How Shall We Conduct Ourselves

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "...God is dead and we have killed him, but now how shall we, the murderer of all murderers conduct ourselves?"
What he was arguing for was that people got smarter and no longer believed in God. People have killed him in our hearts with our arguments. Now that they have killed him there is no longer any basis for moral law to live by. He knew that eliminating God would bring about any atrocity.
It is an interesting metaphor describing the murder of Christ. When Jesus before the Sanhedrin answered the question, "are you the Christ", he said, "I am".
To the Jewish leaders that meant he was saying he was God! They had two choices; fall down and worship him, or kill him! They had to ignore the evidence presented of his birth and ministry, and kill him in their hearts. They then used the Roman system take away his life.
Nietzsche did not consider, or did not think valid, the evidence for the existence and Resurrection of Christ, any more that the Jewish leaders had. He killed Jesus in his heart and mind, and began a lifelong assault aimed at getting society to kill God, yet again.
I like to think of this killing of God in our hearts as "striking the rock a second time". It was this sin for which Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. It is this sin which mankind outside of "God's rest" and in eternal separation for God. Since no provision has been made for eternal residence except heaven for God's people, and hell for the devil and his angels, it is to hell that these non-believers go.
Careful consideration of the evidences for the life and resurrection of Christ are very hard to ignore. There are 5000 documents validating the Bible. There are writings from Pagan sources of Jesus time discussing him. There is the change in the life of the disciples willing to go to a martyrs death. There are the 500 in the upper room who saw him appear to them alive, and watched the doubting Thomas put the resurrection to the test. All of these we are to believe kept the secret of a conspiracy in the face of horrible deaths and persecution. There is also the differences in the writ ting of the Gospels, yet congruent in their content. The evidence is overwhelming except to those who are looking to disbelieve so that they can live shellfish lives of their own moral making. There are the fulfillment's of the prophetic words of Christ. (How could a dead God make his words come true?)There is the answer to Mary, thinking he was the Gardener and turning away from angel messengers, "tell me sir where have they taken him?": the answer, "Mary"! (who but the God who knows your name could have answered this way?). He lives!

So Now, "how shall we to conduct ourselves", those of us who acknowledge that the tomb was empty and Christ/God lives!? If we are sure he lives and the tomb is empty, then what will we not do for our King, God and Savior!? This must be the thoughts running through the heads of all of those early church martyrs: "The tomb was empty and so will mine be"! "You can take away life and breath from THIS body, but God who was dead and yet lives, will give it back again! What he gave for me, I give for him!
Really "how shall we conduct ourselves", but with the highest of moral standards so that no one can have recourse against us. They will have to look at us and worship Christ or kill us as they did him! Is there any castle, office, city, town, or jungle that we should not storm for him. If in these last day we are to go out, lets go out with the brightest light, loudest explosion, and truest testimony since that of our risen Lord!

Against These There is No Law

The below news story was coppied from: http: //www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69163
Dozens of nations dominated by Islam are pressing the United Nations to adopt an anti-“defamation” plan that would make Christians criminals under international law, according to a United States organization that has launched a campaign to defend freedom of religion worldwide.

“Around the world, Christians are being increasingly targeted, and even persecuted, for their religious beliefs. Now, one of the largest organizations in the United Nations is pushing to make a bad situation even worse by promoting anti-Christian bigotry,” the American Center for Law & Justice said yesterday in announcing its petition drive.

The discrimination is “wrapped in the guise of a U.N. resolution called ‘Combating Defamation of Religions,’” the announcement said. “We must put an immediate end to this most recent, dangerous attack on faith that attempts to criminalize Christianity.”....

The “anti-defamation” plan has been submitted to the U.N. repeatedly since about 1999, starting out as a plan to ban “defamation” of Islam and later changed to refer to “religions,” officials said. It is being pushed by the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference nations, which has adopted the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, “which states that all rights are subject to sharia law, and makes sharia law the only source of reference for human rights.”

