The following is from Possessing the Treasure:
Run in such a way that you may win the prize by Mike Ratliff 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 1 Corinthians 9:24 NASB Back in the late 1970’s, through the 1980’s and even into the late 1990’s I was a runner. I trained on long daily runs between 6 and 7 minutes per mile. During a race, I could lower that by quite a bit when the time was right, like the last few hundred yards to the finish line. You would never believe that that was true by looking at me now that I am in my mid-60's. My left knee will not allow me to run anymore. I miss it. However, I do remember very well preparing for a race and that high anxiety, high-energy period leading up to the starting gun. Then there would be the mad sprint for the first few hundred yards before the experienced runners would settle in and run according to their strategy. My favorite races were those in which the finish line was around a turn instead of at the end of a long straight. In those, I could hear the people at the finish line, but I could not see them. Then as I made the last turn to sprint to the finish line the people would begin applauding, some cried encouraging things. Then there was the last 50 yards or so in which I would run as fast as I physically could. As I crossed that finish line, it was incredible to look up at the clock and be amazed that I was physically able to cover that many kilometers or miles in such a short time. I would look back and the line of runners still on the course would stretch down the road. There was one common thread for me in all those years of running. If I trained well, I raced well. If I could not put in the miles in training for whatever reason, I simply could not compete. This is a direct parallel for us in how we walk before the face of God in our daily walk in this life. There is no way we can have the spiritual acumen to run the race set before us by God if we do not prepare correctly to do so. Then as we run the race, we must do so correctly or we will run poorly and may even fall out in shame. Read more: https://mikeratliff.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/run-in-such-a-way-that-you-may-win-the-prize/ The following is from Baptist Press: Study: Pastors grow more polarized on Islam by Lisa Cannon Green NASHVILLE (BP) -- Protestant pastors are increasingly polarized about Islam, with a growing share labeling the Muslim faith violent while a sharply rising minority calls it spiritually good, a new study shows. Although a majority considers Islam dangerous, a small but increasing segment believes Islam is similar to Christianity, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. And two-thirds of Protestant pastors agree Christianity and Islam should seek to coexist in America. Read more: http://www.bpnews.net/45702/study--pastors-grow-more-polarized-on-islam Description: While proclaiming the gospel in downtown Calgary, as part of the Calgary Stampede effort led by Fairview Baptist Church and Calgary Peacemakers, Tony had a remarkable conversation with a Muslim man named Mohammed. Oprah Winfrey (herself a new ager) says that Joel Osteen's "I am" "sermon" has changed the way she sees her life. Osteen says anything is possible if you have the faith to believe it.
The Heretical Blasphemy Of Joel Osteen: The Power Of I Am (VIDEO) | Before It's News Osteen's “preaching” is heresy combined with blasphemy, written in the study of Satan himself. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV) In the Bible, the term I AM is the Name that God tells Moses in Exodus 3:14 he can refer to Him as when he goes back to Egypt to have a showdown with Pharaoh. God tells his this as the bush burns but is not consumed. It is a somber, awesome and fearsome time. So holy is it that God demands that Moses even remove his shoes, for even the ground where this is happening is holiness unto the Lord. But according to Joel Osteen, you can use God’s sacred Name as a buzzword to get cool stuff. This is the poisonous heresy of the Word Faith Movement combined with the blasphemy of using God’s Name in vain. Read more: http://beforeitsnews.com/global-unrest/2015/09/the-heretical-blasphemy-of-joel-osteen-the-power-of-i-am-video-2468782.html Related: Joel Osteen's Heretical "I Am" Mantra Joel Osteen - Preaching a false-POSITIVE, with a Smile Can Christians live their best life now? Kathie Lee endorses Joel Osteen and his latest heretical and blasphemous book. NBC TODAY Show: Joel Osteen: ‘Find Something to Be Joyful About’ Description: Pastor Joel Osteen joins Kathie Lee and Hoda to talk about his new book, “The Power of I Am,” which explains how those two simple words can change your life. He gives advice on how to reshape your destiny by shifting your outlook on life. Watch here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/853106 The following is from Lighthouse Trails: The Ultimate New Age Deception: Many Shall Come, Saying “I Am Christ” By Ray Yungen I believe the Bible contains an important signal that the changes of times and seasons may indeed be at hand. In Matthew 24:3-5, which is a chapter dealing with the tribulation period, Jesus spoke these revealing words to His disciples concerning the signs of His coming and the end of the world (age): And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign [indication] of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (emphasis mine) In the past, I have heard two basic ways of interpreting verse 5—“for many shall come in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ;’ and shall deceive many.” The first interpretation is that there will be various ones claiming to be the returned Jesus Christ. The other view, which has gained greater acceptance in the last ten or fifteen years, is that a number of messiah figures would appear and gather followers to themselves in a fashion similar to Jim Jones or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. I now feel both of these interpretations may be incorrect. It is in light of some predominant New Age viewpoints that these verses take on major significance. A basic tenet of New Age thinking is that of the Master Jesus. Adherents to this idea believe that during the unrecorded period of His life, Jesus traveled to various occult centers and Mystery Schools in such places as Tibet, India, Persia, and Egypt where He learned the metaphysical secrets of the ages. Thus, they claim He spent seventeen years of travel on a pilgrimage of higher consciousness. According to this theory, Jesus of Nazareth became the Master Jesus, one who has gained mastery over the physical world by becoming one with his higher self. Read more: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=17451 The following is from Christian Ministries International Fast Facts on How to Recognize that You’re Probably in a Cult
