Sideshow: God, Satan, and Miss USA

Theses two girls didn't win Miss USA, they didn't pose for girlie sideshow, or magazines, but they glorifed the Lord in their life. Christians are not to be in girlie sideshows.

The Girlie Sideshow: God, Satan, and Miss USA in Sin City

Carrie Prejean, 21, may have lost the Miss USA crown to Kristen Dalton, but God was guiding her throughout that fateful girlie show April 19 in Sin City, when she was put to the question by Perez Hilton over gay marriage. So said Carrie yesterday on James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio show (http://www.focusonthefamily.com/).

I am sure the Devil is not at all disappointed that Miss Carrie is a "Chrisitan", and that she is against gay marriage. If a Christian can pose for girlie magazines, and dress as she does, that is okay christianity to the devil.

"I felt as though Satan was trying to tempt me in asking me this question," said Carrie, who spoke out against gay marriage. "And then God was in my head and in my heart, saying, 'Do not compromise this. You need to stand up for me.' And I knew . . . that it wasn't about winning. It was about being true to my convictions."

Now of course when the statement of Carrie was said, you can be sure the media is going to use it in the negative. Of course they in their natural minds will have no idea what she was talking about. Even on Fox Shepherd Smith was clueless.

Miss USA is worldly, and in my opinion is totally sinful. Well, it appeal to the flesh, and eyes for sure. For heaven sake's I remember saying, "I don't think your daughter should be in the cheerleaders half time group." I got in a lot of trouble over that statement. I just do not believe we should be half dressed in public and dance like we are come on. Sex sells. The nature of man like to see women's flesh.

Of course to many this practice is harmless. And I am sure we can over come our youthful behaviour.

• Satan is not fearful of external conformity to rule. Not even to the external conformity of the rule of Christ--provided there is no cross.
  
• Satan does not mind family values--as long as what you ultimately value is the family.

Russell Moore's excellent talk, "The Devil Votes Christian Values: Why We’re Tempted to be Glorified Satanists Rather than Crucified Followers.

• Satan does not mind social justice--as long as you see justice as most importantly social.

• Satan does not tremble at a Christian worldview. He will let you have a Christian worldview as long as your ultimate goal is viewing the world.

If he can just bypass the cross--and get to the kingdom apart from the cross--then he will have everything that he wants.

• Pastor: Satan doesn't mind if you preach on the decrees of God with fervor and passion every single week--provided that you do not ever preach the gospel of the cross.
• Homeschooling Mom: Satan does not mind if you teach your children all the books of the Bible and all the Ten Commandments and all of the catechism--provided you do not teach them the gospel of a bloody cross.. . .

Satan will let you\ get what it is that you want, no matter what it is--sanctity of marriage, environmental protection, orphan care, all of these good and wonderful things--he will allow you to gain those things provided you do not preach and proclaim and live through the power of a cross that cancels his power of condemnation.

He so fears the gospel of a Christ crucified and raised from the dead that he is willing to surrender his entire empire just to appease the threat of it.

Here Russell Moore tells us The Devil Votes Christian Values: Why We’re Tempted to be Glorified Satanists Rather than Crucified Followers.

The Devil likes or is willing to go along with Christian values as long as we do not bring in the Cross and the Resurrection.

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GOD IS EVERYWHERE, ALL DAY LONG HE KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING

My dad must have read J.C. Ryle sermon, "The Real Presence". Dad taught me that God is everywhere at all times, and God was watching me all the time. Now that was rather hard on a young child, and a young boy, and even as a teenager to know God was watching you every moment of the day.

Here is what J.C. Ryle said:

"Where is your God, my boy?" said an infidel to a child whom he saw coming out of a church. "Where is your God, about whom you have been reading? Show Him to me, and I will give you a treat!" "Show me where He is not," was the answer, "and I will give you two! My God is everywhere!"

