation requires receiving Jesus FIRST, (i.e. baptism in Jesus or baptism into the Body of Christ or  about the receiving the Word). Only after that miraculous transaction of salvation can one be filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus only saved people can receive the Holy Spirit, even one second after receiving Jesus Christ. So the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit but must first receive Jesus Christ. When you receive Jesus you are no longer a part of the world but now qualify to receive the Holy Spirit. Thus the world cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-17 is a classic example of how a person must FIRST receive salvation (v14 - receive the Word; v16-baptized in the name of The Lord Jesus) THEN receive the Holy Ghost.

Some may ask "What about the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit used men like Samson and Elijah to perform miracles and great acts of faith?"

Note in those cases the Holy Spirit came upon them but not "fill" them. The Holy Spirit indwells or lives in the New Testament believer but overshadows people prior to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Only Christians can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

A Word of Comfort for Those Who are Grieving by Samuel H Johnson

The Promise, Patience and the Perfect Love of God in the Middle of Grief or Death of a Loved One

2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slow in fulfilling His promise, in the sense in which some men speak of     slowness. But He bears patiently with you, His desire being that no one should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

I want to share three things about God’s character: His Promise, His Patience and His Prefect Love in a time of grief.

His Promise

God does what He promises. He keeps His Word. If He promises to heal you, He will answer so just ask Him in faith, believing and not doubting. But remember that your timing and His timing are not the same. Need Him to comfort you? Just ask Him. He promised in the Book of Joshua 1: 5 “that He would never leave you nor forsake you”. This is especially in time of trouble, pain, sadness and loss. So we ask God for what we need in faith and believe Him and His Word. Need peace? Ask God for it! Comfort? Strength? Ask God for it because it’s available. Because it’s what He promises. People cannot give you peace but God can. People cannot give you strength But God can. Need Restoration? Need Comfort? Ask Him. So remember what the Word said: The Lord is not slow in fulfilling His promise. God always keeps His Word.

His Patience

God is patient. He is concerned about everything that concerns you. Your health, your loss, your sadness, your grief, and your restoration.  But He bears patiently with you. He is patient because He understands us. For example we can examine the environment at a funeral. Some come to a funeral to see family and friends they have not seen in years. Some come to comfort the family. Some just come to see. But God has another purpose. He wants to show that there is life even in death. Life in those who are dead to Him and His Word. I mean spiritually dead. The body may be physically dead, but if you don’t know Christ you are spiritually dead even when your body is alive.  But God is patient and want you to know that you can easily make this change by simply accepting Jesus Christ. Don’t let the opportunity pass. God gives us between 70 and 120 years on earth. This is not much time compared to eternity. Let us take lessons from every loss before Christ returns.

His Perfect Love

God loves you. He does not put requirements like man does for His love. We may love people because they are from the same family, same church, same community, same nationality, same educational level, same economic or social background. The Bible says in John 3: 16  “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton son, that whosoever, believeth on Him, should not perish but have eternal life”. 

Also God does not  only love Christians and the church, but the whole world. He loves every human on the planet. His love has no limit.

The word Whosoever" is important. God wants to emphasize who He’s talking about - the world, the society at large. What does He want? He wants you saved through Jesus Christ. That is why he sent His son Jesus into the world to die and pay for all the sins of all humanity once and for all. He desires that we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of our life and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10: 9-10). He will not force anyone to accept Christ - it is a decision that each individual must make. The result of this positive decision is salvation and everlasting life. There may be physical death but you will have eternal life. Death does not eliminate eternal life. Why? Because Jesus by His death and and resurrection, has conquered death and the grave. 

This give us confidence that there is eternal life with God after death. So we will not fear, we will not worry, we will not let grief or sadness control us forever. Grief is for a time, sadness is for a time, loss is for a time. In the middle of our loss and grief, hold on to the Promises of God, the Patience of God and the Perfect love of God. 

May His promise, patience and love give you strength. So remember the Promises of God, the Patience of God and the Perfect Love of God. In them is strength and comfort.

