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A Word of Encouragement & Challenge for 2021:"SUFFERING, SURRENDER, SALVATION!" Part #21 Pet. 4:12-19; 5:6-10."And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Pet. 5:10 ESV).

The God of White Supremacy

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

"Each of the nations walks in the name of its own god, but we shall walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever." ~ Micah 4:5

Most of us God-fearing followers of Judeo-Christian religious heritage have been traditionally brought up to believe that there is no other god but Yahweh, the God of the Bible. Well, permit me to throw a biblical wrench into that supposition for a moment... The Bible seems to indicate that the Old Testament Yahweh is not “alone” as a powerful spirit-being in the heavens, as it were. There are other divine beings “up there,” some allied with Him and working to carry out His designs, and others opposed to Him and actively working to frustrate His purposes.

By divine beings, I don't just mean angels. The biblical record makes a remarkable number of references to other "gods." Many readers dismiss this language as referring to empty idols, preferring to interpret "gods" as later chapters in Isaiah interpret them: "Besides Me there is no god" (44:6c). Yet most books of the Old Testament speak of "the gods" as existing realities — real spiritual beings with minds of their own.

The Psalms fairly explode with evidence. "There is none like You among the gods, O Lord" (86:8); "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be revered above all gods" (96:4); "Our Lord is above all gods" (135:5); "Ascribe to Yahweh, [you] gods, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength" (29:1, my trans.); "He is exalted above all gods" (97:7); "For Yahweh is a great god, and a great king above all gods" (95:3). And so on.

But it's not just the Psalms. In Exodus Yahweh predicts that He will execute judgments "on all the gods of Egypt" (12:12). The author of Numbers then declares that that is indeed what happened: "Yahweh executed judgments against their gods" (33:4). There is no hint that Yahweh is the only God. Instead, it is clearly implied that Egypt has her own gods, and Yahweh will defeat them. When Yahweh gives his people the Ten Commandments, the first commandment implies the existence of other gods: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex 20:3; see also Deut 5:7). In Exodus 23:32-33 Israel is told not to covenant with or worship other gods; there is no suggestion that the gods of Israel's neighbors do not exist.

I would like to suggest what the above-captioned Scripture taken from Micah 4:5 implies, that “Each of the nations walks in the name of its own god.” It should be remarkably clear by now, given both the historical and present evidence, that America as a nation walks in the name of its own god, and that god is white supremacy. How else do you explain the spiritual stronghold that white supremacy has had with such a perpetual vice-grip on the soul of this nation for no less than 400 years without once awakening to genuine repentance? Repentance is something that conviction and contrition do to bring you humbly before the Lord your God, if in fact, Yahweh is the Lord your God. But if Yahweh is not your God, then it is likely that neither conviction nor contrition will occur, making repentance impossible.

This explains the state of our nation, America is in today. The fact that its real god is not Yahweh, the God of the Bible, the Ancient of Days, and that white supremacy is America’s true god, begins to make sense of the vile violence, vehement hatred, and damning division that seems so utterly senseless and defies our previous lack of understanding. And for those of us people of goodwill, persons of all ethnicities and cultures whose souls have been divinely sealed by the Truth Himself, Yeshua - Jesus Christ of the Scriptures - the remnant who “walk in the name of Yahweh our God forever” (Micah 4:5b), our living amongst those whose god is white supremacy shall become increasingly more dangerous and threatening with time. “For nation (from the Greek word, ethnos, meaning “ethnicity”) will rise against nation [ethnicity], and kingdom against kingdom” (Mat. 24:7a). This prophecy from the lips of the Lord Jesus describing the signs of His return is coming to pass right before our eyes today. The god of white supremacy is not only at work here in America but is evidenced to be actively at work throughout Europe as well, impacting every civilization on earth in one form or another.

