Position Statements of TSA. Do you know them and the Biblical views?

The Salvation Army’s Position Statements. Do you know them and the Biblical views?   

by Kelly Durant

2 Timothy 2:15 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.     https://www.salvationarmy.org/isjc/ips

 

2. How many of you get asked questions about your faith? Usually people ask questions like this, How do you feel about abortion? To start with, the question of how I feel about something puts the answer within a relative box, in other words how I feel and how you feel may both be valid or invalid, so how you or I feel is not the correct answer. There is a standard from God.

 

The real answer, not one based on opinions, emotions, or peer pressured replies is, what is the truth concerning this matter, or any other matter for that matter?  What is truth? Truth, according to the world’s definition is something universally consistently true and modern teachers would have you believe it is relative as well, that your truth may be as valid as my truth but that is not how it works. Most of the time things are black and white but people want to see gray so they can justify their own way instead of God’s way. Only Jesus is the truth!

 

For example, does the sun shine in the mornings? It does, no matter where you wake up on the earth. So you can see there is only one standard for physical events, and conclusively there is only one truth concerning moral, or often denoted religious rules as well, so why do people want to put truth into a feeling, or a relative perspective? It is for the purpose of the manipulation of feelings with scenarios that never or rarely exist so this conflictive person wanting black to be white and white black may contradict the Word of God in the Bible.

 

3. To be a Christian you must adhere to the Bible as absolute truth, if you do not, if you have a pick and choose faith, then you must evaluate that you are spiritually bankrupt and not a real Christian! You may be lacking in being connected to the Holy Spirit which brings you into all truth. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. Have you ever prayed and asked for the Holy Spirit in your life?

 

In general most people agree with the 10 commandments. For example, “Thou shall not kill” is a good example of how most everyone will agree that you do not want a person to kill you, or your mother, father, son, or daughter and just get away with it!  Laws exist so that the punishment for breaking them will bring consequences so peace and order are maintained. 

 

In the Old Testament it was an eye for and eye, so if you kill a life, your punishment would be to be put to death as well. And since a baby has a heartbeat after 2 weeks of inception,  technically all abortionists, and abortion participants are murderers. 1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. A murderer does not have eternal life, that is the law of God, but if a person had murdered and repented and totally changed, as in the case of Saul to Paul, then Jesus grace and forgiveness will apply. The huge factor is, ‘Is an act being done in ignorance?’ Or is it being done knowing by the law, the consciousness, and the mind that it is wrong? Willful unrepented rebellion against God’s law, Jesus grace, and a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will take a person to hell! Their spirit will be tormented and troubled now and then they die remaining in the torment. How sad not everyone does a U-turn to get back to God and live in holiness and love for forgiveness and eternal life! Only people who have done this have clear judgment, wisdom, and understanding. 

 

4. So the principles and positions Christians adhere to are all covered in the Bible. In ages past people would sacrifice their babies to Satanic pagan idols (Moloch, Baal, etc.) to be burned in the fire. That was human sacrifice, a rite condemned by Judeo Christian influenced societies but Satanist today still do human sacrifice! Also, today, aborted baby parts are sold for huge profits to bio labs. It is obvious we must remain firm against abortion because it is murder.

 

We are against alcohol and drugs because it causes people to destroy their bodies and it breaks up families as the addicted person may become demon possessed to feed their appetite for more. Many will sell their home, car, and their own bodies to get another buzz or high. 

Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. The Salvation Army rehab centers in all the major cities are full of people who have lost everything due to their uncontrollable desire to get high. What a torturous slavery!

 

And speaking of addictions, we are also against gambling. It is amazing that people will gamble away their 2 week salaries in a few hours and even turn over their homes, cars, and anything with the expectancy to win something by chance. Never start, you may have a weakness for gambling and not know it! The Salvation Army’s largest homeless shelter is in Las Vegas where hundreds show up daily after having lost everything in that cruel gambling sin city!

 

5. Another horrible addiction is pornography. It also has provoked divorces, caused salaries to be wasted on images of people breaking the law and opened the door for extreme abuse and human trafficking. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” or “Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s wife” makes it clear that God is not pleased when people lust for “strange flesh” because it breaks down the union a married couple should maintain. Single people also often destroy their ability to relate to others in a civil undebauched way. It degenerates the mind into a desire for more and more perversion leading up to ritual Satanic child abuse. Jesus breaks chains though!

