Corey Comperatore A Life Of Purpose. A Life Of Sacrifice.

I published this article at our Facebook thread, "In Defense Of The Faith". Little did I know that Ms. Joy Behar would continue to display her ultimate lack of knowledge and common sense by stating that it was inappropriate for President Trump to be happy that God saved him, while at the same time a man, Corey Comperatore, had lost his life at the rally. 

Unfortunately, I did not know this man. However, I am encouraged to see that there yet exists, other men like him. While others have attempted to say something regarding this, and most have refused to directly address it, I thought it was timely to directly address the issue in light of the great and good God that we serve. 

Judge it as you may, but this is what I know:

SACRIFICE:

At the fatal and life changing Trump rally in Butler, PA. a life was taken and a
life was spared.

Some find it hard to celebrate a spared life in light of the life which was taken.

God is Sovereign

While I don't purport to know "why" God does what he does, one thing I do know is that God is sovereign, which means he has all power in his hand and can do whatever he wishes to do, whenever and however he chooses, and his "choice" is always right.

Of such righteousness is the taking of the life of Corey Comperatore by an evil, demonically inspired, shooter on July 13th at approximately 6:11PM est.

The fact is that unlike existence under a purely materialistic paradigm, not only did Mr. Comperatore's life have meaning and purpose, but his death also had meaning and purpose too.

His very family surname "Comperatore" is "derived from the Latin word 'comperare' means 'to buy or to procure'. It signifies someone who is skilled in purchasing or acquiring goods."

I find that interesting in light of the fact that he died to save the life of his family. Mr. Comperatore placed his life in harms way to save his family. In other words he "bought" and purchased the life of his family, not just incidentally, but purposefully and skillfully.

Bring It Home

Mr Comperatore was a father, in a time when fatherhood has been dragged, misunderstood and dumbed down by a society who is confused and has lost respect for what fatherhood means. I believe this criticism of fatherhood is purposeful. Why? Because God has revealed himself to the world as "Father" and one who is above all in love, care and concern for his children, and ultimately his bride aka the Saints or Church.

Further, God has sacrificed his life...given himself and placed himself between us and hell and the ultimate death. Christ has skillfully, and purposefully rendered a sacrifice rooted in love, enduring the shame and death of the cross to demonstrate his love and compassion for us.

Mr. Comperatore's death was used by a sovereign God to remind us purposefully of what a GOOD and LOVING Father does for his children and family. God used this man...I don't know why him and why at that time...to demonstrate to the world...a different system of values and concerns, that are far superior to those of materialism and values contained within a purely materialistic paradigm.

Mr. Comperatore's life not only had purpose, but his death had purpose ultimately pointing us all back to the God who has given all and everything to save us, by standing in the way of the ultimate death of eternal separation from God due to sin.

However...this man, like all of us who place our faith in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, will RISE AGAIN, to life and a fulfillment of our hope in Christ Jesus. So, for whatever reason, God chose to use this man as an ultimate example and reminder of the nature and acts of Christ on the cross. Was he special? Certainly no more special than you or I, but was used purposefully, specially, and ultimately by GOD and God alone.

Like the sniper's bullet missed taking the life of our President, the sniper had no power to take life, give life or extend life. Only God had that power and he allowed with all purpose, this life to go before us.

I REJOICE in the fact that GOD...not a sniper, nor governmental agency is in control!!!

Blessed! 

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NewsOne, The Liberal Media & The Illusion Of Womanhood...

Genesis 2:21-25 ~ 21-And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22-And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23-And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.24-Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25-And they were both naked, the man and his wife, 

and were not ashamed.

Recently NewsOneNow in an online entry entitled "Redefining Beauty: Transgender Women You Should Know" took the opportunity to praise  persons who were born male, but whom, at some point, changed their gender from that of a male to a female and now live as women.  While that is not new, it did catch me in a peculiar way. 

I began to think on a few things that I would like to share in this article as it pertains to where we are as a society and seemingly as a culture on issues of transgenderism, gender bending and sexuality in general.

Gender Fluidity

Gender fluidity, as it is now called,  is an expression used to support the sexual perversion of transgenderism. I'll get back to the term but, for a minute, because I am as guilty as the next as using terms and throwing words around, let's stop and define what perversion means for the intent of this article:

Perversion: (Noun)1. the alteration of something from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended. "all great evil is the perversion of a good" synonyms: distortion, misrepresentation, falsification, travesty, misinterpretation, misconstruction, twisting, corruption, subversion, misuse, misapplication, debasement "a twisted perversion of the truth"

2. sexual behavior or desire that is considered abnormal or unacceptable.

synonyms: deviance, abnormality;

When I say "perversion" as some may be offended by the term as it pertains to this issue, I do certainly mean something that is not placed in proper context or used as it should or was intended to be. In this case we are speaking of a deviant form of sexual identity, which causes a person to believe. that they were born to be someone else, in particularly the opposite sex, other than who they were or are at birth. This belief, provides validation for some to create their own gender identity based on who they believe, think or feel they should be identified as. Those who were born males, identifiable by male genetalia, can believe, based on their feelings or emotional capacity, that they are actually females born within a man's body and would be better suited to live life as a female. Vice versa with some females, born female, who believe that they are better suited to be men.

