You are not Christian IF:

1.  If you do not believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.

2.  If you do not believe that Jesus was/is the only Messiah.

3.  If you do not believe that He was/is the WORD of John 1:1.

4.  If you do not believe that Jesus is God.

5.  If you do not believe that Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father.

6.  If you do not believe that He is the only One who can deal with your sin problem.

7.  If you do not believe that His blood is the cleansing element of sin.

8.  If you do not believe He was/is the fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy concerning the promised Messiah.

9.  If you do not believe His death met the demands of the law of God concerning sin.

10.  If you just do not believe.

You may be religious but you are not Christian!

Attempting to go before God without a Savior.

What is it that sets Christianly off from most other religions of the world?  It is that we have a Savior.  His name is Jesus.  He is the only Savior we have or need.  He has been accepted by the Father as our Savior.  When we go before the Father we always go through our Savior.  The Father then accepts us, listens to us and answer our prayers because of our Savior.

Our sins have will always keep us from going to the Father without a Savior.  It is not that we have committed so many sins.  Yes we have.  However, the problem is we are sinners.  Because we are sinners, we sin.  What else can a sinner do?  We sin deliberately.  We sin carelessly.  We sin without knowing it.  But it is because we are sinner.

So how do we approach a holy God whose eyes are too pure to look on evil? (Habakkuk 1:13)  We go through the Savior He has provided for us.  As we come to the Father, he looks at us, and He see the pure and holy righteousness of His Son instead of our sins.

The Savior He has provided has no substitutes.  You can not merely pray several times a time day and expect to be accepted by the Father.  You can not do religious things; you can not give a large amount of money; no long pilgrimages with take you there.  Not even a confession of your sins in the ears of someone is suppose to be God's representative.

Embrace Jesus for who He is.  He is the only Savior.  He can deal with your sins no matter how great.  You will be granted an access to the Father.  You will become His beloved one.

Just what is God's will for me?

For those who say that it is easy to know God's will for our lives probably are talking to the wind. Knowing just what God may want you to do requires a level of spiritual sensitivity that is more difficult than most would think.  Where do we start?

First,  you must know without wavering doubt that God does have a special calling for you.  You must know that you are not searching merely for a career or a position.  You must know that God does have a way for you to go.  It is His will.

Second,  you need to know what you gifts and talents are.  God usually does not ask us to do things that we simply have no inclination for.  There will be certain aspirations for what it may be God wants you to do.  Especially if it is to be a life time calling.

Third, A deep sense of fulfillment will settle upon you.  You will feel good at the aspect of doing what God calls to do.  You will want to do it.  You will look forward to giving yourself to it.

Fourth, a confirmation from other members of the body of Christ is very important.  They will see gifts you have.  People will be blessed by your calling and tell you so.

Fifth,  after answering the call you should thoroughly enjoy what you are doing for the Lord.  If you simply do not like what you are doing for the Lord you probably are not in the right calling.

Sixth, the will of God and thoughts of doing it will be with you day and night.  His will for you will not come and go but will simply be there each day, every night.  It simply does not go away.

Seventh, you will not be distracted by other worldly offers of more attractive, more lucrative positions.  Positions of honor, more money, pressures of various kinds will not be entertained by you.

Scriptures of interest:  Romans 12:1-2;  1 Peter 4:10; 1 John 2:17

A leaderless world is ready for the anti-christ

The turmoil of 2011 is now being evaluated.  The wars continue unabated.  Earthquakes have brought devastation.   A worldwide economic collapse has circled the globe.  False religions are receiving recognition and acceptance.  Japan hit with earthquake, tsunami, and a nuclear disaster.  Uncontrollable suicide bombers continue their mission.  Security has become the priority everywhere.

Just when the world needs strong leadership it has none.  Leaders from the world meet and talk and come out of their huddles with nothing.  The strong voice that rises above all others is missing

The Middle East has become a world without leaders.  This all started the first part of 2011 when Tunisia overthrew its leader. Egypt followed.  Country after country revolted against their leaders.  One by one the heads of countries were either overthrown or left office by force.  Some 15 to 17 Middle East countries are still in a state rebellion against leadership.

In order for the Anti-Christ to take his place as a world leader he will need a stage set for him that holds no leadership competition for him.  Countries must be willing to bow at his feet in complete surrender of their countries to his leadership.  He will not have to use force at this stage.  It will have be given to him.

What will he bring to the office of world leadership?  He will solve our economy problems by using the powers of "the mark of the beast."  He will bring all religions together to worship one god.  He will solve the Israel/Arab conflict.  He will bring world governmental powers under his leadership.

His goals will be:

       1.  One world government.

       2,  One world religion.

       3.  One world economy.

What will 2012 hold for us?  The various crisis that circle our globe will continue.  New powerless leaders will appear and go away just as quickly.  Toleration will become THE movement.  Right and wrong will be replaced by something in the middle of the two.  There will be no sins only mistakes.  Those who take a strong stand for what is right will be mocked and pushed aside.  Church's influence will continue to erode.  A false religion will make its move for domination.  Security needs will usher in the first subtle approach to a worldwide identification system.