In the United States, a plaintiff sued his Internet service provider for refusing “to prevent participants in an online chat room from posting or submitting harassing comments that blasphemed and defamed plaintiff’s Islamic religion.”

“They’re attempting to pass a sinister resolution that is nothing more than blatant religious bigotry,” the ACLJ said in its promotion of its petition. “This is very important to understand. This radical proposal would outlaw Christianity … it would make the proclamation of your faith an international crime.”

So then WHEN, not IF, such a global law is passed against talking about Christ,forgiveness, and the Bible, how are we going to be able to fulfill the "Great Commission"?
One thing we are going to have to learn is to share our faith without denouncing another indivuals actions or religion. We had better start practicing. One of the rules for the advertising guru's of Madison Ave. is to build up the product you are selling without mentioning the name of the competition. Name recognition is everything. Don't advertise the other brand.
In his message "Who is Jesus", given to the Morman Church, Ravi Zacharias includes this thought, "a maeesage not delivered in love, makes the messanger seem obnoxiuos, and the message unreceivable". We must learn to stop beating people over the head.
Finally I come to the main reason for starting this post. In Galatians chapter 5 there are listed the "fruits of the Spirit"
GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Did you see it? "Against such things there is no law"!
Now this verse carries a double meaning. It shows that Christians are not under the Law of Moses, because we are under the law of grace. Living in such a manner automatically fulfills the law by walking in love of God and Man. This verse also shows us how to stand out as a light in a dark world.
I remember hearing the story of two young missionary women in Afganistan. they were there during the time before the U.S. led invasion, when the Taliban enforce Sharia law. I remeber hearing from on of them after being freed that is was their kindness and love that won over Muslims to the Bible and the Gospel. "AGAINST THESE THERE IS NO LAW"
The Bible usually says every good thing more than once. Peter repeats the win them over by the fruits of the Spirit theme in I Peter 3:1. Peter writes to women the they can win over their unbelieving husbands with such behavior.
In the present age it is time to start bearing much fruit!

An Honest Question

A man recently wrote me an email after having seen my website, "You've Been Left Behind". It seems that he was asking in an honest questioning tone. I am sure that some of you have heard the same question. How did/would you answer?
Here is his question and the answer I gave him. (I have renamed him):
Hi,
I saw your site. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe your religion is not the truth? It's been two thousand years since the Bible says that Jesus returned bodily to heaven. Didn't he say that his followers would be seeing him again?
Maybe the Jews were right to reject Jesus. I mean where is all of nature has a lion sat with a lamb and not tried to eat it?
Yours with interest,
Qwerty

Dear Qwerty,
I'll keep this short. Everything here is worth you time.
The words you wrote are almost an exact quote from the book of 2 Peter.

2PE 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.2PE 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.2PE 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

But how do we know the the time has finally come?

The "thousand years is as a day and a day is as a thousand years" Is a quote that Peter repeated from the Old Testament. Adam and Eve (mankind) were/was told that for 6 days that would work the soil and toil, but on the 7th day they would rest. They were also told before sinning that "in the "day" of eating of the fruit they would die. They died a spiritual death in a man day, they died a physical death in a God day- Adam living to be 930 years old.
Jesus speaking prophetically said, "on the third day I will raise you up". In three man days he rose from the dead. On the third God day we will be raised up.
Jesus also spoke these words:

MT 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" MT 24:4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. MT 24:9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. And...MT 24:32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Fig tree is the symbol of Israel. You may remember that one day after leaving a frustrating event with the Jewish leaders he was walking out of town and saw a fig tree without fruit. He cursed the tree and the next day the disciples noticed it had withered. The fig tree was symbolic of Israel. They had no spiritual "fruit" to recognized him as their God, creator, and messiah. For that reason they were destroyed as a nation and dispersed throughout the nations of the Earth. This event was prophesied by the prophet Daniel. Also prophesied by Daniel was the eventual return of the Jews to Israel and the coming of the end. We are now here! The times are different that ever before! The time has come!


