Tag Archive: con


by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

THREE CROSS HILL

It has been written about, talked about, and often repeated; “There’s nothing too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17; Mark 9:23).” Something else has been written and talked about but not repeated enough; “There’s nothing too hard for God to forgive.” Interestingly, Ahab was an example. He was the wretched king of Israel, who married a callous woman named Jezebel. Enemy of God’s prophets, she was a Baal worshipper, which means that the ceremonial killing of babies was routine. Killing prophets of God was a small thing to her! Ahab did wickedly at the influence of his wife. He behaved “…abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. (1King 21:26 KJV).”

Ahab desired to enlarge his farm by purchasing the vineyard next to his field. So, he offered to pay the owner, Naboth the Jazreelite, or give him another vineyard in trade. But, Naboth refused, because it was his family heritage. Disappointed with Naboth’s answer, Ahab went home, stretched out on his bed, and pouted. Jezebel noticed that something was wrong and asked him, “Why are you too sad to eat?” After Ahab explained what happened, Jezebel responded, “You are king. Get up and eat. Don’t be sad, be happy; I’ll get you the vineyard.” Without asking her how she would, Ahab did as she said.

Now, any other sinful “sane” person would have tried cunning Naboth out of his land or done something unsavory without bloodshed. Not Jezebel! She promptly planned murder. Jezebel wrote a letter detailing the plans to kill Naboth and signed Ahab’s name to it. They honored Naboth to set him up for a fall. Then, as she instructed, they sent men to accuse Naboth of blaspheming God and the king. The Israelites believed their lie and stoned Naboth to death (1Kings 21:13). After Ahab heard about Naboth’s death, he delightfully took possession of the vineyard which he coveted so much.

The LORD then sent Elijah, the prophet, to confront Ahab (1Kings 21:18-19) about the murder of Naboth and the theft of his vineyard. Elijah told Ahab of his awful fate because of his wickedness. After the prophet revealed the word of the LORD to him, Ahab fasted, put on sackcloth, and then laid on sackcloth. He was mournful and remorseful. When He observed Ahab’s reaction, God said to Elijah, “Look at that! Ahab has humbled himself before Me.” And then the LORD said, “Because he humbled himself before Me, I will not bring this punishment in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring it upon his house (1Kings 21:29).”

That is a mouth opener! This man married a Baal worshipper and was an idol worshipper himself (1Kings 16:31), which involved child sacrifice (1Kings 16:34). Ahab even built an altar to Baal (1Kings 16:32). God held him responsible for the death of the innocent Naboth and the theft of his vineyard. Nevertheless, Ahab received forgiveness after a fast of repentance.

Do you think you have done something too horrible or evil for the LORD to forgive??? If the LORD can forgive Ahab, you can receive forgiveness also!

It is not because there was a time that Ahab was so good that he deserved a second chance. No, it is because it is the LORD’s nature to forgive a repentant heart. It is as if the LORD looks for an opportunity to forgive. God is a merciful God. His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 100:5). He could have said nothing and immediately let Ahab slide into the deadly consequences of his wickedness. Especially since he did more evil in the sight of the LORD than any king before him (1Kings 16:30, 33)! The LORD sent His prophet and allowed Ahab the opportunity to do what he did: humbled himself, repented, and fasted.

That all happened years before Christ went to the cross (Psalm 103:12). Christ paid the price for our sins (“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23) by shedding His blood on Calvary (John 3:16). Therefore, forgiveness is accessible by anyone who has done anything such as theft, idolatry, and murder which is what Ahab did. Because Christ willingly died on the cross, it is, even more, assuring that if we sincerely repent, there is nothing too hard for God to forgive no matter the sin.

