In these last times it seems that the Devil will do anything to convince you that you are doing something for the kingdom when you are not. Either that or a person will lose all sense of anything eternal. I see all kinds of people get caught up in things that really have no, or very little, effect on the kingdom of God. Deception can come easy. So many are deceived into thinking they are right with God by having a calm conscience. To do this they will try to do little “good” deeds so if something does make them feel bad, they can appeal to their good works to make themselves feel a little better. Just because you don't feel you have committed crimes doesn't mean you're innocent. Just because you feel like you are advancing the kingdom doesn't mean you are. Even those who are true, born again, Christians get caught up in the silliest things and feel they are really doing God service.

This is especially true in the area of politics. Some get so wound up about abortions yet wouldn't dare abstain from sin. Sure, they will argue with the best of them about how immoral a thing is but if it makes no progress for the kingdom of God it is of no value. At least not in a purely Christian view of things. A good atheist might do the same thing. Of course they wouldn't care anything about God's kingdom, but they will take a stand for what's “right.” If you are doing something merely for political reasons you're no different than the atheist because your motives are the same- it's for your own benefit and to make it a little more comfortable for yourself.

What a shame it is to see Christians think that legislating morality will produce converts! I understand that if a nation has no sense of righteousness in it's government it is a wicked nation. The cure isn't to fight them and pass laws but to wrestle in prayer till people are converted! It would be no surprise to me if there were more Christians concerned about how Michael Vick treated some animals than wanting to preach the gospel to men who would like to treat God like one of Vick's dogs. It's a shame for someone who says they are a Christian to be more concerned about the temporal than the eternal. Souls are at stake. This world is going to burn (2 Peter 3:7) and so are many people we know if you, Christian, don't make sure your priorities are right.

I've noticed around this Christmas season several Christians getting agitated because many are saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” I wonder if these same people care anything about how pathetic the average church is or that sinners are going to hell. I hope they are as fervent in prayer as they are about complaining. It would almost appear that most would be satisfied hearing them say “Merry Christmas” rather than falling on their face and crying out to God for mercy. Is all we want is to make things a little more comfortable for us? Do we think that if people say “Merry Christmas”, then Christianity will be accepted, then people will be converted? There are a lot of people saying Merry Christmas that will be saying “Hello” to the Devil in Hell. What's the point at getting mad at sinners because they don't say “Merry Christmas?” Again, I understand the principle behind it. The world doesn't want anything remotely Christian. They want to push God out of everything, but will getting people to say “Merry Christmas” really see them converted? Does Hell really tremble when the boldest thing a Christian can do is say “Merry Christmas?”

The modern Christan mentality just doesn't line up. Can we really imagine Paul withstanding the men of Athens to the face because they didn't say Merry Christmas? I sure can't. What I do see is Paul withstanding Peter to the face for his hypocrisy. How many will go right along with the world without a trace of conviction, but don't dare say “Happy Holidays!” They will take a stand then! Don't touch the beloved Christmas tree! Let's just forget about being crucified with the one who died on a tree, that's just too hard. Most churches today need boycotted for lukewarm Christianity rather than department stores that don't have the right label on a tree.

My point in writing all this isn't to just stir up some controversy. I hope to make some people reexamine why they do what they do. The Devil just loves to get us sidetracked on anything. How senseless would it be to be off in a corner filling your toenails while a tree just fell through your house during a storm? No one in their right mind would even take the time to do that because there would be much bigger things to deal with. Christian! We have a Gospel to preach! Don't get your focus off of what our Commander has told us. We've got the battle plan, let's go to it! Leave the toenail filling to the sissy boys and let's get to work.

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Josh Parsley

Brother, I urge you, please don't get weary preaching the message that the Holy Spirit is prompting in your heart. Don't get weary brother, the wicked one will try in every way to make you weary, don't give up brother! Fight the good fight, these are crucial days! Your message will not be accepted by majority in the christendom, but there will be few hungry souls, [i]just few[/i] that will accept it eagerly and join your heart in prayer, following the Master in true discipleship of forsaking all for the sake of Kingdom.

May His grace follows you.
Kire

Good post.

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Melissa

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Josh Parsley

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TJ

Amen on keeping our focus. I was just thinking today about these things. We entered a discussion a while ago about trying to take "In God We Trust" off of our money. My point is that we need to get it off because it isn't really God we're trusting, but the money itself anyhow. If we keep it on the money, we might be drinking in condemnation unto ourselves. I wouldn't start a church on this, but it seems that we get goofy about who is saying Merry Christmas as we're out many times shopping just like the world. (Loving the world and the things of the world.) Just keep remembering that it's really about Jesus, right? Wink, Wink. Love in Christ, Barry

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Barry Voss

The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics confirms this--

"MOST of the Christian customs [related to Christmas] now prevailing in Europe, or recorded from former times, are HEATHEN customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. The Christian feast has inherited these customs from two sources: Roman and Teutonic PAGANISM."

