Declaration of Dependence (Philippians 4:19)

             "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

             Independent men, independent women, independent children, independent workers, teachers, people, so on, so forth... the list seems to be unending when it comes to the list of independence, not being dependent on anyone or anything. Has anyone ever dared or perhaps even cared to think that even though they claim to be independent, that they are still dependent on either themselves or something greater than they are (God, government, managers, supervisors, etc.)? If they did not trust their supervisor or manager, how would workers know what hours they would be working or when they would get their paycheck? If they did not trust the government, how would anyone know if laws were still enforced or when they would get the monthly benefits they think themselves to be entitled to (welfare, social security, food stamps, etc.)?

             Christians, if we do not trust God, how can we expect Him to supply our NEEDS, not our fleshly wants and desires, but our NEEDS? Food on the table, God has provided the means for you to get it or it is someway given to you. Clothes on your back, God has provided the means for you to get it or it is someway given to you. Roof over your head, God has provided the means for you to get it or it is someway given to you. Finances, God has provided the means for you to get it or it is someway given to you. Every time we claim to be independent, we must be very careful, because if we claim to be independent, we are denying our trust and reliance on God and thus we also take away glory that is due unto His name and add it to either ourselves or some other. The importance of us being dependent on God is far greater than I can describe with words, and it is of utmost importance that others can see that we live our every day trusting God and depending on Him in even the littlest of things.

             Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." If we are not trusting in the Lord with all our hearts, we are leaning on our own understanding and walking our own path, and thus we set the stage for our fall because we do not trust in Him as we ought to.

             Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." If we worry about anything, we do not trust God with everything. We are to let our requests be made known unto God in ALL things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. It is a sin to worry because it hinders our relationship with God and shows our reluctance to trust Him.

            The United States of America has a Declaration of Independence signifying its separation from England. As Christians the scripture, the Word of God, is our Declaration of Dependence signifying our trust in and dependence on God. Christians in or from America, who we are in Christ takes priority over what we are and what rights we have as Americans. Our identity as an American is a temporary thing and can be changed or stolen, but our identity in Christ is eternal and in no way can be changed or altered and no one can take that away from us.

            America changes, its government changes, its laws change, as is the same with every country on the face of the earth. God and His Word have never changed and have always remained the same, and He will ALWAYS remain the same and His Word will neither change nor pass away. Christians, it is imperative that we depend on God for everything and of high importance that we are careful who we trust. If we put our trust in our fellow man and his inventions and devices, we will fail and fall. If we put our trust in God, however, we will remain standing even when everything around us is falling apart. Bit by bit, piece by piece, the world system is crumbling and the hearts of lost men and lost women are becoming harder and darker.

            Christians, how can we be a light in this dark and dying world when we are not depending on God? God's Holy Word is our Declaration of Dependence on Him, and also it is the constitution by which we are governed. The liberties that we have cannot be changed by our fellow man, and how we are supposed to live cannot be changed by our fellow man either. God is absolute, therefore our trust in Him should be absolute as well. God is unchanging, therefore our trust in Him should be steadfast and take priority above all else, and He also should take priority over our fellow man.

Your fellow brother and warrior in Christ, 

William L. Payne

1 Corinthians 15:58

Blood-soaked words from a broken heart

Blood-soaked Words from a Broken Heart

Sorrow... Pain... Grief... Brokenheartedness... these are some of the many things that are a part of our lives that it seems as though we cannot escape from. They are as much a part of this world as we are, and they take many forms and come from many angles. In order for a Christian to be able to get closer to God, someone's will, someone's heart must break. Why is this? Because for us to draw near to God, we must empty ourselves of anything that would hinder our relationship with Him. The closer we draw to Him, the more we identify with Him. The more we identify with Him, the more our eyes are opened to the broken state of this world, the church, the Christians, the lost... The more our eyes are opened, the more our hearts break for what breaks God's. The more our hearts break for what breaks His heart, the stronger we as Christians will become, but it comes with a tremendous sacrifice, not just our time, but our whole heart broken and poured out of that which is impure to make room for that which is pure. In doing this, we ourselves become broken. Not broken in the sense that we are rendered useless, but broken in the sense that we are under God's control, following His leading, His direction, His heart, His will, His word.