Of a certainly I believe that this change and the preceding desire to change genders, or to float back and forth between genders, is unacceptable before God in an ultimate sense in part because it is a defilement of the physical body, or perversion, against how the individual was created. Further, I would contend that as a man (ie: human being) that we have been created in the "image" of God himself implying that in his image there would be no deceit and that man is the only part of God's creation that is created in his image and likeness, therefore enjoins a unique relationship not reducible to relationships of mammals and animals found within nature. In part this would mean that man has  an essential nature and his creation was purposeful, not some haphazard existential occurrence to be manipulated and or changed at or by whims or urges, no matter how strong or prevailing those whims and or urges may seem or appear to be.

Let me be clear, for all the critics that immediately use the pejorative "trans-phobia", for anyone who doesn't accept trans-gender perversion. Not only is "trans-phobia" or "trans-phobic" another made up word of the sexual liberal elite, put out in effort to shame and bully their way to attention, like the bogus term "homo-phobic" used by the homosexual advocates to force society into accepting homosexual perversion as normal, for one to speak against transgenderism certainly does not imply that a person hates or dislikes transgender people. That is absurd. 

Listen, everyone I know believes that NO MAN or WOMAN should be discriminated against, hated or otherwise harassed, denied employment or housing etc. or treated unfairly for their choice of living as a trans male or trans female or otherwise. Transgender men and women are human beings and due human dignity. However that dignity does not out of hand mean that everyone should be made to bow or be subject to what we believe is a sexually oriented perversion with multiple moral implications. But to the point, to rain down fire on the transgender or the homosexual (which are two different types of people in most cases) is not the object of this article. Though various types of sins have various types of implications and degrees to which life and community is effected, at the end of the day ALL unrighteousness IS sin!

This is where it gets murky and why most preachers are silent on the issue, I believe that the Christian approach in addressing these SINS is far away from a murderous, and beat you down motif that is often displayed by liberal elite media. Although, ALL SIN, which ultimately gender realignment and self mutilation is, even in an attempt to imitate a creation of God, is sin, and that, like any other sin, should be preached and taught against clearly without compromise if our first love and duty is to be faithful to Christ and the fidelity of HIS word. 

Let's Approach This In An Alternate Fashion

Let's remove sex and sexuality from the conversation just for a minute. Think. As human beings, religious or not, we judge moral truths regularly don't we?  Why do we teach our children the virtue of purity and to stay away from drugs? Is it because the drug dealer has a nasty personality or is it because he/she practises what may be harmful within society? So is to preach against illegal drugs and the proliferation of drugs wrong? Is doing so raining down hatred on the dealer? Practically speaking, why do we encourage loved one's to strive for good things and good associations? Simply put, it is because we recognize that things that are good and positive have a greater chance of leading to fulfillment even if not solely or exclusively identified by a right or a wrong. 

So the argument that behavior and lifestyle can't be judged apart from negative feelings and condemnation of the individual is a bogus one and has nothing to do with the argument. One can judge behavior, lifestyle and morality, finding it to be repulsive, and still yet care for the person. In fact to not make a judgment or to affirm evil and wrong doing solidifies the case that one does not really care at all...

Liberal News, Society & Feelings As A Scientific Measure  

I must admit, I was amazed at the lengths that these men have gone to to make themselves look like women and even more amazed at the denigration that others promoting them have laid on womanhood to affirm the illusion. 

I mean look at it, you have Bruce Jenner being named "women of the year" because he claims to be a

woman and has changed his name to "Caitlyn" and began to mutilate his body...Are you serious??? This is an AFFRONT and a slap in the face to all REAL WOMEN, who were not only born as women but who also live as a woman, no matter their sexual proclivity. How can a man be a woman of the year and the women's rights advocates , while breathing down fire and brimstone on nearly everyone including men in particular, for unequal and unfair treatment in society, remain silent when a man, pretending to be a woman, because he "FEELS LIKE" a woman is said to be more woman than she???

What does it mean to "feel like" a woman? It is beyond the capacity for a man to "feel like" a woman just like it is beyond the capacity for a woman to "feel like" a man. It is an OXYMORONIC statement. It is unintelligible.  Where is this set of "feelings" that make a woman a woman or a man a man? How can this set of "feelings" be transferred across genders and specifically unique biological patterns? Are we to believe that the basis of identity or person-hood is "feeling"? To we have to "feel like" a person in order to be one? If so, then how are our "feelings" judged and by what measuring stick or method is a feeling to be adjudicated to be that of a woman and that of a man and how are they distinguishable from one another?

Is our gender determined by what we are inclined or drawn to or find physically attractive? Is it by the colors we like or by the clothes that we like? Are these things the outworking of "feelings" that make us who we are are individuals and human beings, specifically men and women?

What I am pointing to is that sentiments along these lines are purely and only figments of a persons imagination. They are thoughts that are self contrived...No matter how much one IMITATES anyone else, those who imitate a thing NEVER becomes the thing they imitate. 

We have a society that on one hand says that all is rooted in empiricism,  and factual evidences, but on the other hand accepts as facts, and creates moral illusions based on undefinable and totally unchartable elements such as "feelings", making whole cases allegedly rooted in science for their actions, and responses to moral value propositions.

NewsOne's False Assumption Of A Homogeneous Black Community

Secondly, I can't believe that liberals like NewsOne haven't taken the time to understand that it is agendas like theirs (ultra liberal ones) that have made President Donald Trump as popular as he is and even helped to place him in office.  I mean they, and others like them, are the one's constantly complaining about Trump leadership and what they believe he represents, but at the same time, don't realize that they have alienated themselves from individuals such as myself because of the views and values that they promote.