 

Another is human trafficking: it is modern day slavery! We also denounce this evil as no person should ever be the owner of another person! Those that control others in order to exploit their bodies for money usually do so by intimidation and blackmail,  getting them addicted to drugs, inflicting pain, or/and by fear which threatens violence will be done to them or their families if their greedy expectations are not met. Avoid abusers, pimps, drug dealers and those bound for hell at all costs! Never tattoo yourself with a their icons and nets as they are cruel overlords! 

 

People who live abused, exploited, or addicted are often suicidal and we are against suicide as well! It is not a solution but only brings on more pain to those around them, being family or friends. I have brought up suicide as a topic before and people become very emotionally affected. But remember there is always hope in God and there are testimonies of millions finding Jesus and gaining a new opportunity to live blessed and free from destructive the voices of oppression. Physical, mental, or spiritual abuse can be overcome with Jesus power. Assisted suicide, or euthanasia, is also deemed by us to be wrong as it is God who numbers a person’s days of their life and it should never be our decision usurping God’s authority. 

 

6. And The Salvation Army decries injustices carried out by abusive authoritative powers. This makes us unpopular in certain dark places, but so be it. Have you ever seen the movie ‘Papillion’? It was of the escape of a prisoner from the a penal colony Devil’s Island in French Guiana. That island in the Caribbean off the coast of the north of South America was a horrific place of abuse and the Salvation Army denounced its atrocities and got ‘Devil’s Island shut down in 1960. http://sahpa.blogspot.com/2011/07/devils-island-by-harry-hayes-salvation.html

 

We declare we are nonpartisan and this means we do not endorse any particular party or power in any country. Why? Because Psalm 14: 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Dictators, presidents, and powers change hands often and to be associated with the deeds of one of these powers is counter-productive to spreading the good news of the kingdom of God. Our kingdom is not of this world, so what benefit would there be for us invest in this world’s unthankful, backstabbing political game of thrones?

 

We are against corruption of any kind as it creates great disparities between the rich and the poor. We are for peacemaking where division of ideals and political views exist. Getting people to make peace will invoke great forgiveness on the part of some but God wants for all love, stability, and blessings. Matthew 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

 

7. Considering the Salvation Army serves in 130 countries, we have had to take positions against certain cultural practices which involve ignorance, a waste of resources, or outright demonic rendering. Ancestral worship is to be condemned. Spellcasting, witchcraft, white or black magic, Santeria, or any ritual practice is to be rebuked in the name of Jesus Christ and overcome by fasting and prayer. Days of the dead and all evil celebrations are unwelcome.

 

We honor our day to worship God, which is the Sabbath.  The Sabbath was ordained by God at creation and set aside as a holy day for Him.(Genesis 2:2-3) Christians worship on Sundays (our Son Day), and a day of rest prevents abuse from abusive employers. All Christians should always insist on having rest, worship, and fellowship on a reserved day. 

 

As Christians we also support protecting the environment. God created the earth for us to take care of and now that the food supply, water streams, and air are so contaminated, we must conclude that money minded humans, no matter the race or country, are guilty and are not very worthy stewards of God’s earth! We believe in helping to recycle and clean up where we can and not be wasteful, at home or in our community. Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 

8. We must always care for the homeless and desperate ones so we care for refugees and displaced people. In the U.S. and abroad we attend to almost every major natural disaster. In certain countries a lot of our social services work is with refugees, so those who had to move away need attention and basic needs. Usually it is not their fault they were displaced from their homeland because they wanted it. It is often due to escaping a murderous military coop or a change of political or religious leaders, or an environmental/economic disaster. To survive, all must move at times and those that move usually leave everything behind.

 

Attending to refugees from another race, creed, or country may often provoke conditions for discrimination and racism. We condemn these and even in our Salvation Army mission statement we affirm that we attend to all, “without discrimination”. This implies not to be rude or inattentive to a person due to their gender, age, race, religion, personal sexuality, or for any reason. We are commanded to be ‘good Samaritans’ and racism is not tolerated. I saw a long time employee in Miami get fired because he spoke to several others about how evil the Jews were. There is evil no matter the race but to single one out is against the law in this country. Currently many Christians are being murdered and displaced in Africa and Asian countries. These refugees being from Iran, Sudan, and a dozen countries need your prayers! 

