Politics

Politics

This is not to identify my political affiliation or to persuade your voting decision. I believe every person eligible should vote and do so based on their own criteria’s. What has been my main challenge with regards to politics is religious belief. Many people say a candidate’s religious belief is not a major voting criteria for them but subconsciously it is. Every person’s decision comes from their fundamental belief system which is often their faith or religious beliefs.

I have been entertained, disgruntled, taken off guard and left wondering with the way politicians’ campaigns to be elected to leadership and office of the President. Particularly the race for the Republican nominee for the upcoming general election. If I was not living in America or have basic knowledge about the political parties then I would believe that this was the general election. The way they attack each other is almost unbelievable and a little difficult for me to believe that these people are affiliated with the same political party. This exposes the internal division on both sides of the political bench. This exposes a weakness and explains why decisions in congress are always at a stall.

USA history states that the early immigrants inhabited the land to seek religious freedom and the constitution was formed based on their religious beliefs. So it is fair to say that leadership and individual decisions were made based on their faith. In today’s political landscape religion is taboo and a point nominee try to stay away from discussing. The first time I have seen so much interest on religion was in the election of President Obama. I strongly believe that in every area of politics this will become a common theme, from general to local government. The body of Christ is paying closer attention to candidates as individuals. I am not naive, my trust and neither should yours be on the office of the President or any man/woman. We are to exercise our right to select the candidate that meets our criteria’s (natural responsibility) and pray for whoever is in the office of President (spiritual responsibility) 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

The religious group that is suppressed the most is Christianity but almost every church building is a voting station, a bible is present at the swearing in if a President, Presidents first church visit after taking office is always major televised news. On the flip side decisions to follow is often made without biblical principles, church groups are constantly attacked for various reasons, the name of Jesus is not permitted to be used in public assemblies.

These are questions I have regarding political campaigning: Where did they come up with the term party? Why is so much money wasted on the party trail? Where did the term politically correct come from and what is the purpose? If these politicians have so much money to fund their campaigns why do we have so many people without homes, insurance and proper education?

God is in love with Us

God is Love (1 John 4:8 & 16) and there is nothing we can do for God to love us anymore our less. He is one constant Love, never changing. His love is not based on our earthly merits, works or rituals. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. We may experience a period(s) of broken fellowship due to not accepting salvation, of operating in fear but during that time Gods love is still there. The Cross has a purpose and that purpose is salvation(Romans 5:8). Salvation is nothing missing; nothing broken; saving from harm; destruction; difficulty; failure; loosen from bondage of sin through Jesus, to name a few. Many things are embedded in this one act of love and we may live our entire lives without using many of the benefits of the cross.  

 I am guilty of allowing my experience with others and the way I handle my relationships to dictate my expectation from God. God is not like man and when I confine my expectation from God to the reasoning of my mind and past experiences then I am limiting my level of manifestation of God’s love in my life. I believe that part of the reason the body of Christ has not seen the level of signs and wonders in operation is due to our lack of understanding of God’s love for us. The bible says that if we, evil man (natural parents) knows how to give good gifts to our children, how much more does my heavenly father knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matt 7:11). Many people may take this as an insult when the bible refers to us as evil (born again) and heathen (unsaved) but God says the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) meaning we are not perfect and He is the only person good. When I think of my children and the things I want to provide for them, things I want to protect them from and the lifestyle and want to live before them then I compare that to my limited understanding of God’s love and find there is no comparison. God’s love cannot be fully understood by the natural mind and should not be compared to our natural love for each other because at some point we all have disappointed each other even thought it may not be intentional but God’s love never fails.

No man can boost about salvation because it is free and available for ALL. If you have been saved a day after your first birthday or when you were in your forties, God loves you the same. I struggle at times to remember how much God really loves me. Things he has done is for His sake and not mind (Psalm 103 8:17) Sin cannot stand before God and it does hurt Him to see His creation go astray because of sin and the ignorance of His grace, love and forgiveness. When we get more and more revelation of God’s love we will start shedding scales of sin and when we understand that been saved is God’s plan to make us who we really are before Adam sinned: to rule and have dominion over all things, then our words and expectations will experience change.

