In response to Message ID: 1572899


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>I know for me, and I think for many of us, software development is
>something of a "safe haven."

That is the issue. We do not need to remove God from any part of our lives. It is only when we remove God from our lives that we have the chaos this world exhibits everywhere.

There is a right way to be. It is fundamental. The Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit, The Almighty God, has arranged everything appropriately upon this Earth. It is all here for study, understanding, application in our lives. Jesus gives us the example. And we must follow Him. It is that simple.

Jesus is and teaches peace.
Jesus is and teaches love.
Jesus is and teaches us to be servants.
Jesus is and teaches holiness.

We (Christians) are not intrusive in people's lives. We come with the message of God saying, "Don't follow me. Follow Jesus. He will guide each of us to where He wants us to be." It is about Jesus, not about us. We merely carry forward His message.

The reason people get angry at Christians who profess Jesus is because there's a real enemy in this world. His manifestations are upon us in manifold ways:
(1) Original sin. We now know evil because we ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

(2) A powerful enemy. Lucifer (his name means "light bearer") was the most powerful angel, the one with the closest access to God. God's light shone through him to all of creation, and the praise and worship of all the angels shone through him back to God. He became prideful, rebelled, wanted to be God, fought a war in Heaven with one-third of the angels also rebelling against God. They lost, and were cast down to the Earth. He is now here, a powerful enemy of God, a powerful enemy of us all, as are the demons. Lucifer's new name, Satan, means "accuser" (because he accuses all of us day and night before God of all our sin). Their bodies are locked up in prison, but they are here spiritually, all around us. Formidably, but in Christ we are stronger.

(3) A host of lesser enemies, enemies of God, enemies of us. Fallen angels, now called demons. They number as 1/2 the number of stars we see in the sky today, and there are here upon this Earth. They influence our thoughts, feelings, emotions, enticing us (due to original sin) to sin even further. Only by turning away from sin, and being born again, are we able to say no to this imposing chorus of do-the-wrong-thing voices.

(4) Our own rebellion. We are at war with God when we do not follow Him and seek to follow Him in and with our lives. Our own desires to "be God" ourselves, to make our own ways, to not fall under submission of the highest authority ... it keeps us separate from God.

We are facing real issues in this world. These trivial matters of this or that, of choice A or choice B regarding the material stuff in this world ... it does not matter, except as we apply that which God has given us within this world (we must choose to use all we receive to serve God, by His Son, Jesus Christ). If we do not, we are at war with God, and we are condemned.

The host of evil voices, demonic spirits encouraging us into all manner of sin, continually rail against the call of Jesus upon people's lives. It's why they get so angry, so hostile, so purposed on silencing the voice speaking the words of Jesus, and truth of our mission here as people ... to serve God, to serve one another, to trust in God for all increase, for all things, for He is the wellspring of everything, the author of it all, the one to whom all of us must answer upon the day of our death.

People are being duped. Seduced away by their own sinful lusts into following demonic voices, when the author of the universe stands before each of us with both of His arms out saying, "Come to me, all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Jesus is real. He is this purpose of only truth, only love, only goodness, only prosperity in eternal things, of helping each other, of doing what's right, of growing toward the ability to do more and more of what's right.

Satan is real. He is the anti-Christ, the one who teaches everything except that which Jesus teaches, and says that everything except that which Jesus teaches is okay, that there is no judgment, that there is no punishment.

Satan is a liar.

There is a judgment, there is eternal punishment for all who rebel against God, who do not repent and turn away from their sin, and embrace truth. Jesus calls all men everywhere to repent, to turn away from the wrong things they've done, and to seek to follow God.

It is not a denomination. It is not a building. It is not a pastor. It is Jesus Christ. Personally. One on one. When He was crucified and gave up His life on the cross for us, there was a terrible earthquake and something amazing happened. The veil between the holy place and the most holy place was ripped in two (rent twain) from top to bottom, signifying that there are now no barriers between us and God the Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ. All can come to Him personally. No priest to go through, no pastor, no minister. Each of us can go to Him personally, and the prayers of all the believers go up continually before His nostrils, a sweet and pleasing aroma unto Him, because He cares for us, guides us, loves us, and has received us in eternity when we accept His Son, and walk in that calling here upon this Earth.

We do not need to separate anything in our life from our walk with God. They are meant to go hand-in-hand, with God actually being always first in all things, and then everything else falling in line behind our seeking after God for guidance in all things.

This is not a trifle. It's not a curiosity. It is our true calling as men, born as men, made in the image of God (all of us), in His likeness (all of us), and by His hand personally. He has a purpose for each and every one of us if we'll turn away from self, turn away from sin, turn away from falseness, and listen to Him, embracing truth, desiring more and more to do what's right, to be with Him, to walk after Him.

It is a call Christians make out to every other person who has not yet received Christ. We tell you these things so you will have the opportunity to believe. The Bible says it this way, "Those who have an ear to hear, let them hear." Our purpose is to educate, to teach, to guide, to instruct, to make disciples. We point the way to Christ, of forgiveness for ALL sin at the cross, the restoration of our souls in eternity with God, being born again of the Spirit, for no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they be born again.

This call of God is for all people. Everyone with an ear to hear.

I pray you are one of them, Hank. And my heart is as God has said about His will, that "all people everywhere will turn from sin, repent, and be saved."

Jesus has His arms out to receive everyone who will come. He is peaceful, loving, only truthful, only showing the paths of eternity. All other voices in this world that are not His are purposefully deceptive, designed for one purpose: to keep each of us distracted until we die, at which time it will be too late to accept Christ and be saved. Salvation comes while we are alive, here in the flesh.

If you hear His voice today, do not harden your heart. He is reaching out to save you in eternity, that you might be with Him forever in Heaven, as He created all of us to be (were it not for sin).