The Voluntaryist Patriot Home Divisions "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" - I Cor 1:10-13 My personal opinion is this: Denominationalism within the Christian church runs contrary to Biblical teaching. You either follow Christ or you don't. There is no other criteria that should define being a Christian. Heresies & secondary issues have divided the church for the last 2000 years. Speaking to the secondary issues, the Bible is very clear about some things while others are not so clear. Salvation is not one of the unclear things. The nature of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God The Father is not unclear. The way you should live your life is very clear. These are the primary defining elements of being a follower of Christ. Everything else is either a clarification or a secondary issue. Schisms have happened and denominations have formed over these secondary issues since the very beginning. Brothers and Sisters this should not be so. "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." - Eph 4:1-6 We are ambassadors of Christ while we remain here on Earth. We are representatives of the Family of Christ. Jesus said, "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." - Mark 3:24-25 If our Messiah Himself made it a point to say this then it should be taken seriously! Paul said, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one." - I Cor 3:1-5 This is something that has weighed heavily on my heart for years. We should be united, not divided. I do not claim any denominational affiliation for just this point. I will not further divide or endorse the division of the church. It breaks my heart that our family is so splintered and broken. I ask God to heal these fractures and restore our Church Family. Jesus Come Soon, we need you... Maranatha. #Christ #Bible #Denomination #Split #Schism #Salvation #Divided

#RIP #DollyParton

#Flock #Hunting #Facts How quiet is a silenced shotgun using bird shot compared to a silenced subsonic 5.56? How effective would it be against drones? Stationary electronics? Solar panels? And how dangerous would the shot be when returning ballistically to the ground? Bonus fact: recovered shot pellets generally can not be traced back to a specific gun... A suppressed shotgun firing birdshot is generally louder than a well-suppressed subsonic 5.56 (or similar subsonic rifle load), though both are substantially quieter than unsuppressed centerfire guns; neither is “Hollywood silent.”** Unsuppressed 12-gauge shotguns typically measure roughly 155–165+ dB peak. Quality shotgun suppressors (e.g., Salvo 12, JK SGX, etc.) commonly reduce this by ~15–25 dB depending on length, load, and measurement point, often landing in the ~134–148 dB range at the ear or muzzle for birdshot loads. Shotguns are harder to suppress effectively than rifles because of the larger bore, gas volume, and shot column dynamics; reductions are typically more modest than on smaller-caliber hosts. Birdshot itself does not dramatically change the report compared with other shot loads in the same gauge. Standard 5.56 is supersonic and produces a loud ballistic crack even when the muzzle blast is suppressed (typical suppressed levels often cited ~131–145 dB range depending on barrel, can, and ammo). True subsonic 5.56 loads exist but are uncommon, low-powered, and specialty; when suppressed they eliminate the sonic crack and can be noticeably quieter (comparable to or quieter than many suppressed subsonic .300 Blackout setups in the low-to-mid 100s dB in favorable conditions). Action noise, first-round pop, and environment still matter. Overall, a properly set-up suppressed subsonic rifle cartridge is usually quieter than a suppressed 12-gauge birdshot load. Neither reaches continuous-noise “whisper” levels; both remain impulse events that can still risk hearing damage without protection, especially with repeated shots. Real-world perception also depends on distance, terrain, wind, and reflections. **Against small drones (typical consumer or FPV-class):** Birdshot can be effective at short ranges (often cited practical windows around 25–50 yards / ~20–50 m, sometimes a bit farther with larger/harder shot or specialized loads) because the dense pattern raises hit probability on a small, maneuvering target. Multiple small pellets can damage propellers, motors, wiring, frames, or cameras enough to cause loss of control or crash. Heavier birdshot or specialized anti-drone loads (larger pellets, denser materials like tungsten, or net/segment designs) improve energy retention and effect; very fine shot loses effectiveness quickly. Range, relative speed, altitude, and shooter skill limit reliability—military and conflict reporting notes shotguns as a low-cost, short-range kinetic option with limitations against higher/faster or hardened systems. **Stationary electronics:** Multiple pellets can puncture casings, sever wires, damage circuit boards, cameras, sensors, or batteries if they strike critical components. Effectiveness depends on range (energy drops rapidly), pellet size/hardness, and target construction. Soft or exposed parts are vulnerable; robust enclosures or distance reduce effect. **Solar panels:** Birdshot can crack or puncture glass/laminate, damage cells, or interrupt electrical connections, especially at closer ranges where pellets retain more energy. A dense pattern increases the chance of multiple hits on a panel array. Real damage varies with panel type, angle, distance, and shot size; it is not guaranteed total destruction from a single shot at longer range. **Ballistic return danger of birdshot:** Pellets have low mass and poor ballistic coefficients, so they decelerate quickly and reach low terminal velocities when falling (often well under the speeds of larger bullets). Reports and analyses indicate falling birdshot typically stings or feels like being hit by small thrown objects or BB-gun impacts at most; serious injury is uncommon, though eye hits remain a real risk. Maximum ground ranges for birdshot are on the order of hundreds of yards under ideal conditions, but dangerous energy is far lower by then. This is why game shoots manage safety zones and why vertical fire is generally discouraged. Larger projectiles (rifle bullets, buckshot, slugs) retain more energy and pose greater falling-bullet hazards. All of the above are general ballistics/acoustics observations drawn from public testing, conflict reporting, and physics. Actual performance varies widely with specific firearm, suppressor, ammunition, range, and conditions. Hearing protection remains advisable even with suppressors.