God loves us and he wants and deserve our best love. He is the only one who should get our worship, praise and devotion. If you have not allowed Jesus to be Lord of your life it is not too late. His return is not known and based on His character He operates suddenly so your time is now. Get to know God more intimately and allow His love to manifest in your life. Read Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 2:4-5 & 3:16-21

By Dean Brown

Live11 Radio

Victory

Recently I felt discouraged and all the messages, meditations, reading and words of encouragement I could hear where: Be courageous, Everything is going to be alright, You serve the God who sent His son to conquer the prince of this world (satan) (Romans 8:3-11), The rest of your life is the best of your life etc.

I went through the weekend seeking to get clear instructions from God and can I tell you that it seems like satan had other plans for me. I felt drained, powerless, defeated and heading to hopelessness. I quickly examined my actions and realized I was not speaking God’s word and taking authority over the thoughts in my mind (2 Corinthians 10:5). The mind is a battlefield and this was what satan was trying to get control. The mind is a battlefield and the devil playground if you will allow him to. This is why guarding the heart, mouth and eye gates are so important.

Realizing where I was mentally and spiritually, I started declaring something’s in my life according to God’s word and immediately sending the devil a warning that he has no strongholds in my life, Glory to God! I became excited about my situation because I know that it is temporal and subject to change. Later that night I felt in my heart the need to let go, let loose and allow God to bring His word to past. Throughout the process I was not enjoying life enough and allowing God to put things in place without my help, God does not need my help; He needs me to agree and trust Him. I was trying to learn where or when my input was necessary which comes with experience. See I am a child of God and He has started a good work in me and He will finish it (Philippians 1:6). That’s His job not mine. The fear I had and still have at times is not doing what God wanted me to do which is not a bad thing but like anything else there is a healthy dose and there is overdose.  Can you tell which side I was on? God does not want us to live in fear of anything and He never gave us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and love and a sound mind (2Timothy1:7).

Situations will always come with various magnitudes and the bigger the magnitude of the situation will determine the amount of pressure you need to apply to your faith in God and this is the area where faith grows and character is developed. How a situation is handled now will give an idea of personal growth the next time you are faced with the same or similar decision. When temptation, test or trials presents themselves know first of all that God is not the tempter but satan is, but also know that this is an opportunity for growth and if you are not ready now or you did not handle things the best way don’t be too harsh on yourself because God is not mad at you but His love and power will allow you to be a conquer and victor the next time you are in that position or even if you are in that situation you can come out with a testimony that will set someone else free. For me, I have learned not to take challenges so personally because I would start casting blame and not realize the opportunities. As a father, I am able to navigate through these challenges, learn lessons, become stronger in my walk with God and become more able to pass wisdom on to my children. My wife and I have declared that our children’s lives will not reflect the hardships we had and we will be able to give them wisdom (natural and spiritual) our parents could not give to us.

