Archive for April 2014
Don’t Bother Praying!
Don’t Bother Praying!
The Holy Scriptures screams the need for us all to pray. The Apostle Paul even said for us to pray without ceasing. Every pastor encourages all of his listeners to pray. I certainly agree with the admonition.
Well, I’ve Agreed Until I Read These Two Biblical Passages.
Yes, we know that God is a prayer answering God!
- He specializes in responding to our needs.
- He specializes in healing our bodies and saving our souls.
- He will hear a sinner’s prayer of repentance.
- He answers all prayers for deliverance and salvation.
- He encourages us to just to ask, and He says, it shall be given.
But, There Are At Least Two Times, When The Lord Tells Us When It Won’t Do Any Good To Pray! You Read That Last Sentence Right!
1. When Corrupt Children Of God Pray.
Isa 59:1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Those who think they can continually gratify their fleshly lusts and ignore God in the process may find out that, God is not in the listening mood.
2. When The Husband Who Mistreats His Wife Tries To Pray.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Gr: ekkopto (Hindered)
- Cut off, hewn down, cut down, cut out, be hindered
Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.
New Century Version 1 Peter 3:7 …do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.
The Message 1 Peter 3:7 …so your prayers don’t run aground.
When a man does not dwell with his with wife according the Biblical and intimate term… ‘knowledge,’ then God immediately puts a stop order on his every prayer request.
Every husband must show his wife honor and respect her at all times. If he doesn’t, there is no need for him to bother praying. God already has said He chooses not to listen to that man when he prays. No matter who he is.
A man who abandons his wife and family needs to remember that the only prayer God will entertain from him is one of true and complete repentance. He also owes the same repentance to his wife and family.
Sir: Don’t Make God Place A ‘Do Not Answer” Stamp On Your Prayer Request.
Things You Never Want To Hear
Things You Never Want To Hear
Your Doctor Say
- There’s no cure.
- You have Cancer!
- He’s having a heart attack!
- Your lab work is back and I’m afraid it doesn’t look good.
- The baby was still-born.
- You have about ten days to two weeks to live.
Your Spouse Say
- I don’t love you!
- I’m seeing someone else.
- Get out of my sight.
- You’re not welcome here.
- It’s too late.
- I’m filing for divorce.
- Don’t ever speak to me again.
- I hate you.
- My heart has turned cold.
A Parent Say
- She ran away last night.
- I’m sorry you were ever born.
The Police Say
- You are under arrest.
- Your granddaughter just committed suicide.
The Judge Say
- Life without parole
The Pilot Say
- The engines have failed and this plane is going to crash.
- We’ve been hijacked.
Anyone Say
- I am here to repossess your car.
- We’re broke.
- They turned the utilities off.
- This is a stick up.
- He’s been unfaithful.
- Fire!
- I think God has cut me off
- The rapture just took place and we are left behind.
The Pastor Say
- She’s backslid.
- God turned them over to a delusion.
- He doesn’t believe the message anymore.
The Lord Say
- Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you.
HOW HIGH ARE YOUR VALLEYS? – by Jack Hyles
HOW HIGH ARE YOUR VALLEYS?
by Pastor Jack Hyles
(Chapter 30 from Dr. Hyle’s excellent book, Blue Denim and Lace)
“He is always able to rise to the occasion.” How typical this is of our finite minds’ estimation of success. We judge one by the height of his peaks, when the simple truth is that one of the tests of real character is the height of one’s depth. It is not how high the mountain top, but how high the valley that counts. The valley of a mountain range may have higher elevation than the top of a mountain somewhere else; consequently, it matters not how high the peak is, but rather how high the valley is. Raise your valleys and your peaks will care for themselves.
It is not how high one can go, but how low he can keep from going. A person is as moral as his most immoral day. He is as efficient as his most inefficient day. He is as deep as his most shallow day. One can be morally clean 364 days a year and yet be an adulterer. One can refrain from robbing banks 364 days a year and yet be a bank robber. One can resist murder 364 days a year and yet be a murderer. It is tremendously important that in one’s character he raise the height of his depths, the peak of his valleys, and that he not only “rise to meet the occasion,” but refuse to “lower to meet the occasion.”