Thanks for asking,
Mark

Quote of note from July 09

"The Declaration of Independence dogmatically bases all rights on the fact that God created all men equal; and it is right; for if they were not created equal, they were certainly evolved unequal. There is no basis for democracy except in a dogma about the divine origin of man."
G.K.Chesterton

A Mid-Summer Nights Drama

There once was a man and a woman. They were drawn, out of the crowds of people, to each other.
One day the Man had to go away on business. It was an awful, terrible, out of balance week. He knew right away that it was her company, voice and tenderness that was missing. Realizing that she must love him, in the same way that he had just discovered he loved her, he decided to ask her to marry him.
The man bought a beautiful diamond ring, set in order plans to create the perfect setting for a proposal. Overlooking the ocean from a park bench they watched the sunset together. When the sky was full of color, the had moment arrived and he asked her to marry him. She smiled a gentle peaceful smile and whispered a loving thunderous, "not yet"! As the sun dropped below the horizon she gently kissed him on the cheek, got up, took his hand and walked quietly, arm and arm back to her home.
Now the man's head was spinning with questions. It was obvious that she loved him, and she didn't say, "no", she had said, "not yet"! What could it be that she was waiting for. How could he win her hand? Then came an idea. "I will impress her so that she will want to be mine forever".
Having been an athletic man in the past he embarked on a new passion of getting back into the best physical strength and condition of his life. He saw a T.V. program where athleticism was put to the test by "free climbing" cliffs and small mountains. "That would impress her", he thought, and he dove into this new sport.
When the day came to show her his newly acquired skills, he suggested a picnic at the same ocean overlook where he had proposed before. "I will meet you there an hour before sunset", he told her.
He arrived with tight shorts, a mid cut tight shirt, special gripping climbing shoes, a belt with a special attached bag for chalk and a water bottle, and began to climber. A half an hour later she arrived and laid out a blanket, basket, a jar half-filled with water and flowers.
Just as the sun was beginning to set a sweaty, dusty, muscle ripped, triumphant man, emerged from the side of the cliff in front of her. She let out a short laugh when she recognized him, got up looked over the edge of the cliff, and gently kissed him. Then she opened up the picnic basket, laid out a couple of plates, glasses, food and drink.
They sat there enjoying each others company, the sunset, the food, and drink. Once they had finished eating they sat side by side, her head on his shoulder, his head on her head, hand in hand. Seizing the moment, again the man pulled the ring from his pocket, thinking this time she will say, "yes". He asked her, "will you marry me now"? she replied a gentle, "not yet", and hugged his arm.
"What will it take?", thought the man, as they walked arm in arm back to her home. He left her there with a kiss and went home alone again! It was a restless night. He tossed and turned, got up, laid down, got up turned on the T.V. and saw a couple doing the Tango. "Women love to dance", he thought, "I will take her dancing". Pleased with himself, and his new discovery, he sat in his window and watched the sun rise, as red as his eyes!
After leaving work early the next day, the man stopped by a dance studio to inquire about ballroom lessons. He was going to romance and impress her now!
Two months went as he learned the steps and became comfortable with the moves. It was near Christmas. There was going to be an office Christmas party at a ritzy hotel. There he would show off his new abilities and create a romantic moment.
When the night arrived, He picked her up wearing a black tux that went perfectly with her gown. In the car he gave her a beautiful pair of dangley diamond earrings for Christmas. The party was marvelous, the food Delicious, and band masterful. They danced and danced, smiles and glistening eyes. It seemed as though time had stopped and there was no one else around. During a break they went to a balcony for fresh air, and to cool down. This he thought was the right moment. He pulled the diamond from his pocket, and asked yet again, "will you marry me"? She replied whimsically, "not yet"!
This time her answer somewhat shocked him. He had been so sure that everything was just perfect. The answer frustrated him and yet at the same time he could hear from her tone, and see in her face that she was saying, "Yes, I want to so much". That thought soothed him.
They enjoyed the rest of the evening together. He dropped her off kissed her good night. He watched as she walked up the steps turned, smiled, and blew him another kiss. "What is she doing to me he thought?", got in his car and drove home alone, yet again. This time he was so tired he slept through the night!
The next day all of the chit chat in the office was about him and his date. The women were all enamoured the men envious. From his cubicle he listened to their whispers. a couple of women were talking when on of them said, "I'll bet he even brings her flowers everyday. Where do men like that come from? I never had a man like that"! The truth was that he rarely brought her flowers. So he decided to bring her a flower everyday.
A month later on a visit to her place for dinner and a movie he brought a whole dozen roses. She got out a vase put water in the vase and set it as a center piece on the table. He notice 3 other vases full of his flowers around the townhouse apartment.
After dinner and the movie they were sharing a tender moment and she was sniffing a rose from the bouquet. He again seized the moment, yet again, and asked her to marry him. She answered a disheartening, "not yet".
Emotions went wild within him. He had to get out of there and cool his nerves. Going into the kitchen he notice the trash was full and grabbed the bag, heading for the garage. There was sign on the thrash can that said, "Tue" to remind her to take the can to the street for pick up. It was Monday night. He push the button on the wall that opened the garage door. The cool January air was just what his brain needed. He took the can out to the road. There he thought, "I can't do this any more". "I'll tell her we need some time apart to figure out what we are going to do".
Going back into the house He found her dancing around joyously. She fell to her knees in front of him hand clasped, face up with huge smile. She begged him to NOW ask her and she'd say "yes"! He fell to his knees, confused look on his face, but not willing to let the love of his life slip away, and asked,"will you marry me"? "Yes, Yes, Yes", came the reply. Hugs and kisses followed.
Finally, still confused, and dizzy from the roller coaster of emotions, he asked, "Why now after all of this time and all of these proposals did you want to marry me?
"I never want to be a nag like my mother, you took out the trash without being asked", came the reply.
They lived happily ever after!