By Dean Brown.
Live11Radio.com

A Woman is More Valuable

I overheard someone relating his infidelity and his subsequent worry (afterthought) that he might have contracted an infection. His words spoke volumes about his opinion of his extramarital female consort. He said, "I get some skin outside." Even if he were referring to a commercial sex worker (and he was not), the term 'skin' sounded so impersonal that it seemed as if he had coitus with an inanimate object.
Many men do not believe that women are of equal standing. I am, therefore, always amazed that many women are either easily beguiled, or allow themselves to be beguiled, or go into denial when they are being beguiled, into believing that they are loved when their disingenuous spouse perceives them as nothing more than a sexual convenience.
Women who are unwilling participants. but who are pressured for sex anyway, should object, or they will only end up being the object of someone's base urges. Perhaps it's a throwback to some primitive drive to satisfy natural stirrings; or, it could be a subconscious need to disperse genetic material. Whatever the reason, a large percentage of men view women as vaginas attached to bodies.
When some men see women, the very first thing they imagine is acquiring/owning their vaginas. They consider the rest of a woman as nature's device for packaging and transporting the vagina. To some men, a woman's intellect, mind and emotions are inconveniences (obstacles) that get in the way of the acquisition of the vagina. Some 'packages' are very attractive, and men tend to assume that it is representative of the vagina's attributes. This, by the way, is often an erroneous conclusion, as the face and body do not necessarily bear any association with the vagina.
By all means
Generally, men will do almost anything to acquire/own/conquer a vagina, even if it's only for a single encounter. Men will offer kind compliments or befriend those near and dear to the target of their coital predation. Some will embark on long and circuitous routes to distract women from their ultimate goal. They may even feign disinterest in any amorous relationship. They may pretend to be concerned and caring, all the while considering their time, effort, gifts and money as investments that will one day pay huge dividends.
Some men think that a woman's make-up, manicure, pedicure and coif are like bright billboard lights advertising the availability of her vagina. They find it difficult to believe that women often embark on physical aestheticism just to feel good about themselves. Many men consider courtship as a cat(pardon the pun)-and-mouse (some will say 'rat') game that women play using their vaginas as bait.
Paradoxically, with each conquest, many males seem to need more and more women in a vain attempt at achieving the genuinely ecstatic thrill that only a relationship that transcends sexual intercourse can bring. Women become objects of lustful desire, and any admiration men once had for them fades into an obscure hodgepodge of confused emotions, blunted pleasures and an inability to sustain a stable, well-rounded, satisfying and healthy relationship. A woman's vagina can become the focus of salacious desire, and insanely jealous men sometimes kill because of it.
This warped perception of women directly impacts the moral fibre of our society because it obliterates the family nucleus and makes real fatherhood a rarity. The negative ramifications of widespread and irresponsible 'donation of genetic material' are blatantly evident in our high crime rate. For the sake of the family unit and, therefore, society, women must equip themselves for independence, respect themselves and demand respect from all men, make it known that they are equal partners in society, have emotional and spiritual needs, and insist they are much more than just vaginas.
Garth A. Rattray is a physician with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.

Work Place

I constantly have to keep my mind focus on the word of God by not taking thought when others around me start discussing activities in their lives. Even during work especially after a weekend or holiday that’s when I realize that the voices seem louder. Everyone talking about their overwhelming weekend activities and is it a coincidence that none of their activities had anything to do with God or their so-called faith in Jesus. I may sound a bit harsh but I am extremely tired of people who say the know Jesus, they love Him and they are Christians when they never have anything to share about what He has done or what they desire to do for His Kingdom. I would be more at ease if none of these people said they were Christians.

As the week progresses then their problems start unfolding: Marriage, kids, job, family members other social relationships, health and so on. No peace, no joy, no fruit of the spirit growing in their lives. What I think is the worst part is that the persons who say that they are faithful to Christ are in the thick of these conversations and at times leading these unfruitful conversations.  Then I remember and read Matt 28:19-20 which tells us/believers to go and make followers of Christ, teaching them the word of God through our conversations/lifestyle and He will be with us.

I think that many Christians are not bold or zealous enough to share the gospel with others. Been saved is not for us just to get to heaven/ (fire insurance) but to encourage others to want to live for Christ. The term keeps been pushed around: “I don’t want to offend anyone”, this is just an excuse and an area we all can work on. Our lifestyle, conduct, conversations should be a reflection of who we serve. All of us are serving something or someone and we have to wear our salvation jerseys, hats, ride on our salvation rims and blast our salvation music. Living for God is not about behaving goofy or super spiritual but more so of renewing our minds, going to a church that teaches the word of God, diligently seek Him and ask Him to open your heart to his truth. Psalm 37:1-9

When I really got serious about living for Christ I had to get ride of the religious things I’ve been taught and get to know God for myself. The amazing thing that was revealed to me is that God created this world for His children to enjoy. Many things have been perverted by satan and we have to be very careful when we entertain certain thing. The bible says that we need to shun all appearance of evil 1 Thessalonians 5:22.  Having a personal relationship with God will reveal what is acceptable and what’s not. So let’s become the ambassador for Christ in the work place and everywhere we go. I am not talking about slapping people with the bible but rather your conduct. Romans 15:5

By: Dean Brown

Shaking..