There are many preachers who on a given day, with a big enough crowd, and enough inspiration, can preach great messages. However, the test of a great preacher is not on Easter Sunday, but on Labor Day weekend. The great preacher is the one who gives his best to his people week after week and is the best preacher on his lowest day. The best worker is the one who does his job every day. His inspiration comes from within and is a part of the subconscious.
At this writing Cindy, my youngest child, is eight years of age. She has been afraid of storms all her life. Oftentimes even a cloudy day will bring tears to her eyes. A few days ago Cindy wrote a little article concerning her fear of storms. She brought it to me. She had written something like this: “I, Cindy Lynn Hyles, do on this 23rd day of June, 1968, quit being afraid of storms. I know that God will take care of me, for He promises to do so. He took care of Daniel in the lion’s den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; and He will take care of me. Because of this, I will not be afraid of storms any more . . .”
The article was much longer than that, but all of it was just as well written and serious minded. In less than two hours the worst storm that we had had in weeks was raging. I looked at Cindy, and she was as sober as she could be. I grinned and said, “Are you the little girl that wrote an article a while ago?”
With trembling lips and moist eyes she said, “Yes, sir.”
I hugged her and said, “It is a lot easier to promise than it is to fulfill the promise.”
It is one thing for a person to vow to do his job well; it is another thing for him to develop the kind of character that subconsciously forces him to do the job well. The doing of right must get on the inside. This means that we will subconsciously do a job well even at our lowest point.
Let us work on the valleys and let the peaks care for themselves. Certainly the peaks are more inspiring. Certainly it is easier to do the job well at the peak, but the ones who will be remembered the longest and will accomplish the most are those who do the unspectacular jobs well when uninspired from without, but subconsciously inspired from within with the kind of character that is more concerned about raising the height of the valleys than raising the height of the mountains.
Is This How God Rates Different Levels Of Evil Doers?
Are There Some That Are Worse Than Plain Old Sinners?
Sinners lie, cheat, commit murder, get high on drugs, drink, commit fornication and adultery.
What about Atheists? Are they worse than just plain sinners?
What about Infidels? Are they lower than the rest?
Is there anything worse than being an Infidel?
You say Yes?
Then, what is worse than an Infidel?
Stupid Men With Smart Wives
Stupid Men With Smart Wives
How does that happen? It’s not all that uncommon today to see a stupid man with a smart wife. It makes everyone wonder about how they met and what was the attraction.
If she is so smart, why did she marry him? Did he con her? Did he keep his real self hidden from view until he married? Was she blinded by love?
Evidently, too many men have turned out to be, or act stupid after their marriage. If the wife had known how stupid he really was when they were courting, she quite possible would have never looked at him twice let alone married him.
I can even name a couple pretty stupid men in the Bible that were married to smart wives.
But, Let Me Just Focus On One, A Man Named Who Was Actually Named ‘Stupid’.
That’s Right, There Once Was A Man Named Stupid.
- That’s what his mama named him.
- He was called Nabal.
- Nabal = ‘Fool, Senseless’ (Hitchcock’s Dictionary of Bible Names)
- When it came to stupid, Nabal’s mama made sure he got to sit at the head of the class.
- He turned out to be the name they called him.
Nabal
He Was A Very Great Man, But He Was Also The Ultimate Senseless Fool.
1 Sam. 25:2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
- He was considered great because of what he had going on for himself.
- He had local respect and recognition.
- He had great means.
- He had a wonderful wife.
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Nabal Didn’t Fear God Nor Man
- Nabal was rich but he was also harsh and evil in his dealings. (1 Sam. 25:3).
- He didn’t care about helping others.
- He was focused on building his own kingdom, not helping God’s or anyone else’s.
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1 Sam. 25:3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
- She was Smart.
- She was Beautiful.
- She was Unappreciated.
- She was Ignored.