Tolerance or Acceptance – What do you think? by Samuel H Johnson

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

This scripture was written by the Apostle Paul over 2,000 years ago and when we look at the condition of the world today, we can say these things happening right before our eyes. 
There is a way of thinking that is the foundation for what we see today and it is called anti-Christ thinking. Anti-Christ simply means any idea or lifestyle that is against Jesus Christ. One of those ideas that is prevalent in our society today is Tolerance and Acceptance. Too many people want to excuse the practice of sin with slogans like “God loves everybody” “Do what feels good to you” “Do you” and “Don’t judge” So I want to address this idea of Tolerance and Acceptance.

If I told you 60 years ago, (the 1950s), that there would be a concerted attempt to remove Jesus Christ from every aspect of American life, you would say I am crazy. Yet today, a teacher can lose her job by talking about the historical Jesus in public schools. There are people who want the phrase “in God we trust” be removed from the US dollar bills. Also several states are removing the “Ten Commandments” and any Biblical symbols from courthouses.

If I told you 60 years ago (the 1950s) that a day would come when men could marry men and women marry women in America, you would say I was crazy. But in 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States made this the law of the land. This is in total contradiction to the God’s Word which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The society has its views and God has His view as written in His Word. Obviously more and more secular leaders in power no longer believe the pledge of allegiance that America is no longer "...one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" 

What is happening to America? Where are we going? We are in moral decline and perhaps we can no longer be considered the moral leader of the world. We, along with South Korea, are the countries with the most Christian missionaries around the world. But our moral decline is threatening our position. We promote the gospel via TV more than any other country so we are a target for the enemies of Christianity (i.e. kingdom of darkness). Satan already has the world and he is after the church.  I want to join others to sounding the alarm but also to state categorically that this environment is fertile ground to stand up for the gospel and win souls for the Kingdom of God.

In order to understand what happening, I need to identify some of the false anti-Christ ideas that are influencing this moral decay. Anti-Christ simply means any idea that is against Christ.

Authority of the Bible – Society says that Bible is outdated, is written by man, and is one of the holy books. But the Bible says in 2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Religion – Society says that all religions are the same and all lead to salvation. And we all serve the same god. God, Allah, Buddha etc. are all the same. But the Bible says in Deut. 8:19 “...if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish." 

The world says that truth is relative and there is no absolute truth. Our culture has done a number on the idea of truth. It teaches that truth and morality are relative which depends on the individual. In other words, there is no such thing as absolute truth.  But the Bible says in John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Note Jesus is not one of the ways - He is the only way. Jesus said it and Christians believe it and that settles it for us.

Role of personal relationships – pleasing people and what’s popular is the way to advance in society. But the Bible says in Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God?   or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the   servant of Christ.

Spirituality and Oneness with a higher consciousness, the universe, force or spirit. None of this is the same as the God of the Bible.

Tolerance and Acceptance – Christians must accept other beliefs because those beliefs are popular and accepted by most of society, otherwise you are intolerant, hateful and bigoted.   But the Bible says in John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments

While Christians can recognize the right of others to have different beliefs, we cannot allow those beliefs to go unchallenged for one simple reason: it is not loving, and Jesus calls us to love.

Acceptance and Tolerance:

One of the first excuses people use when they want to justify sinful activity is that God loves everybody. Of course they are correct, God does love everybody. However God also hates sin and wrongdoing and cannot have it around Him. If you are linked to sinful practices, you will feel the penalty when God judges the sin because you are connected to it. He requires confession and repentance (which is acknowledgement of sin and change of direction). But people and society want Christians to tolerate sin. Now tolerance means to recognize that people have different beliefs and that they have a right to do so. However, tolerance in America can now mean accepting that other beliefs are true even if they go against the Bible. In other words, Christians must accept beliefs and practices that the Bible says are wrong, evil and even an abomination. Christians cannot accept sin as legitimate, even if it is the law of the land such as the law approving abortion.