You follow an individual or organization that claims to be the modern day prophet of God or voice of God on earth. You claim to believe the Bible, but you have additional, newer revelations that take precedence over the Bible. You believe the Bible has been corrupted, cannot be trusted, or can only be properly translated and interpreted by your prophet or organization. You deny that the one true God exists eternally as three independent persons. You believe in more than one God. You deny that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who came to earth both fully God and fully man. You deny that total and complete salvation is found in Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross and is offered freely to all as a gift of grace. You believe that salvation requires more than faith in Jesus, but must be earned by doing good works or by proving your worthiness to God. You deny the existence of conscious, eternal punishment in favor of annihilation, reincarnation, or universal salvation. You believe that you can personally experience divinity, by becoming one with the divine, or by ultimately becoming a god yourself. Link to original The following is from Proclaiming the Gospel:
False Converts Need to Be Warned by Mike Gendron How tragic is the thought that there are many people who have head knowledge of the truth, regularly attend church services, partake in religious activities, associate with God's people, frequently pray, and yet will never enter into the kingdom of heaven. These victims of deception have never experienced a godly sorrow for their sins to the point of repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-10). They rest in a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Tim. 3:5). Unless they are reached with the true Gospel and are called to repentance and faith, they will one day hear the terrifying words of the Lord Jesus when He declares: "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Mat. 7:23). It is for such people that we published the Gospel tract, True Faith or False Hope: How Can I Be Sure? If you have a burden for the "many" false converts in our churches, you can order the tracts here: True Faith or False Hope: How Can I Be Sure? The following is from End of the American Dream: America Looks A Lot Like Nazi Germany Did Just Prior To World War II By Michael Snyder, on October 18th, 2015 Once upon a time America fought a great war to rid the world of the Nazis, but now we have become just like them. In fact, I would venture to say that the Nazification of the United States is pretty much complete. As you will see below, we have a heavily socialized economy where tax rates are out of control and lots of freebies are given out just like the Nazis did. And just like the Nazis, our society has become highly militarized and our government has become increasingly obsessed with watching, tracking, monitoring and controlling the general population. But more than anything else, all of the pageantry and beauty in our society masks an evil which has grown to a level that is almost unspeakable. The other day, my wife and I were watching some footage of the beautiful parades and celebrations that were held in Germany before World War II, and they certainly were very impressive. But under the surface, a great evil was growing. Just because something happens behind closed doors does not make it okay, and just like the Nazis, our society is about to learn an exceedingly painful lesson in that regard. Let’s start out by talking about the economy. Most people tend to regard the Nazis as “far right”, but the truth is that they were socialists. By heavily taxing and spending, the Nazis were able to temporarily restore economic prosperity after the great economic crisis that occurred under the Weimar Republic, and this helped fuel their wild popularity. Read more: http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/right-now-america-looks-a-lot-like-nazi-germany-just-prior-to-world-war-ii Related:
25 Signs That America Is Rapidly Becoming More Like Nazi Germany By Michael Snyder http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/20-signs-that-the-nazification-of-america-is-almost-complete Holocaust Survivor Says Obama's America identical To Hitler's Germany http://lastresistance.com/5665/holocaust-survivor-says-obamas-america-identical-hitlers-germany/ FAITH, FORGIVENESS, AND FASCISM: HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR TESTIMONY http://standupforthetruth.com/2015/11/a-new-era-of-fism-in-america/ Noise of Thunder Radio: Today's Show: THE AMERICAN SOCIALISTS - 10.17.2015
Chris discusses the fact that it is now painfully evident that the Democratic party has become a full blown Socialist movement in the United States. Previously, the socialist leanings of the party have been suspected for years. But at this point, with Bernie Sanders running on the Democratic ticket, the out-and-proud Socialist agenda has unfurled its Marxist colors and is finally ready to come out of the closet, declaring that they openly wish to destroy Capitalism and our Constitutional liberties. Can it be only coincidence that in the 1960's, author Cleon Skousen in his book, "The Naked Communist," warned of the Marxist desire to "capture" one or both political parties in the United States? Listen here: http://www.noiseofthunderradio.com/noise-of-thunder-radio-show/2015/10/17/notr-the-american-socialists-101715.html Noise of Thunder Radio: Today's Show: SOCIALISM, SATANISM & GLOBALISM - 10.20.2015 Chris continues his discussion on the progress of radical socialism in our country, and reviews parts of the book, "The New World Order" by A. Ralph Epperson. The author completed his book in 1989, but made a number of predictions (such as the legalization of gay marriage and the war on the family) which have clearly come to pass, along with the growing hostility towards Christianity. At the heart of his research is the acknowledgement of the spiritual forces at work, as those who follow the Marxist agenda often proclaim praise for Lucifer and/or Satan. The Devil, who rebelled against God, provides for them a model as they seek to resist all that is good, in their attempts to destroy Christianity. Listen here: http://www.noiseofthunderradio.com/noise-of-thunder-radio-show/2015/10/20/notr-socialism-satanism-globalism-102015.html |
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