To wonder why the door is open for Donald Trump, who has many immoral behaviors, is to avoid the fact that he simultaneously praises and upholds institutions that have moral substance and steers away from institutions such as Planned Parenthood, that have damaged and undermined the Black community for years. If political and social liberals want to close the door on Donald Trump, then GO BACK to sound parochial values and values that arise from the community of faith instead of adopting and promoting organizations that want to destroy parochial values and redefine faith and family life.

See, it occurs to me that what most liberals assume, is that we, Black people, will support liberal causes and sexual deviance if it is connected to a claim of "discrimination". I suppose that is supposed to be the "hot button" to unite Blacks in the cause of fighting for sexual perversion. The truth is that most Black folk, at least the ones I know, don't hold the sentiment that sexual perversion,  or the way that one has sex, or identifies sexually, to be on par with racial discrimination. In fact we are sickened by the mere continued association of the two. Be clear:

Your SIN has nothing to do with the color of my SKIN!

Gender Fluidity...An Unscientific Notion & Concept

After all the song and dance and the brainwashing from the brainwashed liberal camp regarding the fluidity of gender and the non static nature of sexual attraction etc, we KNOW that every individual on earth simply exercises their right to live how they like to live and love how they chose to love. Every person picks and chooses who and how they relate sexually and one can have a strong inclination to do something but that does not mean that whatever the inclination they have is right, appropriate or acceptable. As stated, feelings are deceptive and are not meant to lead our lives in all things. That's what we understand in adult life as we mature isn't it? One should not be led by mere "feelings" alone unless there is good and substantive reason to do so.

It short, it seems that liberal news organizations such as News One and others that serve the Black community are relentlessly attempting to move the consciousness of the Black community away from a foundation of moral principles by encouraging and even promoting practices and images that are not morally centered and or rooted in solid and proven morally stable values. Thus the article itself, "Redefining Beauty" as if we did not know what beauty was until men, who chose to live as a women, changed their lifestyles to reflect their perversion.

Where is the WOMEN'S RIGHTS GROUPS? Why do they not respond to this sort of continuous INSULT directed towards women who were born women by birth? 

To News One, WE recognized BEAUTY long before men decided that they wanted to live as a woman and change and contort their bodies in effort to look like one. That BEAUTY was found in a REAL woman (or man for that matter) that God created. The  creation of God was ultimately without shame!

The Church & Its Relationship To Liberal Society

With all that I have said if the church is to make any difference it must first...CLEAN HOUSE! Our  boarders are corrupt within the community of faith...With the acceptance of gay pastors and so called bishops and teachers that teach that one doesn't even need Jesus to be saved, and followers of those who believe such, there is a lot of work to do within the church.

Too many of our churches and church leaders are not people of standard as they would like to believe that they are. They are however, people looking to stand where they can be popular, embracing liberalism if it pays the bills and allows excess...As long as they can be in the crowd, receive housing and other over-allowances, and appear on TV to ask for jets, the people of faith won't make too much noise, because they are afraid of loosing their thunder to appeal to the people that they have trained and even assisted in liberalism, to embrace their brand of immorality...

Does The Church Need Perfection In Order To Correct Or Call Into Accountability???

NOPE...and under the definition of IMPERFECT, you will probably see my picture!!!! However, recognizing our imperfections does not make the case that one should accept all things and especially things that are contrary to scripture and scriptural teaching as if it (scripture) is nothing and as if it (living in sin and ungodliness) is OK. If the truth hurts the deliverer or the bearer of it, so be it. It just hurts...however that does not change the nature of truth. It is STILL truth no matter who is wrong!!!!

Listing Of Popular The Transgender-Men...

With that said, let me just look at a few of these MEN who now live as women that NewsOne Now praised...No insults, but the fact is, no matter how female like, these men are, or no matter how many surgeries they have had, no matter how much money they have thrown at making themselves look like  a woman, EACH ONE will stand before God one day as the MAN that they were born as. They yet have the chromosomal makeup of a man no matter how many drugs have altered that process or function. They are only maintaining an appearance as a woman by artificial means and one day they will revert to the man that they are.

Let's take a look, and parents, tell your children (both boys and girls) to BE CAREFUL for obvious reasons, because one never knows in today's society who was actually born as what:

Laverne Cox (Roderick L. Cox):

According to Biography.com: Laverne Cox "always felt herself to be female, not really seeing a difference between boys and girls. She was often taunted and harassed mercilessly for being feminine, though she was able to hold onto her love for the arts."

"I begged my mother to put me into dance classes and finally, in third grade, she did,” Cox said years later in a Times magazine interview. “Tap and jazz but not ballet. She thought ballet was too gay … Throughout all of that, I was very feminine and I was really bullied, majorly bullied. There was this side of me that was this over-achiever that loved learning.”

Janet Mock (Charles Mock): 

has written a book entitled "Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More" who according to Piers Morgan, "was certainly born a boy, and has a real birth name of "Charles" does everything but admit that HE was born a male even going so far as to say that he was born as a BABY not a man or a woman...What???

Amiyah Scott (Arthur Scott): 
Made his claim to fame and claimed to be among the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reality show, (which I am not sure ever aired with him in the cast)  and "Star" which is another wide open mess of a show currently airing on Fox.

Isis King, (Darrell Walls) 

says that she was "born in the wrong body" a contestant on America's Next Top Model, and most certainly promoted by Tyra Banks in her effort to do what she can do to normalize homosexuality and transgenderism. 