 

Historically, and presently certain races, religions, and different people groups pose acceptance challenges but those familiar with their Bibles know how Paul addressed the strengths and weaknesses of the Romans, Greeks, Jews, and pagans. We must apply wisdom in dealing with others different from us remembering always we are to “love our neighbor as our self”.

 

9. Finally, for the record we do not accept or endorse sin, but we must attend to those in the world with multiple sins with the hope we will (and we do) win some to the Lord. But those that say they are brothers or sisters and practice sin are fooling their selves. Today, in our end-time apostacy, in too many churches,  sins such as fornication, idolatry of praise worshippers and preachers, and the extortion of church givers for the leaders lavish lifestyles, is accepted. Woe is to them as today many churches resemble the 7 churches in Revelation!

 

1 Corinthians 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Let’s look at these condemned practices again but finish it with how we are to be.

Galatians 5: 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Our goal is to study the Word of God, to be led by the Spirit of our loving God and to never be guilty of failing to honor Him in all we do, say, think, believe, and live out from day to day! Amen.

 

Jesus Will Return: How ready Are You to Battle Until the End?

Jesus Will Return: How ready Are You to Battle Until the End?    By Kelly Durant

Matthew 24:41-43 New King James Version (NKJV). 2-21-21

 

41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

 

2. What if someone told you, “Hey, you need to train your body to be strong for a serious event that will happen to you!” Would you prepare? Let’s assume you keep have a recurring dream that you feel is from the Lord that you crash with a group of cars on the highway and then suddenly you need to be the hero lifting a 220 pound body out of a car turned upside down. 

 

What should you do about it? If you were smart and you believe in communications from God, from the spirit, you would start lifting weights to get strong because there exists a real probability it will happen and only if you are strong enough would you be ready! There is no doubt, an evil storm is coming to attack all Christians, the demons are getting empowered, and are you prepared to battle them?

 

Every Christian, no matter the time period, has had to go through horrible persecutions, and it really does appear like we are in the end times as Christians are being disenfranchised, mocked, and killed so how can you get ready spiritually? You can be ready only by preparing yourself to be spiritually strong! 

 

3. When things get tough, the tough get going! Never forget, all Christians are to be Soldiers fighting a war, defending yourself from evil. 2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

 

The rules are to obey Jesus commands! On a scale of one to 10, where are you with Jesus? Are you weak and a 1 or 2? You only tolerate the church, the Corps, and the Captains, so you can enjoy the fellowship or some benefit? Are you a 5? Half the time you complain about how things are not like you like them and half the time you are content? Or are you a 8 or a 10? You really look forward to learning about the Bible and finding a way to serve others and you know having faith is the most important thig in your life? 

 

I always pray for each of you, that your spiritual eyes will be open. Life is so much more than pleasing your own spoiled self like many lukewarm Christians do and as people of the world do today.  1 John 2: 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

 

4. I think all of us want to be more prepared for Jesus to come, to be more spiritual, but spirituality it itself is not the end goal of a Christian. The ultimate goal of a Christian must be to have a relationship with Jesus to the point you live a holy life! The goal is to be connected with Jesus so deep that He makes your mind spark with joy when you hear His Word. His Word and Holy Spirit will awaken indescribable emotions which will spark a passion that makes you just want to go out and love and do good to everyone! And warn them of the coming judgement! And do something for those who are suffering! 

 

Remember you and I have suffered ourselves in times past and it was to prepare us making us ‘better’ not ‘bitter’! How many of you have ever had a supernatural experience from a dream, a flash of a vision, or some strange circumstance in which you could perceive you were being guided by a supernatural force to get out of danger? Most everyone has! Through the good and bad Jesus prepares us!

 

You like me have probably had a near death experience in traffic and afterwards you felt like God somehow made the car brake faster than normal, or in a milli-second you turned away and only God could have saved the moment! God does have a purpose in your life, and in mine, but we must be tuned into Him to not be a deserter, or a Christian that is AWOL (Away without official leave).

 

5. If we were to travel around the world and look at every culture throughout time you and I could discover that people have always been seeking a unique spiritual experience; as humans we often want affirmation that God really is there, and He really is! The protection, the unexpected good things, all point to a God who loves us, and He wants us to love Him back!

It is a part of our spiritual nature to want to experience the unexplainable. We are emotional beings and we want to feel something to affirm that we are taken into account by God Himself. You have to be careful today as imitations, and the new age false religions or the false Christian churches, are selling fake hopes and promises filling the ears of the weak Christians with lies so they can possess them. 