- He was Evil.
- He was Wicked
- But he came from a great family… Caleb’s
- A goodly heritage and background evidently is not enough. He was still stupid in his actions.
- He was Churlish – (rude, mean-spirited, discourteous, uncivil, impolite).
- He didn’t deserve his wonderful wife.
- Abigail was the very image of beauty, wisdom and grace.
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No One Could Talk To Him
- He was Mr. Macho.
- He refused to listen to his wife or anyone else.
- Stupid men view their wives as inferior.
- Sometimes that attitude erupts in anger, irrational behavior and even violence.
- A man couldn’t speak to him. 1Sam 25:17
- No one could reason with him.
- He was always right, everyone else was wrong.
- Nabal never got delivered from his nature.
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Abigail
- Abigail is described as “intelligent” and she is praised in 1Sam 25:33 because of her discernment.
- But Nabal never benefited from his wife’s wisdom.
- They were never a team in his mind.
- She even stopped David and his men from attacking Nabal and killing him.
- She fell on the ground before David to apologize for her husband and beg for mercy.
- David listened to Abigail.
- Abigail described her husband in a very sad way when she made her plea.
- 1Sam 25:25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him:
- She said: “Please disregard my worthless husband, Nabal, is his name and it means foolish. That’s what he is.
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Abigail Saved Nabal’s Life
- He refused to even feed the hungry men that were with David. All they had asked for a piece of bread.
- He ordered them off of his property.
- When Abigail heard what happened, she immediately went to David’s camp and apologized.
- Abigail’s actions are the only thing kept David from slaughtering Nabal and his men.
- When she got home she wanted to tell her husband what she had just done but he was too drunk to talk to anyone.
- She had to wait till he sobered up the next morning, before she could speak to him.
Nabal Heart Died Within Him
1 Sam. 25:37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
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Some Kinds Of Stupid, No One Can Fix. That’s When God Stepped In.
1 Sam. 25:38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.
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Can Anyone Fix Stupid?
I Don’t Know For Sure.
Here’s How I Would Try To Fix Stupid In My Life.
1. Rekindle The Fear Of The Lord In My Life.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
2. Repent – Turn Around.
3. Be a Man That Someone Can Talk To. Whether Pastor, Friend or Wife. Be Approachable.
4. Humble Myself Before God And Man… Including My Wife.
5. Admit I’m Wrong, Especially To My Wife And Family.
6. Willingly Take Godly Instruction. From The Bible, My Pastor, My Friends, And My Wife.
7. Never Let My Heart Die And Turn To Stone. (Because I Know What Happens In The Next Verse. That’s when God stepped in.)
So, if you ever see a stupid man with a smart and beautiful wife… pray for him, but pray more for her. She has a great big cross to bear in life.
You Told Me Never To Say God Hates
You Told Me Never To Say God Hates
My last blog post was about the taking selfies. I titled the post, “God Hates Selfies.” I attempted to write about including God in our everyday living. I thought surely no one would get the idea that it was Biblically wrong to take a picture of one’s self. Some did.
FYI – My Blog is not a debate center. If some disagree, they are welcome to disagree elsewhere, because on this page, by using God’s Word, I take the position that I am right when I quote Scripture.
What surprised me was the great number of negative comments to me. Many chastised me because I had used the phrase: God Hates…
I was told that I was NEVER to use the words God and Hate together because He does NOT HATE. They reminded me that God is love.
I am always honored to have new readers, and very grateful for my faithful readers as well. I am most sorry that so many Pentecostals have arrived at a place where they believe that God can only love.
Those that believe such have either never had a good pastor,heard a real Bible Study and or never took time to read the entire Bible.
Saints of ol’ understood that to please the Lord, we should love what He loves and hate what He hates.
So for my gentle readers who struggle with the concept that God has the ability to hate, let me list a few to make my point. Thank you for indulging me.