TS Madison, (Madison Hinton) 

Probably one of the most vulgar and perverted transgender men, produces adult transgender films through his company Raw Dawgg Entertainment. While the term "Rawdogg" means to have sex without a condom, this transgender man claims to not only be a strong advocate for transgenderism but also one that stands for sexual health and against STD's such as HIV and AIDS. 

A Final Word
Failure to tell the truth will lead all of these men and others like them to hell. It is our obligation and duty as persons of faith to continue to stand for truth and right at all times. No, we don't have a mind trip to place people on. Ours is not to overwhelm anyone with guilt. Ours is simply to preach and teach a gospel that will lift burdens and save from sins...Sins similar to the ones that JESUS saved us from by the shedding of his blood.

Sin and deception is not an easy thing. satan is ready to deceive the world and has done his job at making the world follow him in perverting the creation of God in the minds of countless millions. Without TRUTH there will be no redemption. It is the God of mercy that allows every sinner a chance to consider their ways and prepare for the ultimate reality of life.

Whether one is a man or a woman, the only Christ will satisfy the longing of the heart to be accepted and understood. What we have and will miss as human beings, God has not missed and he is more than ready to take over and love and lead as only he can.  If you are struggling with an overwhelming feeling that your gender is incorrect, God certainly understands. Seeking Christ will make the difference and HE is still able to save the soul and move it away from the perversion of same sex attraction and self mutilation.

Call I Am My Brother's Keeper Christian Advocacy Council if you're been used and abused and feel boxed in as a result of this inordinate desire at (800)728-0352. We want you to be free and equally as importantly want you to know that we stand with you to the healing of body and soul in Christ Jesus! No matter the LIE of the state or the profession of psychology or psychiatry, you can be FREE of sexual sin and perversion. Like any other sin, Christ can make you free.

John 8:36 ~If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Our God IS ABLE!!!

Blessed!

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The Self-Authenticating Witness Of The Spirit Of God

Among questions I receive are those seeking direction from individuals pondering issues pertaining to how one knows or perceives God's presence in the world and how one comes to salvation.

While there are some poignant theological differences and debate in this area within Christian circles, I don't know of anyone who doesn't believe that salvation is a work of God wrought or performed in the life of the believer.  In other words, under most constructs, Christians would contend that salvation is not a mere product of intellect, or arguments rooted in evidentialism. However, one could make the case that in many instances intellect, arguments and evidence play a significant role in the entire process of salvation and certainly spiritual growth.

Reaffirming many of the primary principles within teachings such as those of Henry Dodwell (1700-1784) and Alvin Plantinga, Dr. William L Craig points to what is called the "self-authenticating witness of God's Spirit" in the life of the believer, in the following statement:

Dr. William L Craig & Pastor H. Burnett

"Therefore when a person refuses to come to Christ, it is never just because of lack of evidence or because of intellectual difficulties: at root, he refuses to come because he willingly ignores and rejects the drawing of God's Spirit on his heart. No one in the final analysis really fails to become a Christian because of lack of arguments; he fails to become a Christian because he loves darkness rather than light and wants nothing to do with God. But anyone who responds to the drawing of God's Spirit with and open mind and an open heart can know with assurance that Christianity is true, because God's Spirit will convict him that it is. Jesus said, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me: if any man's will is to do his will he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." (John 7:16-17 RSV) Jesus affirms that if anyone is truly seeking God then he will know that Jesus teaching is truly from God."

So then for the unbeliever as well as for the believer, it is the testimony of God's Spirit that ultimately assures him of the truth of Christianity. The unbeliever who is truly seeking God will be convinced of the truth of the Christian message." {Craig, William L. Reasonable faith Christian Truth and Apologetics Third Edition 2008 Pg. 47}

In my opinion this is certainly true. I don't know of anyone who came to Christ initially because an argument, whatever that argument was. [I don't consider the Gospel to be an argument. It is the preached word of God and as such the Good News. Not an argument in the sense that I am proposing here] I know of no argument that is so absolutely compelling or overwhelming that one has to be saved on the basis of it. I don't know of too many individuals who's intellectual assent, no matter how steep, was the sole or singular motivating factor in accepting Christ for salvation. 

However, there is ample testimony from people, even former atheists such as C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel, who were not saved by the evidences of Christianity, but drawn by the power of the Spirit of the Lord to salvation through the self-authenticating witness of God's Spirit. In other words, faith, for these men and I would venture to say the majority of Christians, was not and is not merely a matter of the head, it is a matter of the heart. It is that tug on the reigns of the heart by God that defines and often boggles the mind and or intellect, which leads to salvation. In theological terms this could be called regeneration. 

That Which Is Seen

Now, if this is true, that it is not the church, the individuals in the church or anything else associated with the church that either causes one to accept or reject God, then each individual is truly accountable for their own response to God. No matter the situation, it is not one's family, family history or upbringing that can be fully blamed for how the individual responds to the Spirit of God.

I'm sure that we have all witnessed individuals raised in the church, given great teaching or nurturing, but who have turned from all of that to lifestyles of sin, and shame. On the other hand, and please don't get me wrong, some situations are more conducive to salvation than others...So realizing that there are situations in which persons are driven away from or drawn to the church is not the whole question here, however, at the end of the day, every person is responsible for their own response to God and either their acceptance of union with him or their rejection of HIS grace, mercy and ultimately forgiveness. 

The facts are these: It was not Jesus who failed. It was not God who came up short or who mishandled issues. It was the individual(s) some known as part of the church or maybe institutions associated with the church or maybe other parochial institutions claiming to be built upon "biblical and Christian principles" who may have failed. 

