Bond Servant, Son or Both

1Co 7:20 Let each man abide in that calling wherein he was called.

1Co 7:21 Wast thou called being a bondservant? Care not for it: nay, even if thou canst become free, use it rather.

1Co 7:22 For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the Lord's freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ's bondservant.

1Co 7:23 Ye were bought with a price; become not bondservants of men.

1Co 7:24 Brethren, let each man, wherein he was called, therein abide with God.

Gal 4:4 but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

Gal 4:5 that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:7 So that thou art no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. (ASV)

I have, for some time now, signed my letters and my email with the note, Bond Servant and I teach that we, Christians have been purchased with the price of Christ's blood on the cross and have often been astonished at the attitude of a large number of folks in the Christian community. I am often informed that people will accept that they are the child of God but never His slave! In response to these folks I give them the above scriptures and the note that if they will just study the Epistles of Paul that they will notice that he, like myself and many others, was proud to be purchased and bound to Christ.

Jesus taught us that His yoke was easy.

Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

When my mother married my dad after my father had denied me I accepted the unearned love and committed myself to him, just as if he were my birth parent. As my dad there were certain things, that at the age of ten, I was expected to do. I took out the trash, set the can on the curb on trash day and a few other small items for which I received 25 cents every week that I performed my duties. I was paid for my service in the performance of these tasks.

And then here were things like cleaning his car, for which I was not responsible and did not receive a wage. My dad was in the Air Force and was a Veteran of the Seventh Cavalry in the Pacific Campaign of WW II. I felt honored to be able to prepare his car so that when he drove through the gate at the base, he was sharp and clean, just like a good soldier should look. I was his adopted son, he had no other, and it was more than a duty to be able to serve him... I served because when no man loved me, he did.

In like manor, I returned from my service in Vietnam was so disliked that my best friends, the men that I had grown up with, the same men that threw me a send off party, were slow to just go with me to have a beer with me at my expense. Tormented, for twenty years I did my best to prove myself just as evil as my peers, singing, drinking and fornicating in the Juke Joints of SE Texas. I had been spoken to by God in November of “66 and for all of this time, 23 years, I fought with the Holy Spirit. Being a Fool's Folly, I finally yielded and submitted to His call on my life, I became a son of God but I also became His bond servant, just as I had with my dad.

I'm not about to tell anyone that he or she is or isn't saved but I do call everyone to ask themselves this question after reading their Bible, “If I am to good to serve my Father, am I really His?”

The Holy Spirit

There is a very disturbing trend in the Christian family today, even more disturbing than our prominent inability to get along. When we read the Book of The Acts of The Apostles we see that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, descended upon them. As we read the letters we also see that when Gentiles were saved, the Spirit descended upon them also. And as a Christian Teacher in a Southern Baptist Church, I know and I teach that when a man or a woman are saved, they are indwelt by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

I have had folks, proclaiming to be saved, both in class and on the Internet tell me that not everyone can be as holy as I am! I always have and still do teach that I have no righteousness in me without the Imputed Righteousness of my Savior. If I am only found to be righteous through Him then it follows that without Him I have no holiness either. Now, if we flip this around and examine my condition carefully, in light of the revealed nature of God, in the scriptures, we see that any saved man or woman will have the same Holy Spirit to lead their lives.

I was recently informed, by an eighty-three year old "ex-pastor?” who is also an exprof that taught the Bible, that I should never hit him with "this HS Stuff,” when explaining why I had posted a message or I had stated a specific thing in a message. His explanation, as I recall, is that he had both preached and taught the Bible and he knew better!

As we all should know, God does not force any to do anything, evidenced by the fact that His perfect will is that None should perish (2Pet. 3:9) but that all should come to repentance and be saved and yet we know that the penalty for sin and failing to repent of it is death. (Rom. 6:23) And then we are taught by Jesus that there are two ways to live our lives and these are represented by the wide and the narrow gates. (Matt. 7:13) For, even the newest Christian, Hell is a real place and because they are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God they will understand and affirm the teaching that the Second Death. (Rev. 20:14-15)

So, because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit when we are saved we have a choice to make, we can follow His leading or, because God is not a cosmic bully, as some have suggested, we can deny Him and not be saved but still call ourselves Christian and no matter the good works we perform, work ourselves into Hell.

I will be rebuked by folks because of this message but it does not matter, the truth of the scriptures is just that, the truth! Many teachers, in and out of the church, are not God's teachers but are motivated by the all mighty dollar and any number of other purposes and they are very busy leading the deluded into Hell. In the scriptures we see Paul applauding the Bereans for their diligence. They accepted nothing that he taught without checking him and his teaching against the Bible! Today, it is no less important than it was then to test another's teaching against the scriptures and to rely on our memory to accomplish this is a Fool's Folly! One's memory is frail and easily deceived.

My prayer is that you take this message to heart. May God bless each of you abundantly.

Who Is Your God?

Who is God? In todays world the answer most often is some form of God is love. This statement, while true, is, also, a lie! It is true in the sense that God loves His creation but without the explanation that God will have no part with sin and that God is also a Just God, the statement becomes false by the omission of the remaining facts. God will judge the unrepentant and send them into eternal suffering.