Welcome to your “aha!” moment America. It’s time to throw out all of those false assumptions of America ever having been founded on so-called “Christian” principles or being a so-called “Christian” nation. So long as white supremacy has been the god at work in its founding and remains the principle around which the nation exists and construes its system of unjust laws leading it into the grip of idolatry, social injustice, and empty religious ritualism, you can be assured that Yahweh is not to be blamed for what has evolved under the vicious, tyrannical reign of America’s god of white supremacy. I pray that this revelation knowledge awakens us all to the ugly truth that if “America the Beautiful” is to ever really exist, it must relinquish its allegiance to and worship of its god of white supremacy first. Otherwise, it will remain merely the hypocritical title of a meaningless song that may very well serve as a fitting requiem at America’s funeral. Repentance must be the order of the day today, in order for America to even exist tomorrow. It certainly helps to remember where biblical truth is concerned, Perspective Matters...

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#TheGodOfWhiteSupremacy

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So!

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

“As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” ~ Genesis 15:12-14 ESV

This very month, August 2019, marks a momentous milestone in the history of humanity. For it was during this very month, exactly 400 years ago, that the first ship carrying African slaves made its long three-month transatlantic journey from the coast of West Africa weighing anchor in the harbor of Jamestown, VA in August of 1619. It was the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade, which along with the genocide of the indigenous native people upon whose land these great sins were committed, was singularly the most brutal period in American history.

The transatlantic slave trade was the single largest deportation in world history and was perhaps the single greatest determining factor in the world economy of the 18th century. Millions of Africans were torn from their homes, deported to the American continent and sold as slaves. It is estimated that between 10 and 12 million Africans were deported from Africa to continental America during the transatlantic slave trade.

The Atlantic passage (or Middle Passage) was notorious for its brutality and for the overcrowded, unsanitary conditions on slave ships, in which hundreds of Africans were packed tightly into tiers below decks for a voyage of about 5,000 miles. They were typically chained together, and usually, the low ceilings did not permit them to sit upright. The heat was intolerable, and the oxygen levels became so low that candles would not burn. Because crews feared insurrection, the Africans were allowed to go outside on the upper decks for only a few hours each day. Historians estimate that between 15 and 25 percent of the African slaves bound for the Americas died aboard slave ships. The autobiographical account of the West African Olaudah Equiano, published in 1789, is particularly well known for its graphic descriptions of the suffering endured on the transatlantic voyages.

But aside from its purely historical standpoint, there are richer and even more far-reaching aspects of this vile chapter in human history generally and American history specifically. The biblical narrative suggests that, given its broad significance in the annals of human history, God may have undoubtedly referenced this event prophetically in the biblical record thousands of years in advance. In the above-captioned passage of Scripture that begins this blog, I quoted from Genesis 15:12-14. God reveals to Abram, before changing his name formally to Abraham, through a vision that had all the makings of a nightmare, that Abraham’s future offspring would be servants and afflicted in a foreign land for four hundred years. The specific nation of their bondage remains unnamed in the text. Tradition has held that the nation in question is Egypt where the Hebrews lived for exactly 430 years (see Exodus 12:40). However, if the text was only to apply to Egypt would not God reference it as the nation specifically? God has not been shy to supply us with details regarding the identity of nations His prophetic Word was referencing. The coyness of the text in not spelling out the nation may imply that God had more than just one incident of captivity and more than one nation in mind concerning the saga of His people, the seed of Abraham.

There were, of course, other incidents of captivity that the biblical Hebrews, the seed of Abraham endured. In 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and the Israelite tribes of the northern kingdom were exiled. Later in 587 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians and the Judean Hebrews were exiled to Babylon where they remained for 70 years before a remnant was allowed to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. This was a far cry, however, from the four hundred year sojourn of bondage and affliction prophesied in Genesis 15:12-14. There is only one other time in human history that fits this prophecy like a glove: the slavery and affliction of Africans stolen from the shores of West Africa and their descendants. Further evidence of this prophetic fit appears in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.

“And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey that I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer” (Deut. 28:68 ESV).