Christians, just because our hearts are broken does not mean that we are emotionally weak. To be emotionally weak would be to be completely numb and indifferent to the point where the broken state of the world, the church, the Christians, and the lost do not phase us in the slightest bit. HOW is it that many who profess Christ are numb and indifferent toward the things that Christ shed His blood for? Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He poured out His soul to death (Isaiah 53:12). Is it too much of God to tell us to trust in Him at all times and to pour out our hearts before Him (Psalm 62:8), to let our requests be made known unto Him (Philippians 4:6)? No... it is not. If anyone thinks it is, it is out of pride that they think it. ALL who come before God must approach with a broken heart (Psalm 34:18, 51:17) and a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 66:2).

When we take a stand, it must be with a broken heart, not out of pride, conceit, self-righteousness, inconsideration, or hate. When one is deeply concerned, his or her heart breaks. So also should the heart of a Christian. Our hearts are broken when we go before God in prayer, but... WHY are our hearts NOT broken when we are talking to people about the broken state that they are in, regardless of what sin they are committing or have committed? Is it because we think ourselves too high or too holy to be compassionate toward the lost? Do we think ourselves so high to be apathetic in our dealings with them? Something has to break if we are to truly live for Jesus. It has to be your heart and your will that break. If they do not, then you cannot begin to fully pour out your heart before God, and you cannot fully submit to His will. So often we say "bend me, and I will commit," when we should say "BREAK me, O God. I COMMIT." Either we are all in, or we are not in at all. Either we let go and allow our hearts to be broken for what breaks God's heart, or there is something that we are holding onto that has us putting conditions and time restraints on our service to Him.

When you pray for God to break your heart for what breaks His, you will see the world, the church, the Christians, and the lost in a vastly different light. It will hurt, it will make you feel grief and sorrow, and your heart will be more broken than it may have ever been before... Just imagine how God feels every time one of His children stray from the path and go out into the world. Just imagine how God feels every time one of His children stray and advocate the sinful deeds that His only begotten Son shed His blood to set people free from. Just imagine how God feels when we do not submit to Him and allow Him to break our hearts and our wills.

Our hearts and our wills should be so broken, that every word that leaves our lips are saturated with the blood of Jesus Christ, and not with the vanity of our own hearts. Our hearts and our wills should be so broken, that they can truly see Christ living in us, and that they can hear Him speaking through us.

It grieves Him when His children (those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour) sin, because it forms a wedge between Him and His children. He could not look upon His only begotten Son when He took the sins of the world upon His shoulders on the cross because He is holy and cannot look upon sin. It grieves the heart of God when we sin. Why does it not grieve our hearts when our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ sin? Why does it not grieve our hearts when we know that there are those we love and those we are close to about a half inch away from hell and eternal judgment? If your heart is hard toward them because of your self-righteousness, shame on you. If your heart is not broken, they cannot see God working in you.

Blood-soaked words from a broken heart... that is what makes a difference. When someone takes a stand with a broken heart, people are more likely to listen to what they have to say. Yes, they will still mock and ridicule, sneer, and possibly abuse, but they are more likely to remember words spoken with a broken heart than they are someone who does not speak with a broken heart. If your heart does not break when you hear of the way the world is going, if you hear of the state of the church, the state of the Christians, the state of the lost... then there is something wrong with you. If your heart is not broken, you cannot truly be used of God. If your will is not broken, you cannot truly submit to God.

The sacredness of God's Word is being desecrated every day... why does that not bother many? Why does that not break the hearts of many? A nation that was founded by God-fearing men is now a nation that no longer fears God. Its light is dimming, the fields of harvest growing dark with the coming night... why does this not break the hearts of many? Many want to revolt against a government system, and yet many of the same profess Chirist... why does this not break the hearts of many? Children go to hell daily. Adults go to hell daily. Elderly go to hell daily. Members of the religious crowd go to hell daily. Those blinded by the veil of sin are going to hell daily. Why do these things not break the hearts of many? Indifference, apathy, complacency, pride, self-righteousness, perhaps even fear or shame are some of the many reasons why.