Immediately When You Hear the Call of God, Answer It, Immediately! The pattern is clear in the Bible: Hear → Believe → Act Immediately. It appears again and again throughout the New Testament and should be the normal experience of those who encounter Jesus. New faith is fragile and Satan will strive to destroy it. Therefore: Believe and Act. This is the Way. Called and followed at once: ● Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew, and Philip were called personally by Jesus and immediately left everything to follow Him. ● Blind Bartimaeus (and the two blind men near Jericho) received sight and immediately followed Jesus on the road, glorifying God. ● The two blind men in Matthew 9 followed Jesus while crying out in faith, received healing according to their belief, and went out spreading the news about Him. Believed and baptized the same day / hour: ● About 3,000 at Pentecost: After Peter’s sermon they were pierced to the heart, received his word, and that day about three thousand were baptized and added. ● The Samaritans (including Simon): When they believed Philip’s preaching about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. ● Ethiopian eunuch: After Philip preached Jesus, the eunuch saw water and asked, “What prevents me from being baptized?” They stopped at once; Philip baptized him, and he went on his way rejoicing. ● Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul): After Ananias laid hands on him, scales fell from his eyes, he regained his sight, got up, and was baptized. Ananias later asked, “Why do you delay? Get up and be baptized…” ● Cornelius and his household: While Peter was still speaking they received the Holy Spirit; Peter ordered them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ without delay. ● Lydia and her household: The Lord opened her heart; she and her household were baptized, and she immediately offered hospitality. ● Philippian jailer and his household: That very hour of the night he washed their wounds, and immediately he and all his household were baptized. Then he rejoiced, having believed. ● Crispus and many in Corinth, and the disciples in Ephesus, likewise believed and were baptized promptly. Immediate change of life ● Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully and at once declared he would give half his goods to the poor and restore fourfold anything he had defrauded. ● The man born blind, after progressive revelation, declared, “Lord, I believe,” and worshipped Him. Again and again the pattern repeats: Believe and Act. Belief produces internal change. Internal change produces external action. External action produces recognizable fruit. What you must do: ● Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross as payment for our sins and was raised on the third day. ● Accept His forgiveness and His Lordship over your life. ● Repent of your sin and change your ways to align with Jesus’ teachings. ● Obey Jesus’ commands, beginning with baptism. Scripture does not say to wait. There is no better time. You are not promised tomorrow. TODAY is the day of salvation! #Today #Salvation #Immediately #Sin #Jesus #Bible #Repent

The Voluntaryist Patriot - Immediately

When You Hear the Call of God, Answer It, Immediately! The pattern is clear in the Bible: Hear → Believe → Act Immediately. It appears again an...