To be clear, neither with respect to the Egyptian, Assyrian, or Babylonian captivity did the Hebrews travel to the destination of their bondage and affliction in ships... All except for one, that is. The transatlantic African slave trade to the Americas, the height of which occurred in the 18th century. The specific reference to Egypt in the Scripture here was likely symbolic for any lands where the Jews have been taken into bondage or sold as slaves. But it is true that after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which was a judgment on the apostasy of Israel and their rejection and execution of the Messiah causing the Jews to disperse south into Africa, among the noted lands of the Jewish diaspora at the time, this prophecy was actually fulfilled. The Roman general Titus, who conquered Jerusalem and Israel, sent 17,000 adult Jews to Egypt to perform hard labor there and had those under 17 years old publicly sold. Under the Roman emperor Hadrian, countless Jews were sold and suffered bondage and cruelty but certainly not in the numbers compared to the Africans caught in the affliction of the transatlantic slave trade. The key distinction here being the historical fact that the only exiled people taken by ship in accordance with this prophecy were the Africans, many, if not most of whom, were descendants of the original biblical Hebrews, the actual genetic seed of Abraham. I invite you to research the plethora of information available from credible scholarly sources online on this very subject.

Now, for the good news... God revealed to Abraham in his vision first a nightmare - the bondage and affliction of his offspring for four hundred years, followed by a dream: “But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions” (Gen. 15:14 ESV). As we recognize this the four hundred year anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship carrying African - Hebrew slaves - to the shores of continental America, remember the promise that awaits the faithful offspring of Abraham: “afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” Let your expectations be kindled with the excitement that such a prophetic promise from the Lord your God should provoke! It should be relatively clear by now, that this nation has slipped deep into the abyss of crisis bearing all the hallmarks of God’s judgment at hand, including epic division that has seized the land and right out of biblical central casting, a characteristically wicked ruler analogous to the idolatrous haughty kings of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah depicted in the Old Testament.

But fear not! Just as the Hebrews of the Egyptian captivity and subsequent exodus came out with reparations provided for by God-given favor shown to them by their former Egyptian captors because of their faithfulness during their affliction, and the Hebrews of the Babylonian captivity and subsequent exodus came out with reparations provided for them by God-given favor shown to them by King Cyrus of Persia the conqueror of Babylon because of their faithfulness during their affliction, know for certain that the precedent has already been well established by the Lord your God to bless you on your exodus out of your personal period of affliction and anguish. The clock is about to strike midnight and the blaring sound of the trump will alert you that the preparation you are now making for your exodus out of your season of affliction and into your season of blessing has not been in vain! Your faith and your faithfulness to the Lord your God, in season and out of season is about to be rewarded.

For if you have taken up the offer of redemption from your Redeemer - Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah - making Him your personal Lord and Savior, then your liberty and absolute freedom has been fully purchased by the blood He shed for you on Calvary’s cross. On this solemn anniversary, break out into proactive praise saying in the words of the Psalmist, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south” (Psalm 107:1-3 ESV). Without question, to mark an occasion as profoundly unique and as consequential as this, above all else, Perspective Matters...

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#Redeemed

The Wisdom of God’s Kingdom!

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

with Pastor Philip Lowe

26 “For consider your calling, brothers [and sisters]: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ESV

The wisdom of God’s kingdom is often perceived as foolishness to the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) because the values of the kingdom, and the definition of wisdom within the kingdom, differ from the way the broken world works. In the Kingdom of God, Jesus is king of an upside-down kingdom in which the first will be last and the last will be first (Matthew 19:20; Matthew 20:16). Greatness in God’s kingdom is not defined by power, but by service (Mark 10:42-45; John 13:1-20). In God’s kingdom, people who may be marginalized elsewhere, are blessed with God’s favor and welcomed into a place of belonging (Matthew 5:3-11; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 7:36-50; John 4). In God’s kingdom, people lose their life to save it (Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35). More unusual still is the fact that in Jesus’ kingdom the king himself does not call the people to do anything He has not already done on their behalf. Jesus, the king, gave up His privileges and status to serve people.