And the Catholic Encyclopedia (note the source) admits--

"There is NO DOUBT that the original Christian nuclei attracted PAGAN accretions."

The Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia similarly says--

"There were non-Christian elements present in the origin of Christmas. The giving of presents was a Roman custom. The Yule-tree [modern 'Christmas Tree'] and the Yule-log are remnants of old Teutonic NATURE WORSHIP."

All these sources, bet it noted, are friends of Christmas. They are not exposing its corrupt background: they are rather glorying in it. They regard its heathen-Catholic origin as a delightful and intriguing asset. We find exactly the same picture in standard, independent reference books. The Encyclopedia Britannica says--

"Many current customs date back to pre-Christian origins: among them are Christmas decorations. The Romans ornamented their temples and homes with green boughs and flowers for the Saturnalia [Dec. 17-23] ... The Druids gathered mistletoe and hung it in their homes; the Saxons used holly and ivy."

The Everyman's Encyclopedia declares--

"The practice of decorating churches is pagan in its origin."

OH what as mess the church is in.

It's time to go back to what it was all about in the start.

I think there are people getting fed up with all this nonsense. Fed up with a false gospel with no power. No longer happy to sit back and do nothing.

Lets get on our knees and cry out to God until he comes down to deliver us.

Thats what we need right know a deliverer a man a man sent from God.

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Colin Murray

My brother Parsly, I echo ur sentiments, and i believe thoroughly in what u have on ur heart. I do not post here very often, but when I do, it is taken as controversy. I feel exactly as u do, and i wrote a thorough exerpt on a similar subject, but the rejection from this site is often repulsive and unacceptable....

Primarily, the subject was geared toward hypocrisy and shallowness, u see brothers these words arent merely just words, Just tlike the word of our God, we take them lightly and for granted due to our shallowness. I speak as a broken, sorry excuse for a christian, I need him just like I need breath, and i am so tired of arguing, debating, thinking i am more than what I am, attempting to put myself above others, attempting to exalt who i am, attempting to ensure that I am heard an seen in the crowd.

I suck at being a christian, I am so glad i can cry out and lay all my burdens at jesus's feet. I need him so bad, i just wish my bro's and sista's would antie up, and we take the position that not us, and truly not us, but Christ, he is all in all.....

I heart wrenches when i think about my insufficiency, my gut pains me with the utmost fury over my over zealous humanism. My wife often asks me, what do we do? that is one of her number one phrases, I tell her, "honey, I shrunk the kids".... That might sound funny, but basically, I tell her I can only cry, i can only cry out to jesus, I have never met him personally, I have never seen him with my own eyes, and i wasn't there when the world was crested, but I cry bcuz i am truly a wretch.

My hope is built on him, I really have no other hope, Please saints, brother parsly is telling us out of sincere conviction that we stink so bad, that we have and continually live in the flesh... To die with Christ, ha, we r'ent willing to do such a thing.... Please pray for me, as I will ask God to help me labor for u all, To die with him is so profound that the idea of the phrasology of the word die is worth nothing anymore. Dying with Christ isn't necessarily doctrine it has to be reality, we r still hung up on doctrine, yet in reality we r fake, and we struggle with being Christians bcuz it has to be reality realized......

I pray that I do not be a false-prophet, but I want the Lord Jesus to be glorified out of my life for him, I want to stop crying wolf, Jesus give me this, Jesus give me that, can I just sit still and Lord ask u what is required of me right now in this day & age.... Oh God I cry as Paul said, who, and I mean who saints shall save me from the body of sin & death...... Save me Oh God in this life and in eternity...

Now thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus who gives us the victory.......

Love & Blessings

Thanks, Parsly. I feel it, too.

I am nothing in the sight of God, but I trust that He has lifted me up according to His grace that is in Christ upon all believers.

I am living with my family again after being out of the house for six years. (I am 23 and single) My father is a leading elder in a large local church.

I felt like I was dying today when 20-sum guests were gathered into the living room and encouraged to take communion, though most are open Roman Catholics, agnostics, atheists, or otherwise un-warmed and unrepentant to any discernible degree.

The gospel proclamation was weak because there was no acknowledgment of sin being a personal offense made against God, to which death is truly and thoroughly deserved under law.

He and the other speaker kept saying, "Jesus was a sacrificial lamb for everyone and took away everyone's sins," in the most vague way, leaving ignorant listeners to conclude within themselves, "If He has taken the guilt of everyone's sins, then I can live however I want - I'm guiltless."

I left that cracker and cup of juice on the table and walked out while their eyes were closed in prayer, to go in the garage and cry. The cracker was to me a filthy ploy, the juice was a lie. I could not join in considering that service a true remembrance of Christ's work.

God, help me.

I feel like Gideon, who waited till night to topple his father's idol. I am not saying my father is unsaved, but his grip on acceptability is unacceptable. And my fear of reprisal is also a failure.

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Josh Parsley