We Christians expect others to have different beliefs about the Bible, God and Jesus Christ. We are not surprised that some people don’t believe in the earth was created in six days.

In Romans 1:18-25 the Bible explains that the complexity of God's design of nature (the stars, earth, trees, seasons, billions of insects with complex design) are all proof and evidence of His creation, but many will refuse to believe what their eyes tell them. So we can tolerate their unbelief. So Christians are to tolerate others when they have different beliefs about God. But tolerance does not mean agreement or acceptance!

But in today’s world, do we Christians get tolerance in return? The answer is a big fat NO. In April of 2013 a professional basketball player came out and stated that he was gay. Immediately, the majority of the media and many leading sports and entertainment people celebrated his  “courage”. They asked a Christian sports reporter to give his opinion and he stated that he was opposed to gay behavior because he believed the Bible. The reporter was ridiculed as being hateful, bigoted and narrow-minded. In other words he must not have a worldview that is different. What’s going on here? What about freedom of expression? Are we Christians now going to be harassed and called names because of our beliefs? The society is demanding that Christians tolerate and accept beliefs that are contrary or opposed to the Bible. Christians cannot do that. Our Bible says:

Luke 6:22-23  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

Jesus said in John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

In other words when the world hates us, we need to remember they do so because they hated Christ first. What is this now? I am a Christian, you ask me my view, I give you my view which is based on my belief system the Bible. And the response I get is that I am narrow minded, hateful and biased. Are we getting to the place where the Bible will be declared as hate speech? I am sounding the alarm. Don’t take your freedom of religion for granted. It is foolish to expect tolerance and acceptance from others toward our Christian beliefs, even if they demand tolerance and acceptance for their own beliefs. The Bible tells us clearly: if we expect or look for tolerance from the world – Think Again - we will not get it.

This tolerance and acceptance of sinful practices is a growing demand against the Christian faith. But how do we respond to this intolerance towards us? We go to our life manual - the Bible

Matt 5:43-44 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

So we are to love our enemies and pray for them. We do not play by the society’s rules. Our response to intolerance must not be anger, fear and hate. Instead, we express the love of Christ which we have in us. Sometimes too many Christians respond to unbelievers with hate and so alienate them. This is contrary to scripture. We show love for the person but reject the sinful practices. Tragically, the our society no longer defines "tolerance" as the recognition that others have a right to different beliefs and opinions. It now means complete acceptance of those beliefs even if those beliefs contradicts our Christian beliefs. But this makes no sense because to accept this type of tolerance eliminates my personal opinion or belief. Christians are not to endorse, support or accept any social or religious beliefs that go against what the Bible teaches. This means that Christians are going to face discrimination for their beliefs in school, colleges, jobs, courts, media, business, community organizations etc. The challenges are coming if they are not here yet. I am sounding the alarm and I know that I am not alone. The Christian is and must continue to sound the alarm.

The problem with tolerance and acceptance today is that it rejects the possibility that absolute truth exists. The Bible teaches that truth does exist, that God is truth, and that we are to follow in His truth.  John 1:14 and 17 says that Jesus, who came from the Father, gives us truth.  John 8:32 says that the truth sets us free from the control of sin.

The Bible is also clear regarding those who hide or distort the truth in the name of tolerance. Romans 1:18 says whoever suppresses the truth will receive the wrath of God. In Matt 28:19-20 Jesus says that our mission is to teach others of the truth about Him. 1 Cor 13:6  says, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."

So it’s not surprising that the secular society will call Christians narrow minded, bigots and intolerant. Should a Christian be tolerant of others beliefs? Yes. The Bible teaches that many will reject Jesus Christ. We should be prepared to accept that, as well as the fact that those who reject God will reject His followers. Christians should not endorse the belief that all religions lead to God, that truth is a personal construct, or that everyone's beliefs are valid. Jesus is the truth. Christians are called to tolerate – and to love – people without accepting their beliefs. So we overcome evil with good and the love in us will win the unbeliever. We are not giving up on America. Christians will stand up for truth in love.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 "Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.