Our hearts must be broken for our words to be blood-soaked...

Stumblingblocks: The things Christians do and expose themselves to that HURT others

1 Corinthians 8:9 - But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Ah, yes, liberty in Christ, one of the first and foremost excuses that many a person who claims to be a Christian will use to do the things that they do. Many of them have the "Sin now, Repent later" mentality and will do whatever it is that they want to do from now until the judgment seat of Christ without any shame. Many listen to things they are not supposed to listen to, watch things they are not supposed to watch, say the things they are not supposed to say, read what they are not supposed to be reading, slander instead of let the truth be made known (there is a fine line there), advocate another revolution or civil war when they are supposed to live a peaceable life, the list goes on and on... and people do all this stuff in the name of Jesus nonetheless!

I wonder if they realize that they are casting forth stumblingblocks for ALL who look upon them and see their actions and the fruit thereof...

Stumblingblocks... we all come into contact with them at one point or another. They are things that hurt our personal walk with God, and things that can hinder others from coming to Christ. They are things that we do and things that we expose ourselves to that may cause others to fall. What things are those? Thank you for asking. I will be going over a few of those things here in this post.

I. Music

Whoa now, wait a minute. Retract your claws and hear me out. Some of you may have already closed out of this post by now, and many others are fuming mad, and there are some of you who will read on and actually get something from it that you will apply to your life. Music is something that we must be careful about. Something we may enjoy listening to, especially those of modern Christian music, can and do cause other Christians who may not be strong in the faith to fall, and do cause alot of lost people to turn away from the Door to heaven, the Way the Truth and the Life. Do you want to be held responsible for a weaker brother or sister falling back into sin that they may have been delivered from? 

Though the song you listen to may have Godly lyrics, and a Godly message behind it, what about the beat of the song? What about the instrumentals? Do they sound like something you would hear at an Avenged Sevenfold concert? Do they sound like something you would hear at a bar? Do they sound like something you would hear at a Metallica concert? Do they sound like something you would hear on a pornographic video? Do they sound like something you would hear at a night club?

More must be taken into consideration on this than just "Oh, the lyrics sound good, and it has a good message behind it, so it is okay to listen to and blare on my iPod with my headphones in my ears, or in my car with the windows down, or in my room with the stereo cranked up all the way, because I think it is okay, and my mom says it's okay, and I believe God is fine with it."

We must take into consideration every aspect of the music that we listen to. Are the lyrics truly Godly? Is the beat one to amplify the message of the song? Are the instrumentals not too aggressive and not too sensual as to trigger a response based solely on emotion?

What would happen if you were to blare that favorite 'Christian' rap song of yours in your car while you are driving, and a lost person who knows you claim to be a Christian hears that bass pumping as you approach? What would happen if you were to blare that favorite 'Christian' metal song of yours in your ears while listening to your iPod in a library or even at a church function, and a lost person walks by you or sits by you and hears it? Better yet, what would happen if you were to be sitting in your room, blaring your stereo with your window down while listening to that favorite 'Christian' pop song of yours and your unsaved ex walks by your house while on his/her way to his/her house?

Would you want to be held responsible for someone going to hell because of your unwillingness to walk the higher road that we have been called to walk? Would you want to be held responsible for someone who could have been a mighty man or woman of God falling into sin because of your unwillingness to abstain from ALL appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22)?



II. Movies

Yes, the movie card has just been pulled. How many of you have gone to a movie theater lately to see that movie you have been wanting to see since you saw the first preview for it? How many of you have seen that it was playing the latest Harry Potter movie (witchcraft, darkness vs. darkness, and NO you CANNOT find Jesus ANYWHERE in it!), the latest Twilight movie, the latest romance movie, the latest horror movie, the latest war movie, etc.? Though the movie that you may have watched at any given time in a theater may have been considered a "Christian" movie, what do you think went through the minds of any of your lost acquaintances that may have either seen you go into the theater or walk out of it? I will give you a hint: It most likely was not "Oh wow, what a Christian." It was probably, "That Christian went into that theater to watch that movie? I could go see any movie I want to and still go to heaven just the way I am."