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He Hates Certain People
Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
He Hates All The Workers Of Iniquity
Psalm 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
He Hates The Wicked And The Violent
Psalm 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
He Hates The Wickedness Of Godless Nations
Leviticus 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
He Hates Everything That Bring Disunity To The Church
Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
He Hates Sin And The Sinner
Hosea 9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
He Hates Men That Deal Treacherously With Their Wives And Divorce Them
Malachi 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Malachi 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
He Hates False Doctrines
Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
He Hates The Planning Of Evil
Zechariah 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
He Hates Idolatry
Jeremiah 44:3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.
Jeremiah 44:4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
He Hates Murder
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
He Hates Liars
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
He Hates The Proud
Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
He Hates Gossip
Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
He Promised Israel He Would Hate Them If They Went After Idols
Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
God hates The Conferences Of Those That Continue To Live In Sin
Isaiah 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
He Hates Parents That Give Their Children To Be Sacrificed To The World
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
If God Calls It An Abomination, That Means He Hates It With A Strong Hatred
God Hates All Women Wearing Men’s Apparel And All Men Wearing Women’s
Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
God Hates The Self-Righteousness Of So-Called Religious People
Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
God Hates Homosexuality
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Not Much Has Changed Over The Centuries
- God Hates Sin
- God Sends A Preacher To Name Sin And Warn The People
- The People Don’t Like It And Won’t Hear It
Jeremiah 44:4 Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Jeremiah 44:5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
Can God Hate? – Yes
Does He Still Hate? – Yes
Can He Forgive? – Yes
Will He Forgive? – Yes
Please, Read ALL of the Bible, And Obey Acts 2:38
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
God Hates Selfies
God Hates Selfies
Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Selfie?
Every Social media seems to be loaded with pictures that users take of themselves. (When someone uses their camera or cellphone to take their own picture, that photo is called a ‘selfie’.) Some seem to be consumed with the daily posting of these pictures.
To the average viewer looking at the different poses everyday, it does seem to be a bit much over the top at times.
In 2013, the word “selfie” made it into the official Oxford dictionary. In fact, it was the “word of the year”.
But, getting back to the title of this post. Does God really hate selfies? He sure does. Humor me just a moment and see what I’m talking about.
He Doesn’t Like Your Selfies Unless He’s In It Too. He Doesn’t Want To Be A Photo Bomb In Your Selfie. He Wants To Be The Main Focus Of The Whole Picture.
As a very young man, I was leading the worship service one evening in our local church in South Bend. After service, my father, the pastor, said he wanted to talk to me a moment. That didn’t seem like it was going to be a good thing for me, from the sound of his voice.
Dad: “Son, have you noticed that God never seems to bless that chorus you sang tonight?”
Me: “What chorus dad?”
Dad: “Working for a mansion, a robe and a crown… that will be glory for me.”
Me: “No sir, I never noticed that.”
Dad: “Well… if you are going to lead the worship in this church you need to pay attention to what songs God blesses and which ones He doesn’t bless.”
Me: gulp, “Yes sir… I’m very sorry.”
Dad: “The reason He doesn’t bless that song here is because it is all about us. It’s about self. It’s not about Him. If you want the blessings of God on a song service, sing about Him. Sing about His mercy, sing about His grace, sing about His love, sing about His power, sing about His blood, sing about His Word, and sing about His Name. Sing about Him and He will always bless it.”
Me: “Yes sir. Thank you Daddy. Thank you very much!”
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
In a generation dedicated to the pleasuring of its flesh, selfies just seem to be normal. But in His World, our self must decrease so that He might increase. He must be the Lord of all. He delights in our promotion of His Kingdom.
Never Forget That God Is A Jealous God.
Only when we humble and abase ourselves do we find the secret of exaltation.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
The Gospel compels us to focus on Him and others, not on ourselves. It challenges us to get past our own little world and minister to others.
It asks us to go into the darkness around us and be the light of the world so that the glorious light of the Gospel can shine abroad unto the lost.
So, focus your heart’s camera on Him right now, take the best picture you can and then go show it to someone who has never seen anyone like Him before.
Remember… He ONLY likes ‘selfies’ when He is included in the picture.
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 