I frequently find it annoying when I make a change at work, that benefits everyone, and people automatically dislike it because it's new/different. Instead of impartially evaluating the change people assume it is not good. I work in a factory. I am in the same area 12 hours a day almost every day. I have one big rule I have imposed on myself: try to improve my area just a little bit every day. If this is done, then pretty soon you have a good area to work in. Nobody else is going to do it for you. If you don't like the conditions, then change them. If you are not willing to do that, then I don't want to hear you complaining.

I did not know this: Black Talon rounds continued under a different (popular) name: Winchester Black Talon rounds are no longer manufactured or sold under that name, but nearly identical (or evolved) designs continue under other Winchester brand names. Winchester introduced Black Talon in the early 1990s (around 1991). It was a jacketed hollow-point with a distinctive black Lubalox coating (for barrel protection, not Teflon or armor-piercing as sometimes claimed) and a reverse-taper jacket designed to expand into sharp “talon”-like petals. It was pulled from civilian sales in 1993 amid media controversy and political pressure (linked to high-profile shootings), though it was never federally banned or illegal. Production of the Black Talon-branded line fully ended around 2000. Direct successors - **Ranger SXT** (“Supreme eXpansion Technology”; often jokingly called “Same eXact Thing”): Introduced shortly after as a near-identical design without the black coating. It retained the reverse-taper jacket and controlled expansion. Initially aimed at law enforcement. - **Ranger T-Series** (updated around 2007 from the SXT line): Further refinements to the hollow-point for more reliable expansion, with longer/rounded petals in some versions. This is widely regarded as the modern descendant of the Black Talon design. Some loads (especially certain +P+ variants) remain primarily law-enforcement oriented, but others (such as the popular 9mm 147 gr RA9T) have become more available to civilians through online retailers and secondary channels, particularly after Winchester’s production expansions. - **Bonded PDX1 / Supreme Elite / Defender lines**: Released later (around 2009 onward). These share structural similarities to the SXT/Black Talon family (including petal-style expansion) but use bonded construction for better performance through barriers. The civilian-oriented Defender packaging is commonly available. The core reverse-taper jacket concept pioneered by Black Talon influenced later Winchester designs and industry hollow-points more broadly. Original Black Talon boxes are now collectible/scarce on the secondary market. Modern equivalents perform similarly or better in terminal ballistics testing while lacking the black coating and associated marketing controversy. Availability of specific Ranger T-Series loads can vary by retailer and restrictions.