“… Christ Jesus… though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” ~ Philippians 2:5-8

Jesus gave up His status in order to become human. As a human, He served. Jesus served others, washing their feet, healing their bodies, casting out demons, and giving them new life. Ultimately, He served by His sacrifice on the cross, setting humanity free from the power of sin and death and establishing a new way of life. In this new way of life, this new kind of kingdom, not only can people live under His rule of freedom, grace, and wholeness, but also can serve like the king by extending the wisdom of His kingdom to the world, bringing hope and healing to people and communities. When followers of Jesus serve their families, neighbors, coworkers, and communities, they advance the kingdom. When followers of Christ form relationships with marginalized people and advocate for justice on their behalf, they announce the kingdom. When bosses who serve Jesus lead their employees by serving them, they bring the kingdom. When hungry people are fed in the name of Jesus, the kingdom comes. When kingdom citizens serve like Jesus served, love like Jesus loved, and give like Jesus gave, God’s kingdom reigns and His will is done on earth just as it is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

The Kingdom of God is here. Jesus is near. There is still more to come, though. The Kingdom of God is both already and not yet. Life in the kingdom has been initiated, but not fully realized. Ultimately, Jesus will return, and the restoration of this world to the wisdom of God’s design will be complete. Jesus will give people new bodies; heaven and earth will come together as a new heaven and a new earth. The Kingdom of God will reign completely as God dwells with people and reigns with justice, grace, mercy, wisdom, and beauty. Everything will be fully made right.

So remember, in spite of what may or may not be going on in the kingdoms of this world, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are a citizen of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken; you are the child of a King with no limitations! Therefore, while living in this world, hold fast to your Kingdom perspective because Perspective Matters...

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#KingdomWisdom

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

The Problem of Evil & Suffering

You’ve heard it before, perhaps you might have asked it yourself. It is likely the most theologically relevant and frequently asked question of all: If God is all good and all-powerful, then how could God allow suffering in the world? The absolute truth of the matter is that the world was not created to include suffering at all. The slip of humanity’s fallen nature is visibly on display whenever the question is asked insinuating that evil and suffering is somehow all God’s fault. I realize how prevalent and popular it is to blame someone else for what goes wrong, but let’s get the narrative of fault bearing where evil and suffering is concerned correct. The evil and suffering we see and experience in the world is not of God’s making; it is of our own making. It came as a result of the rebellion of humanity when Adam and Eve first decided to rebel and go their own way. Evil and suffering are the byproducts of the fall of humanity and the fall of humanity was the byproduct of sin, period.

Now what is evident from the fall of mankind is that evil exists in our world because humanity was created with free will, providing everyone with the choice to either love and serve God or to love and serve ourselves. The supreme biblical example of human suffering comes from the life and historical account of Job. Satan tried to prove that Job only loved and served God because God was so good to him. So God gave permission for Job to go through great suffering. He lost his children, his livestock, and his health. And yet he said to his wife, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10). And later he said, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him" (Job 13:15). It is easy to give glory to God when everything is fine and you are feeling good, but the test comes when you can love and trust Him when afflicted. In the end, of course, God more than restored all that Job lost.

So Job provides an outstanding example of one who faced evil and held strong to his faith. Evil is something like darkness. There is no such thing as darkness; it is merely the absence of light. People who are evil may become that way by fleeing from God, the light, and therefore lack true goodness. The only certain way to free oneself from evil is to run to the Light of Christ who is the Light of the World.

Christians may readily understand that they live in a fallen world and therefore suffering is bound to happen, but why does it occur for the Christian who has repented and loves God? The Bible actually has a lot to say about why God allows Christians to suffer. Below is a list of 11 reasons with the accompanying Bible references; the first several apply to all people.

