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Forgiveness. Who Are We To Judge?

Wednesday 26 June 2024 Tim Leave a comment

Photo: Jesus and the woman taken in adultery.

I was talking with a friend recently and they asked my opinion whether I believed there would be anything beneficial gained from doing an anger management counselling course… because they are going through life angry.
Taking this course was to be an act of ‘self-help’ because they wanted to overcome their anger and ‘find peace’.
Having done an anger management course myself many years ago I said that I benefitted from it, and that she probably would too.
It was then that she confided in me what was the chief source of her anger… a shocking, callous act of double betrayal… Infidelity.
I believe this took place along while ago, yet she has been carrying this stone in her heart for a long time.
She’s had enough and is now looking for a way to unburden herself from the deep anger and hurt: explaining to me that talking with her son he said to her “…I hope you find peace Mum…”
She replied… “I’ll never forget this… I’ll never forgive it, and when I die I won’t be at peace…”
The way she expressed this… that she would carry this grievance to her grave caused me to stop in my tracks (mentally speaking) for she was talking about *very heavy* moral realities.
I could see the pain she was still feeling… and burden of carrying this conviction of having been grievously wronged.

Now after hearing the sordid story, and seeing my friend does not like what her bitterness is doing to her life… I shared with her my Christian perspective hoping that might provide a pathway whereby she might find peace.
This conversation is the reason I have written this Blogpost.

It is the Christian perspective on Forgiveness.

Before I lay out the central principles, let me state that what happened was wrong, and she is justified in feeling hurt and betrayed. Trust was broken, and so it is easy to see why on these facts some might say she would be fully justified in taking her anger to her grave… yet what does this anger achieve?
It does nothing to solve the hurt… in fact carrying this perpetually only adds pain and misery upon herself.

Carrying anger and unforgiveness is a form of self-torture!

The issue is… can any valid reasons be found to forgive the wrong she has suffered?
Is there any way my friend can put down this heavy weight and enjoy the future free from anger and hurt…and at the appointed time… go to her rest with peace in her heart?

I began to share my Christian perspective on forgiveness…

Forgiveness is a fundamental tenet of Christianity as it lies at the heart of Our relationship to God.

The Bible tells us We are sinful and fallen beings in jeopardy of God’s judgement for our evils.

“There is none righteous, no not one.”
Romans 3vs10
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”
Romans 3vs23

This is one of the primary facts we must admit *about ourselves* if we are to any hope of ending our separation from God… *We ourselves* are sinful, imperfect and have committed evils against God, and our fellow man.

Never be so self deluded into assuming our own sins we’ve committed against others as being ‘Far less wicked’ than any sins we have suffered from others.
Satan laughing spreads his wings!

How then… given this is true about ourselves… how can we possible stand in self-righteous Judgement of others?

We can’t.

Jesus said ‘that by the same measures we use to Judge and condemn others… God shall use to judge us our selves!
So that by coldly judging others… in fact we condemn ourselves for we are guilty of the same kind of things… ie we are not perfect… we have committed evils we ought to answer for… even if they are not identical to evils we have personally suffered at the hands of others.
We have done despicable things and hurt others too.
Realising our own imperfection, and our own guilt…. from this we discover *our own need for God’s forgiveness*… and the forgiveness of others we have wronged.

We must never forget that we ourselves actually deserve to face Divine judgement. We have all stolen things that don’t belong to us… We have all told lies and deceived others… we (adults) have all committed various types of sexual immorality, for many of us that includes Adultery… yet in spite of all this Evil on our own part, The incredible message of the Bible is that God has loves us and want’s to forgive us all!
We can escape the just judgement of the Almighty… Why? How? Because God is not merely a Righteous Judge. He is also a Loving Father… and full of Mercy and grace!