The stage is being set for the anti-christ but it also being set for the real Christ.  He is coming.  He will be Lord of all.  Jesus the only Saviour of man will come and will not delay.  Even so come Lord Jesus.

The holy cows in Kathmandu, Nepal

The efforts to make Kathmandu a holy city are everywhere.  Temples, shrines, holy men, monks and holy cows.  From the airport in a taxi, way over its normal usage,  I raced through the city.  Our way is suddenly obstructed by holy cows.  Yes, I know many use the term to describe events but these are real cows.  They walk around as if they know that people consider them special.  They lie down in the middle of the roads and chew their belched up dinner.  They refuse to move so the taxi weaves around as if that is what is expected.  I am amused by this and question the driver.  "Is there a law that allows the cow to move about at their will?"  "Yes, a religious law."  It is a "law" stronger than the law of the land.    If you happen to kill a man you go to prison for 7 years..  If you kill one of these cows it will cost you 20 years.  The cows are a part of the reincarnation process.  The cow could very well be one of your relatives.  It could even be your grandmother.

On one of my taxi trips I ask the driver, "Do you ever eat a part of these cows?"  He looked around him as if someone might be listening.  I was the only one in the car.  "At night Sir, at night."  The holiness of these cows was brought into question.

I ask another about the cows. " Would you eat the meat of a dead cow?"  If they have died was his carefully guarded answer.  I ask about the way a cow might die.  "Sometimes they fall off a cliff."  I could not help but ask how that might happen.  In a guarded answer I understood that sometimes the holy cows are helped to fall.

So there you have the holy cows of Kathmandu.  Decide for yourself just how holy they are.

South China Morning Post and other great newspapers

The joy of holding in your hands a great newspaper is just that.  A joy.  One of first things I do in arriving in Hong Kong is buy newspapers.  I read about Myanmar's New Dawn.  Is it really possible?  Aung San Sii Kyi takes a deep breath.  She is pondering her next move.  Hillary is to visit Myanmar (Burma) December the 1st.  I read about Obama's victory in his Asian whirlwind stops.  I am not sure what the victory was suppose to be.  Thaksin former disgraced ex-preimer of Thailand refuses a pardon.  What is he up to?  Former president Arroyo has been arrested.  She has suddenly  become gravely ill.  Pope preaches in voodoo city.  Wow!  Woman risked life for a bigger bottom.  I just read them.  Whites are returning to S. African.  Maybe its not such a bad place.  Chinese people help Ai Weiwei pay his taxes.  What's the next government's harassing move?  The increasing lure of female suicide bombers.  What have they been promised?  Life in Hong Kong in an 18 sq ft cubicle. The poor are everywhere.  Tiger delivers to silence the critics.  We'll see.  A great newspaper.

Sue and I are off to a lunch with some Indian friends at their home.  Great food ahead.  I love their curry, tandoori chicken, naan, long tea, spices, spices.  Can't wait.  Got to go.

A few questions for the atheist.

What's the point?  I do not mean the point of your belief but the point of anything.  Nothing really makes much sense without God.  If there is no God then who decides what is right and what is wrong?  Right must be whatever I say is right.  You may disagree but it doesn't matter.  I decide.  Since there is no One to whom I must answer then the consequences of my decisions are rightly deserved.  You go your way and I'll go mine.  However, what will happen is our paths will cross and our rights and wrongs will clash.  I suppose it then depends on who is the strongest.  If you win then I will be forced to agree with you but that doesn't mean you are right.  It is your force that mandates the course.

If there is no God then I must act quickly to seize what I can of life because it is quickly slipping away.  I must eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow I die.  I just go away to be vaguely remembered for a time but then RIP.  What I gain in this life must be enjoyed quickly and to the utmost.  This is all there is.

Of course, I should live by some moral standard  but that is confusing too.  Who sets this standard?  Who is to enforce it.  You have no right to force your morals on me.  Further, you have no right to judge me.  By what standard do you plan on using.  If you are going to enforce your ethical way of life on me then you become god.  But you said there is no God.  I forgot.

The Bible, which is a very good book, says that it is the fool who says, "There is no God."  I can understand that. You have to be a fool to believe that.  This seems to be a foolish argument.  No God doesn't make any sense whatsoever.  This belief takes away life itself.  There simply is no real purpose outside of God.  Pleasure would have to be the only purpose and that pleasure you would have to decide on for yourself.  Our pleasures would probably not get along with each other.

Oh well, enough of this foolish talk.  There is a God and all men will know that in time.  My pleasure is in my relationship with Him.  My daily walk with Him brings a meaningful purpose to all I do.  What joy indeed.  You that have a problem believing in a personal God might want to reconsider your belief.   God is worth knowing.