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…” Ephesians 1:7

Today’s Single Focus

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A Great Hoax

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Now, after God had created man from the dust and given him authority and then fashioned Eve to be a helpmate to Adam, which means that she also had authority, the sly snake (the devil in disguise) challenged the word of God and promised Adam and Eve that not only would they have authority, but if they followed his word rather than the word of their Creator God, they would be gods (Gen 3:1-5). Now, the Creator, by the word of His mouth, provided them a place to stay, abundant food to eat and water to drink.  God appointed a mist to come over the garden to nourish the plants (God’s supernatural sprinkler system). All they had to do was name the animals and smell the flowers, have leisurely walks and talks with God, and admire the beauty of Gods handy work; and have as many babies as possible and enjoy the process as much as they wanted.  After they ate the forbidden fruit, at the swaying of the devil, their life took a decidedly disconcerting turn. They no longer had authority. If they wanted a nice place to stay, they had to build it themselves by the toil of their hands, because the only true God, their Creator, evicted them from the garden. If they wanted flowers to smell or food to eat, they had to plant the gardens themselves by the sweat of their brow and the toil of their hands.  If they wanted to water their garden or water to drink they had to find water and figure out a way to get the water to the garden.  They could have as many babies as they wanted, but the process would not always be pleasant and the love for one another would not always be a pleasant experience.  Adam and Eve… some “gods”! Needless to say, listening to the devil was a horribly bad move (Genesis 3:16-19).

Undeniably their cunning advisor, the sly snake (a.k.a. the devil), did not merely misspeak; he knew all too well what the result would be, if one of God’s creation decided that he would be god (Isaiah 14:12).  He suffered a similar fate, but on a grander scale and awaits an even more ghastly fate. The results of his rebellion has yet to reach its final outcome (Isaiah 14:16, Revelation 20:10). Maybe he is the author of pride and arrogance. I don’t know, but I know that he is the first recorded con on earth.  He is the master of great hoaxes’ and cons. I’m sure that he is proud, but it has placed gullible men and women in position of devastating eviction and spiritual bankruptcy with eternal grievous consequences.  Cons tell you a story sprinkled with truth and overloaded with an appeal to your preferences: those things that look, sound and smell good to you. They appeal to your self-adoration, selfishness and your lust for power, position and wealth.  Take the “Prosperity Preachers” as an example.  They meet in a church and sprinkle a few words directly from the bible and tell you that you are supposed to be wealthy. Take a survey.  What percentage of their church membership is wealthy? Regardless of the percentage, I am sure that no one in that church is wealthier than that pastor.

Assuredly demonic proud and arrogant cons are in the world always spinning a great hoax; however, it used to be that the notable ones were countable on our hands. There was Hitler who said all the right things when running for office, but carried out a decidedly demonic agenda when he assumed power and position.  The word of God declared that the children of Israel are his chosen people and He has a covenant with His people. Hitler convinced the people that the Jews were the cause of their problem (real or imaginary). Though the word of God says that He made man and woman and said it was good, Hitler said that there was a better race of people: everybody that looked like himself. There was Karl Marx who taught that wealth should be equally distributed, though God has said that He gives power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) and the poor will be with us always (Mark 14:7). You see, the common thread among deceptive cons is that they always challenge the word of God.

I could go on, but I never thought that I would see the gregarious level of people buying into a con like I’m seeing in the last of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.  I’ve seen the removing of God from the schools which were established so that young kids could read the bible for themselves. I’ve seen the judicial system challenged to remove the display of the Ten Commandments which our laws are based upon.  I’ve seen school systems and its teachers bully and degrade young students, if they bow their heads to say grace or make any reference to God in their school paper. I’ve worked in the same office with people who say there is no God when even the demons tremble at His name. How foolish, if there was no God, why would the devil challenge His word? But just the other day, at the Democratic convention, as they announced their platform, there was no acknowledgement of God at all. There was a lot of mention of the government which is now become an idol.  It was when they recognized their error that I was most grieved. I was shocked and troubled when I watched them bring to their delegates the opportunity to acknowledge God, at least once, in their platform by a voice vote. They had to take the vote three times and when it was declared that the ‘Yes’ had the vote, the Almighty, Creator of the heaven and earth, the true and living God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was ‘booed’ by His created (“God is no joke (Galatians 6:7)”). To make things worse, in the days thereafter, the feeble attempt to explain their position on why God should be left out was foolish regurgitation of the words fed to them by the great con, the devil. I can’t say that we were not warned, because Paul told us that a day like this would come (2 Timothy 3:4); but I never thought that I would ever actually see a group of people in this country where there is a church or two on almost every corner, stand up and ‘boo’ the name of God. I just thought that this would never happen in my life time!