1. Suffering is a result of the fall, and therefore a part of life (Luke 13:4-5; John 16:33; 1 Pet. 2:19).

2. Suffering increases your compassion and equips you to comfort others who suffer (2 Cor. 1:3-4).

3. Suffering strengthens your character (Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:2-4).

4. Suffering is often a direct result of sin, and therefore teaches obedience (Pss. 107:17; 119:67, 71; Heb. 5:7-8).

5. Suffering sometimes is a tool of God's discipline (Heb. 12:7-11).

6. Suffering draws individuals to God, compelling them to repent of their sins (Ps. 25:16-18).

7. Suffering keeps you humble and dependent on Christ (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

8. Suffering compels you to look up and long for your heavenly redemption (Ps. 121; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17).

9. Suffering joins people closer to Christ and his sufferings, especially in persecution (Luke 9:23; Phil. 3:10; 1 Pet. 4:1-2, 12-16, 19; 5:8-10).

10. Even in the midst of suffering, God is aiming for your ultimate good (Gen. 50:20; Jer. 29:11-13; Rom. 8:28).

11. Especially in the midst of suffering, God wants us to experience his amazing love (Ps. 90:14-15; Lam. 3:19-23).

Here is a powerful quote from an amazing woman who has had her share of suffering. Her name is Joni Eareckson Tada and she is quadriplegic. "Affliction is the gristmill where pride is reduced to powder, leaving our souls naked, bare, and bonded to Christ. And it feels beautiful" (Tada & Estes, 1997, p. 143).

And from a very inspiring book, Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy, by Larry Crabb (2001), based on the story of Ruth from Naomi's perspective:

In fact, what He's doing while we suffer is leading us into the depths of our being, into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. It's there that we discover our desire for God. We begin to feel a desire to know that not only survives all our pain, but actually thrives in it until that desire becomes more intense than our desire for all the good things we still want. Through the pain of shattered lower dreams, we wake up to the realization that we want an encounter with God more than we want the blessings of life. And that begins a revolution in our lives. (p. 4)

God will not violate your free will, so when you take the wrong path, you suffer. When you encounter evil or negligent people you may suffer. And you also may suffer due to accidents, natural causes, and illnesses. Such tragedies remind us that life is short and you must take what time you are given to get right with God and realize that the life you have and the days you are given are gifts. Beyond this, you must remember that all such unfortunate tragedies are under the sovereign, watchful eye of God, and He will always be with you to see you through. More than that, He will give you Himself.

So for the Christian, the concept and understanding of suffering fits very nicely into a worldview that provides meaning and purpose to humanity in the context of the love and power of God. When considering why we suffer it is critically important that we veer from the throne of our own opinions and take into account God’s perspective because in it we will find meaning, purpose, and be enabled to tap into our hidden, invisible potential to grow exponentially into the person of God’s molding, shaping, and design. Besides, in the final analysis, only God’s Perspective Matters...

Be encouraged, enlightened, and enriched. Visit our blog at https://perspectivemattersministries.tumblr.com/.

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References

Crabb, L. (2001). Shattered dreams: God's unexpected pathway to joy. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.

Grand Canyon University (2017). Worldview implications. Phoenix, AZ. Retrieved from https://lms-ugrad.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.lc?operation=loggedIn&token=y1ooZiyh4uu2Yxb9aTWb5PtkbSlZ6YX2npy2XLW%2faqKBLw1Ap2asqjMKdWtGuiLU&classId=2228587#/learningPlatform/class/syllabus.lc?operation=getClassOutlineIUView&classId=5205f13f-ed1b-4b47-911d-4f0943da9153&c=prepareClassOutlineForm&t=coursesMenuOption&tempDate=1559937848464

Tada, J. E., & Estes, S. (1997). When God weeps: Why our sufferings matter to the Almighty. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

#WhyWeSuffer

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY! #85

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES. Topic: "GOD WORKED!"