In Luke 18:18 we find the story of the Rich Young Ruler and his quest for eternal life. Jesus did not handle this young man in the manor that we are generally are taught to do today. The Evangelical Christian today would have led him in a prayer for salvation and sent him on his way. Jesus, first pointed him to the Commandments to see his sin, which he did not see, and then instructed him to replace his love of his possessions with the Love of God.

This brings up a very important question, “Is Jesus, the Christ, our leader or have we become smarter than he is?” It seems that, today, people tend to believe that the prayer for salvation will save people. That's not true! That's also. I believe, a good part of why we see folks make professions of faith, get baptized and disappear, never to darken the door of the church again. Neither a prayer of no substance nor a baptism will save a person!

On the web, all of my signatures include the notice that I am a bondslave. I have been known to teach that as a Christian, men and women become the bondslaves of the Christ because the was a transaction of purchase fulfilled on the cross that day. Many, many men and women have rebuked me for this teaching with statements such as, “I'm a child of God and I'm nobodies slave.”

It would appear that for the large part of America, the Hollywood and the fiction writers portrayal of Early American Slavery is the working definition for the world today of swlavery. In Deu. 15:15-17 we see that slavery included masters that were very good to their work-force just as some employers are today. We know that God is good, He gave His Only begotten Son to pay the price none of us could pay. And we would not pay homage to Him by Eternal Service, owning nothing and depending only on Him? That is exactly what the rich, young ruler was asked to do. When he refused, he walked away a lost man!

There is a message in this lesson that is taught in Mark and Matthew also. The very idea that God has had the lesson repeated in His Word to us lends emphases but that the lesson is told to us three times... This is a very important lesson! I tell you that God will not have divided devotion. Today, you must make up your mind, “Whose slave are you?” If you do not serve God, you are by default, the slave of Satan! To belong to the Good Master costs you your devotion. Just as Jesus said, it's a easy yoke to bare and the other leads to eternal suffering but being the Servant, the Slave of God leads to eternal bliss in Heaven.

Disrespet

Exo 20:2 I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate me,

Exo 20:6 and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (ASV)

Remember when you met your mate? You could not spend enough time on the phone with them and there was never enough time to be together and going to your separate homes was torture! That's how God feels about you if you are saved! In the World today we have relegated our Savior into some club where He is referred to as J. C. and the boys when speaking of him and the Disciples that followed Him. And then, on the Internet I notice the lose of caps in people's typing and it is so inclusive that we fail to reverence God and the Christ to the point that they are referred to as god and the christ as if they are no different than our gmc truck or our chevy impala.

I am almost rebuked by people claiming the name of the Christ, Jesus as their Savior for pointing this out to folks on the Internet and they assure me that no disrespect was probably intended. The sad thing is that they are correct, in most cases, the disrespect was not intentional, but it is always disrespectful to leave the Capital off of the first letter off of anyone's name or title.

So, we must ask ourselves, is this a problem or is it a symptom of a much larger condition? Consider. for just a moment, all Adam did was eat the fruit off of a tree that his wife had already eaten... and she did not die! Do you see how easy it is to justify disobedience? In just about every house in the US there is a Television and people spend twenty-one to thirty-five or better hours a week with it as the center of their focus. The problem is so bad that it causes divorces because people would rather watch the Idiot-Tube than to spend time pleasing their mate and being pleased by their mate. But even worse, people do not read their Bibles and therefore sever their connection with God! Without even thinking, they divorce God.

Before I was saved and since that time I have read some great novels but I read a novel and I place it on a shelf where it resides for the rest of my life or I give it away. On the other hand I own a Bible and I began reading it twenty-one years ago at the end of December and have not stopped reading it since. The Bible is the single most exciting piece of literature in the world. It is a true story of wars, subversion and adventure. And for the true committed believer it is very easy to understand because the author of the book lives in their hearts.

On top of all this it is the Living Word of God and is Love Story of God and all of His people... even you! Just as my pastor points out,. When we think of prophecy we immediately think of the End Time. And when we think of that... it is the Saved man and woman's future ad God has spelled it all out for us to read and learn about.

Disrespect is, perhaps, the easiest thing in the world to do and it requires no thought at all. It is my hope that many will find this to be Food For thought. May God bless every one of you.

Bible Errors?

Num 22:28 And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

Num 22:29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.

Num 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.

Num 22:31 Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.

In Numbers 22 we find one of the favorite children's stories that is easily taught by most any Children's Teacher. From the story it is easily taught that God is so Omnipotent that He can use a Donkey or a Jackass to speak through or just cause the animal to speak a language understood by men. For our children, if taught properly, this is a great and entertaining lesson about God and the unusual manor in which He is known to work but for the Atheist and New Christian it poses a question that most long term Christians cannot answer even though the answer is clear through the Holy Spirit's teaching and influence.

Num 22:12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.

In this verse we see that God has forbidden Balaam to go to Balak for the purpose of cursing the descendants or Israel. Then we see that God gives Balaam permission to go;

Num 22:20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.

From here and the opening passage we see what is seen by some as the scriptures contradicting themselves. Now, every Christian can Parrot the proper response to this assertion, “There are no conflicts in, nor does scripture contradict itself,” but there are very few that can defend this position in relation to this passage. When we read the scriptures, unlike the Movies and the One-Eyed Monster, we must think to understand or to perceive the truth of what is being said.