After I read their platform, decidedly they might as well have left God out, because the platform tremendously challenges the word of God.  Their platform challenges God’s definition of marriage, His value on life from the womb to the grave, His intolerance  of immorality, His provision, His appointed role for Government and His ability to keep and preserve all that He has created (Nehemiah 9:6). I mean this is a master con being played on people of a nation which God established to be a vision of hope for those who are oppressed all over the earth. But to cap it off, I was tremendously sadden to hear the national leader infer that he could harness the sun and the winds and the soil; (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28text-obama.html); roll back the specter of a warming planet and slow the rise of  (www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/03/obamas-nomination-victory_n_105028.html) the oceans and heal our planet.  And then he reiterated, just the other night, saying that global warming was something he could prevent. It was then that I saw a man who has fallen for the same con Adam and Eve fell for: “you can become as gods”.  And we know what happened to them…

It’s not so much that he and others have fallen for a great hoax. As noted; it’s the same old con. I dare say that we all fall for some kind of con, but this con and hoax is on such a grand scale that it could break a great nation which has been shaped with purpose and tremendously benefited from the grace and mercy of God. It’s about the individuals who, because of pride and arrogance, refuse to admit that they have been conned by the devil. Because of their pride and arrogance, they won’t reach out and take the nail scarred hand of the one who can save and deliver us from the depths of our sin, because they are blinded by their selfish desires and cannot see His stretched out hand nor the quicksand that they are standing on. It is He who can give us a redeemed life and wash us from our sins in His own blood and make us kings and priests unto God and His Father (Revelation 1:5-6).  So, I pray for them and I pray for all men and women who have fallen for the con of that “sly snake”.  I pray for this nation and the church, because in that auditorium at the convention were preachers and evangelist, deacons and deaconesses, and  lay men and women of God. Have you noticed who the devil started working his con on? It was Adam and Eve, a man and woman who before the fall were close to God, second only to Christ. Think about it. It’s the Theistic ones who are called by His name who have to be conned, because the ungodly world is already narcissistic.

I don’t know about you, but when I realize that I’ve been conned by the devil, I get upset with myself, for falling for it.  But thanks to the grace of God, I fall to my knees and beg His forgiveness, and I declare that God’s word is true: if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)! Consequentially, somehow, my relationship with Him grows closer and stronger. This is my prayer for each person.

Oh how He loves us and gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be crucified, buried and resurrected for such a time as this; so that, if we confess our sins and turn from our wicked ways, God will hear our prayers, and forgive us of our sins, and He will heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14)!

Alleluia, Salvation and glory; honor and power to the Lord our God, the only true and living God! The omnipotent Lord God Reigns (Revelation 19:6)…     And that’s no con!

 

“…For thou [art] great, and doest wondrous things: thou [art] God alone.”  Psalm 86:10

 

That’s Todays’ Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

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Keys

by DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)

Have you noticed that you really don’t appreciate the value of keys until you need them and don’t have them or you’ve lost them?

Take Adam, in the Garden of Eden, for example. Adam was in charge.  He ruled the world. He held the keys! He walked and talked with the Creator God who said that whatever Adam called it, that’s what it would be (Genesis 2:19). He was free to enjoy everything in the world except the fruit of one tree (Genesis 2:16).  But, when he and Eve, his wife, fell for the cunning deceit of the devil (Genesis 3:1), that one tree became his downfall.  He traded ruling the world; enjoying all the richest and fullness thereof; and close relationship with the powerful creator of the world for the fulfillment of a desire for the fruit of one tree. He allowed the word of God to become debatable (Genesis 3:1-4)…As a result; he gave up his authority and turned the keys over to the devil. All because he ate from the one and only tree he was cautioned against. One tree…!

Esau, the oldest of parental twins, held the keys of the blessings of Isaac, his father; he had the birthright. After his father’s demise, Esau would become the lord over Jacob, his brother; everyone and everything that Isaac had. He would also enjoy all the richest and pleasures that came with it.  Jacob and Esau were the classic example of sibling rivalry.  Jacob was a serious-minded con who had a great appreciation for the value of things, like the birthright…but he didn’t have the keys! Esau was a macho man.  He was rugged, outdoorsy and adventurous.  While Jacob stayed around his mother and close to home, Esau would be out challenging the wild kingdom. One day he returned famished from one of his adventures.  Esau was so hungry that he thought he would die!  Jacob, a good cook, was cooking on this particular day.  Esau pleaded with Jacob and bargained with his brother for a bowl of soup.  Recognizing his hunger, Jacob cunningly asked his brother to trade his birthright for one bowl of soup (Genesis 25:31)…and he did.  Esau, who didn’t take it seriously (until he needed it), traded his blessing (Hebrews 12:16), his right to rule and right to enjoy all the pleasures that came with rule for one bowl of soup! Unwittingly, Esau gave Jacob the keys to his birthright, his blessing; for one bowl of soup. One bowl…!

