Doing the Reasonable!

Romans 12:1  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. 


Romans 12:2  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.
      

Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins, so that we could partake of the salvation He has offered, and then just do whatever we feel like doing.  He calls us to mortify our members daily!  Mortify means to kill, or to cause to die.  That means that we should do a daily "checkup" on our selves and kill the "cancer" of our own selfish will, and give our desires , finances, etc. to Him.
       In order to present our bodies to God a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable, we need to consider the following things:  what does God regard as holy and  acceptable?  He wants us to look  like a Christian and represent Him!  


2Corinthians  6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 
He simply asks us to come out from among the world.  We should reflect Him and all His holiness.  If a person was a son or daughter of a king or queen,  they would sure act like it, dress like it, etc.- they would be proud to show others who they are!
     My question is, why are we not proud of who we are?  We are the adopted children of our Lord and Creator, so shouldn't we want to be different than all others who are not Jesus' children?  Are we ashamed of who our Father is? Many would say, "Surely not!"
 Well...............then why do the children of God strut around in worldly apparel, do worldly things,  go worldly places, and talk like a foul-mouthed heathen?  Simple!  You ARE ashamed!  You obviously wish to blend in with the world! 
Luke 9:26  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.


If we are who we say we are, then we need to stand up straight and tall, and act like it, and that's just our reasonable service!!!!!!!!


Acts 2:38, John 3:5....Be not only a reader, but a doer of the Word!


Sister Hannah Caudle 
         

Stedfast with God

Psalm 78:1 Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psalm 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Psalm 78:3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Psalm 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

Psalm 78:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:

Psalm 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Psalm 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

We are living in changing times. The culture of America today is more anti-God than every before. This is all the more reason for us to be more involved with living for God than ever before. Because there should never be changing times in the church. When did school programs, social gatherings and athletic events become more important than the work of God? Since when did spending time with our friends become more important than spreading this great gospel? Young and old need to be more involved with the cause than ever before. Since when did a skirt automatically qualify for modest dress? Just because its a skirt (which it better be for women) doesn't mean its modest. Furthermore with some when did it become right for women to wear men's apparel, and vice versa? When did it become OK to resemble the world in our appearance, our attitude, our entertainment, and our morals? When did prayer become optional? When did fasting become old fashion? Who made it OK to call Pastors and saints alike by their first names without titles brother, sister, Pastor, etc. attached? Worse is the changing of doctrine; when did it become acceptable to God just to make a confession alone, or to be baptized any other way outside of Jesus' name? I never got the memo from the Lord that said we could now be born again without the Holy Ghost, because the truth has never changed. Really who do we think we are if we are of those that believe we do not still have to follow the old paths? It still takes repentance, it still takes the infilling of the Holy Ghost, it still takes Jesus name baptism to be born again. It's still holiness or hell. We still have to dress right and modest. We still are required to live separate from this world, and to abstain from the very appearance of evil. Praying is still not optional for a child of the king, and fasting is a must. We must gather together more and not forsake the gathering of ourselves together. It is still honor to whom honor is due. We don't need another rebellious generation rising up that doesn't know God. Those who claim Pentecost and claim the born again message and are forsaking what they once were need to wake up for their our sake and for their children's sake, before it's too late

I want to be steadfast with God. If God has not changed and we have his spirit inside of us, just like those before us, then there is no reason we should change our view on carnality and sin. Truth is still truth, right is still right, and sin is still sin.

Lets fight a good fight, lets be steadfast with God. 

-Bro. Caudle

Old College Paper-- Ignorance

Scared of the Light
Justin Caudle
Eng. 111
Ignorance Research Paper

Scared of the Light?

Are you scared of the light? That seems like an odd question in a society where the dark is associated with fear. But when the dark becomes common place then the light becomes the unknown. When one’s awareness of the truth diminishes, they then begin to find themselves in a state of ignorance. Being ignorant doesn’t mean that one is unintelligent but rather they are uniformed of what is true and of what is real. (Wikipedia)  In essays written by both Fredrick Douglas and Plato, ignorance is defined from both a scholar and a person who admits that they once were in ignorance. Plato uses imagery and an allegory to represent humanities ignorance (Allegory of a Cave), but the difference between light and darkness being compared to the difference between truth and ignorance was not only used in Plato’s essay but can also be found many times in the Holy Bible. Jesus spoke of humanities ignorance in his message when he said, “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Holy Bible, Matthew 13) The message that Jesus Christ and the book that he inspired preaches is often misused and misunderstood not because people are unreachable but rather because they are ignorant to the light, and are afraid of anything outside of the normalcy of their darkness. The same blockade of ignorance that the followers of Jesus Christ face is similar to the rejection that the character in Plato’s allegory faced upon their return to the cave. Throughout the book of John the terms darkness and light are used to represent good and evil, one scripture says that men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Here once again men’s natural state keeps them bound because of the change that is required in order to enjoy the light and truth. 


Ignorance is bliss is a statement that almost everyone has heard. Not knowing the truth of the matter; or either being to unmotivated to discover it, can cause one happiness? In the case of being ignorant of the message of Jesus Christ would this statement be true? That question is simple, no. The statement Jesus made concerning those that had closed their eyes to his truth was not directed at the non-believers, but rather those that are ignorant of his truth among believers. If one is a non-believer then that’s that, but if one is a so-called believer then shouldn’t they have understanding of the message they believe. Just as the humans in Plato’s Allegory of a Cave knew only the illusion that were shown to them, so is today’s “Christian” world. The chained individuals in the cave knew only what they were permitted to see by the authority over the cave, in today’s society believers are content to follow the teachings of particular men or women rather than directly follow the scriptures. If these individuals didn’t claim the Christian faith then that would be understandable, but when the message of the men and women they follow doesn’t fit the message of Jesus Christ line upon then they are found in ignorance of the truth. Often this is a willful ignorance, just as those that were in the cave where not persuaded enough to leave so is the ignorance that is facing the Christian religion today. Tradition has bound their heart into believing a lie. It is easier to believe a lie that you have heard a thousand times, than the truth that you have heard once.