The Christian Gospel tells us that… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son [Jesus] that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life…”
John 3vs16
The Apostle Paul say’s “God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us…”
Romans 5vs8

Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, so justice has been served in Gods eyes… as far as our sins are concerned. He settled our debt to God. He’s already satisfied God’s justice!
Jesus was sinnless… yet he died for My sins… he died for your sins… he died for everyone’s sins whosoever will look to his cross in faith.
When Christ rose from the dead, this testified to his victory over sin and death.

So believing this good news, I now have faith that when I die I shall not face judgement for my many evils. They have been paid in full by Jesus. and my loving heavenly Father [God] did all this so he could forgiven me!

” For by grace are ye saved, through faith. and that not of yourselves [our own faithfulness and righteousness] *it is the gift of Gift of God*.
Not of works lest any man should boast…”
Ephesians 2vs8,9.

“Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved…”
Romans 10vs13

So many people do not understand who the Lord God of the Bible is! They think he is a nasty Cold vicious Judging God, when in truth he is Love and full of grace!

Don’t let Satan deceive you about the true nature of the God of the Bible.

Receive God’s gift of grace and have assurance of God’s forgiveness for our wicked deeds. Believe the gospel and you shall be forgiven.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
Titus 3vs5

And having received to forgiveness of God… by pure grace… how then can we remain unforgiving of others whom have wronged us?

Remember what Christ said to his disciples when he taught them to pray…

“Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Amen.”
Matthew 6vs9- 14

Now it is important to know that under our gospel given to us via our Apostle Paul that our salvation is a free gift and not dependent upon us ‘forgiving others’ as Jesus taught his Jewish disciples, for we Christians live today in a different part of God’s plan, and are under a different gospel to the one Jesus offered to Israel… yet reading Jesus words we can still clearly appreciate the hypocrisy that is involved when believers who hope for the forgiveness of God for our trespasses yet we ourselves are not prepared to forgive others whom have trespassed against us!

Who pretends to have lived a sinless life?
Who among us have not learned terrible lesions the hard way?
Who has not in the past done things which today they deep regret and had they opportunity to turn back time… they would not repeat those grave errors?
Who among us have not repented in our hearts for our wicked deeds?
Who among us could stand were we to be held to account for every great evil we ourselves have committed?
Who among us does not need forgiveness and a second chance to be better people?

Knowing the grace and mercy of God toward us ought to fill us with wonder thanksgiving, and humility.

To anyone who wrongs us we ought to say “We are fortunate that Jesus has paid for all the evils you and I have committed, and has provided a way for us to be forgiven by God… therefore for his sake and the great mercy he has shown me, I likewise forgive you for I cannot remain hard of heart in the face of God’s grace and mercy towards myself.
Trust in the Lord and the Salvation of his Cross, and you too can be forgiven by God for your sins.

Thus it is knowing the richness of God’s grace towards ourselves, we ought to be able to find the High Path… the better way to live… to chose to be like our Good and loving and wise Heavenly Father… Like Jesus Christ himself.
Become a vessel of Grace!
This is the will of God.

Now I hope in considering these Christian truths than my friend will appreciate why she ought to unburden herself from harbouring unforgiveness… Jettison That cold hard stone in your heart!
Free yourself… rest in the peace of God Almighty.

I will finish with Christ’s most famous of sayings when the Pharisees brought before him a woman caught in adultery to test him saying the Law of Moses says she should be stoned to death!
But What sayest thou?

Jesus said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…”
John 8.
King James Bible.

Amazing Grace!
How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found.
Was blind but now I see.

And let us never forget the chaos and hurt our evil deeds cause to God, and our fellow man…

Tim Wikirwihi
Christian Libertarian.

The Truth is in Retreat. The Global Kingdom of the Antichrist is at hand . Is The Age of Grace coming to a close?