There was a time when ‘Black Americans’ had no keys. They had no rule and were denied a birthright. They have come a long way from the bondage of slavery, because of great men like the ‘White American’ and Republican politician, Abraham Lincoln, who gained position to turn the injustice around…and he did!  Thousands of ‘White Americans’ shed their blood for slaves to be unshackled and given keys of freedom from bondage.  However, after conceding that they should be free, half of the country reserved their privilege of being equal.  Though emancipated and given the keys of freedom, they continued to be treated like they were when they were slaves.  They didn’t make them work for nothing, but they withheld keys of dignity and rule. They couldn’t live in the same neighborhood; they couldn’t vote; or go to the same church. They were no longer slaves by the law of the land, but they were conditioned to live within the slave mentality.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. expressed that his dream was that man would be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the depth of his character. The problem was that in half the country, the character of a ‘Black American’ man was shredded. American children of all ethnicity were taught that the ‘Black American’ man was lazy, criminal and deserving of no respect as a fellow human being; unable to rule and undeserving of the keys. Then they positioned and conditioned him to fulfill the caricature.  Like a generational curse, they wouldn’t give him a lucrative job or distinguish position, because of the color of his skin; and then they boxed him in so that he would have to leave his family so that the wife could collect governmental provision, like food stamps and welfare checks. And he always called the White American’ man “Boss”; a reminder that he was free, but not equal…he could not rule!  Rather than give them keys to economic viability, they cunningly tore up the Black American Family and made many of them wards of the state. But the ‘Black American’ Churches and their Pastors, recognizing the value, began to head up the fight to grab hold of the keys…and they did! Brave men and women like Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually changed things.  Then visual reminders of the slave mentality, like “Colored only” signs, began to come down and ‘Black Americans’ in all the country were able to vote and be elected without restrictions. They were given the keys of rule.

Christ told the church that he has given them the keys (Matthew 16:19) of the kingdom… However, where the ‘Black American’ Churches took hold of the God-given keys of freedom and rule, too many of them turned over their keys to the politicians who were primarily on ‘one side of the political ticket’.  Forgetting that God gave them the keys, ‘Black American’ Pastors developed and continued the habit of allowing politicians to stand in their pulpits; and every election time, their congregation obediently voted for any and every politician that was allowed in their pulpit. The character of a man and God’s view on the matter began to be less important than their ethnicity, political affiliation and the pleasurable sound of cunning words promising governmental provision for all their wants.  Even though; it was that ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians who stood on the steps and said they would not integrate their schools and were former KKK leaders and members who withheld the keys, noticeably, national ‘Black American’ politicians, from that ‘one side of the political ticket’ (in general) started speaking their slave mentality language at every election: “Vote for me, the other guy will not give you provision, because of ethnic and social bias.”  Disgracefully, former ‘Civil Rights’ leaders are accepting pay from the ‘Boss’ to say what the ‘Boss’ says to say to the ‘Black American’ constituency…and many call themselves “Reverend.”  When you have once powerful preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ preaching the doctrine of politicians every Sunday morning and at funerals too, apparently somebody traded their keys for a con (Luke 11:52).  Jesus said He knows what you need, but seek His kingdom and righteousness first and all these things will be added to you (Matthew6:33); what you need He will provide! He gave you the keys! Somewhere along the way, too many ‘Black American’ politicians have traded concern for ‘Black Americans’ to not mentally live as slaves for their own personal desire for worldly riches…And you can tell that they are cunning their ‘Black American’ constituency, because every election time, they have that same theme “ethnic and social economic bias” (Genesis 3:5) and God’s view is debatable (Genesis 3:1-4). Unwittingly, too many Pastors and their churches have traded their keys of the kingdom for their bondage to the government(Luke 4:5-8).  They are being conned by the devil, and his cons come in all colors; just like the colorful snake in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1).