Divine Authority Christianity is Fractured What is a Christian? This question is asked all throughout the world. People ask "why are there so many denominations" and accuse Christians of inconsistencies, intolerance, and many other things. Why is this? The bottom line is that most of the division is not over salvation issues, but rather it is over secondary issues. Thomas Campbell, a well known preacher of the early 19th century said, “Where the Bible/Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Bible/Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” While I do not agree with everything he taught, this gets a big AMEN from me. The question boils down to: Where is the authority found in Christianity? Where Does Authority Lie? Everyone agrees that God is at the top. Therefore Jesus, who is God in the flesh, also has ultimate authority. So, where did he place authority? He left the Apostles in charge. Jesus holds ultimate authority; He entrusted the foundational teaching and authority to His chosen apostles. Who qualifies as an Apostle? ● Personally chosen and commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus selected the original Twelve during His earthly ministry (Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16). He said to them, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you…” (John 15:16). Paul likewise insists his apostleship came “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Galatians 1:1; see also Romans 1:1, 5; 1 Timothy 1:1). The replacement for Judas (Matthias) was also understood as chosen by the Lord (Acts 1:24–26). ● Eye witness to the risen Christ. ● This is repeatedly emphasized as essential for authoritative testimony. When replacing Judas, Peter states the candidate “must become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:22). ● Paul defends his apostleship with the question, “Am I not an apostle? … Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1) and notes that Christ “appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:8). ● The apostles’ preaching centered on what they had personally seen and heard (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 10:39–41). ● Accompaniment during Jesus’ earthly ministry Acts 1:21–22 sets this out clearly: the candidate had to be “one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us.” This ensured firsthand knowledge of Jesus’ teaching, miracles, death, and resurrection appearances. Matthias met these criteria; Paul did not (he describes himself as “one untimely born” in 1 Corinthians 15:8) and was given a distinct commission as apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15; Romans 11:13; Galatians 2:7–9). This is a very select group including : Simon Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Matthias (who replaced Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus), and Saul (also called Paul) Apostle to the Gentiles That is it. That is all. There are no other Apostles. So, back to the question of Authority, what did Jesus and the Apostles teach? What did they say and do? What rules did they institute? This alone is what we base our faith on. This is what is recorded in the New Testament. Anything else that is taught must align with this already established authority as recorded in the Bible. The Bible is the Final authority in matters of Christian faith. What Is Required to Become a Christian? What is Non-Negotiable? ● Faith in Jesus Christ A person must believe / trust in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for their sins and rose from the dead. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9–10) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9) This faith is personal trust in Christ alone for salvation, not mere intellectual agreement or reliance on one’s own goodness. ● Repentance A person must turn from sin and self-rule toward God. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38) “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19) “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30) Jesus Himself declared, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3, 5) Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin: turning from sin and turning to Christ. Scripture presents salvation as the free gift of God received solely through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. No additional conditions (works of the law, rituals, moral perfection, or human merit) are required to become a Christian. Good works and obedience, including obedience in baptism, follow as the fruit and evidence of genuine saving faith (Ephesians 2:10; James 2:14–26), but they are not the basis or prerequisite for entering salvation. Everything else that is taught is either explanation of the above or secondary and not required. Why so much Division? The fractured nature of Christianity today is not what was intended from the beginning. Denominations have split and formed over arguments about things that are not required by the Bible. Wars have been fought over the same, or at least with that as the justification. Where the scripture is silent, be silent. Do not impose upon fellow Christians what was not imposed by Jesus and the Apostles. Verses that directly address not dividing over secondary issues (This is in the context of Gentiles and their former practices vs. Jews and their former practices, but it also applies more broadly) Romans 14:1 – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” Romans 14:3 – “Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.” Romans 14:4 – “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:10 – “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” Romans 14:12 – “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” These form the core of Paul’s instruction in 14:1–12 against judging or dividing over disputable matters. There are issues that need to be dealt with at a local level and at the discretion of the local leadership. Some local rules for the governance of the church are to be expected, but don't let them get in the way of what Jesus and His apostles taught. The basis of all of this is Love, just as Jesus said "By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another." Be a light unto the world, an ambassador of Christ. He who has ears, let him hear.

The Voluntaryist Patriot - Divine Authority

Christianity is Fractured What is a Christian? This question is asked all throughout the world. People ask "why are there so many denominations" an...

#DivineAuthority #BiblicalAuthority #JesusIsLord #ApostolicAuthority #BibleAlone #SolaScriptura #FaithInChrist #Repentance #SavedByGrace #GraceThroughFaith #WhatIsAChristian #Christianity #NewTestament #AmbassadorsOfChrist #BeALight

Maintaining intimacy is critical of you want a successful lasting marriage. Dr. Peterson reflects on the importance of conscious dating and open communication in sustaining a fulfilling connection within a long-term partnership. #JordanPeterson #Intimacy #Sex #Marriage #commitment