From an individual standpoint, although we may not always intellectually comprehend or apprehend God, invariably it is flesh that always fails and not HIM nor his Spirit that woos us. But even in that  failure of the flesh in no way negates or stops the self-authenticating witness of the Spirit" from speaking and revealing the glory of God to each and every individual, from those that reject him to those that will receive him. 

Ps. 19:1 ~ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

His works and majesty can be perceived by all. His mystery is known to all the universe. In response the impetus of all scientific study and discovery is an attempt to comprehend his works. The unfortunate part is that many of them engaged in the study of pursuing the understanding of his works (science) because they (the works of God through creation) are seen, are oblivious to and rejecting of the wooing of HIS Spirit, even though the only reason that they are curious is because of the works they see. The works of God are HIS works and not the works of a man or some blind force. They are the evidence of his manifest presence.

Consequences Of "The Light"

At the end of the day, an individual is where they are, believing what they believe and doing what they do, because they WANT to. Not because they are fatalistically determined to be in the spiritual condition that they are. 

John 3:19 ~ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Sin born into the hearts of men and embraced intellectually and spiritually is what destroys the man. The wages of sin is death but the penalty of sin is more sin. Notice the nature of sin. It takes men to what we describe as "dark places". Many, if not all sin behaviors, have a self destructive basis. For example, many alcoholics drink to the pace that the alcoholism destroys their bodies. First, many controlled by the substance refuse to admit it, and secondly it is often some tragedy or threat of loss that causes the individual to seek help and eventually turn away from the behavior associated with the substance. One hardly ever simply decides to walk away from such addiction on their own and do so successfully.

Drug addicts are similar as well. The illicit and illegal use of drugs, such as opioids, which have

Then there is the adulterer, molester and those who commit sexual sin. Usually these individuals go from a stage of personal, private, hidden and even recreational pursuit of sin, to a stage of addiction or life changing actions which causes multiplied grief, heartache and confusion sometimes for generations enveloped some whole communities within America, has proven to be virulently destructive. According to a recent NBC Nightly News report, one particular city in West Virginia, with a population of 3200 persons, received over 20 million pain pills by prescription over the last 10 years. I believe drug use along these lines, are not so much a display of illness as it is a display of a heart and mind desperate in seeking to relieve itself from the burden of sin. Relief being illusive the sin nature of man finds it much more easy to embrace more sin as a remedy instead of embracing the light.

Sin ADDS to itself until in the end, it is out of control. The rejection of light and ultimately truth always leads to greater darkness.

The key here is that the Light is seen and amply available, but men find it too challenging to draw themselves away from darkness. Why so challenging? The acceptance of light has a consequence and that consequence is that darkness, which pervades every fiber of this creation, is rejected and at that point a new path must be taken because the Light has come! Therefore to accept the Light of Jesus means to reject the thought patterns, systems, and social and spiritual norms that men have embraced to comfort themselves in darkness.

Critique

The critic asserts, how then is this "self-authenticating witness of the Spirit" any different from a Mormon's "burning in the bosom" or a Hindu's state of "nirvana" or Buddhist moment of enlightenment?

First, I believe that it may be a mistake to attempt to de-authenticate the experience of them claiming to have had one. There are many experiences, but not all of them lead to the Lord or HIS throne. John was aware of this as he encourages the believer to "not believe" every spirit, but to "try the spirits, whether they be of God". (1 John 4:1). The experience is to be "tried" or weighed or judged as to its authenticity and is always subject to Christ. In measuring that, one can tell whether the experience points to Christ or points away from him by adding another measure whereby men can be saved or blessed. Therefore the experience itself is also self-authenticating.

Secondly, the best witnesses to this are those who have converted from those systems to Christianity or those who have "found" Christ. As stated, other experiences certainly may have occurred, but there should be no assumption that those alternate experiences and the experience of Christianity and the exercise of faith are the same or even equivalent. The messages are certainly not the same, so why would anyone expect the experiences themselves to be the same? Those who come from non-Christian systems of belief will be the first to assert that the witness of the Holy Spirit upon and in their lives is wholly different than anything received under former systems or channels of belief.  So these are distinctions that make all the difference. 

Next the critic would assert, then why aren't all saved since the self authenticating witness of the Holy Spirit is so unique?

Because something is unique does not mean that all people yield or avail themselves to it. First, do all people desire the same thing? For example, Tesla has a good and some say the world's best electric car. Their new version has a multi-thousand preorders. However, do all individuals stop driving their current cars and start driving Tesla? Does everyone want a Tesla because it is "unique"? Just because someone can do something, does it mean that they always do? Free will is the issue and the key here. Everyone has it and can exercise it as they see fit.  Once again, the exercise of free will to reject the self-authenticating witness of the Spirit does not diminish or negate the role, majesty or uniqueness of the Spirit in the process. 

Conclusion

The self-authenticating witness of the Spirit has been played out throughout the Bible. From something as simple as a man named Moses going up to see a bush that burned with fire, and coming down the deliverer of a nation (Exodus 3), to Pilate as Jesus stood before him asking "what is truth" (John 18:38) to Paul preaching so convincingly that Agrippa, says "you almost persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28)...The Spirit of God has been and will always be active because HE is God. 

One will not be able to leave this world and certainly not the presence of God without having been presented with compelling evidence of the self-authenticating witness of the Spirit...Argument or no argument, intellectual fulfillment or none, God speaks and HIS sheep do hear him!

John 10: 27 ~ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me:

Blessed!

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The Prodigal SON Returns...From Transgender to STRAIGHT!!!