I overheard a couple ladies having a conversation about couples living together before getting married.

Two of the three ladies were born again, of the two one was living what could be identified as a Christian life while the other is a backslider.

The conversation was quite interesting to listen to and while it is a topic that I have an interest in I decided at that time to observe. My wife and I lived this shaking lifestyle for a few months before we got married which we both regret and which we could have done differently. I found in God’s word that what the enemy meant for bad we as spirit filled believers can use it for good. My wife and I can both identify roadblocks that couples may face and advise them to avoid making these mistakes and do it the RIGHT way, God’s way.

The conversation was supporting couples living together before getting married so you can know who you are getting married to. I was expecting the more matured Christian to outright oppose this topic and in fairness she did not voice her approval either. Her input was for each individual to get family medical history. The backslider had a strong point due to her experience with been rejected by a pastor to marry her and her husband due to the fact that they were living together. Her response to the pastor was who is he to judge them for living in sin and refusing to perform the ceremony. She was at this point a young mother and wanted to marry her boyfriend to make their union legal. Her take is that this will reduce the divorce rate (testing the waters before signing the papers).

This is an area of great concern in this common culture we are currently living in. We are seeing clear signs of the breakdown of the family structure and the fundamental principles of God’s laws and total disregard for the family. Recently the President Obama administration decided not to continue to uphold the marriage constitution with regards of marriage had been between a man and a woman.

If we are sending these signs to the coming generations what are we to expect in the roles and responsibilities of a FAMILY.

I Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul clearly points out the danger of subjecting our bodies to sexual sin. He says “RUN AWAY FROM SEXUAL SINS”

This is where many of us gets tripped up when we know we are doing wrong or have sinned and we say “don’t judge me”, “ You’re acting holier than thou” but fail to understand that grace is abounding. Where there is darkness, God is offering us light (1John 1:5-7). So you are living a shaking lifestyle and God allows someone to bring some light in your direction(talk to you about it) don’t take offense just accept the light do what 1John 1:9 says, repent/confess and He WILL forgive

We all sinned, 1John 1:8,10 (in basketball we know of the Hack-A-Shaq where the player intentionally goes for the player and when a fool is committed unintentionally going after the ball) that is how believers/I, normally sin. As a believer I don’t have to sin. Sinning is no longer my lifestyle and I quickly repent of whenever I sin because satan can easily attempt to use that as a stronghold in my life.

Church Clicks?

In a conversation with someone the term church click came up. I do believe that this is part of many church groups but I don’t believe that this is as surface driven as clicks in the world. Note, I am not saying that there may not be clicks as we know it but for the majority this is not true.

Many people in church groups will be drawn to others with similar likenesses to theirs and this is true in any group, culture and society. Often we use this term in a negative context when in all essence it is really not. The fact of the matter is that there will always be a person or a small number of people that any person will hold close. I think it is unfair to expect a Christian to be very close to every member that attends the same church as him/her. There has to be a balance if we are going to walk this life successfully and wiser than the devil. Jesus did not need anyone to help Him perform any miracles; He did not need anyone to walk with Him as He ministered. He had a multitude of followers, 12 that He chose and 3 that He let into His inner court. If we are to live like Christ then we have to follow His examples. The point is that we need others to pour into us and for us to pour into; this is why we have this common phrase “Iron sharpens Iron” Proverbs 27:17.

Ask yourself this question, “Am I sharpening or am I been sharpened”? There is nothing wrong with having a group of saints in your corner and you in theirs. Once you’re not bringing down the lives of others saints, gossip, back bite etc. Doing things to make hell stand at attention by encouraging others to grow; declaring Gods word in each other’s lives; working together to unload hell, then I believe you are in good shape.  Don’t allow others to discourage you form having a small group. The enemy is cleaver in how he tries to create discord and I guarantee it will come in the form of a person. This person can be an unbeliever or another saint but again if your small group is Christ centered you have nothing to worry about.

By: Dean Brown