Sunday 13 December 2020 Tim 18 Comments

There is good reason why the UN has been labeled as the modern day ‘Tower of Babel’ in that it seeks to place all of the Nations of the world back under one Brutal Godless King to rule them all… just as Nimrod ruled before God broke up his kingdom and scattered the Nations for the very purpose of placing limits on Human Power and Authority.
Nimrod was a type/ an example/ a forerunner of the Antichrist to come.
It is no coincidence that the Socialists seek to reunify that which God himself divided, and to restore the power of a Global Dictatorship.
The socialists are the minions… the children of Satan… doing his bidding,

Satan’s Gospel of Globalism and the New World Order is as we speak going out to all nations… Deceiving and being deceived.
The level of Guile harbored against Good people who stand in the way of the approaching flood… esp against Donald Trump… is at psychotic levels… even among those who ought to know better.
Satan laughing spreads his wings.

One particular group who demonstrate a sever rabidity of the mind and who are incapable of rational thought when it comes to Trump are the Anarchists.
Many of them… most of them (the only one I know of who is not like this is Victor Pross) are completely consumed by contempt as to be incapable of objective discussion… none more so that the petty Self important Anarchist spokesman for American Anarchists Larken Rose.
Now Rose couldn’t think his way out of a wet paper bag… his arguments are always puerile and founded upon falsehoods, and no one displays a complete lack of character better than he as he revels in the ill fortunes of those he despises.

Remind you of anyone?

An example of this is below… Rose Gloating that Legal attempts to expose the Rampant Voter fraud in the US Elections are not meeting with any success.

As usual Rose is full of crap.
One of his Fans shared this with me today to get my reaction, knowing I myself have been a Stalwart supporter of the Case against the Democrat Party of grand Scale Election fraud, and that I have had hopes that this would be upheld in Court… esp the Supreme Court.

Though it looks like my hopes may indeed be dashed I am at peace in my own convictions and faith.
I am not in the dark… as many.

No Irony in Anarchists tell us to trust the System… nooooo.

It still is not game over, yet it does appear that *despite mountains of evidence* and the fact that *Constitutional Laws were violated* and Electoral safeguards were flouted in every way imaginable… that those most trusted to defend the Nation from being taken over by these very means, are themselves either too spineless to make the call, or have themselves been compromised.
Ie they want Trump out… and Biden in… because they have been duped into believing the Globalist lies of Covid, Global warming, and the Great Reset… ie the Supreme Court has become politically activist.

In such cases the last resort is for the people to enact the principles of the 2nd amendment. They have that right… in fact it is a Duty.
To take up arms against the Usurpers.
Ultimately Tyranny can only prevail when the people slumber or have been rendered helpless by Arms control.
It will be interesting to see what happens as until all Legal avenues have been exhausted the Republicans have remained calm, yet now that it looks like they have been betrayed by the Supreme Court… what will the do?
The Supreme court probably has done ‘a Chamberlain’… thinking ‘Peace in our time’ is better than defending the constitution and having a civil war… possibly an end of the Union… and yet It is doubtful they have avoided this.
Some fights cannot be avoided… only delayed… and usually that delay works to strengthen the Evil powers, and weaken the Good… Like the postponement of abolition of Slavery for the sake of the Union simply delayed the war and made it more bloody… So too By allowing Biden and Harris to assume power and ‘act as if they are the legitimate government… and allowing them take command of the Military, and giving them opportunity to pass anti-second amendment legislations… all this serves the power of Evil.
I believe we are witnessing the foundation of the Global Kingdom of the Antichrist.
Evil prevails when good men do nothing… and that is what is happening with respect to the Supreme Court.
There is only a few legal avenues left. Sidney Powell’s court case will be the final hope.
Yet if it pleases God to allow the Prince of Darkness to begin his final infernal plot… even her noble efforts will not prevail against the corruption, and we all better share the Gospel with our friends and loved ones because the Rapture is at hand… the door of Grace is about to close for all those who reject Christ… Strong delusions are afoot so that the wicked might all be deceived and take the Mark of the Beast.

The corruption of Humanity will be complete.