Calling himself the prodigal son, the transgender entertainer formerly known as Rhianna (Ri Ri) Nicole recently stated that he must come back to be the MAN that God made him to be and has found his faith in God. 

In 2015, the entertainer known as Ri Ri Nicole said that he did not identify himself as a Christian. However, in what appears to be a complete, radical transformation, in a recently released video he has changed his name back to "Antonio"  going forward, explaining that he is leaving the transgender world and all of its trappings for the beauty and excellence of Jesus Christ!

See VIDEO HERE

BEING TRANS IS WRONG...It's not gods will for me to be transgened... It's a lie told by Satan to kill me.. And to keep my soul from inheriting the kingdom of GOD PLEASE SHARE
Posted by Ri Ri Nicole on Wednesday, March 2, 2016

In a 2015 interview, Antonio explains that although sexual abuse at a young age opened the door to explore transgenderism and immerse himself into the sex industry as a result, that it was his own decision that led him into the lifestyle that he is now fleeing:

"Sexual abuse is a plight faced by many adolescents whom identify as transgender. This is a topic that should be openly discussed throughout the community. By telling my story, I feel that it could impact the lives of so many other young people whom could be facing the exact, similar situation that I was." ~ [Antonio (formerly Rhianna Nicole 2/26/15 Transmuplanet]

While Antonio was careful to not blame his choice of sexual identity on the perverted actions of a sexually abusive father, he does however point to the horrible shame and burden of sexual abuse and the effects on the victims. 

We stand in prayer and in thanksgiving to God for the ongoing transformation and restoration of this young MAN back to his MANHOOD! Bound to be the target of the gay advocacy movement and the transgender advocacy movement, Antonio needs the prayers and guidance of the Christian community now more than ever before.

We hope that he will be a guiding light to all those stuck in the confusion of transgenderism and that God will use him to continue to touch countless lives just as he has touched ours by allowing JESUS to be his Lord. 

Jude 24-25 ~ 24-Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25-To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Antonio...WE pray for your success, strength and continued growth in the Lord!

Blessed!

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MegaFest To Mega-Controversy

If controversy was what Bishop T.D. Jakes wanted as a result of MegaFest 2013, then he got ALL that he asked for and then some...

Put T.D. Jakes, Oprah Winfrey, and Tyler Perry together in one room, and what do you have? 3 of the wealthiest Black business people in the United States and 3 of the most popular individuals associated with the modern entertainment industry and at least one of which is associated with the gospel and gospel ministry. 

Now, place the same three people at a 3 day MegaFest Conference, add to that by having Tyler Perry lay hands on Jakes,  and Jakes and Oprah share the stage to talk about fatherlessness in America, and top all of that off with Oprah saying, while she's reaching out to God, "I need you"...and what do you have? Probably one of the most controversial and talked about events of the year. 

From pillar to post this event and what happened at the event is reverberating around facebook, google, and every internet venue.  If that was the point of the conference, then on that merit alone, it was a high success.

Why We Are Shocked. 

Many people are shocked because they don't want to believe that any of these people are real. Look at the criticisms, according to them; Tyler is gay, and if he isn't gay, he is unsaved. Look at the reasons why. His
stage presentations are more and more secular and worldly and he dresses in drag to entertain the masses. (which is a shameful thing that most Black actors have been made to do at some point in their entertainment careers) 

Then Oprah, a self proclaimed "Christian free-thinker" who has taken God "out of the box", as we all know, has embraced eclecticism and universalism and what I have called the "many paths" doctrine stating that God can be accessed through many other and various faith paths and beliefs any or all of which have nothing to do with Jesus and some of which are even contrary to the teachings of Jesus. For instance, she has embraced the spiritual deception and ramblings of Eckhart Tolle as I have documented in my series "The New Enlightenment", and teaches that Jesus did not come to die upon the cross, but came to show us the "Christ consciousness" which we all can have just like Jesus did...Oprah has been criticized by some as a modern type of "Jezebel" and a false "prophetess" for all of the aforementioned reasons and more. 

Then T.D. Jakes himself is also controversial. Aside from all that he has done and continues to do to better the plight of humanity through the work of his ministry, the critic says he is not saved because he doesn't understand or teach the trinity and or he too is an "in the closet" homosexual...Well, it is a fact that he tried to suggest that Ruth and Naomi had a lesbian relationship and that David and Jonathon's relationship was suspect as well. In fact here is his exact statement from a message:

“Ruth turns to Naomi and says “I shall not leave thee.” She makes her statement to this woman…that sounds somewhat, somewhere in between poetry, intimacy, and borders on lesbianism. People don’t even know how to explain what Ruth said to Naomi. It makes them uncomfortable. They’re afraid to talk about it. They don’t want to teach on it. Same thing with David and Jonathan…where there were same-sex relationships getting too close, people don’t even know what to say.” ~ [Bishop T.D. Jakes, "Nothing Just Happens" 2001 Woman Thou Art Loosed Conference]

Now, I am yet awaiting anyone who knows whether Bishop clarified or straightened up that statement to let me know...I am awaiting ANYONE who can clarify Oprah's statements and beliefs with additional statements she has made recanting the previous ones to point me toward them also. I certainly don't want to bear false witness. If either of these have corrected their statements, because they are human and may have spoken wrongly, we can promote their corrections just as readily as what was spoken was in obvious error.

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Calling The Community From Death To Life

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved"

Romans 10:1

I think I'll just let them speak:

The Testimony


The Poem


Testimony ~ "Born in sin, shaped in inquity, open to do all sorts of things BUT..."