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good!" (Proverbs 15:3)

The teaching of the Bible on this point—is clear, plain, and unmistakable. God is everywhere! There is no place in heaven or earth, where He is not. There is no place in air or land or sea, no place above ground or under ground, no place in town or country, no place in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America—where God is not always present. Enter into your room and lock the door—God is there. Climb to the top of the highest mountain, where not even an insect moves—God is there. Sail to the most remote island in the Pacific Ocean, where the foot of man never trod—God is there. He is always near us—seeing, hearing, observing; knowing every action, and deed, and word, and whisper, and look, and thought, and motive, and secret of everyone of us—wherever we are.

"His eyes watch over a man’s ways, and He observes all his steps. There is no darkness, no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves!" (Job 34:21, 22)

One half the sin committed by mankind, arises from wrong views of their Maker and Judge! Men are reckless and wicked, because they do not think that God sees them! They do things they would never do—if they really believed that they were under the eyes of the Almighty God! "They say, 'The Lord doesn't see it! The God of Jacob doesn't pay attention!' Is the One who made your ears deaf? Is the One who formed your eyes blind? He punishes the nations—won't he also punish you? He knows everything; doesn't He also know what you are doing?" (Psalm 94:7-10)

However hard it is to comprehend this doctrine—it is one which is most useful and wholesome for our souls. To keep continually in mind—that God is always present with us; to live always as in God's sight; to act and speak and think as always under His eye—all this is eminently calculated to have a good effect upon our souls. Wide, and deep, and searching, and piercing—is the influence of that one thought, "You are the God who sees me!" (Genesis 16:13)

• (1) The thought of God's presence—is a loud call to humility. How much which is evil and defective, must the all-seeing eye—see in everyone of us! How small a part of our character is really known by man!

"Man looks on the outward appearance—but the Lord looks on the heart!" (1 Sam. 16:7). Man does not always see us—but the Lord is always looking at us—morning, noon, and night! Who has not need to say, "God be merciful to me a sinner!"

• (2) The thought of God's presence—is a crushing proof of our need of Jesus Christ. What hope of salvation could we have, if there was not a Mediator between God and man? Before the eye of the ever-present God—our best righteousness is filthy rags—and our best doings are full of imperfection! Where would we be—if there was not a fountain open for all sin—even the blood of Christ! Without Christ—the prospect of death, judgment, and eternity would drive us to despair!

• (3) The thought of God's presence—teaches the folly of hypocrisy in religion. What can be more silly and childish—than to wear a mere cloak of Christianity, while we inwardly cleave to sin, when God is ever looking at us and sees us through and through! It is easy to deceive ministers and fellow-Christians, because they often see us only upon Sundays. But God sees us morning, noon, and night—and cannot be deceived. Oh, whatever we are in religion—let us be real and true!

• (4) The thought of God's presence—is a check and curb on the inclination to sin. The recollection that there is One who is always near us and observing us, who will one day have a reckoning with all mankind—may well keep us back from evil! Happy are those sons and daughters who, when they leave the family home, and launch forth into the world, carry with them the abiding remembrance of God's eye. "My father and mother do not see me—but God does!" This was the feeling which preserved Joseph when tempted in a foreign land: "How can I do this great wickedness—and sin against God!" (Gen. 39:9)

• (5) The thought of God's presence—is a spur to the pursuit of true holiness. The highest standard of sanctification is to "walk with God" as Enoch did, and to "walk before God" as Abraham did. Where is the man who would not strive to live so as to please God—if he realized that God was always standing at his elbow! To get away from God—is the secret aim of the sinner. To get nearer to God—is the longing desire of the saint. The real servants of the Lord are "a people near unto Him." (Psalm 148:14)

• (6) The thought of God's presence—is a comfort in time of public calamity. When war and famine and pestilence break in upon a land; when the nations are torn by inward divisions, and all order seems in peril—it is cheering to reflect that God sees and knows and is close at hand—that the King of kings is near, and is not asleep.

• (7) The thought of God's presence—is a strong consolation in private trial. We may be driven from home and native land—and placed at the other side of the world; we may be bereaved of wife and children and friends—and left alone, like the last tree in a forest. But we can never go to any place where God is not; and under no circumstances can we be left entirely alone.