This time will at first appear (3.5 years) the dawn of a golden age as the Antichrist will appear to be a ‘Christ like’ Savoir riding ‘a white horse’… yet he is Satan’s King.
Then Chaos shall descend upon the Earth for 3.5 years and Death, plagues, and destruction shall swallow up Humanity… and the Angel thrusts in his sickle….
When God decides the e3nd of the age of Grace has arrived, these things cannot be prevented.
The Great Lie will prevail… and that is precisely what I am seeing happening right now.
This is a signal for Christians to stop storing up things for the future but instead busy themselves with the gospel that the final remnants of those who are to be saved hear and receive the gospel… for our time is coming to a close.
The faith of many will fail them. Though they will still be saved… ‘the salt of the Earth’ will have lost it’s saltiness’ and the Rot will quickly spread… a spirit of blasphemy and contempt for the Bible will spread like a disease… times will not be easy for the Christians…. until the Day of Redemption… the Rapture.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Christian Libertarian.

Rev 14
14 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Christian Libertarianism, Consciousness, Easy Listening, Faith, Free will, Gospel music, Heroism, Hope, Humour, King James Bible, Kingdom of Heaven, Liberate your Mind!, Love, Merciful Grace, Miracles, Revelation, Righteous Rants, Salvation, Theism, There is a God!

Tim the Toolman: Jesus built my Hotrod.

Friday 1 April 2016 Tim Leave a comment

244bf6f3676434cc1509885469a7d574

2000 years on, The Gospel message about ‘The Builder’ Jesus Christ still works it’s life changing…. saving power.
All the Atheist Lies and darkness in this world have not dimmed the Light of truth.
It shines for anyone who doers not love the Darkness… for anyone who is not willfully blind.
Below is the testimony of another popular and Successful person who is proud to be a Christian, and who encourages others to trust in Christ.
I give thanks to God for his testimony.
The Gospel of God’s grace is the most important truth that all human beings must choose to embrace… or be damned…
It matters not if you dont like the choice… it is unavoidable… each and everyone’s *own choice* will determine where you spend eternity.
The fool has said in his heart ‘there is no God’.
The heart of man is deceitful above all things… and desperately wicked.
It is appointed unto man, once to die… and after this… the Judgement.
God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners…. Christ died for us… and rose again the third day in victory over sin and death.
Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Tim Wikiriwhi
Christian Libertarian.
Dispensationalist.
1611 King James Bible believer,

crime2

Tim Allen Shares The Heartbreaking Story That Lead To His Faith In Jesus. (qpolitical.com)

Tim Allen may be known for his hilarious jokes and handyman hobbies, but there’s a side of Tim Allen many haven’t seen.

Tim Allen believes in God. And if you meet him in person, you’ll quickly learn that he’s unashamed to tell you so.

But Allen doesn’t claim to be a perfect Christian. In fact, he admits that many of his life’s deepest struggles are what caused him to turn to Christ.

Tim Allen hasn’t always had it easy.. Like many celebrities of our day, Allen wrestled with addiction and alcoholism in his younger days.

Allen’s father was tragically killed by a drunk driver when Tim was only 11-years-old. Through the unimaginable grief, Tim struggled to pick up the pieces.

After his father’s tragic death, Allen questioned whether if he had prayed harder or had been with his father that fatal day, he could have prevented his death. Not knowing where else to turn, Allen found comfort in drug and alcohol abuse.

On October 2, 1978, Allen’s life took a dramatic turn when he was arrested for possession of over 650 grams (1.43 lb) of cocaine. Allen pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and was released after serving two years and four months in federal prison.

Don’t talk to the police

Thursday 13 August 2015 Richard 2 Comments

Dead men don’t talk to the police. But what if you’re alive? Don’t talk to the police.