Landlords rent out houses or apartments and every once in a while they have to take back the keys and make the tenant vacate the property, because of their property destruction, continuous tardiness or not paying the rent. How long have the same politicians been given the keys, yet instead of building up the Family they are helping the destruction of it and now supporting the redefinition of marriage and the infanticide of ‘Black American’ babies? They have been in office for decades and the issue is still the same…could it be time to take back the keys?  I’m not saying that they shouldn’t participate in the voting process, but I am saying that it’s time to give the keys to those who have a desire to make you economically viable; restore the family; value you as a human being and not as a con’s “mark”; and not consider the word of God debatable! It seems to me, that the same ‘one side of the political ticket’ that institutionalized bigotry and denied their right to rule (withholding the keys) is still exercising bias, boxing them in with cunning and disguised words promising all their provisions while killing their babies and destroying their families; enslaving the minds of ‘Black Americans’…stealing their birthright (Luke 11:52).  Maybe we should take a closer look at the character of a man and not his ethnicity, social economic status and/or political affiliation.  I’m just saying that maybe we need to take back the keys!

Now that they have kept the Black American Family tore up (72 percent of ‘Black American’ children are in a single parent household.*) and unemployed (14.4% of the unemployed are ‘Black Americans’ **); the cunning ‘one side of the political ticket’ politicians are talking class bigotry. I do not resent my neighbors (of all ethnicities) down the street who have keys to million dollar homes and top of the line automobiles.  I try to find out how they did it and seek the glory of God as I follow the process of hard work and faith, because I want keys like that.  Let’s face it; even though the politicians have it, they don’t intend on helping ‘Black American’ ‘wards of the state’ to get it (Beware of holes in fences. People don’t naturally come into America to be enslaved, but to be free…)! Furthermore, we aren’t employed by the poor…I thank God for the rich who have employed me!

Surely (as some already have) all will break away from mental and fiscal governmental dependency, enslavement and idolatry; cease from being conned and recognize the value of the keys; because the Creator created all men to rule and be free… it’s our ‘birthright’!  As truth is revealed, it’s clear that it’s time to take the keys back! Jesus says the truth will set you free (John 8:32). “Whom the Son set’s free is free indeed (John 8:36).”  That’s where you start taking the keys back: knowing the truth and the value of the keys!  Christ is truth and light! Let Christ set you free! That’s why He died on the cross (John 19:18) for you and me. If you know Christ as your personal Savior, consider His point of view as non-debatable (He cannot lie (Titus 1:2 )) and as more valuable than ethnic and political points of views or desire for gain.  Politicians are saying, “vote for me and let me feed and clothe you; let me decide how and whether you live or die according to your ethnicity, social economic status and /or political affiliation.” God says that “I am all that you need. I am your provider (Philippians 4:19); I will give you ‘life’ and life more abundantly (John 10:10)!” Make a decision to value the keys and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and “all these things will be added to you (Mathew 6:33 )!”  Let God be your governing authority, your source…your provider!

God created and gifted each one of us with a purpose (2 Timothy 1:9). That purpose is not to be beggars or wards of the government, but free to use our gifts and prosper from it and He provides all that we need! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalms 50:10) and all things were made by Him (John 1:3)! Let God be your one source and He will give you abundant life, no matter your ethnicity or social economic status! He has the keys! Which king, president, prime minister, reverend or politician has recently volunteered to be beaten and die to give us the keys…? Christ did (John 3:16)! He loved us so much that He volunteered to be beaten; to be bound to a wooden cross and to die so that we could have the keys of freedom, rule, blessings and everlasting life… no matter our ethnicity, social economic status or political affiliation. He died so that we could have a close relationship with the mighty God and enjoy all the pleasures that come with it!

Before you allow yourself to be conned out of valuable keys for one tree; for one bowl of soup; or one governmental provision; for one bag of richest; or one distinguish position; for one ethnicity; or one desire; for one …think! “Are you trading your close relationship with the Almighty God and all the pleasures and riches that come with it; Are you trading your ‘birthright’, your blessings, your freedom; are you trading your keys…for one (Hebrews 12:16) ?”  Look at what Christ wants to freely put into our hands…the priceless keys of the kingdom…!

You see, with the keys, whatever you call it, that’s what it will be…!

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Keys….

That’s Today’s Single Focus…

see my original creative gift ideas:  http://www.zazzle.com/dmartinpub/?pg=1#homeProducts

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

References:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=keys&t=KJV

*http://newsone.com/1195075/children-single-parents-u-s-american/

**www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/06/news/economy/black-unemployment-rate/

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