This is a Test!

GodThoughtsWired!                    Thursday, May 26, 2011

An Inspiration for Today...A Resource for a Lifetime!

THIS IS A TEST!

"Blessed is he who does
not take offense at Me."
-Luke 7:23

Jesus said, "Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me."  Why did He say that and what does it mean?  I think the reason He said it was that He knew it would be, at times, difficult for us to accept His words and actions.

Sometimes we don't understand or agree with His work in our lives.  Sometimes it's hard to maintain  our faith in some of the things He has promised, but have yet to be fulfilled.

Various translations of this verse include, "Blessed is he who has no doubts about Me" (I like that one), and "Blessed is he who never loses faith in Me" (I like that one too!), and"Bleessed is he who does not take offense at My claims."

I think Jesus is encouraging us to never allow outward appearances to derail us.  I thinkHe is forewarning us that there will be times in our lives when He will bring about circumstances that WE WON'T LIKE!

"The refining pot is for silver
and the furnace for gold,
but the Lord tests hearts."-Proverbs 17:3

But I Was Born This Way!

But I Was Born That Way!

Pastor Brad shares his testimony as a "born gambler." The discussion centers on the reality that the excuse "But I was born that way," is not legitimate. Key statements include, "all behavior is a choice," and "A predisposition is not a predetermination."

But I Was Born This Way!

GodThoughtsWired!                   Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

BUT I WAS BORN THIS WAY!*

So your excuse for sin is, "I was born this way?"  Well, join the club.  Behavior is a choice!  Always has been...always will be.

"For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God."
-Romans 3:23

Regardless of the brand of sin you're predisposed to, please understand one thing:

"Predisposition is not Predetermination."

As a young man I loved to gamble!  From the age of 14 when I won $200.00 rolling the dice on the craps table I knew I had the "gambler's gene!"  If I had taken the advice to "embrace" my passion for gambling...IT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED ME!

Sin should NEVER be embraced.

Even if you're "born that way."

*To hear my testimony click on, But I Was Born This Way:  The Testimony of a Gambler!

The Secret to Inner Peace

GodThoughtsWired!                 Wednesday, June 8, 2011

An Inspiration for Today...A Resource for a Lifetime!

THE SECRET
TO INNER PEACE

"The fruit of the Spirit is...peace..."
-Galatians 5:22

Biblically speaking, there are two kinds of peace.  There is "external peace" which true followers of Jesus will not experience much of this side of Heaven. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34).

You see, Jesus is the Truth, and by definition, truth is a divider.  It divides that which is true from that which is is not true.  To represent Jesus accurately, the Christian must have the courage to speak the truth.  Such is a very unattractive concept in an age of "tolerance"* and a politically correct society.

"Inner peace" however, is attainable to all true Christians.  But here's the secret regarding "inner peace"...

DON'T WASTE YOUR
TIME PRAYING FOR IT!

Why?  Because God has already provided it for you!  As quoted above, "Peace" is a part of the "fruit of the Spirit" that every Christian has access to.  How?  Simply, "Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh" (see Galatians 5:16).  The desires of the flesh include worry, anxiety and fear, but the fruit of the Spirit is peace!

And the Bible describes it another way:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. 
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus."-Philippians 4:6-7, bold mine

DO YOU SEE IT?  Rather than giving in to anxiety, the Christian is invited to take everything to God in prayer, and in doing so, the peace of God will guard your heart and mind.  It's a conditional promise!

Put yet another way,

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things. The things you
have learned and received and heard
and seen in me, practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you."-Philippians 4:8-9, bold mine

So don't waste your time asking God to give you peace.  Just do what He says and His peace will come supernaturally!

So I'm a LIAR and a THIEF! What do You Care?

GodThoughtsWired!                        Thursday, June 9, 2011

An Inspiration for Today...A Resource for a Lifetime!

SO I'M A LIAR AND A THIEF!
WHAT DO YOU CARE?

THE VALUES OF
A DYING GENERATION
SERIES

"The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death."-Proverbs 21:6

Jackie's in her 80's.  Typical of her generation, she believes in right and wrong and always telling the truth. So when the grocery clerk undercharged her for a case of soda it was completely natural for Jackie to alert her to the mistake. 