Easy Listening, Freedom, Gospel music, Keeping It Real, Love

Head Games. Three Dog Night, Foreigner, and Heart rock out in Whitianga New Zealand 25-1-15

Tuesday 27 January 2015 Tim 5 Comments

HFT

The Three Dog Night / Foreigner / Heart Concert in Whitianga last Sunday was AWESOME! … a fact completely wasted on NZ media … with it’s severe lack of coverage of this event… and so I’m writing this post to in some small way REPRESENT the appreciation We Kiwi fans have for the Musical Genius these Folk spread about our Country … a show in Taupo… one up the Coromandal peninsula, and one more due to kick off in Queenstown on the 31st.

During the Show my mind was buzzing…. I had been waiting 30 years to hear Heart and Foreigner… not that I really thought I ever would see them…. And yet there they were!
I was experiencing a very special moment in my life…
I was back in the 80’s … West Auckland…. sitting on the floor…. Back against the wall of my friend Terry’s sleep out… Smoking Bags of Weed… drinking as much of the cheapest nastiest piss as we could afford… Wall to Wall Wasted Wallies head bangin to a scratchy rendition of ‘Cold as Ice’… on the cheapest Crappiest portable turntable ….
Life is Grand!

My Blog tribute may not be the greatest they have ever received, yet I Hope they know just how special this Day was for thousands of people just like me… We were humbled by their presence.
It may have just been just one more show to them… yet for us fans… it’is something we will remember with immense happiness..

During the Gig… several different ideas for a blog post lighted upon me…. Each better than the last…. Yet because I did not bring a pen and paper… they divorced me almost as quickly as they arrived… do you think I can remember any of them now?
Nope!

It was Hot…. and I was Drinking…. A lot…. 🙂
So was everybody else yet the mood was sooo cruizie … peace reigned… the only spoiler was a silly fat bitch sitting beside me who complained that Joy (my wife) was partially blocking her view of the big screen… even though we were sitting in the very best possie available… a mere 70 feet from the stage!
Monster!
I told her to get a life.

That was the only ill spirit that appeared that day… I didn’t even see one Coppa… the crowd were havin a Lazy Sunday…. Well done all!
I got Jiggy.

Three Dog Night were Cool as…. Absolute Maestros…. 15 albums.
They joked with the crowd and told yarns about their Heydays…. How they came to write their songs… what was the stimuli… the expedience.
I leaned over to my friend and expressed my wonder… Gob smacked…. “Never did I ever expect to hear them playing these Classic Famous songs”.
Their spoof ‘modern/ Rap version’ of ‘Mama told me not to come’… had us wetting ourselves with Glee!
FANTASTIC!

Closing encores with their New Release… ‘The Prayers of the Children’ … about the children suffering in War Zones… had us Dumb struck with tears.

Flower Power mixed with the best Harmony…. They just don’t make music like that any more…. unless you are 3 Dog Night!
And that was something I noticed about all three of these Bands… a definite and purposeful spirituality… Even Lead Singer for Foreigner… Kelly Hansen… was calling for ‘Hallelujahs’ from the crowd!

1513781_10152720529778667_9105124453803111456_n
Foreigner Rockin out in Whitianga… Gig Photos by David Wolfe.

And what a Singer Kelly Hansen is!!!!!
BOOM!
He had all the woman fizzing at the bung!
His Voice is like he stepped out of a 70’s Time warp!
Classic Rock vocals worthy of the company of Paul Rogers, Peter Green, … Watch out Chris Cornel!
Foreigner songs are like a Male strip show… Provocatively Stud-ly… not just any wannabe can sing them with credibility…. Yet no problem for this showman!
He had a great rapport with the crowd.
My Girlfriends all tell me that Foreigner were the highlight of the Day… and I agree.
They Banged out Hit, after Hit, …

I was there especially to see Heart.
BOOM! Nancy Wilson walks on stage… Sun Glasses, Guitar… and Luscious Golden Blonde hair!!!
Stunning!
She’s only 60.

oh yeah
Heart Rocks Whitianga New Zealand 25-1-15 (Photo by Wolfy… David Wolfe)

Hearing their songs… ‘What about Love’….. ‘Crazy on you’… brought tears to my eyes.
Stealing Lyrics from Foreigner “I’ve been waiting for you” Heart for 30 years… and now there you are… performing for me…. Thank you… thank you…. I love you! 🙂
Just fantastic.
The reason I give the day to Foreigner, and not Heart was because of the extra effort Kelly made to connect with the crowd… the fact that Heart didn’t even bother putting up any Backdrop… and that they finished off on Led Zep covers… which were bloody awesome… yet I would have rather herd more of their own stuff.