Such thoughts as these, are useful and profitable for us all. That man must be in a poor state of soul, who does not feel them to be so. Let it be a settled principle in our religion—never to forget that in every condition and place—that we are under the eye of God! It need not frighten us—if we are true believers. The sins of all believers are cast behind God's back—and even the all-seeing God sees no spot in them! It ought to cheer us—if our Christianity is genuine and sincere. We can then appeal to God with confidence, like David, and say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You—and lead me along the path of everlasting life!" (Psalm 139:23, 24). Great is the mystery of God's omnipresence; but the true man of God can look at it without fear.
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OF COURSE AT TIMES I BELIEVE MY DAD WAS GOD.

AND HE WAS EVER PRESENT IN MY MIND

WISE COUNSEL FROM THE MASTER: CLICK THAT BUTTON CHARITY

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I WAS ASKED TO DEFINE GRACE AND SIN: And I look at terms in the theological, scriptural point of view:

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GRACE

Grace is a term that has a variety of connotations and nuances. For the purpose of this article its meaning is that of undeserved blessing freely bestowed on man by God.

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I was given grace to preach the unfathomable riches of Christ. And, of course, the riches of Christ are connected to the work of Christ and the work of Christ is a cross work by which saving grace is granted to penitent believing sinners. And so doing, Paul says in Ephesians 3 verse 9, God used me to bring to light what is the administration, or the stewardship of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things, in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenlies. That is an amazing statement.
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God showed grace to me in order that I might preach the gospel of grace, in order that the manifold wisdom of God exhibited in grace might be made known through the church which is the product of that saving grace to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places...angels...angels. God allowed sin from the very beginning, planned it in without being responsible for it, so that He could display His grace to the holy angels who would otherwise not be able to worship Him fully for who He is, not having any demonstration of the massive significance of grace with all its components, were it not put on display. God then enacts a gracious salvation so that angels can give Him full glory and full expression of worship consistent with all His attributes.

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SIN

Footnote:
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• Sin is not only an act of doing wrong but a state of falling out from God. Sin is much more than the violation of a forbidden or the transgression of an extenral ordiance.
• Sin in the mind is a fruit of the same moral defect that produces deeds of sin.
  

When Jesus said hatred carries the same kind of guilt as murder, and lust is the very essence of adultery, He was not suggesting that there is no difference in degree between sin that takes place in the mind and sin that is acted out. Scripture does not teach that all sins are of equal enormity.
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That some sins are worse than others is both patently obvious and thoroughly biblical. Scripture plainly teaches this, for example, when it tells us the sin of Judas was greater than the sin of Pilate (John 19:11).
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But in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus was pointing out that anger arises from the same moral defect as murder; and the one who lusts suffers from the same character flaw as the adulterer.

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Furthermore, those who engage in thought-sins are guilty of violating the same moral precepts as those who commit acts of murder and adultery.
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In other words, secret sins of the heart are morally tantamount to the worst kind of evil deeds—even if they are sins of a lesser degree. The lustful person has no right to feel morally superior to a wanton fornicator. The fact that she indulges in lust is proof she is capable of immoral acts as well. The fact that he hates his brother shows that he has murder lurking in his heart.
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Christ was teaching us to view our own secret sins with the same moral revulsion we feel for wanton acts of public sin.
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Believers need to be aware that secret sins can have the same effects as public sins.
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Whereas in unbelievers, they have sin that only grace can change: And sin in their heart will and can lead to action of sinful acts.

This morning we read where a young man was accused of plotting to bomb his school. In his mind there is anger, hatred and then there is lurking in his heart murder, the killing of students in his school.

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18-year-old S.C. student accused of plotting to bomb school
May 20, 2008

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Students arriving Monday at a small South Carolina high school face newly installed metal detectors and extra police after a student was arrested in what authorities said was a plan to carry out a Columbine-inspired attack.
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Bomb-sniffing dogs have already checked the hallways and classrooms at Chesterfield High School, authorities said. Metal detectors were borrowed from a courthouse.
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The alleged plotter, Ryan Schallenberger, 18, was arrested Saturday. His parents called police after 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate were delivered to their home in Chesterfield and they discovered a disturbing journal.
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"He seemed to hate the world. He hated people different from him — the rich boys with good-looking girlfriends," said the town's police chief, Randall Lear.
Schallenberger was one of the top students at the high school of about 580 students and had not caused any serious problems before his arrest, principal Scott Radkin said.