"What do you care?" replied the clerk, "The mistake is in your favor!"  Sadly, this response is typical of my generation as well.  The following is just a snipet of Jackie's answer:

#1.  Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy (see above verse).

#2.  You ALWAYS reap what you sow. ALWAYS!  "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.  For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).  

"Because the sentence against
an evil deed is not executed quickly,
therefore the hearts of the sons of men
among them are given fully to do evil."-Ecclesiastes 8:11

And much like gravity, these principles apply to me and you...

whether we believe in them or not!*

*I believe it would do all of us well for the people of the United States of America to consider such things.

The Great Exchange!

GodThoughtsWired!                     Friday, June 10, 2011

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

THE GREAT EXCHANGE!

STUDIES FROM ROMANS 1

 "And exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for...corruptible man...
They exchanged the truth of God
for a lie...exchanged the natural function
for that which is unnatural."
-Romans 1:23,25,26, bold mine 

Glory for corruption. Truth for lies. Natural for unnatural. When we don't like something we "exchange" it.

1. "And exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man..." (see verse 23). Why? Because THEY DECIDED not to "honor God" any longer. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God" (see verse 21). They did the opposite of Joseph:

"How then could I do this great evil
and sin against God?"
-Genesis 39:9

2. "For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie" (see verse 25). Why? Because THEY DECIDED they didn't like the truth. To embrace truth is to acknowledge moral responsibility. To accept biblical truth is to admit to the "our part" of biblical Christianity.

"For it is not the hearers of the Lawwho are just before God,
but the doers of the Law will be justified."-Romans 2:13

3. "They…exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural" (see verse 26).  It is so very important to "understand" that the human conscience is something completely different from the "conviction of the Holy Spirit" (see John 16:8-11). The "conviction of the Holy Spirit" comes from an "unchanging God" (see Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) grounded in and affirmed by His "unchanging word" (see Psalm 19:7; Proverbs 30:5-6).

The human conscience however, is culturally defined and as such, is as changeable as the ocean shores (see Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26).

"Professing to be wise, they became fools." 
-Romans 1:22

Jesus is...GOD!

GodThoughtsWired!              Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

The GodThoughts Mid-Year Report is now available. This report discloses all pertinent information about the GodThougts Ministry including GodThoughtsWired! GodThoughtsLive! and The Bible Says Ministry. For your FREE COPY* simply email me your snail mail address and type in the subject box, FREE COPY.*
*LIMITED TO THE 1ST 1000 REQUEST ONLY.

JESUS IS...GOD!*

As an "equipper of the saints," (see Ephesians 4:11-13), here's some helpful "equipment" in regard to the clear, biblical teaching that Jesus is God.

-Thomas knew that Jesus was God: "Thomas answered and said to Him (Jesus), 'My Lord and my God'" (John 20:28, bold mine).

-Peter knew that Jesus was God: "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1, bold mine).

-The apostle Paul knew that Jesus was God: "Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" (Titus 2:13, bold mine).

-Jesus knows that He is God: "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am...Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 8:58; 17:5).

-Those around Jesus knew that He claimed to be God. After Jesus told the crowd, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), the Bible tells us that they began to pick up stones to stone Him because, "You (Jesus) being a man, make Yourself out to be God" (John 10:33).

-Finally, God the Father** acknowledges that Jesus is God: "But of the Son He (the Father) says, 'Thy Throne O God, is forever and ever" (Hebrews 1:8, bold mine).

It is through this God alone, Jesus Christ, the Jesus of the Bible, that salvation is made available.

 "And there is salvation in no one else..."
(see Acts 4:12)

Brothers and sisters, biblical Christianity acknowledges that Jesus is God.  He is the Savior of the world (see John 3:16). There is NO OTHER WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN, except through the Jesus of the Bible. 

I guess, the real question is whether or not you believe that the Bible is really God's word? Because the Bible teaches that there is no other way to get to heaven accept through Jesus. If you believe otherwise, according to the God of the Bible...you are deceived.

"I, even I, am the Lord, and there is no Savior besides Me...There is no God besides Me...Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me...I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God...There is no one besides Me, I am the Lord and there is no other..."
-Isaiah 43:11; 44:6; 43:10b; 45:5; 45:6

*Originally published August 11, 2010,