Unlike poor old Meatloaf… All these Old Rockers still have it!
They baked themselves for us… the stage facing the direct Sun.
We were blessed with a slight breeze which took some of the Heat Bite away, yet Anne Wilson was dressed in Black lace…

ferryyyy

Caught the Ferry across to the other side and within an hour we were back at my friends Bungalow… more music… more booze….
EPIC DAY!
Thank you Heart!
Thank you Foreigner.
Thank you Three Dog Night…. For taking the trouble to come all the way down to the bottom of the world to share your awesome Art…. And your awesome souls… with us Kiwis.
YOU ROCK!

Well done Greenstone Entertainment!
Very well organised events… very reasonable price!
Thanks for bringing these legends of Rock to God’s Own country.

Tim Wikiriwhi.
Music Critic Down Under.

Gospel music, Luke, Salvation, Slechtvalk

Salvation is by works (Part 1)

Thursday 8 January 2015 Richard 12 Comments

Here’s the preamble to the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” (NIV)

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that salvation is by works.

How do you read it?

Alice Cooper, Christian Libertarianism, Gospel music, Merciful Grace, Miracles, Salvation

Alice Cooper; ‘My life is dedicated to follow Christ’

Saturday 27 December 2014 Tim 1 Comment

Alice_Cooper_01

Alice Cooper says he loves God but doesn’t want to become a ‘celebrity’ believer.

The father of shock rock whose music and stage antics have outraged parents for more than 30 years told how the fear of hell turned him to God.

Alice Cooper, who sang about necrophilia and chopped up baby dolls during his concerts, said that although he continues to record and tour with a theatrical horror-style show, “My life is dedicated to follow Christ.”

Although he became a Christian in the 1980s, apart from brief comments in some interviews the 66-year-old singer has always been guarded about his faith – until now. But in a frank interview with a Christian music magazine, he spoke at length publicly for the first time about his love for God and reluctance to become a “Christian celebrity.”

A chart-topper with the teen anthem “School’s Out,” Cooper – who legally changed his name from Vince Furnier – has been credited with paving the way for performers such as Marilyn Manson.

But he maintains that his act was never political or religious and always had “a sense of humor.” He told HM: The Hard Music Magazine that he was always insulted whenever he was accused of being satanic. Raised in a Christian home, he still believed in God, although he was not committed.

That changed when alcoholism threatened his marriage. He and his wife, Sheryl, attended a church with a “hellfire pastor.” Cooper said he became a Christian “initially more out of the fear of God, rather than the love of God … I did not want to go to hell.” Interviewed for HM’s March/April issue, Cooper views his faith as “an ongoing thing.”

“Being a Christian is something you just progress in. You learn. You go to your Bible studies. You pray,” he said.

He has avoided “celebrity Christianity,” because “it’s really easy to focus on Alice Cooper and not on Christ. I’m a rock singer. I’m nothing more than that. I’m not a philosopher. I consider myself low on the totem pole of knowledgeable Christians. So, don’t look for answers from me.”

Yet he has been able to speak to others in the music scene about his faith.

Read more >>> Here <<< And... Alice Cooper Goes to Hell. Nek Minnit!

Jimi vs Jesus.