This is another thing that seems to be overlooked by many a Christian. The movie titles I mentioned above are just one of many that some see as alright to watch simply because it is fictional, but the darkness in them is just as real as the devil we are to be resisting every day.

III. Books

As a Christian, the main thing we should be reading is the Bible. Actually, it should be one of the only things we read. Sadly so many Christians do not take this into consideration, and they read things that go contradictory to it and ALLOW themselves to be ENTERTAINED by them. There is nothing satisfying about the works of darkness, no matter how appealing it may seem. Knowing the difference between truth and fiction does not matter when it comes to making decisions that involve the souls of men depending on you. Regardless of who you may buy it for, pick it up for, or drop it off for, if some lost person sees you, a person they know to be a Christian, dropping a book off that does not glorify God in any way (examples: ANY of the Harry Potter series, Twilight saga, 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, anything and everything that could be CONSIDERED evil), we cast forth a stumblingblock for that lost person. Even worse, what if a younger Christian saw you buying, picking up, or dropping off those things and thus has his life ruined by books that go contrary to God's word?

 The fact that we may know the difference between truth and fiction does not change the fact that our actions could potentially cause someone weak in the faith to stumble or a lost individual to reject Christ completely. There are multiple things that we must take into consideration before we act upon our desires.

I do know that there is not much scripture used here in this post. I am not trying to keep the truth hidden, I am just trying to provoke the brethren to take time and think about what they do. Our actions could potentially cast forth stumblingblocks for not only our friends, but also families, people we do not even know, and possibly even the generations to come. The decisions we make, whether we realize it or not, do have an impact on others. If we do something that goes against God, we cast forth a stumblingblock for those weak in the faith, and also those not even saved at all.

Take time to think about your actions. And before you act, search it out in the scriptures, see what God has to say about it. Anything that looks evil, sounds evil, or could even be considered evil, we are to stay away from it (1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil."), and also we are not to be in any way compromised to the world's standard for any reason(Romans 12:1-2). Take time to search out your actions in the scripture, and see if it be pleasing to God in EVERY way. If it is not, you should not do it.

Just some food for thought from a fellow soldier of the cross.

                                                        Your brother and fellow warrior in Christ,
                                                                                        William L. Payne
                                                                                      1 Corintihians 15:58

The Good Fight of Faith

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

In the Christian circle, there are various types of people that take the word of God and use it multiple ways. Some use it to cut down people and not do anything to uplift them, some use it to try and justify violent actions, some use it to try and justify their sinful lifestyle, some use it to try and justify their reasoning for spreading nothing but hatred which in turn incites nothing more than riots, and a very small percentage of Christians rightly divide the word of truth.

Here in 1 Timothy 6:12, we are exhorted to "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." In this verse, there are two exhortations given.

I. "Fight the good fight of faith..."
     Fighting the good fight of faith... what does that mean? It isn't a physical fight (Ephesians 6:10-13), it is a spiritual one (2 Corinthians 10:4). It isn't one that we can fight by carnal means (Ephesians 6:12), it is one that can only be fought by spiritual means (Ephesians 6:11-13). Anything otherwise would be in violation to what we have been called to do. To fight the good fight of faith, we must first know that it is impossible to please God in any way without faith (Hebrews 11:6), and that without faith we cannot even come before God in prayer (Hebrews 11:6), nor can we begin to understand what our focus should be (Hebrews 12:1-2). Just as we are only to move forward in our daily Christian lives, so also is the nature of the course we are to be running (Philipians 3:13-14). And if we say that our fight is physical (carnal) as well as spiritual, how can we live a peaceable life? If we hold to the falsehood that our fight is physical, then we cannot be truly interceding for our fellow man (1 Timothy 2:1-4). If we say our fight is physical, we are no better than the Muslims who kill all those who will not submit to their religion or their law, nor are we better than the Roman Catholic Church who killed those who would not convert to Roman Catholicism and submit to so-called 'papal authority'. To fight the good fight of faith, we must first realize that our fight is spiritual and not carnal.