God set the priority of work when He called the invisible world into view. God demonstrated His omnipotence in His work, creating the visible universe from out of the invisible image in His mind. Made in God's image and likeness, humanity was made to demonstrate God's power on earth through our work. You cannot fulfill your purpose and know the fullness of your invisible potential without work! Don't miss this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God...

#GodWorked

MANTLE MATTER$: FAITH & FINANCES WEBINAR

FAITH & FINANCES... TRAIN TO REIGN! "Experiencing Entrepreneurship From A Kingdom Perspective!" Series Topic: "It's Time To Activate!" with special guest, Denise Forbes & special guest Kingdom Entrepreneurs.

The business of the Kingdom is by its nature and because of its King, entrepreneurial. And so are Kingdom people, who are made in the image and likeness of our King and Master. To be entrepreneurial is to operate in the image and likeness of Christ. The redemptive work of Christ's cross is not limited to your spiritual life; it includes your financial life! The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus brought all-encompassing eternal life, which includes your financial life as well. Recover your place, position, and your provision!

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY!

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES. Topic: "DON'T BE A RELUCTANT WORKER!"

When Jesus was on earth, He needed workers. He needed people who would give their best to bring others into the Kingdom of God. Whether God positions you in the marketplace, in ministry, or in a marriage, He is positioning you to work on behalf of the Kingdom. You cannot fulfill your purpose and have a fulfilling life without work! So don't be a reluctant worker, be a resolute worker. Don't miss this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God!

MANTLE MATTER$: FAITH & FINANCES WEBINAR

Topic: Entrepreneurship: Reclaim Your Place, Position & Provision! - "DISCOVER THE DOMINION DIFFERENCE! - PART 5"

"And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and HAVE DOMINION..." (Genesis 1:28). God blessed you to have dominion in life as well as in the marketplace. Not supremacy, but dominion. There is a profound difference! Most people have been spinning their proverbial wheels trying to gain supremacy - in life and in the marketplace - when the objective all along has been for you to have dominion. This is the year to finally activate what you are ordained to manifest - DOMINION.

#FaithNFinances Dominion

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES. Topic: "WORK & RESPONSIBILITY!"

The love of work is the secret to a productive life. Without work, you will lose direction and gradually succumb to atrophy. Your very survival will be threatened as the various facets of your life fall apart from lack of purpose. You cannot fulfill your purpose and have a fulfilling life without work! Check out this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God...

#work

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES.

Topic: "YOU CANNOT FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE WITHOUT WORK!"

God gives you work to meet your need for personal fulfillment. When you try to get something for nothing you miss the opportunity to find gratification, because effort is the key to satisfaction. You cannot fulfill your purpose and have a fulfilling life without work! Don't miss this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God...

#fulfillment

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY!

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES. Topic: "MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WORK!" Most of us don't understand the importance of work. We prefer rest and relaxation to a good honest day's work. The release of our potential requires that we acknowledge and move beyond the fallacies that characterize our perspective of work. Don't miss this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God this Thursday night!

#work

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS ONLINE BIBLE STUDY!

"LIVING WITH PURPOSE!" SERIES. Topic: "OUR NEGATIVE VIEW OF WORK!"

Too often we allow the pain and perspiration of work to hide its blessings. We assume that work is a necessary evil without looking for the good it brings. Don't get it twisted... Work is a blessing that reveals what you can do. It is the master key to releasing your potential! Don't miss this solid biblical teaching from the Word of God...

#work

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

Is the American Evangelical Church Guilty of the Same Thing As the Crowd Who Chose Barabbas Over Jesus?

"Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, 'Which of the two do you want me to release for you?' And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, 'Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They ALL said, 'Let Him be crucified!' And he said, 'Why, what evil has He done?' But they shouted all the more, 'Let Him be crucified!" ~ Matthew 27:20-23

As Holy Week 2019 moves to its ultimate climax, the question I ask in the title of this blog post becomes all the more troubling the more I think about it. Some two thousand years ago a politically discontented crowd was whipped into a frenzy by their religious leaders into making a choice being provided for by the government that ruled over them. Religion and government make for strange and perversely dangerous bedfellows...