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THEREFORE

• SIN is the principle that corrupts the mindset of mankind, GRACE is the principle that will produce saving grace.
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SIN IS CORRECTED BY THE NEW BIRTH

1 John 3:1-10

• See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

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You might ask: why would the Gov. of NY (a former attorney general) who knew the laws, and even set up a program that would stop money-laundering; and who also built a career out of prosecuting the very same crimes he is now brought into question about doing himself..

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He enforced a law that banks have a system to check any deposit that came into the bank. A ghost software that checks any deposit of any amount in any account. This software will red flag any account that warrants checking into. It was this very software that most likely caught Gov. Spitzer.

• Is it the statement: "Be sure your sins will fine you out." How many times over the years have we seen pastors/preachers/ministers preach what they are against and at the very time they are preaching they are engaged in the very activity.
  
  "Eliot Spitzer knew how to catch bad guys by following the money. As attorney general, he once broke up a call-girl ring and locked up 18 people on corruption, money-laundering and prostitution charges. But in the end, it appears that Spitzer may have been done in by the same behavior he built a career out of prosecuting. "In fact, it seems he was tripped up by some of the very financial accounting methods he used so successfully against multibillion-dollar Wall Street firms." AP reports.

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THIS LEADS ME TO OUR SERIES:

Our series we have been working on is: BEING BORN AGAIN: WHAT HAPPENS?

(February 26, 2008 last post)

As believers, those of us who have experienced the reality of the new birth, have to deal daily with our own sinfulness, as all of us try to live in the full assurance of our salvation. Daily we have to deal with the conflict between the reality of the new birth, on the one hand, and our ongoing sin, on the other hand. So how is it possible for a person who is not a born again believer even have a chance of not yielding to the very activity that he himself hates.

If anyone knows the laws of New York it is the former attorney general. He was married for twenty one years and had children. You ask, how can this happen to a successful man in politics?

It's called SIN.
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I don't like SIN. It's damage is worse on you than the damage from all the sun you are exposed to. It's worse on you than all the red meat you think you could eat. It's worse on you than artificial sweeteners. It's worse on you than all the beer you could drink. SIN is like a really bad germ that is air born and in born and in all the world, and in all people groups. No people group has more SIN in them then any other people group. There is no more SIN in Hollywood than in Portsmouth, Ohio.

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The issue before us is "NO ONE BORN OF GOD CONTINUES A PRACTICE OF SINNING." As to how long "continues" is, I can't say.


I WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE LAST POST:
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If we do anything that is good, that pleases God, it is the result of the new birth, not a cause of the new birth. People think if we do more good than bad then we are good.
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Here is the hard part for people to understand. Salvation is taken out of our hands. It is not in our control. We are totally and absolutely dependent on Someone outside ourselves.
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So to even those who are saved, and have really been born again, it’s very unsettling and disturbing to hear that their salvation was not a result of anything they did, or desired, but it was all of God. If any one subject is so confronting to those whom I have taught, it’s this subject before us. The New Birth and or Lordship Salvation..
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You mean God has the absolute freedom to bring about the New Birth to whom He desires?
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And apart from Him all of us will remain spiritually dead in our self-centeredness and defiance
Our deadness to the spiritual reality is so deep that we cannot even detect or even desire the glory of the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:4.
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So the point becomes if we are going to be born again, it will pivot absolutely and finally on God.

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God’s decision to make us alive will not be a response to what we as spiritual corpses do, but what we do will be a response to His making us alive. That has certainly annoyed people quite badly and it’s very agitating to them. People have left our church when that is my position.
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So I might lose a few of the few readers of this blog. But it’s not my desire to bring about stress.
But pray as Ephesians 2:4-5 says

• "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved."
  

It’s my duty as a teacher of the Word of God, to lift up Christ in truth in this matter of His life-giving grace.