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Born In Sin

Psalms 51:5 ~ "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."

Sin is most certainly a theological concept. In many instances, both Christian and non-Christian alike has redefined sin as simply bad, unethical  or immoral behavior. In fact many people do not wish to be called or considered a "sinner" because of the implications of the word and the immoral or bad behavior to which the use of the word is normally associated.

In a recent conversation on Facebook the very issue, of being called a sinner, appalled my niece (who is an atheist by the way) so much that she resorted to lying, fabrication, insult and simply anything to strike back at what she considered to be a derogatory comment toward her. It seems that calling her a "sinner" gave her the thought of being identified with a morally reprehensible group of people and individuals.

While it may or may not be true that sinners are associated with the materially immoral, according to the bible every nonbeliever or sinner is associated with the spiritually immoral and non-functional. As in the case of my niece, it seems that persons even devoid of what Christians would consider to be a right relationship with God and  spiritual values, consider the association with sin and sinners negatively and interpret the label in a negative light.

The Doctrine Of St. Augustine?

Many, including the modern day Jew, believe that what is called the Doctrine Of Original Sin began with St. Augustine. However, nothing is further from the truth. The doctrine of original sin began within the pages of Old Testament scripture and is revealed in the New Testament as the "curse of the law"

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Salvation: Is The Message Revealed To Those Who Have Never Heard?

The Argument

The critic levels many accusations at Christianity. One of those accusations is aimed at the effectiveness of the proliferation of the message of salvation. You see Christianity holds that if one is not a Christian, one cannot be made righteous with God and therefore will be worthy of hell. In many circles it is also held that if one does not hear the gospel message one cannot be forgiven for their sins, set free or be righteous. Paul says that the gospel (the message of it) is the power of God unto salvation:

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

He further states that hearing the gospel is the way that faith comes into the mind and heart of the believer:

Rom.10:17~"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Immediately before this statement however he declares and questions rhetorically the process of how belief arises within the heart of a believer:

Rom. 10:13-15 ~ "13-For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14-How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15-And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

Paul's declaration has given rise to the thoughts that by ONLY the preaching of the Gospel can one be saved and that without IT faith cannot arise within the heart, and where there is no faith, one can not be saved. The writer of Hebrews picked up on this theme:

Heb. 11:6~"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

The part that we are not addressing in this post is the relationship of faith to salvation. We have discussed and will continue to discuss that in Are Works And Faith Inseparable? This post we are discussing the relationship of hearing the gospel and the message of faith to the community of humanity who may never hear or have never heard that message.

The Current Reality:

Interestingly, by best efforts at estimation, only 2.1 billion persons, approximately 1/3 of the worlds population, is Christian. Before we proceed there are problems with that estimate and additional qualifications that must be made. Religious Tolerance.Org states that some of the problems with estimating how many Christians there are worldwide is as follows:

1- The definition of 'Christian' is not agreed upon by many of the groups involved therefore drawing the line between 'Christian' and those who belong to 'sects' is problematic. [Example: Groups such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witness claim to be Christian's although they are in actuality non-Christian cults.][Religious Tolerance.Org didn't say that part, I did.]

2- No-one can really tell if a person is a Christian at heart, or if they are just paying lip-service to the name.

3- "The percentage of Christians in the world peaked at about 30 % in the 1980s, leveled off, is now declining, and will probably approximate to about 25% of the world's population by 2025. As a result of their extremely high rates of population growth, the proportion of Muslims in the world will continue to increase dramatically, amounting to 20 percent of the world's population about the turn of the century, surpassing the number of Christians some years later, and probably accounting for about 30 percent of the world's population by 2025." ~ Samuel Huntington, "The Clash of Civilizations and the remaking of world order," Touchstone Books, (1998)

Christian growth is on the decline and even if it were flat, at the most liberal estimate it still holds that approximately 60% of the worlds population is non-Christian. Those numbers have varied over the years throughout history however, at any given time it could be said that 50% or less of the worlds population were Christian believers.

What Does That Mean?

It means that most of the world is non Christian and according to the most popular definition of salvation will be lost in their sins. The question that arises from this, is what of the eternal disposition of the peoples and individuals who have never heard the gospel? In some cases it could be that certain individuals will never and have never heard the message of the cross and are therefore determined to go to hell.

That concept, as strange as it may sound, is not totally foreign to the church and many believers, especially them that hold belief in Evangelical and Reform Christian Theological circles. In fact this is the assertion of Dr. John Calvin the father of Calvinism regarding this and related issues:

“...(God) does not create everyone in the same condition, but ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others.” (Cited in Alister McGrath, Christian Theology, p. 396)

This is descriptive to what is called the doctrine of Double Predestination (the elect are predestined to be saved while the non-elect are predestined to hell) To be fair many Calvinists do not hold to this ascription as it is stated, however it is a telling backdrop for what many assert regarding the nations and individuals who have never heard the gospel and have never received the message.

Is There Another Understanding?

Thank God, Yes, there is. Without a doubt belief in Jesus is essential for salvation. The word records:

John 14:5-6~"5-Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6-Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The question is how can and does that belief come to an individual? And can salvation come to an individuals who has never heard the message?

What We Know:

We know that God has spoken to us through Jesus:

Heb. 1:1-2 ~ "1-God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2-Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds"

We also know that that God was in Jesus reconciling the world unto himself and has given the church that same ministry of reconciliation:

2 Cor. 5:19 ~ "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation"

We also know that Jesus will present to himself a "glorious church":

Ephes. 5:26-27~"26-That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27-That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

We also know that the church is ultimately those who believe and hold fast to their profession of faith through their actions. The church may include many in the earthly or physical church but there is a greater and ever growing gap between those in the "glorious church" and those in the natural or physical church that we see currently.