Crimson Thorn, Gospel music, Voluntary Euthanasia

RIP Brittany Maynard

Monday 3 November 2014 Richard Leave a comment

Jesus said they’ll know Christians by our love
Do not judge or you will be judged
Holier than though, have you never sinned?
The Bible says all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Jesus came for the sinners, not the righteous
All men are sinners
He ate with sinners and had compassion for them
God poured our his love and the sinners turned and followed Him

Holier than thou
Turning people off to God because of despisement in your voice
Holier than thou
Pharisees and Sadducees
Holier than thou
Show compassion for those who do not yet know Christ
Holier than thou
Love the sinner, hate the sin

If they were only shown the love of Jesus and not your despisement and condemnation

For God so loved the world
That he gave his one and only Son
That whoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have everlasting life
For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world
but to save the world through Him

Satan loves it when you make a mockery of God’s love
Claiming to be a Christian but spitting venom and hate
The Bible says the world will hate Christians, because it rejects Christ
Not because we acted like a bunch of jerks
Turn your self-righteousness into humility
Accept others with their faults as God accepted you
Who made you a judge, holier than thou?
It makes me want to cry to see the harm you do

The sinner you see may have never before been shown love
Pain may be all they know, but Christ can heal their wounds
As ambassadors for Christ it’s our job to lead them to Him

They should know we are Christians by our love
The Bible says they’ll know we are Christians by our love!

Gospel music, Proverbs, Renascent

Seek me while you can!

Tuesday 30 September 2014 Richard 1 Comment

Wisdom calls aloud in the street
She raises her voice in the public squares
At the noisy streets she cries out
In the gateways of the city she makes her speech

How long will you simple ones
love your simple ways?
How long will mockers boast
and fools hate knowledge?

I would have poured out my heart to you
And made my thoughts known to you

Seek me while you can
Or it will be too late
Then you will call to me
But I will not answer

Since you rejected me when I called
Since you ignored all my advice
And would not accept my rebuke
I in turn will laugh at your disaster

How long will you simple ones
love your simple ways?
How long will mockers boast
and fools hate knowledge?

I would have poured out my heart to you
And made my thoughts known to you

Seek me while you can!

They will call to me
But I will not answer
They will look for me
But they will not find me

They will call to me
But I will not answer
They will look for me
But they will not find me

Since they hated knowledge
And did not choose to fear the Lord
They will eat the fruit of their ways
And be filled with the fruit of their schemes

The waywardness of the simple will kill them
The complacency of fools will destroy them
Whoever listens to me will live in safety
And be at ease without fear of harm

How long will you simple ones
love your simple ways?
How long will mockers boast
and fools hate knowledge?

Epistemology, Gospel music, I Built The Cross, Romans

Sensus divinitatis

Wednesday 3 September 2014 Richard Leave a comment

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (NIV)

A while ago I borrowed a friend’s copy of the New Scientist’s special edition, the God Issue. (Note to self: Return it!) Contrary to the tiresome claim of online atheist trolls, that everyone’s born an atheist, it turns out that

The vast majority of humans are “born believers”, naturally inclined to find religious claims and explanations attractive and easily acquired, and to attain fluency in using them.

Justin L. Barrett, the author of the article, then goes on to say

This attraction to religion is an evolutionary by-product of our ordinary cognitive equipment, and while it tells us nothing about the truth or otherwise of religious claims it does help us see religion in an interesting new light.

Of course, Barrett would say that. And, of course, that’s not the only explanation of human beings’ natural tendency to theism. Reformation theologian John Calvin wrote that

God himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men with some idea of his Godhead, the memory of which he constantly renews and occasionally enlarges

Calvin explains, Barrett explains away. The distinction between explaining and explaining away is an important one. I think the consistent atheist/Naturalist incurs an unfeasibly costly explanatory overhead.

But that discussion’s for another day. Really, this somewhat shallow blog post of my own is just a protracted excuse to post some awesome Christian deathcore from awesome Christian deathcore band I Built The Cross.

For somewhat greater depth on the current topic, I recommend Glenn Peoples’s awesome blog post Born Atheists? Science and Natural belief in God.

See also Psalm 19:1 (for something a little more soothing).

Eternal Vigilance