Destroy the Messenger

How many times have people viciously verbally attacked you. They deride your looks, clothes, job, social status, family, and faith. They will go so far as to belittle your talents an gifts that they know are good. What are they doing?
Remember the quote that I posted back in Feb 09 “There are five Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four.” (Irish Evangelist Gypsy Smith)
You are a carrier of the gospel: the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "MT 21:33 "Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
MT 21:35 "The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. `They will respect my son,' he said.
MT 21:38 "But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

We are also now heirs through him Gal 4:4 God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

As the world get darker, our light will seem blindingly bright to them. The holy Spirit on us is like that of the glow on Moses face when he came down from the mountain. The people of this world try to tell us to "shut up, cover up that light. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to see it."
The world next tactic is to try to paint us black by heaping insults and belittling us: try to make us less than them.
These attacks even come from those that love us. Just standing in front of them is like Christ standing there saying, "what are you going to do about me?"
Don't hide your light. These abusers/murders are conflicted inside. In the dark alone they are afraid and angry at themselves. In that state they are drawn to the lights comforting glow. Pray for them, that they have reason and trouble enough, to get up and seek the light's source.

America's Founding Father Quotes

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. –John Adams, October 11, 1798

Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the ajge by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity… and leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system. –Samuel Adams, October 4, 1790

Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure…are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments. – Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence

God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. – Benjamin Franklin, Constitutional Convention of 1787

God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever. – Thomas Jefferson

We’ve staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart. – James Madison
We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. – James Madison

Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures. The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they bear, which produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness. In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions. Bibles are strong entrenchments. Where they abound, men cannot pursue wicked courses, and at the same time enjoy quiet conscience. – James McHenry, Signer of the Constitution

I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society. One of the beautiful boasts of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is a part of the Common Law. . . There never has been a period in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying its foundations. – Justice Joseph Story