Caught Up to the Lord in Heaven

Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Scripture out of Context

baptism now saves you (1 Peter 3:21)

Is baptism necessary for salvation? The Church of Christ will use this verse to say 'Yes.'

Let's look at the same passage in context starting with verse 18:

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Note that this passage is about spiritual baptism experienced by each true believer at the point of salvation. The analogy is to Noah and his family. Who in the analogy were immersed? Noah and his family were in the Ark which was sealed with pitch inside and out. The passage clarifies that it is not the flesh which is being cleaned.

Another passage frequently quoted out of context is 2 Chronicles 7. This is a conditional covenant between God and Israel. The 3 "ifs" are drought or, pestilence or, locusts. Verse 14 is quoted "if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." This covenant should never be claimed for the Church or the United States.

Mac Davis Prayer (Pride Problem?)

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble

When you're perfect in every way

I can't wait to look in the mirror

'Cause I get better lookin' each day

To know me is to love me

I must be a hell of a man

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble

But I'm doin' the best that I can

I used to have a girlfriend

But I guess, she just couldn't compete

With all of these love starved women

Who keep clamorin' at my feet

Well, I probably could find me another

But I guess, they're all in awe of me

Who cares, I never get lonesome

'Cause I treasure my own company

Janis Joplin's Prayer (Materialism?)

Oh lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz

My friends all drive Porsches I must make amends

Worked hard all my lifetime with no help from my friends

So oh lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz

Oh lord won’t you buy me a color TV

Dialing for dollars is trying to find me

I wait for delivery each day until three

So oh lord won’t you buy me a color TV

Oh lord won’t you buy me a night on the town

I’m counting on you lord please don’t let me down

Prove that you love me and buy the next round

oh lord won’t you buy me a night on the town

Kudos to RC Sheriff Richard Roundtree

Kudos to Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree for his policy of allowing RC Jail inmates to read softcover religious books. My church has managed a free correspondence prison ministry for South Carolina and Georgia and have been prohibited from sharing courses with the RCJ inmates.

I understand the reluctance since I believe “there is none righteous, no not one.” Jail is not nice place to live or to visit. I have been locked in a cell with over 70 criminals many times. My purpose was to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a long time since I have done this, but I don't miss it at all. This is not because I was scared. The inmates were very helpful and receptive. I believe that I am a teacher rather than a preacher. Taking courses into the jail and teaching was only allowed for Sydney Temples – a true man of God who taught until the year of his death in his 90s. He had retired from the Richmond County Jail but continued as a volunteer teacher of the Word for the inmates for over 40 years.

The Sheriff is responsible for everything that happens in the RCJ. The inmates are very adept at fashioning weapons from whatever is available. Even a softcover book can be torn apart and made into a weapon. The Sheriff risks the real possibility of a tragic event.

The RCJ Chaplin is Andy Scott. He has made a positive difference since he started. He is a gifted preacher of the Word. His influence can be seen in this new policy. God saving an inmate is much more effective than any rehabilitation program.

He Is Risen Indeed!

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni”

Is There Evidence That Obama is a Christian?

A caller on Point of View said that he voted for Obama because he is a Christian and Romney is not.

Jude says: "I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Obama is for the murder of the unborn at taxpayer expense. He is for same-sex marriage. He shows disdain for the Constitution and its separation of powers. He refuses to enforce Immigration laws passed by a Democrat Congress and signed by a Republican President in the 1980s and a Defense of Marriage Act passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democrat President in the 1990s. He ignored established bankruptcy law and placed the UAW in front of bondholders. He sued states like SC to prevent the checking of photo IDs at the polls.