In verse 20 we all pick up that God gave Balaam permission to go with the Princes to Balak but most folks seem to just slide over the important and pertinent portion of this verse, there is a condition added to the permission, Balaam could only say what God would tell him to say. At this point God's Omniscience becomes important. (Psa. 33:13-22, Isa. 40:13,14) Remembering that God does not make mistakes, that God knows what we will do say or, even, think before we do it and then the nature of mankind. Balaam had been offered a fortune for cursing the Israelites and although it is not explained and it is true that I am going to go beyond what scripture states but I'm going to tell you that Balaam got greedy and was thinking of the treasure he would be given for cursing these people.

I might have come to the wrong conclusion but I do have a very close and moment to moment association with the Holy Spirit and I do not feel the correcting hand of the Spirit of God on this matter. God did not disapprove of Balaam going because He had given him permission to go but only to speak what He, God, had for him to say and God did not intend to curse His chosen.

My prayer is not as much that you will use this example as it that you would learn to analyze scripture in the clear light of other scripture and to walk closer to God.

Cheap Shot Christianity

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.

Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.

Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

If you inquire of the members of the Church today, in private, you will find that there is almost no limit to the things that Christianity does and does not include. The truth is that the average man or woman naming the name of Christ today has no idea what the Bible actually has to say about anything! We have a few thousand radio and television preachers, right, here in the U.S. I've heard, with my own ears, everything from God has no poor converts to the rich man is damned by his wealth, both are lies. In the prosperity gospel I heard a certain preacher teach that if you drive anything less than a Mercedes that you cannot be saved and I heard people of the Jim Jones and David Koresh ilk teach that if you have any wealth, property and virgin daughters that you have not surrendered to them, you can not possibly enter into the Kingdom of God.

Then, today, we have the Joseph Smith followers of the Mormon Church and of late, the LDS Church that teach the heresy that Jesus, the Christ is a created being and his brother is Satan but that any "man” can become a god and these are closely followed by the Jehovah's Witness' who freely admit to having no Heavenly hope and also teach that Jesus was never, is not now nor will ever be God. Both of these major groups of heretics are now claiming to be Christians. How does the seeker know the difference?

And just as you believe you've struck pay-dirt and have found a surviving fundamental Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist or Bible Teaching Independent Church, one of the life-long members drinks a beer and everyone pulls out their .357 and shoots him dead because he fell into sin. (The above is a figure of speech but they might as well have shot him, his Christian life is over as far as they are concerned.)

This message is depressing if you do not understand that these things were foreknown by our God and that He prepared the Way for us anyway. On some forums, this message will sit there, ignored, as folks do their best to ignore the impact of it and on others I will be slam-dunked for being Judgmental and in violation of the "most sacred” Christian fundamental. A few will be brave enough to speak up and admit that they, at some point in the past have fallen into this trap... on one end or the other! Over the past 21 years of my walk with the Christ I have found myself getting ready to pull that trigger and once I was dismissed from the Church I and my family were attending and although we were run off by the ?pastor? because of his sin, that was not the perception by some, especially by those helping him to sin against God.

This will be short but sweet tonight. The point is that as the followers of Christ it is our duty to follow His lead. Remember old foot in the mouth Peter? Jesus picked the servants ear up off the ground and I'll bet with a funny look at Peter put the man's ear back on his head, right where Peter had just lopped it off from. And when Peter denied Jesus three times that same night... Jesus, after He rose from the grave restored Peter to his former position. As the followers of Christ we will be so busy lifting our brothers and sisters up and restoring them that we will have no time to sin if we obey Him.

By the time we find out enough to discern who is genuine and who to let walk we'll need teams to hand the fallen over to as we look into the state of the one's just fallen, since. God bless.

Saved?

2Cor. 13;

5 Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate. 6 But I hope that ye shall know that we are not reprobate.

7 Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is honorable, though we be as reprobate. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we rejoice, when we are weak, and ye are strong: this we also pray for, even your perfecting. 10 For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not when present deal sharply, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for casting down.

(ASV)

When I enlisted in the US Army I had a long list of rules I was expected to learn and to obey. I had, after all, signed a contract that I would submit for, at least three years to their leadership. For this reason, it was incumbent upon me to keep check on the condition, that I might cause my superiors to be pleased with my service, that I might be considered for advancement.

When a Christian, literally, devotes his or her life to the service of Jesus, there is not a contract signed with a pen and ink, rather, there is a purchase transaction that takes place. Jesus died on the cross for the purpose of giving us the opportunity to return to the Service of God. When we do this, the purchase is completed and with that purchase there is an adoption that takes place. (Romans 8)

Now, with this in mind, we need to remember our childhood. I know that when I was a small child I wanted my father to love me and I feared disappointing him. Now as Christians, we have a father that will never fail us and as members of His Family, we need to do as the opening passage suggests. We must do a Spiritual Inventory of ourselves and remain faithful.