A slave whom later found freedom after learning to read and write Fredrick Douglas said, “…in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.” (Learning to Read and Write) There could be no better plan against ignorance than the one Douglas lay out, to leave ignorance one must be willing and hardworking. That’s why the plan against ignorance of the scriptures, is as Paul lay out to his son in the gospel Timothy, to study to show one’s self-approved. That’s why the writer of Hebrews said as newborn babes desire you the sincere milk of the word that you might grow thereby, the truth of the scriptures is available to them who are willing to search it out. Jesus said search the scriptures for these are they that testify of me.(Holy Bible) All of these Biblical references tell us that one must make an effort to not be ignorant of the truth. As Plato described the difficultly of the human adapting to the light of the true world so is the difficult of one ignorant of the message of Jesus Christ of adapting to the message he preached. So what is the message of the light that a dark cave of illusions doesn’t show? The message in the light of the Christian religion is the gospel of Jesus. His gospel was not a gospel of just say you believe but rather a gospel of obedience. That’s the very reason there are so many willfully ignorant of his message, is because of the reproving of the light. The light makes one not talk about change but forces them to change. That’s why Jesus said, “…every one that doeth evil hateth the light…..but he that doeth truth cometh to the light.”(Holy Bible) By ignorance many are scared of the light and don’t even know it.


Isaiah the prophet wrote that line must be upon line and that precept must be upon precept, here a little and there a little righty dividing the word of truth.(Holy Bible) Once again it is evident that one must be willing to search and look for truth to find it. Not just partial truth, but the whole truth. The application of knowledge is just as important as knowing what one knows, Douglas said that his newfound education had given me the knowledge of his state of being comparing it to a horrible pit, yet he was still without the ability to apply that knowledge in order to escape the pit saying he had no ladder.(Learning to Read and Write) This is why as in the case of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Bible records that then opened he (Jesus) their (the disciples) understanding that they might understand the scriptures, and how that repentance and remission of sins would be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And that’s just what they did, beginning at Jerusalem in Acts chapter 2 the apostles began to preach that message of repentance and remission of sins that had be given them by Jesus himself in the commission. They were not hindered by individuals’ ignorance but rather they showed forth the power of the one who had sent them forth to preach his gospel. They went to many a people stuck in many a caves and those that were willing and obedient ate the good of the land just as the prophet Isaiah had said it would be. (Holy Bible)


So what is the truth behind the light? What must one do in order to be a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ? Jesus said, “…my sheep hear my voice”, but he didn’t stop there he went on to say, “….and they follow me.” His message of belief is one of obedience. True believers according to his words would receive his spirit in them, and according to the writings of Luke in Acts chapter five he states that the spirit is only given to them that obey God. So in order to be a true believer one must be obedient. The writer of Hebrews wrote that he is author of salvation to all them that obey him, and it is stated that upon his return he would take vengeance on them that obey not the gospel. In today’s “Christian” world there is a message of many paths to the same place, well if the message of Jesus Christ is correct then that is not so and is an example of men’s ignorance to what they say they believe. Throughout the Bible God states that beside him there is no savior, and Jesus whom was God in flesh stated that he was the way, the truth, and the life and that there was no other way into the sheepfold than though him. (Holy Bible) So either the message of Jesus Christ is wrong or the message of modern “Christianity” is wrong. Just as the figures shadows on the wall had become all the chained humans knew so is the scriptural knowledge of professing “Christians” today. They only know what one has taught them and made to seem true rather than following directly the message that they profess to be their basis’s for life. They follow after the commandments of men rather than those of God as Jesus said. (Holy Bible)


The message of the Bible is clear and available to them willing to come out of their cave of normal habitation and discover that there is one God and he is on their side. That’s the message the Bible preaches. True Christians should be a light of that message just as the figure in Plato’s story tried to relay his experience back to the others held bondage by what was false. The real message is that God was manifested in the flesh, and that he gave up that flesh whom was his only begotten son so that those that believed in him could be saved. And as true believers they would obey in order to fulfill by grace through faith, because faith without action is dead. Thereby they would believe not only that Jesus was real but that his message was real, by believing in the words he spoke. That if they believed and were baptized they could be saved, that if they did do these things that they could have his spirit which without they are none of his. Peter and Paul both preached this message, Peter in Acts 2:38 and Paul in the sixth and eighth chapter of Romans. This message completed Jesus and the words he said when he said a man must be born again. Throughout the book of Acts this is the same message of salvation that was preached by the apostles and according to the scripture that is the foundation we are built on. (Holy Bible)


But much as in the case of Plato and Frederick Douglas when the true message is given forth it seems foreign and is pushed to the side as if it is the illusion. To them that are in the light and have the revelation it is the very thing that drives them to try to share it with others, but some believe that ignorance is bliss. Ignorance is found in so many different avenues of society and one of them is the ignorance of people of and the faith they profess. And its hard to help one in the darkness if you yourself have yet to truly fully see the light. Ignorance will make one afraid of the light.

Letters to The News

Letters to The News: