To Be or Not to Be Free

John 5: 43 - '...I have come in My Father's name, yet you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you shall receive...'

This sums it up pretty nicely:

This was a response from an article in Houston where the Mayor is filing subpoenas for pastors to turn over their sermons that may contain anti-homosexual / anti-lesbian material

To whom it may concern:

Hello, I'm an American. As an American citizen, I have the right to live out my dreams, express and uphold my convictions and beliefs. As an American, I also applaud others who share the same rights as I have - even if their convictions and/or beliefs contradict mine.

More to the point, we have in this great country a community of homosexuals and lesbians. We also have another community of transsexuals and trans-genders...all of which are currently living out their dreams, expressing their convictions and beliefs > what a marvelous country we live in, where we are able to do this!

Unfortunately, we have a disturbance in these communities. There are those who believe that it is their right to restrict other expressions of freedom in order to exalt their own. This line of thinking is not only anti - American, it's Communism at its finest...

Is this the country men and women died and fought for? We bled, so that people could have the right to express themselves, WITHOUT the restrictions of others because it may contradict others who oppose it.  For example, an atheist should have the right to express their opinion about different faiths unrestricted; a Christian should have the right to express their opinion without being restricted by others who oppose...lesbians should have the right to express their beliefs without interference...yet, we live in a society today where this is happening.

I want America to be a place where all walks of life can walk without being restricted to do so. From the church house to the white house. If I do not agree with the lifestyle of a lesbian, homosexual, atheist, Christian, Buddhist, etc...I SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO.

I do not hate Christians if I disagree with their beliefs, I do not hate homosexuals if I disagree with their beliefs, I'm simply exercising my right to express my disagreements, my opinions, and my beliefs...that's what makes us Americans...that is what makes us FREE.

Do not take that away from us...let America remain American!

Mental Ambush

Phil. 4: 2-9, 'I implore Euodia and I implore Syntche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever things are pure, just, noble, lovely, of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.'

This is probably the most quoted scripture that is often disobeyed. The book of Philippians is filled with spiritual content concerning the MIND. We now, live in a day and age where the mind is literally under assault. The devil through the generations of men have always sought to take us out physically - time and time again, he would establish a kingdom, and time and time again, it would fail. This latest kingdom however, is a mental ambush. 

If we are simply fed a pack of lies and half - truths concerning life, God, and one another - we'll adopt a 'mentality' that will negatively affect our thought life outside of God's will. The book of Daniel and Revelation warned us that this would happen; yet there are still believers out in the world who simply follow blindly, not realizing they are being sucked into the devil's web of lies.

Our thought life has to change! The way we process life must flow the filter of God's word, not the latest television program; however, this is how we, and our children are being conditioned and shaped. What terrified and horrified our parents and grandparents is accepted today like nothing is wrong...abortion, sexual immorality, rebellion, anxiety, depression, alcoholism, etc...these things are considered normal. Somewhere, our brains got turned off, and the devil has poured out lies unending...the Word asks, 'Who's report do you believe?' Well, which one? Do you believe what the media is telling you, or are you willing to discipline yourself with God's word?

Phil. 2: 5 - 'Let this mind be in you, that is also in Christ Jesus...'

Here's a quote from the book, 'Switch on Your Brain'...‘You are a thinking being. You think all day long, and at night you sleep, and you sort out your thinking. As you think you choose, and as you choose you cause genetic expression to happen in your brain. This means you make proteins and these proteins form your thoughts; thoughts are real physical things that occupy mental real estate – moment by moment every day you are changing the structure of your brain, through your thinking and through your choosing.’

How do you live your life?

Can God deposit His life into your mind? Or is it preoccupied with what you've ingested from the world?