In addition to that we must not, and I do repeat, we must not conform to this world! As members of the family we have a responsibility to help one another. When we encounter or discover a brother that is straying we must be bold enough to step forward and to help him. It does not matter that the world has fallen in love with Matt. 7:1 and ignores the rest of the book, we are no longer of the world, our home is in the Kingdom of Heaven and our Father is God, we are not to become more like the world.

I have this, nasty, according to the world, habit of confronting people when I see a possibility of helping them. As a result I find myself banned from a number of Christian Websites. I recently suggested that a particular gentleman do a Spiritual Inventory and I am now banned from one more website, calling itself Christian. It seems to me that the world is filled with people that are willing to name the name of the Christ... as long as it does not interfere with their personal wants.

I will still stand the ground I was saved on... I hope and I pray you all will.

Berean Habits

Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.


It is the common practice, today, that we answer questions about the Holy Word of God right off the top of our heads, without ever consulting God, in prayer, and without checking with the Word of God to check ourselves. I'll be teaching this Sunday from the above passages that, directly, affect how we are to respond to the queries we receive during our sojourn here.


From the time my former pastor, Richard Clark, decided that I had become grounded enough to move from teaching children and he moved me to teach the Men's evening class, I have bumped heads with Deacons, Preachers and other Teachers that were smarter than I was and they did not need to consult with God and they already knew what the Bible had to say.


These folks are not standing in God's strength, they stand in their own. They have not bothered to put on the Armor of God, they have their own! In Eph. 6:11b we see the reason we are to put on God's Armor and not our own. The best Life Example of wearing our own armor is Adam in the Garden! Adam was created perfect by God and if a perfect man, without sin, could not resist the Devil... what in the world would ever cause a man born in sin to believe he can battle Satan without God?


Young Christian... every time you hear me or any teacher in any format teaching, hold our feet to the fire of the Gospel. Every single one of us.

Politics, Christian Style

People, it would seem, want to have many flavors of Christianity today and the bare truth is that this is not possible. Jesus put it very clearly when He said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15, NASB).

We must be very careful with this passage of scripture, so as not to open the door to the supplanter, that he might feed on the unlearned and the weak. Christians should always look to the Mosaic Law for the perfect picture of the Father, God, but at the same time we must be aware that there has never been a Jew nor a Christian saved by the Law. Every Saved Man is saved by the Grace of God, from Abraham forward.

With this being true we will not be saved by working to obey the Law and neither can we live within a legalistic form of worship. What we gain from the Mosaic Law is the perfect word Picture of God and the Great Principals we must use to build our world by.

Now, let's get to the point. I see a great deal of error on Christian Web Sites today, particularly ones that allow political discussions. I'm teaching here from 1 Timothy 1 & 2 with emphasis on verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2. Because context is so very important I have asked you to read, at least, these two chapters at one setting.

We have seen from the passage in John that if we love our LORD that we will obey Him, so what does that entail? If we look at John 1:1-3 we see that Jesus created the Universe we live in and that nothing, remember that, nothing has been created that He did not create. That means that the very Bible we hold in our hands was created by Jesus. Jesus is not some johnny-come-lately that started some new religious movement, He is God!

So, in the two verses of the two chapters I've drawn from today we see that we are to hold our leaders, kings, dictators, presidents and others in high esteem and we are to pray for them. We cannot obey this command while we are hurling insults, slander and opinions at them. These insults, simply put, are not Christian Behavior.

In Matthew 7:15-23 we find a much cursed and extremely disliked truth that the worldly man inside the Church would strike from the scriptures if he could. I have been banned from more than one Christian Forum for stating this but that does not make it untrue nor does the threat of future actions prevent me from saying it, "When we behave like Satan, he is our father.”

In he letter to the Romans 13 we see that there is no authority given to any man except God gives it. A great Life Application for this is seen in my distaste for our present President and there is much to be said against his presidency. Even with that being the truth I am most often seen instructing Christians to pray for him. While I have many reasons for disliking this man, the fact is that God has seated him in the seat held by him and therefore he is God's man for the hour.

We, Christians, are oft heard stating that God is in control and I tekk you that it is past time that we walk the talk!

Romans III

Rom 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision?
Rom 3:2 Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God.

Here is a reasonable question, then (in the first century) and now. The question is almost rhetorical in nature. There were then, just as there are now, Jewish Believers. Just as God had promised Abraham the Jewish Believer was meant to be a blessing from God to the whole world. Please do not jump the gun on my assertion about the Jewish Believers, most of you will, so, I'll explain. Being a Jew involves two different aspects of life;
1.the nationality
2.the religion.
We are fortunate in more ways than one with our Jewish friends. The very first Christians were Jewish, the most notable of whom was Saul of Tarsus, later renamed Paul, Disciple of Jesus. In addition to these forerunners there are, today, Christian Rabbis and Jewish Christians seated in their churches. We have the good fortune of being able to ask them questions concerning the traditions and the feast days of celebration and learning from them.

Rom 3:3 For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.