That crowd, incited by their religious leaders, made a choice that reverberates down through the corridors of history into the very midst of our lives today. Have we learned anything from history? Apparently not! For we are making similar choices today... Today, the American Evangelical church still chooses an insurrectionist over Jesus. An insurrectionist against constitutional law, human decency, democracy, and truth is being embraced by a crowd whipped into a frenzy by so-called religious leaders who twist the truth of Scripture and the Gospel to suit their political and economic interests at the expense of Jesus and His Kingdom.

How ironic that those who have for years espoused the Bible as the source of undeniable truth and a map for righteous, God-fearing living have abandoned it wholesale to preserve the privilege, supremacy and way of life they have become so culturally accustomed to regardless of the direct conflict it has put them in with the life that Christ taught us to lead. Whoa to them who continue to follow the lead of this very same crowd who two thousand years ago choose the insurrectionist, Barabbas over Jesus, the Lamb of God! Just as it did then, Perspective Matters...

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#TheNewBarabbas

Don’t Get the Truth Twisted!

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" ~ Isaiah 5:20 ESV

The idolatrous nature of our divisive partisan politics is blinding people to the truth of what Jesus taught, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit" (Mat. 12:33 ESV).

It is perversely wicked that those who profess to be "Christians" have gotten caught up in the snare of calling evil good and good evil... Who embrace and defend who and what is morally and righteously reprehensible and indefensible... Who trade the cross of Christ for membership in Cult 45... Who wage a divisive fight for an obsolete wall but won't take up the cause of the cross of Jesus, The Door... Who take up arms and the right to indiscriminately bear arms but not take up the full counsel of the Word of God... Who defend, support and deify an idolatrous, arrogant, narcissistic, unintelligent, tasteless, crude, bigotted, hatemonger, philanderer, misogynist, unrepentant ruler and vilify the dignified, intelligent, humble, peace-seeking, loyal husband, father and family man that brought honor and decency to the presidency during the eight years he and his family graced the White House. These are they, that brood of vipers of whom the Bible prophesied would come in the latter days and call evil good and good evil.

Their punishment is detailed in the same prophecy: "Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people, and He stretched out His hand against them and struck them, and the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 5:25 ESV).

Throughout biblical history, we see evidence that God raises up rulers and He brings down rulers, all to accomplish His good purposes and plans. God raised up a ruler, a Pharoah in Egypt to promote Joseph from prison to the palace, and provide a safe haven for the Hebrews out of whom would come the promised Messiah. God later raised up yet another Pharoah in Egypt to persecute the very people God gave refuge to in Egypt from famine in the Promised Land of Israel years earlier. God raised up one good ruler to bring His people into Egypt and He raised up an evil ruler in the same land to bring His people out of Egypt. God manages to fulfill His purposes through good rulers and through evil rulers alike. Just don't get the truth twisted between who and what is evil and who and what is good. Jesus taught that you will know every tree by its fruit. You simply can't get good fruit from a bad tree and you can't get bad fruit from a good one. Wisdom suggests then that it would be wise to inspect the fruit of prospective leaders before you pick them...

Just as Moses who went toe to toe with an evil Pharoah in Egypt, Daniel who came into conflict with the narcissist King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, and John the Baptist who spoke truth against the immorality of King Herod the Great in Israel, the contemporary disciples of Jesus today should be found standing in opposition against the evil being perpetrated from the highest reaches of governmental power and authority rather than consorting with the perpetrators of the evil we are witnessing. Compromise coming from those who profess to be "Christians" makes them complicit in the evil being perpetrated. All those who remain silent in the face of evil are complicit in the evil as well. And it especially makes complicit those who call good evil and evil good.