II. "...lay hold on eternal life..."
    Laying hold on eternal life... this does not have to do with works salvation as many denominations of the church today would have us believe. This has to do with embracing the gift of God that was given to us upon accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

How can we press toward the finish line, the victory on the battlefield, if we have anything whatsoever weighing us down? If we allow the world to get us down, how then can we truly  "lay hold on eternal life"? How can people see that we are called to lay hold on it if we do not "profess a good profession"? We live in a world today that is constantly watching us, being an eye/earwitness to everything that we say/do. If we do not live what we so boldly profess to believe in, if we do not "practice what we preach" and actually take a stand on the Word of God according to the principles set forth?

We are not to literally fight against those who refuse to believe in and/or accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, for our fight is spiritual, not carnal. So often we mess this up and are willing to take up arms against those who hate Christ. Christians, we are at war. The devil is waging this war against us, and if you are willing to kill your fellow man because they refuse to accept, you are letting the devil win. If you remain silent about your faith, you are not fighting the good fight. To fight the good fight, you must stand. To stand, you must be vocal about the faith, not silent. Do you think you got saved because someone was silent? WRONG. You were saved because at some point in your life someone planted the seed by telling you about what Jesus Christ did for you. You may have rejected it continually, but eventually you got to the point that the conviction was so sore and you finally realized that you were lost and undone without Him filling that void in your heart that only He can fill and finally accepted Him as your Saviour. Fight the good fight. Embrace the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Do not be silent about the faith, do not be silent about what Jesus Christ did for you. HE DIED FOR YOU SO YOU THROUGH HIM MIGHT LIVE, IF AND ONLY IF YOU ACCEPT HIM! You claim to have accepted Him, now go and tell someone about Him!

                                                                                                   Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

                                                                                                                           William L. Payne

                                                                                                                         1 Corinthians 15:58

The Dangers of Tolerance

In a world that is growing continually wicked, there is a cry that is being sounded by those partaking in the iniquity thereof: "Tolerance," "Coexist," "Don't say that, you may offend someone." People are becoming reprobate each day, blinded by lies and turned over to their own devices. And who is it that is compromising and letting themselves be trampled on by those crying for so-called "Tolerance?" Those who claim to be Christians, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The world is not compromising a single inch. It hates all who bear the name of Jesus Christ.

There are many dangers of tolerance, and there are only three of them that we will be focusing on in this blog post:

I. Tolerance will hinder a Christian's relationship with God.

A common lie being spread around today is, "Everyone serves God in their own unique way."  It is one of the many ways a lost person or an incredibly carnal Christian will try to silence those trying to take a stand for God, His Word, and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for the sin of the people, that they, through Him, and only through Him, may live. If everyone served God in their own unique way, then that would justify every sin everybody ever committed, and thus the cross of Christ is made of none effect. Oh, wait just a minute there: WITHOUT SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION OF SIN!

Tolerance will have you believe otherwise, that everyone is okay just the way they are. That is not the case AT ALL! Everyone has sinned and is not worthy to even grace the threshold of heaven with their presence! Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." If everyone served God in their own unique manner, then there is absolutely no sin in the world. If there is no sin, then there was no blood shed for fallen man! Without the blood of Jesus Christ, you cannot stand before God justified, no matter how much you try to justify yourself!

Christians, if you are being sucked into believing the lie that is Tolerance, you are allowing yourself to be badly deceived and allowing yourself to dive into sin by condoning the lifestyle of those who hate God, and all things made by Him! The Bible clearly states in 2 Corinthians 6 that we are not to be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers," that you are to "come out from among them and be ye separate"  from them! How can you be fully committed to the service of the Lord, and yet condone Tolerance? It is an impossibility, and you cannot be fully committed to the Lord when you are at eye level with those who hate Him! Tolerance is not an option in the Christian life. Yes, we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but that does NOT mean condoning their sin and trying to justify them! If you are professing Christ, and condone tolerance, your relationship with God is hindered, and the only way to get back on track is turning back to God!