I read many postings, published on the Web and have encountered many individuals that claim to be the New Israel because they contend that God, the Father, has washed His hands of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob but this is not, nor shall it ever be true. Folks are busy, today, building boxes to put God into and this is not only an exercise in futility, it heresy! No “man” is able to even understand God, let alone define the limits of God, there are no limits, god is inexhaustible! And for God to abandon the descendants of Jacob/Israel is for God to become a liar and that will never be! In Due. 7:9 we see that God promised to be faithful to His Chosen People for a thousand generations. If we use a conservative number, say 25 years, for a generation that is twenty-five thousand years. From studying the scriptures we find that the Earth will only stand for about seven thousand years before God burns it up and recreates it. For this reason it makes perfect sense to conclude that God meant forever. No matter that some, yes, even most turn away, god has always had a remnant.

Rom 3:5 But if our righteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.)
Rom 3:6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

We must always be careful when we read the Word of God and we need to cease redefining the terms that are clearly expressed and defined by example in the Bible. i.e. I am oft barked at for the lack of love in some of my messages and mt replies to other posters. I try to remember what I have learned in these years of guided study of the Bible. God loves everyone of the persons that He will individually judge and sentence to Eternity in the Lake of Fire. In like manor God made me an Evangelical Teacher and when I rebuke a person and suggest that they do a Spiritual inventory, it isn't because I hate or dislike them, it is out of love for them that I seek to keep them from digging that hole so deep that they will never climb out.

Righteous Judgment feels and seems cruel, only, to the unstudied and the unwilling. We must be careful in this because we can fool people but you may rest assured that God not only sees and hears, He knows the real reason buried inside our hearts. The next time a person slings Matt. 7:1 at you, pull out your Bible and read the entire chapter or, even better, all of the Sermon on the Mount.

Rom 3:7 But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
Rom 3:8 and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.
Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one;
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God;
Rom 3:12 They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that doeth good, no, not, so much as one:
Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; With their tongues they have used deceit: The poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Rom 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Rom 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
Rom 3:17 And the way of peace have they not known:

We must never forget the thrust of Chapter three, only God is righteous and for that reason we are commanded to put on the Full Armor of God. (Eph. 6:11-18 & Acts 17:11) If we are faithful to do this one thing until the day we transition over into Heaven, we will be found to be a faithful servant of God. By misreading, misteaching and misunderstanding it has become a popular concept to study until we know the Word and I tell you that this is not true. We are admonished to study, read, the Word of God as the Bereans did, daily! Today, I have been blessed with a computer and an Internet connection. When I can no longer see, should I live that long, I have two CDs of mp3 files that I have burned and can put them into my computer or CD Player and still hear the Word of God as others read it to me. We are, simply put, unable to live a holy life except that we, actively seek after the Holy Spirit.

(a foot note: The truth of man is told by what he or she does when they are alone! What do I mean? When I google a topic there is no-one to watch me. If I search for a Bible reference I will receive the same results whether I use a lower case or an upper case letter in my search. Out of reverence for my LORD I always use the upper-case g when spelling God and I will type everything else, save Bible, in lower-case. Who cares, God does! Who's to know, God does1)

Rom 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God:
Rom 3:20 because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction;
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Here, once more, we see the thrust of Chapter three expressed (v:10) in v:23. For a man that prefers the Roman Road method of guiding lost souls to the foot of the cross, these are fundamental passages (vss.10 & 23) to be built upon. We, everyone of us was born in and were, before our salvation experience, rooted in sin. As it is expressed here, it is important that we remember that we, the Church Body, are nothing more than a group of sinners, gathered together to lift up and to strengthen each other as God has forgiven us and wishes to forgive everyone.

Rom 3:24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.

Propitiation... our atoning sacrifice. Jesus, the Son of God went to the cross He did not deserve, that I might be excused from the cross that I do, not did, deserve.

Rom 3:27 Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.

In Hebrews 11 we see that Abrahan had faith and that it was reckoned to him Justification, Imputed Righteousness.

Rom 3:28 We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Rom 3:29 Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also:
Rom 3:30 if so be that God is one, and he shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.

This last verse is most often ignored. Jesus, in the Gospel Accounts promised us that not a single stroke of the Law, a.k.a. Mosaic Law, would ever pas away and here we see that Paul is stressing the point that we, Christians, establish the Law. When I read through the Law, all six hundred and thirteen of them, I see the perfect word picture of the only True and Loving God.

God Is!

There is a mystery that should not be! From the time, just before, I became a Christian I have been aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life and when I teach that truth or when someone will ask me how I know that I am correct about this or that point of scripture and I tell them, “I know it because the Holy Spirit teaches me that it is this way,” I am hit with, Do not try to invoke the Holy Spirit on me,” or, “Don't you dare get holier than thou with me!” Folks “claiming the name of Christ for themselves” seem not to know the Spirit that, if saved, is resident in their very life from moment to moment. (John 14:16, chap. 15:26 and chap.16:7-15)

When I was a lost man I believed the Holy Spirit to be, just, another ghost story but for a person to claim the name of Christ and then to,not, know the Holy Spirit is illogical form, even, the World's point of view. When we have read Acts 2 one of two things exist in our lives, immediately! Either we know that the disciples were indwelt by the Holy Spirit or we do not believe the whole Word of God!

For those that do not believe the entire Bible to be the Word of God, I find them to be in dire straits. Omnipotence is one trait that belongs, only, to God. Our Omnipotent God is the Living God, the God with no beginning and with no end. God is so, unimaginably, powerful that He spoke and where there had been nothing, there suddenly was everything... the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, millions of stars, billions of planets, moons, stars... everything. Not only did He create everything... it is He that manipulates and holds it all in place! (Psalm 104) There is no-one like God!

