Posted on 02/20/2009 5:36:35 PM PST by Quix
When in the course of human events, the salt has lost it's savour . . . what good is it but to be thrown out on the ash heap?
Matthew 5:12-14 (in Context) Matthew 5 (Whole Chapter) Mark 9:49-50 (in Context) Mark 9 (Whole Chapter) Luke 14:33-35 (in Context) Luke 14 (Whole Chapter)
ASSUMPTIONS, understandings, my perspective: 1. All are sinners and have come short of the Glory of God. 2. All are in more or less desperate need of Grace, Forgiveness, healing restoration, nurturing-exhortive-support more or less daily. 3. Chronic, persistent, chosen, heart-felt, willful Forgiveness is a super high priority for others, toward others, for one’s self day by day; moment by moment--regardless. 4. God alone knows the heart. 5. We are called to judge righteously and not by appearances; not by the flesh; not in human, critical, judgmentalism.
6. God sometimes tells His servants the heart condition of another for ministry, exhortation and/or warning of judgment. 7. God is longsuffering. Romans 2:4 (Amplified Bible) Romans 2:4 (The Message) Galatians 5: Ephesians 4:2 Colossians 3:11-13 (King James Version) Colossians 3:11-13 (The Message)
7. God will not always strive with man. Hebrews 10:25-27 (Amplified Bible) Hebrews 10:25-27 (New International Version) 8. We are to encourage, exhort, and support one another toward Righteousness. MESSAGE: AMPLIFIED 9. Most congregations, denominations, Christian groups and most leadership of same do a horrible job of Church Discipline. I would guesstimate that less than 5-10% get it even close to Biblically right, even part of the time. 10. The current horrors of powerful legislators and legislative leaders claiming to be Christian yet living, voting, directing American laws and life like the devil is a stench in the nostrils of God as well as in the faces of all who truly Love God and God’s priorities. . Scuba Teddy was by all accounts AT LEAST complicit in the unnecessary death of a woman in his drunkenly wrecked car—a woman who remained alive for hours struggling to survive in her pocket of air while he willfully, negligently calculated how to manipulate the press and legal system to his advantage. Did his priest . . . Did his Bishop . . . Did his ArchBishop . . . Did his Cardinal take him to task and demand confession, repentance and restitution? There’s no hint in the public record of any such confrontation between him and anyone in the hierarchy of his congregation. All the evidence suggests that one and all looked the other way. He was just toooooo powerful. Excuse me!?! The representatives of Almighty God quake and shuck and jive because of carnal position, status and money? How low can a Christian group sink to fall pray to such
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
1-4And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God's ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world's fate, wouldn't it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we're even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don't trust in any other way?
4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
4Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent ([a]to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)?
3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
22-25So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
26-31If we give up and turn our backs on all we've learned, all we've been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ's sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he'll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: "Vengeance is mine, and I won't overlook a thing" and "God will judge his people." Nobody's getting by with anything, believe me.
25Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.
26For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward].
27[There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God].
25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
1Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Mat 18:
Work It Out Between You
12-14"Look at it this way. If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn't he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn't want to lose even one of these simple believers.
15-17"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend. If he won't listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won't listen, tell the church. If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love.
18-20"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
Mat 18:15-20
15If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.
16But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
17If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.
18Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be [a]what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be [b]what is already permitted in heaven.
19Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and [c]everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them.
In addition to the above outrage, Scuba Teddy, Queen Puhlouzee and a cast of dozens . . . counting State Legislators . . . thousands . . . have been complicit in the murder of 50 MILLION INFANTS—including the horrific PARTIAL BIRTH MURDERS.
And evidently . . . the applicable Chrisitan Church has largely to effectively . . . sent out press releases and . . .
Drum roll . . .
Is this not equal to the Priests of Israel looking the other way while Israelites burned their living babies on the altar arms of the ‘god’ Molech?
Leviticus 20:3 Leviticus 20:3-5 (King James Version)
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
3And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
Oh, but that’s Old Testament!
Does any true believer in Jesus The Christ; Almighty God The Father; Holy Spirit doubt that God feels any less strongly about modern murder of infants for convenience, or any other reason, than He did in Old Testament times?
Given that our unchanging God feels just as strongly about the murder of innocents now as He did in Old Testament times, HOW DARE ANY LEADER OF ANY CHRISTIAN GROUP PRESUME to care LESS in thought, word and most importantly—in deed?
How dare any leader of any Christian group DARE to allow, much less cultivate through inaction, wimipishness, waffling words, Politically Correct diplomacy, . . . the idea or impression that it’s just not THAT big a deal?
GOD HAVE MERCY ON CHRISTIANITY POLLUTED BY SUCH POISONOUS DELLUSIONS AND MISBEHAVIORS ON THE PART OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FLOCK.
For those who have not noticed . . . God has begun to clean house—HIS HOUSE—as He prophesied—prior to His cleansing the whole planet.
He has begun by dealing with leaders. We have had Swaggart et al and the many RC priests and their diddlings. It’s not over, yet.
That is not to say that the leaders are many levels more horrific in their actions and inactions than the folks in the pew. However, they are held by God to somewhat of a higher standard.
It could well appear to the watching world that the leaders of Christian groups do not call legislators and legislative leaders to account because they, themselves have plenty of stinky goo on their own hands, in their own closets.
The day is fast approaching when God will not mess around patiently any longer with leadership that is not hearing and obeying Him moment by moment, day by day.