It is becoming ever so clear to the discerning that God is using, among other things, our politics as His winnowing wind to blow the chaff right out from among the wheat on His threshing floor. Judgment has come to the house of the Lord first, just as Jesus said it would before He returns. He is separating His apostles from the apostates... His wheat from the weeds... His true shepherds from spineless hirelings... He is preparing His remnant church for His imminent return. Christ is coming back for those who don't get the truth of the gospel of His Kingdom twisted, but hold fast to it as if their lives depend upon it, because it does. The state of our union is vile wickedness. It's prognosis, like every other unrepentant empire before it, is destruction. Don't be complicit or you will suffer its consequences. Perspective Matters...

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#Twisted

The Best Is Yet To Come!

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

9 “Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things--things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” ~ Hebrews 6:9-12

For the believer, there is one particular truth concerning God that you must believe: God is faithful. This is both the originating and the apex point of faith, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God not only exists but that He is above all else, faithful. From year to year, from circumstance to circumstance, in and out of season, our God is faithful. You can set your watch according to God’s faithfulness, as one minute will surely follow another and one hour will follow yet another hour. Even our calendar, construed by pagan Romans millenniums ago, relies on God’s faithfulness as month follows month, season follows season and year follows year. God’s faithfulness is unmatched and unchallengeable.

That truth being established, let me challenge you with another truth emanating from the truth of God’s faithfulness. No matter what your life has been like up to now, whether it has been a surreal paradise or a seemingly unconquerable cycle of immense challenges: The best is yet to come. Behold, all things old shall be made new.

“And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelations 21:5).

No matter the season of life you may find yourself in, whether living in youthful exuberance or living in the longevity of elderly reflection of life past its prime, your best is yet to come. You have God’s Word on it!

You need not be anxious about your future because the best is yet to come. The author of the book of Hebrews, from which the first above-captioned Scripture passage is taken, is declaring this very thing: “beloved, we feel sure of better things - things that belong to salvation” (Hebrews 6:9). Translation: The best is yet to come! This is a provisional promise of God’s provision to those who are faithfully serving the kingdom during their life with their life, rather than merely serving themselves during their life with their life. To the generous, God is especially generous. And there is likely no more generous a provisional promise from God than His granting of the promise of His grace to punctuate your future with “better things.” Whatever encompassed your past and whatever consists of your present, God says “better things” are in store for you!

“What better things?” you might ask. The answer: “things that belong to salvation.” I cannot think of a better provisional promise of God’s provision than “things that belong to salvation.” No matter what your future holds, nothing can or will get the better of you because God has better in store for you. The promise of God’s salvation is an overwhelming promise of God’s provision for the days, months, seasons, years and ages to come. His salvation has the promise of overcoming any and every obstacle, including your overcoming death. Imagine that... Salvation from lack: promised. Salvation from sickness and disease: promised. Salvation from death: promised. You name the dilemma, God has a salvational fix for it to replace it with “better things.” The promise of salvation is an all-encompassing provision. It is a provision for every dimension of your life: spiritual, physical, material, and relational. Now, that’s a hope stirring promise from God if there ever was one!

So, as you proceed through this New Year and continue to press forward into the new years to come, by the grace and faithfulness of God, be expectant for “better things.” And know this, that “better” is a comparative word. It suggests that there is better and there is worse. Therefore, you cannot know “better things” if you have not known “worse things” to compare it to. Just be sure not to allow “worse things” to become your focus. Remember, you have to know worse things before you can even recognize “better things.” God has made provision available for your salvation out from each and every one of your “worse things.” So make “better things” your focus and your expectation. When you do so you will constantly find your faith and your hope being renewed and restored even when it’s tested. And it will be. Faith isn’t faith until and unless it’s tested. “Worse things” are your test; “better things” are your reward for pressing through and passing your test. The best is yet to come! As always, Perspective Matters...

Be encouraged, enlightened and enriched. Visit and subscribe to our blog: https://PerspectiveMattersMinistries.tumblr.com/.

Love the Lord and “Like” our Facebook page: https://facebook.com/Perspective.Matters2

#TheBestIsYetToCome

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