But some believe that men have overridden the Will of God and have polluted the Word of God, the scriptures. Others believe that the Bible has been mistranslated by men. That would require that, either, God be strong and powerful enough to sustain the positioning of the planets, stars and moons but not be strong enough to prevent men from polluting His Word to us.

Some claiming the name of Christ have told me that the Word of God can be found in the Bible but not all of the Bible is the Word of God. This idea not only contradicts the Holy Spirit that in-fills me bu creates it's own set of problems. First John 1:1-3 cannot be true, were this heresy true but if this is true and the Holy Spirit of God does not in-fill and indwell the Saved man, who is qualified to stamp this or that portion as the Word of God and to void or ignore the rest? We, people, have already crucified God in the flesh, some two thousand years ago and if that is not true... all is useless, there can be no salvation!

The truth is that, except we believe, we cannot be saved! Also, the truth is that God is!

romans 3... Part 1

It is not difficult to see that the condition of man, in respect to God, is important in this chapter, Paul digs right into the subject matter. Once more it is important that we remember where the verses and chapters in the scriptures came from. That and the fact that this is a letter from Paul to the Roman Christians so this is still a continuous flow from the very beginning of chapter 1.

Rom 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
Rom 3:2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

False Teachers and Ear Ticklers abound in this world today and one popular lie that is told and received, gleefully, by millions is that God has forsaken the Jewish People and that these, that believe, are the New Nation of Israel or that they are the replacements for the Jews. Remember that Paul spent three years with Jesus when he was in Asia Minor (Galatians) and here he adress' the issue before it ever reared it's ugly head.

Without the nation of Israel we would not have a Measuring Devise to stand against to see our Spiritual Condition. The Mosaic Law that people, even inside the Church, think so little of today is the device that tells us of our condition.

Rom 3:3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
Rom 3:4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."
Rom 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)
Rom 3:6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
Rom 3:7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?
Rom 3:8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.
Rom 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

Christians are oft thought to be fools for their belief and their understanding of the Bible. This, of course, is of no concern to the seasoned Christian. The very title, Christian, was meant to be an insult, meaning Little Christ. The first requirement to become a Christian is faith and faith comes from belief, belief that there is a God.

Faith is an essential part of this world and without it we could not progress. Without the faith that it could be done we could have no electric lights in our houses, no internal combustion engines to power our cars and remember the Bicycle Builders, the Wright Brothers? They were the goofiest of the lot... having faith in the idea that a man could fly... preposterous.

And yet in the end of it all we must take our mind's eye off ourselves and look at God to see our standing. The horrible news is that every single one of us, Jew and Gentile alike, fall short of the mark. None of us are what God designed us to be.

Romans 3... Part 3

Rom 2:17 But if you bear the name "Jew" and rely upon the Law and boast in God,

Rom 2:18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,

Rom 2:19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

Rom 2:20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,

Rom 2:21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?

Rom 2:22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

Rom 2:23 You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? (ASV)


This is a point of scripture that I have lost more than one student on and once was even told that everybody couldn't be as holy as I was. There are few statements that anyone can make that hurt as much as that one did. My holiness is wrapped up in the fact that I have been set aside for service to my LORD and His Father. My only claim to righteousness is wrapped up in the Imputed Righteousness of Jesus, the Christ. The only difference between me and some Christians is that I have believed in my LORD and my Salvation and have sworn my life to His service. Because God loved me in spite of my many sins, I have, like the Jew of the Bible period, made myself His Bond Slave. I do not have my ear pierced by an Awl but I am just as bound.


Whether we be Jewish Christians or Gentile Christians, we must be careful not to make the mistakes of our fore-runners, the Jew by religion. These seven verses describe a condition of arrogance that is pure sin. The only important difference between a Cop Killer, on Death Row, and myself is that most of them will never call out to Jesus and I did. That places me, smack, in the middle of some very uncomfortable company except for Jesus.


These verses speak to the issue of Judgment also. This subject is a much misunderstood matter today in Christian circles. The problem here arises from several sources. First we have, far, to many Ear Tickling preachers in the pulpits and on Soap Boxes. (They fear the subject because of the next source.) Then we have the World and their skewed version of what Matthew 7:1 means. In Proverbs we learn a great deal about Wisdom and the fact that God has not called us to be foolish. i.e. If I see a man running from a Bank with a pistol, wearing a mask and carrying a sack of money, when he hails me for a ride I must Judge him right there and then. Failure to do so will make me dead or at best an Accomplice after the fact.


Now to the other extreme. We must judge when a brother or a sister in the faith has stumbled. What we are not called to do in this case is to shoot them so that nobody else will know about the shame that can befall a Christian. Rather than go there, we need to take this passage and learn to begin judging ourselves and to pick up a copy of the Nave's Topical Bible and do the Topic Study on Judgment.
The Matthew 7 verse is jerked from the context of the Sermon on the Mount and if we read the Sermon we learn that Jesus, our LORD was teaching us a few things to do and one of them is to judge righteously, the same way that we wish to be judged. This is a touchy subject that deserves a great deal more study than we generally are willing to commit ourselves to do.