2. Dancing faster in finer robes will not cut it.
3. More refined and polished press releases will not cut it.
4. More flattering-ears diplomatic meetings and sermons will not cut it.
5. More diplomatic courtesies will not cut it.
6. More moderating the truth in behalf of longed-for donations will not cut it.
7. More pretense will not cut it.
8. More Pomp and Circumstance will not cut it.
9. More euphemisms will not cut it.
10. More slippery language will not cut it.
11. More smiling glad-handing will not cut it.
12. More INDULGENCES of various kinds, will not cut it.
13. More winks and nods will not cut it.
14. More unfittingly excusing “There-there—God understands” ‘s will not cut it.
15. More trying to scrub away the wailing blood of millions crying out—with the scrub brushes of greasy palms and flattering lips will not cut it.
Where that is lacking, God will be increasingly and more and more emphatically removing whatever light and anointing may be left in a congregation or organization and surrendering said leadership and/or congregation and/or organization to their own reaping of what they’ve been sowing unto hell.
This is not just the rantings of Quix. Prophetic sources for at least a decade or 3 have been increasingly warning of this truth.
.
The time is on our doorstep when individuals and groups claiming to be Christian MUST act like it merely to survive. Those failing to do so—failing to put God and His Priorities first and foremost will fall prey to the enemy—at best. Many will slide wholesale into the enemy’s camp with eternal consequences.
Let each person examine himself . . .
And let us also exhort one another . . . perhaps daily . . . when fitting . . . unto good works and righteousness.
And away from death--particularly eternal damnation.
Let us not be overly easy on ourselves nor on one another. The time for luke-warm pussy-footing "Christianity" is over.
END TIMES/ DREAMS/ VISIONS/ PROPHECY PING LIST PING.
I hope a good portion of y’all will comment.
Have you ever thought about the phrase “Salt of the earth” or the verses to trample salt underfoot in the context that when the Romans punished a traitor or crushed a rebellion, they would salt their land to prevent crops from growing.
Just popped into my head.. I figured you may have pondered this and the possible meanings/implications in the context of what you’ve posted.
That ilk of thing has been running through my head.
I don’t know that that specific did WHILE I was writing that.
Thanks for the reminder.
Certainly God will spew the luke warm out of His mouth.
Ooooooooooooops. For all my proofing, I still ended up with 2 number 7’s! LOL.
Glad I’m still more than sufficiently human!
I think I’m glad.
LOL.
Put me on the ping list, please.
sure
OKSooner;
You have been put on the END TIMES PING LIST AND MARYSECRETARY WILL ADD YOU TO HER BACKUP COPY.
Thx.
There’s no hint in the public record of any such confrontation
Do you seriously think conversations with clergy ought to be part of "the public record"?
What does the public record say about Bill Clinton's Southern Baptist minister taking him to task about oral sex with a 21-year-old female subordinate?
1. BILL CLINTON’S SO BAP Minister IIRC did forthrightly stand up and be counted at the time. s
But I don’t think Bill bothered much with that church afterwards either.
I don’t remember all the details.
No. I don’t think confessionals etc. should be per se public.
However, in all this time, I’m sure that if any of the legislators HAD availed themselves of such
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CROWING ABOUT IT from the housetops.
The fact remains, there’s not a hint that they submitted to it in the least.
There’s not a hint in the public record that the religious leaders called them to account in any way, shape or form or forum.
BTW, The Assemblies of God called Swaggart on the carpet fairly speedily and ordered him to abstain from any leadership functions for . . . I think . . . 3 years.
When Swaggart rebelled against that edict, the AOG kicked him out of the fellowship and pulled his ministerial papers.
Quix,
I believe we are in the day where the ‘men’ are being separated from the ‘boys’ if you will. Only you will not see this separation as the world expects it. The ones remaining in cush auditoriums with big book deals and thousands of followers will appear to be the victors. Those standing for the truth will be persecuted and maligned. Most of the church is not regenerate. I can say this on the authority of Scripture in Matthew 7
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Many will come to Him and say “Lord, Lord” did we not do this and that in Your name? Christ will say “Depart from me, I NEVER knew you.” (not I knew you but you fell away). Many profess, but do not possess. The challenge is to go to Scripture, not another fallible manmade institution, to determine which side you are on.
Dark days ahead for those who are truly part of the body of Christ - but rich rewards too.
PLENTY OF TRUE POINTS IN YOUR IMPORTANT ASSERTIONS.
Thanks.
Agreed.
I don’t know that ALL big places will fall. I think many will.
I think house churches will become essentially the only authentic Christian groups.
Anyway—MAY GOD BE CLOSELY WITH ALL WHO TRULY LOVE HIM.
I’ve been wishing for a good house church fellowship and have put my name on an online list, but that option hasn’t presented itself to me at this time. For now, I’ll have to trust the best I can find.
I know that feeling well.
You might inquire of the nearest Vineyard fellowship.
I don’t know if Calvary Chapel does them, or not.
Sometimes the Nondenominational types will.
God be with you in your search and while you wait to find one.
It’s done, yes,it’s done...
thx thx
falling asleep in my chair.
heading to bed.
LUB
You’re on my backup list.
I think that it’s pretty clear the lines are being set.
Doing the right thing has never been so clear as now. I
wonder how any Christian can accept the culture of death
and vote for those who advocate this evil path. It was
clear to me when I decided to answer the Lord’s call on
my heart and my eyes were opened.
Thanks for the ping!
Interesting post Q.
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