Society is built on and relies on a man's word of honor having value. Complex social order rests on the reliability of commitments. That reliability is made enforceable by organized force, which has historically been enacted by men. Formal state structures exist primarily to monopolize and consistently apply that force. Traditional patriarchal alignment of authority, economic responsibility, and enforcement tends to foster family stability; its erosion correlates with measurable increases in marital dissolution and related societal costs. Society functions because people can generally take one another at their word. Contracts, credit, specialization, and large-scale cooperation all presuppose that promises will usually be kept. When commitments become cheap talk, transaction costs rise and cooperation shrinks. This is an empirical foundation visible in high-trust versus low-trust societies. Reliability alone is insufficient. At scale, commitments require a credible backstop of force. Across cultures and history, the specialized application of physical force—warfare, policing, domestic enforcement—has fallen overwhelmingly to men. Average sex differences in strength, aggression, and risk-taking make this pattern functional rather than arbitrary. The same specialization appeared inside the family unit: formal authority, major financial responsibility, and physical enforcement typically rested with the patriarch. Women contributed substantially through household production, informal economies, and social norm enforcement, yet the hierarchical structure and coercive capacity remained male-dominated in the large majority of societies. Formal states exist chiefly to organize this coercive capacity. The defining feature of the state is the successful claim to a monopoly on the "legitimate" use of physical force within a territory. Law, permanent military forces and police institutions primarily serve to make that force efficient, consistent, and sustainable. Pure force without consistency is brittle. A threat only deters if the threat-maker is known to follow through. Capricious or empty threats destroy credibility; the resulting order becomes unstable and is challenged at the first opportunity. Credibility of commitments and the effectiveness of force are therefore interdependent: force makes the word binding, and consistent honor of the word makes the force usable as a deterrent. The modern departure from the traditional alignment is recent and consequential. Legal equality, mass female labor-force participation, no-fault divorce, and cultural individualism lowered the costs of exiting marriage. Empirical patterns track the change: consumer debt and financial conflict raise divorce risk; female-breadwinner households show elevated dissolution rates; marriage rates have declined and non-marital childbearing has risen, particularly among lower-education groups. These outcomes negatively impact societal stability. Declining economic prospects for less-educated men, welfare structures, and broader cultural shifts compound these negative effects. The evidence does not support a single-cause story, but it does support a significant contribution from the erosion of the older structure that linked male authority, provision, and enforcement. The reliability of commitments as foundational, organized force as the necessary enforcement mechanism, historical male specialization in that force as a functional response to sex differences, and consistency of enforcement as the condition for stable order is distinct but intertwined with pure Force Theory. Force Theory prioritizes coercion as origin and essence absent the trust described earlier. Without force, words are unenforceable, but without credible consistency, force loses its deterrent power. The historical pattern of male enforcement and patriarchal household authority is real. The interdependence of credible force and reliable commitments is real. The correlation between the modern shift and family instability is real. Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow... #Patriarchy #History #Values #Trust #Society #Instability #Force #ForceTheory #Coercion #Family #FamilyValues #Enforcement #NaturalOrder #WordOfHonor #Honor

So… LG Monitors Install Ads on Your Computer Now When you connect certain LG monitors to Windows 11, Windows Update quietly installs an "LG Monitor" app that's not for controlling the monitor — it's just an installer that pushes ads, including big pop-ups for McAfee. The app gets installed WITHOUT UAC prompts, has broad system permissions, and has started appearing even on monitors bought years ago after recent updates. Macs aren't affected. The presenter recommends the open-source Monitor Control app instead. Classic bloatware situation from LG + Windows. #Adware #PopUp #Installer #Windows11 #LG #Monitor #Bloatware

This sounds interesting and potentially useful. The Invisible Phone: Ditch #PSTN Forever – No #IMEI , No #IMSI , No #KYC , Total #Stealth Calling #DeGoogle #Graphene #DataOnlyESim #Brax #VOIP #Privacy