THAT IS THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS CHAIN OF POSTS
SO WHAT TAKES PLACE IN THE NEW BIRTH

FOOTNOTE

After hearing about the Gov. of NY, and the sinful mess, I wanted to address this issue. The news broke March 7, 2008 I believe.

After hearing about the tragic death of Eve Carson, the Sr. student from NC who was killed. Then the young lady at Auburn U who was killed. She was shot once in the head and died. She was eighteen years old My heart broke again. Eighteen-year-old Lauren A. Burk, of Marietta, Ga., was found with a single gunshot wound on Alabama Highway 147, and was transported to East Alabama Medical Center where she died. in March 2008.

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Why? Do People KILL Other People?

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The ANSWER is : SIN The Cure is the NEW BIRTH

A BIBLE IN EVERY ROOM IN MY HOUSE

Part One

"I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot
believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But
the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel,
enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and
preserved me in true faith."
----- - - -Martin Luther

God’s grace is given every day for all of us, because sin and temptation come upon all believers each day. We as believers need a fresh supply of God's wonderful grace each moment each day. We can't just rest upon what we received even Sunday at Worship. Christ the Lord brings us daily His strength to help us understand the evil of sin and the strong hold of temptation upon us. Your nearest friend is not the TV, (close) music, or NASCAR (ha! wait, that is getting close).

I want a Bible in view in every room at my house. Why? It’s a reminder that when temptation comes I have the Word close.

If we understood the dynamics of the heart and the deceitfulness of sin, we would make sure that a Bible would be as close as our remote to our Play Station or TV or Radio. There is something about even seeing a Bible that causes me to stop and say, "This is Christ the Lord’s Word. He is holy. I am his child. Obey Him." To this day, I don’t put anything on top of my Bible. I want a quick availability to open its pages to get a word from the Lord.

We need an understanding of what sin can do at anytime in our life. We might go months, or years and say "I am not tempted to sin in this manner." And before we know it, we are in that sin that will destroy or ministry, our family, or job, or life. Few ministers live to fail. Few Christians desire to fall into sin that will destroy their life. But it happens each day.

Consider what Thomas Brooks wrote in 1660. He knew it:

Whom do I have in heaven but You? And I desire
nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart
may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my
portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

The true Christian seeks God as his choicest and chief
good. God is a perfect good, a solid good. That is a
perfect good--to which nothing can be added; that is
a solid good--from which nothing can be spared. Such
a good God is, and therefore He is chiefly to be sought.
God is a pure and simple good; He is a light in whom
there is no darkness, a good in whom there is no evil.
The goodness of the creature is mixed, yes, that little
goodness which is in the creature is mixed with much
evil; but God is an unmixed good. He is good, He is
pure good. He is all over good. He is nothing but good.

God is an all-sufficient good. Augustine said,
"He has all--who has the Haver of all."

God has in Himself . . .
all power to defend you,
all wisdom to direct you,
all mercy to pardon you,
all grace to enrich you,
all righteousness to clothe you,
all goodness to supply you,
all happiness to crown you.

God is a satisfying good, a good that fills the heart and
quiets the soul. In Him, I have all. I have all comforts,
all delights, all contentment. As the worth and value of
many pieces of silver is to be found in one piece of gold,
so all the petty excellencies which are scattered abroad
in the creatures--are to be found in God. Yes, all the
whole volume of perfections, which is spread through
heaven and earth--is epitomized in Him. No good below
Him who is the greatest good, can satisfy the soul. A good
wife, a good child, a good name, a good estate, a good
friend--cannot satisfy the soul. These may please--but
they cannot satisfy.

Ah! that we should seek early, seek earnestly, seek
affectionately, seek diligently, seek primarily, and seek
unweariedly--this God, who is the greatest good, the
best good, the most desirable good, who is--
a suitable good,
a pure good,
a satisfying good,
a total good, and
an eternal good.

"Whom do I have in heaven but You? And I desire
nothing on earth but You. My flesh and my heart
may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my
portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

Drafted by Charles 12-04 06 Proof Read by Charity Whisnant