Rom 2:24 For "THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU," just as it is written.

Rom 2:25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

Rom 2:26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Rom 2:27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. (NASB)


As much as the world hates Christians and loves to misuse Matthew 7:1, to silence us, our Manifesto, this letter to the Romans demands that we not be foolish. When I was a young Atheist, I was a foolish young man. i.e. We had just disengaged from a fire fight to keep as much fire as possible away from the Huey landing in the rice paddy to pick up the pilot and crewchief that had been shot down. As we disengaged, the rescue completed, my pilot climbed out to five thousand feet. On disengaging I looked at the instrument panel and the Fuel Gage was seeking the Empty Mark rapidly.


At five thousand the pilot pulled back to twenty knots and told me to look at the bottom of the ship and to see if we were leaking fuel, I did so without thinking. And just as I hung from that landing skid with no safety devices so do Christians shut-up when they are told to. Just as the Jew, in the Bible, dishonored God by judging others while breaking the same Law they applied, Christians dishonor God.


2Ti 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2Ti 2:16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,

2Ti 2:17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,


The above is from the NASB and the KJV renders verse 15 as study to show thyself approved. Although I often find myself in trouble on Christian Web Sites and have even been banned from a couple for my direct answers that reflect the truth of the scriptures, I will not change! God can change me if it is His will but I know that He will never teach me to dance around the truth. My most recent 10 day suspension from a site is for this series of messages on the letter to the Romans.


When we allow any person, no matter their title, to cause us to water down the Gospel Message, the message of truth, we cause others to speak shamefully of God's called, we become just like the Jew of old. Let's go back to Matthew 7 for a moment;


Mat 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Mat 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

Mat 7:17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

Mat 7:18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

Mat 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Mat 7:20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.


Remember, never jerk any verse from it's context, without even leaving chapter seven we learn that verse 1 has nothing to do with foolishly ignoring sin. The Matthew passage, just like this one, is teaching us to live like we are judging others, that is without reproach in the eyes of the only Holy God.

Romans 2... Part 2

Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

This is very useful piece of scripture here. My favorite manor of teaching is by life example and every time the question, “Why are the Jews the favorite people of God,” I'm reminded of this passage and raising puppies. From every litter of pups and out of every litter of kittens I had a favorite. I did my very best to see that every one of them had the home they needed that would care for and nurture them but there was always one that caught my attention and I was slow to let them go.

Now go back to the book of Genesis and we see that God called Abram. God, being God, had the right to call out anyone He chose, but He called out His favorite. God did not ignore the rest of us, in fact He blessed the entire world through the descendants of Abram, latter named Abraham. Jesus is not just a descendant of King David, He is out of the line of Abraham also.

Some have replied to me, “What about the lost man, nobody died for his sins?” In 1pet. 2:24 we find the truth and the truth is that Jesus took the sins of the World upon Himself, that means Salvation is available for every one of us. The problem is that not every one of us is willing to bow our knee to God and to come under submission to Him.

Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

In this passage we learn that one does not need knowledge of the written law to be condemned to Eternal Suffering in Hell. In Rom. 1:19-20 we found that they are without excuse for God has given every man a conscience and written on that part of every man is God's eternal law, a.k.a. Right and wrong.

This paragraph is not and should never be considered theology but is just my personal opinion. I believe that just as the Wedding Feast Parable (Matt. 22:2-14) shows us that not all in Heaven are members of the Bride of Christ or in other words there are different levels of reward, there are different levels of punishment in Hell. And I do not know again, but God being full of justice it would appear that the same might be true of the Lake of Fire. What I am absolutely certain of, without further study and prayerful study is that we all need to seek out more of the unsaved that are willing to listen and to consider the truth of the message of Jesus, the Christ of all men.

The world is filled with very good men and women, who for, no other reason than their failure to ask for forgiveness, will go to Hell and ultimately into the suffering of the Lake of Fire. We also see that the Jew, God's own chosen people, those that have heard and many that know the Law so well that they have memorized it, are not justified by that knowledge alone. To be justified by the Law of Moses a man must do the Law and fail, not even once in any area. Doing so is to have failed the entire Law!

Romans 2...Part 1

Rom 2:1 Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judges another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.

Rom 2:2 And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things.

Rom 2:3 And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rom 2:5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

Rom 2:6 who will render to every man according to his works:

Rom 2:7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:

Rom 2:8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,

Rom 2:9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

Rom 2:10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:

For the beginning of this chapter it is important to remember the last section of the previous chapter, it gives context to chapter 2. Some have ignored what Paul has said, separating this into it's own chapter but it is important to recall that this is a letter written by Paul and letters have no chapter and verse division, those have been added for our ease of reference and do not always relate to the context.

For this beginning part of chapter 2 it is important to notice Matthew 7:1 also, the most misinterpreted verse in the Bible. Once again, in comparing Matthew 7:1 to chapter two here it is important to have the flow of the text in mind before trying to apply it to your life. Neither Jesus nor Paul told us not to judge when the context is used to understand the passage. In the case of the Matthew passage you need to read the entire Sermon and failing that, at least chapter 6 and all of seven. In our passage here Paul has just finished explaining that God has turned the Lost Man over to a reprobate mind and in the first verse of this chapter we are warned against condemning men for the same sin we are guilty of.