In the time of Jesus (first-century Judaism), the term "yoke" ("ol" in Hebrew) was a recognized metaphor for a rabbi's teachings, interpretation of the Torah, or set of commandments and instructions that his disciples would follow. Different rabbis offered their own "yokes"—meaning their specific way of understanding and applying the Torah (Law) to daily life. Accepting a rabbi's yoke meant submitting to his authority as a teacher, learning from him, and living out his halakah (legal/ethical interpretation). This was part of the disciple-rabbi relationship, where followers committed to emulating and obeying their master's teachings. In the broader Jewish tradition, the "yoke of the Torah" or "yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven" referred to embracing God's commandments and rule, often seen positively as a source of joy, freedom from worldly burdens, and alignment with God's will (e.g., in texts like Pirkei Avot/Mishnah). It contrasted with oppressive "yokes" like foreign rule or overly burdensome human traditions. Jesus drew directly on this familiar imagery. In Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV), he says: > “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - He positioned his teachings as the true, lighter yoke—contrasting with the heavier loads imposed by some Pharisaic traditions or other interpretations that added many extra rules. "Learn from me" echoes discipleship language: followers would apprentice under the rabbi, taking on his specific yoke. This fits the first-century context where Jesus was addressed as "Rabbi" and taught with authority, often engaging in debates over Torah interpretation common among Jewish teachers of the era. The metaphor would have been immediately understandable to his audience, like a craftsman-made yoke fitting well and not chafing (unlike ill-fitting or overloaded ones). It's a powerful image of voluntary submission that brings rest rather than exhaustion, rooted deeply in Jewish thought. #Jesus #Interpretation #Torah #teacher #rabbi #Bible #Authority

BELIEVING LIES There are two big lies that Christians tend to believe that change how we act in a negative way: 1) Our past and present failings, inadequacy, and fallen nature make us unworthy to speak to people about Christ. 2) Even though works do not grant you entry into Heaven, you can enter into Heaven without works. We have all heard people say that "The Church is full of hypocrites" or, "If so and so is a Christian then why does he behave that way?" Christians hear this and think that because they themselves are not perfect they are not fit to share the Gospel with their friends and family. We tend to think we will turn people away instead of draw them in to the faith. And, after all, that is the pastor's job. But what did Jesus say? "Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." Matthew 9:10-12 We are all sick. None of us is worthy. It is only by the grace of God and Jesus sacrifice that we enter His presence. And He tells us: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you...” Matthew 28:19-20 He does not say only preachers and dedicated people of the cloth should do this. This command is directed at ALL Christians. And if there is any doubt that we are all qualified, The Apostle Peter says this about ALL Christians: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9 It also says in Hebrews: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16 We are called to tell everyone about Jesus. There is no intermediary between us and Him. There is no priest to do this job for us. We are the priests, every one of us! It does not matter how much or how little you know. It does not matter what you have or have not done. Whether you are a preacher, a construction worker, a politician, a convict, a child, a grandparent, or any other kind of person, you are commanded to preach the good news to the world. There are very few things that Jesus specifically called all of us to do and this is one of the most important. It was the last thing He said before he returned to Heaven to prepare a place for us. We are not called to save sinners. That is the job of God alone. We are told to proclaim his message. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that convicts and brings to repentance. We are just the messengers. The Apostle Paul wrote "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own [a]reward according to his own labor." 1 Corinthians 3:6-8 Jesus made a promise along with this command. He said: "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 We can not earn our way into Heaven. Nothing say or do will gain us entry. Only perfection would do this but none of us is perfect "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If this is true, then how does one gain entry into Heaven? “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 “For ‘whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:13 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 So there it is 1) Recognize your guilt 2) Pray to Jesus to get forgiveness for your guilt. 3) Commit to change your ways and live by God's laws. The first act of obedience should always be baptism if possible. Pretty simple and straight forward right? Except that it is not that easy. While it is true that works do not get you into heaven, it is also true that if you are true to your faith, there will be works. Works are not a precondition to salvation, but rather a byproduct thereof. If you truly are saved, then your actions will reflect that change. You won't just sit on the couch and bask in your good fortune while others keep moving towards eternal damnation. It would be like watching as your neighbor's house burns down with them inside, knowing you can do something to help, and doing nothing. You CAN NOT live a life of Faith without works. "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." James 2:26 Jesus said "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." Matthew 7:17-21 There are many who think they are saved but are deceived. #Bible #Christian #Christ #Jesus #God #HolySpirit #Works #Grace #SolaGratia #Fruits #Evangelism #GoodNews #Peter #Paul #Romans #RomansRoad

#SesameStreet #BigBird #Elmo #Artillery