II. Tolerance will draw a Christian away from their Firm Foundation.

Romans 12:2 says, "And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
We are not to be at eye level with the world in any way, shape, or form, Christians. That includes every aspect of our lives, not just the parts we want. Either you are allowing your mind to be renewed, and thus your way of life and thinking gets transformed, or you are not and you are still at eye level with the world. Again, I say what we are exhorted to do in 2 Corinthians 6, "...come out from among them, and be ye separate." If you do not separate yourself from the world, you will be jerked down off of your Foundation, for you are too close to the edge and you will fall. This is what Tolerance does. It will draw you away from your Firm Foundation. It will draw you away from the Word of God, it will draw you away from your first love, Christians! If you are drawn away from Jesus Christ, your First Love, then you have already fallen and will only fall deeper. Tolerance is one of the many devices that the devil will use to get you away from the path that Jesus Christ is leading you down, and it is one of the many devices that the devil will use to try and destroy you. Once you are off of the Firm Foundation, you are 100% vulnerable and cannot stand, because you left your sword, the Word of God in the barracks, your shield which is Faith in the barracks. While you have on Salvation, Righteousness, and the Gospel of Peace, you have placed a cloak over Righteousness and are hiding it.

III. Tolerance will break a Christian's spiritual backbone, and render them ineffective for Christ.

1 Peter 5:8-11 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by CHRIST JESUS, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. Amen."

"Tolerance... Tolerance... Tolerance..." the world cries against you.

"You don't want to offend anybody..." the flesh pleas in front of you. 

"Give in... You will lead more to Christ that way..." the devil whispers in your ear.

Do not give in to the devices of neither the world, nor the flesh, nor the devil. The world and the flesh are two of the many devices that the devil will use against you, and the world is full of them, as is the flesh. Tolerance is just one of many, but it seems to be the one that is being spearheaded in the world today. Christian, if you give in to the world when they cry "Tolerance," your spiritual backbone will be broken, and you will be rendered ineffective for Christ until you repent and return, for you will be numbered among those who have given in to spiritual whoredom. I have seen this happen to a few of our fellow brothers and sisters who would have once stood alongside me on this.

Christians, put on the armor of God, stand against the devil and all his devices. Do not give in at any area of your life. If you let tolerance in, all other things will be right on its coattails. Only when standing on the Firm Foundation that is Jesus Christ, and only when using the sword of the Spirit, HIS WORD, will you be able to fight off anything the devil throws at you. If you embrace Tolerance for the sake of reaching a few, you will fall and they will not be reached positively by you. Remain steadfast in the faith, Christians. Our fight is getting harder with every passing day. God by His grace will sustain us, and His will will not lead us where His grace cannot keep us. Stand. Stand. Stand, even when it seems you are standing alone. And when it feels as if your strength is about to fail, keep standing: for the Lord is your strength, and He is the source of it.

Tolerance is no option when it comes to the Christian faith. Either you stand against it, or you embrace it and reject God's word in doing so. The choice is yours to make Christian, I strongly encourage you to take these dangers to heart and choose to stand against the war machine of the devil that is Tolerance.

Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

William L. Payne

1 Corinthians 15:58

The Importance of Unwavering Faith (James 1:5-8)

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth  is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 

For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."  -James 1:5-8

We live in a country that has almost anything that the world can offer, however, just because it is there accessible to us, it does not give us as Christians the reason to partake of it. Many a Christian has compromised their stand on the Bible as the word of God and as their final authority because of the way this world is heading. The world would like nothing more than for a Christian to forsake the way he/she believes and come down to eye level with the world. How can a Christian be of one mind and have an unwavering faith, if he or she is at eye level with the world? It is impossible...