In the church we have a small body of Bond Servants belonging to Christ and then we have the bulk of the body who attend, some faithfully, for a variety of reasons. Christ knows who is who and we do not but the Church, not the building, but the Church is the body of Christ and we far to often fail to act as such. When a member falls into sin, and that does happen, we are to lift them up and restore them (Isa. 1:16-18) and not practice the common. We must stop shooting the wounded to get them out of the church.

It seems to be a much disliked title today but we must become the Bond Servants of Christ and seek to live a Holy life dedicated to God. Neither I nor anyone else can judge a thief when we, ourselves, are pocketing the extra five dollars or the extra quarter that the clerk mistakenly gave to us... that is also theft. We must judge enough to not approve of other's sin and we must judge when to lift them up because they are repenting.

One of the most vital points a follower of Jesus can learn to observe and learn to use for Christ is the change of seasons in a person's life. Everyone has these season changes in their lives, lost and saved alike. One of the most notable is the loss of a mate, everything about the surviving mate is subject to change. In the case of a Christian, it is then that we must move close to them and be willing to listen to them, whether they are crying or Wailing and ranting. And we must learn to do so and to keep our mouthes shut. You can help no one by revealing their inner most secrets to the world.

This is part one of Chapter Two.

Romans 1

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Rom 1:2 which he promised afore through his prophets in the holy scriptures,

Rom 1:3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

Rom 1:4 who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord,

Rom 1:5 through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;

Rom 1:6 among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ's:

Rom 1:7 to all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the first seven verses of the book of Romans we see Paul introducing himself and in doing so he explains his qualification and his reason for service. In like manor I'd like to introduce myself as I begin this series on the Book of Romans.

I am Bill Taylor, former Specialist Fifth Class of the Killer Spades, Bravo Company of the Two. Two Ninth Assault Helicopter Battalion, the First Air Cavalry Division, U.S. Army. I was first called of God in November of 1966, the night my best friend took an 81mm mortar in the chest. I ceased resisting my LORD's call January the first of 1990 and have been faithful since that day.

Recently, I have been accused of acting like a fifteen to seventeen year old angry young man by a gentleman, who, from his picture, appears to be quite a bit younger than I. The reason for his remarks are because, while I take a great deal of patients with New Christians, I lack the same patients with those that refuse the meat of the Word and continue to suck the bottle for milk. Much the same as an unnamed preacher friend of mine, I want people, after five years or less in the Word to put on their Big Boy Panties and to grow in the faith. You might find these words harsh but God has not called anyone to feast eternally on the milk of the Word.

I will seek to go all the way through the Book of Romans, as when Paul wrote this letter to the Roman Believers, he wrote what has come to be known as The Christian Manifesto. Neither being Paul nor Jesus I am certain to not cover every point, I'm still in the process of growth myself. Please feel free to email me or to post on the Internet any amendments you believe to be helpful.

Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers

Rom 1:10 making request, if by any means now at length I may be prospered by the will of God to come unto you.

Rom 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

Rom 1:12 that is, that I with you may be comforted in you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

Rom 1:13 And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered hitherto), that I might have some fruit in you also, even as in the rest of the Gentiles.

Rom 1:14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Rom 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you also that are in Rome.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17 For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

Here, as in all of Paul's letters we see him offering up a prayer, this is such a valid demonstration of the behavior suitable for a Christian. Today, far to often, the world rules in our church assemblies and in our daily lives. My family prays before meals and we pray for others where-ever we might be and repeatedly we have been spoken to about doing so. The world is watching us and they notice when we act like our leader, Jesus.

Now, there is a final section to Romans 1 and because I have grown in my faith to the point that I believe every word of the scriptures and yet, still live in this Time/Space Continuum, I am often accosted by Christians for being cruel.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19 because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them.

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:

Rom 1:21 because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Rom 1:23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:

Rom 1:25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:

Rom 1:27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.

Rom 1:28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Rom 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Rom 1:30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Rom 1:31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:

Rom 1:32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. (ASV)

The Bible used by Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and the others did not include the books of the New Testament and if we will pay attention as we read, those of us that do, we will notice that the New Testament in our modern day copy of the scriptures is commenting on how to apply the Old Testament, the Bible Jesus used, to our lives. The same is certainly true here.

It is stupid for me to need to be careful of quoting or seeking to apply this passage or any other passage to Christian life, but that is exactly where I find myself. A careful reading of the 613 Mosaic Laws or of this commentary on them proves that any Law Breaker, lacking the forgiveness of our LORD deserves death. But each time the LORD puts it on my heart I am reviled and called cruel, mean and unforgiving. The reason... I have just condemned the homosexuals to Hell.

Never mind the Fornicator, the Rapist, the Murderer, the Thief and on and on, I have attacked the favored sinner of the day. There are a multitude of excuses, offered up as reasons for sin, they are all lies according to the Word of God. I need not give my personal, childhood history here, the Bible records that God said so and that is he end of it, we are to avoid all and say it again 'all' manor of sin.