Teleologically & Cosmologically Speaking:

Atheist Richard Dawkins in his book, "The Blind Watchmaker" summarizes the study of Micro-Biological Science as the study of complicated things that APPEAR to be designed by an intelligent designer or creator. In other words what is obviously apparent in creation, even at a microbiological level displays evidence of a designer. Dr. Dawkins then spends the rest of the book trying to show that observations can be deceiving and in this case incorrect, and that all things, even complicated structures, are simply matters of chance and blind occurrences of natural processes. Never mind in the interim that Dr. Dawkins undermines the value of empirical science, as he is a scientist that can interpret information subjectively and based upon his presuppositions and try to explain away the complexity of design (Teleology). Even in that however his summation does not change the observation that there is order and an apparent design within creation.

The Christian accounts for that design by declaring that God is responsible for it based on the declarations made through the written testimony of history (the Bible)and secondarily many empirical scientific observations. Many of these observations are not however limited to the Western world and biological science laboratories. They are made public and known throughout all creation and to all people to some degree or extent. This observation of nature is called the observation of the cosmos (ie:cosmology)

What does this mean? It means that God can speak to people, and reveal his truth, to individuals and nations, through creation. The awe of the universe is testimony to the glory of God declaring his works as the Psalmist says.

Ps. 19:1-6 ~ "1-The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2-Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3-There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4-Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5-Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6-His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."

This Psalm gives the declaration that God speaks through what is observable in nature and the human conscience. Through observation individuals can understand that not only do they exist but that God (ie: a creator)exists also. This is not secret but is done for all men to see wherever people can observe and wherever conscience can be exercised. Paul, in the New testament, reverberates this same sentiment and closes the gap even tighter by declaring that people are "without excuse":

Rom. 1:19-20~ "19-Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20-For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

What About Them That Can't See?

God, yet through the existence of life, speaks so that all whether they can observe physically or not, are able to experience his handywork. Sometimes we feel that the only way God reveals himself is through the senses, however his revelation to man is far greater than the sensory capacity of any individual. This is one way that the blind can come to "see" who Jesus is.

What About Personal Revelation?

One of the most touchy areas in which God reveals himself to individuals is the area of personal revelation.As surprising as it may seem, personal revelation was the method by how Paul and the original Apostles became convinced of the authenticity of Jesus. The case could be made that personal revelation of this sort is only reserved for those who Jesus calls Apostles however it should also be noted that Jesus was also personally revealed to women who were not called or given the title of an Apostle, UND Professor John P. Mier in his work "A Marginal Jew Vol. 3" points out that this is partially due to the fact that there was no equivalent word for a female apostle in the Hebrew or Aramaic language:

Lk. 24:10~"It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles."

Although Paul points to the gospel as the chief vehicle that leads to salvation he himself was not preached to in the traditional sense. He was converted by an experience where Christ was revealed to him on Damascus road:

Acts:9:10-12 ~ "3-And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4-And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5-And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6-And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7-And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8-And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9-And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink"

He recounts his experience later in his epistle to the Galations:

Galations 1:15-20 ~ "15-But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16-To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17-Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18-Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19-But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. 20-Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21-Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22-And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23-But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24-And they glorified God in me"

Prior To The New Testament

We see this revelation of God toward humankind as far back as Genesis

When Enos was born(Gen. 4:26)men began to call upon the name of the Lord, what was revealed to them that facilitated these actions?

Melchizedek was known as a priest of the most high God (Gen. 14:18)and was even contrasted to Jesus himself within the NT (Heb. 7:1) How did Melchizedek come to know who God was?

Naaman, a Syrian, came to the prophet Elisha on the word of his wife's servant seeking God's deliverance for his incurable leprosy. (2 Kings 5)How did Naaman credit God with such power? Was his seeking simply a matter of convenience or desperation?

The syrophonecian woman pleaded with Jesus for her daughter's deliverance (Mk. 7:24-30). How did she know the works of God moved through Jesus life until he had power over devils?

The Assyrian capital Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. How did they recognize and prioritize the warning of God as important?

The argument could be made that all of these individuals heard the message of the Lord and knew of God and his acts before they had their experiences, but that yet does not address the fact that none of these individuals had a special relationship either with to or toward God before these events. In fact most of them were outside the people of "promise" or the chosen of God.

Every Nation That Fears And Works

In Acts 10:35, Peter states that there is an acceptance of God of "every nation that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him". (There's that word WORKS again)Back to the point...Traditionally, we have understand this to mean that anyone, without regard, can accept the message of Jesus and be saved. The question is however, was there a greater emphasis on this verse even toward those who may have never heard the message but yet received God into their midst?

One thing is for sure, God has the salvation of the world, even those who have never heard the message of the cross under his control. His mission is still the same today as it was back then...In fact here's what he said:

Lk. 19:10~ "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Questions:

What of them that have never heard...can they be saved too?

Should a person take the attitude of, "If God wants to speak to me, he knows where I am?"

Did Paul place too great of an emphasis on preaching the word, especially since the message wasn't so much as preached to him at his conversion?

Does experience equal or exceed a more cognitive acceptance of the gospel message?

Is there a second standard of salvation for some? If so is that fair?

These are tough questions, can we give some tough answers?

Blessed!

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