We see in 2 Corinthians 10:5 where it says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"  and also 1 Corinthians 1:10 where it says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but be ye perfectly joined together in the SAME MIND and in the same judgment." and 2 Timothy 1:7 where it says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The world wants nothing more than for a Christian to either cave completely and conform to its image altogether or become a hypocrite, double minded and unstable as water. The world wants us Christians to forsake the assembling of  ourselves together, to lay down our sword and shield and put a cloak of carnality over the armor that we have been exhorted to wear into battle.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virture, and if there be any praise, think on these things."When we place ourselves at eye level with the world, we show that we no longer fully trust the word of God as our final authority, that we see nothing wrong with the way the world acts, and nothing wrong with the lifestyle that the world embraces. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
 Serving the Lord is not something that you can go through the motions doing. When you surrender to serve the Lord, you are giving Him YOUR LIFE in servitude to Him. We are not freed from the bondage of sin and the bondage of the world to go back into the world and do whatever we want to do. We are freed from the bondage of sin and the bondage of the world for the purpose of serving our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. If your faith in Him is not unwavering, if you are willing to compromise to the world standard for a Christian and not seek the old paths and do all you can to reach the standard set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ, you are double minded, unstable in all your ways, and will faint in the day of adversity. Many people look to celebrity "Christians" as role models, but when they cave, many of those who follow that celebrity will cave as well because that celebrity was an influential part of their life. We are not to place anybody or anything before God in our lives. When we do, the instability begins. When you take your eyes off the Lord, the instability begins. When you stray from the path the Lord is leading you down, you fall, you compromise, and oftentimes you will probably fail to realize it. When you fall and compromise, the word of God is no longer a joy to you, but every time you hear it preached and read it it convicts you of what you have done against Christ and you will not have joy until you repent and return to the path.

Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having unwavering faith in God. It is God who is the source of wisdom, the source of strength, the source of light, the source of life, the source of hope, and it is God who has called us all to service. We have a commission from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it is Mark 16:15. Go. Preach the gospel. Stand for Christ. Stand for truth. Stand for righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ, stand. In the name of Jesus Christ, defend. In the name of Jesus Christ, advance. This is not a calling for some. It is a calling for ALL WHO ARE BORN AGAIN, BLOOD BOUGHT, CHILDREN OF GOD. 

Be steadfast, Christians. DO NOT compromise a single inch of ground to the world, the flesh, or the devil.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." -1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Your fellow warrior and brother in Christ,

William L. Payne

1 Corinthians 15:58

The Call to Stand (Ephesians 6:10)

"Put on the armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
(Please forgive me if this is not good. This is my first blog post)

The Christian life is not meant to be a passive life. It is not meant for the followers of Jesus Christ to sit in the church pews, just occupying space and warming a seat. It is not meant to be a life lived in a vow of silence, nor is it meant to be a life lived speaking freely and doing whatever you desire to do. Church, we are a called out assembly, vessels set apart for the work of the Lord. We are called out of the world, meaning it is no longer our home, thus our citizenship is in heaven, and we are sent back into the world to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, witnesses for Christ in this dark and dying world.

We are called to put on the armor of God, to STAND against the devil. Not sit down and let him pummel us as we see so many Christians doing in this day and age. Are we going to let the ground gained by big-name preachers like Jack Hyles, Lee Roberson, Charles H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, etc. in the name of Jesus Christ be taken by the devil once again? Are we just going to sit idly by as Satan conquerors the ground we liberated from his grasp? Are we going to let denominational division keep us from standing together in the battle? Are we going to let go of our weapons and run from the fight? Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is only one way to go in the battle, FORWARD. Turning away from the enemy is making yourself highly vulnerable. Take up your armor and STAND UP for the cause of Christ. STAND UP for HIS principles, not the nearly flatline standards of the liberal realm. Our banner, the blood of Jesus Christ is flying high above us, our call to stand has been given.

What are you going to do about the sovereign call to stand, Christians? What are you going to do with Jesus Christ, since you already have Him in your heart? Are you just going to stand idly by as Satan leads people to trample His name in the dirt, or are you going to stand up for Christ, for His cause, for His principles, and not let a single particle of dust tarnish the majesty of His name?  The choice is yours... Choose Wisely.

Your fellow warrior for and brother in Christ, 

William L. Payne 

1 Corinthians 15:58