 

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 

 

6. Satan will deceive your soul if you are not preparing to battle all the lies he will put in your head. He will tempt you to go to a different wealthy church where the people ‘have more fun’ without asking you to volunteer and help the poor. 

 

I have seen it over and over, the ones that leave our compassionate Salvation Army church are not humble loving souls but usually ones that are inflated with pride. These are ones who want to be recognized as extra special and get extra special privileges and be the pastors pet, but that is a pride evil that deceives souls so you and I must pray for each other and for our own selves or we are not preparing to be strong for the return of Jesus. 

 

If a person is not here, or in any church, for Jesus then they are going to get lost over time, and sadly they will move into a fellowship where the people will praise them according to their own ideas of selfish egotistical ‘I’m more spiritual than you’ standards. We need to warn the weak Christians here and everywhere that if they get deceived by the devil and lose their way, it will not end well for them. Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

 

7. If you are a blood and fire Christian, then you are saved and also baptized with the Holy Spirit fire that Jesus left for His followers and this fills your hunger for the spiritual like nothing else can! I have meet hundreds of people who have gotten ‘God bumps” (like goose bumps) just from hearing the Word, or hearing a testimony of a miracle, and being more than a feeling, the Holy Spirit literally changes (our) people’s lives! Has your life been transformed like this so that you are focused solely on Jesus and not yourself?

 

When I was a teenager I made huge mistakes in my life getting into the sins of the world. If you love music and Hollywood, Satan will tempt you to imitate those lost souls! I have seen myself and other weak Christians consume drugs, and join in with people that inflate your pride. Some get back to Jesus, but others don’t! 

 

A principle danger for Christians today is the new fake Christianity, which promises to fill your inordinate egotistical dreams. It is a temptation to be pridefully recognized for being more spiritual, or more inclusive of the unrepentant sinful folks who are there to cause dissentions. But it is all Satan’s illusion to inflate one’s pride! Satan is getting vast numbers to compromise, to leave church or to submit to some hypocritical church leader instead of the gospel Jesus taught. A little leaven of the prideful self-righteous Pharisees inflates the whole bread! Beware of politics too!

 

8. You are going to have to prepare your spirit to have enough spiritual strength for that future moment when trials come. This comes from daily prayer, the study of God’s Word, by having a rewired brain controlled by the Holy Spirit, and also with a Soldier’s mindset that you resist temptation and evil in your life. 

 

If Satan tempted Jesus, how much more is he going to tempt you to move on and fail God?! You must get ready as evil will attack you personally! You might even get tempted this month to leave the church, but those who sincerely love Jesus will remain faithful this month and for the rest of their lives until He returns.

 

Will you confess today that you have been weak and that you desperately need more of Jesus to help you to endure until the end? Not everyone will make it, only the faithful ones who hear Jesus words and obeys them. James 1:12 

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Revelation 2:10 (b) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

 

Get ready! God could take you home when you least expect it as stated in Matthew 24! Never be as the foolish person going through the chores of life who was not vigilant and ready! Prepare now for tomorrow, He’s coming soon!

Love is…Loving God and Enjoying Him! Are you preparing?

Love is…Loving God and Enjoying Him! Are you preparing? 2-14-21
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul
 
2. What is Love?  The dictionary defines love as: a deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or persons. I think we should apply this to God and to Jesus Christ as well. Love is expressed by devotion, affection, worship, prayer and in infinite ways such as in art, music, teaching, communications, media, person to person; love is shown by all means possible! 
 
3. I am not sure if you have seen this famous painting? The story behind it is back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.
Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy of Art.
After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.
They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.
Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.
When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."
All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."
Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look, look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late." For love and gratitude this paining has been famous for more than 450 years. These are the battered hands of the brother who never got to fulfill his dream! Serving with sacrifice is love!
 
4. In theology, there are certain doctrines. We learned that at the Westminster Seminary, which the Salvation Army respects, that it was determined in 1647 a principle.  What is the chief end of man? Or rephrased, what is your ultimate purpose while you live on earth? 
It is easy to say, we all know it is to love God and our neighbor as our self, but how can we define how we will do this a little better?
 
Doctrine: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!  God made all creation for us to enjoy!
How are you glorifying God and do you really love and enjoy God?...
Glorifying and enjoying God is not limited to the church as the society would have you believe. Some people expect the church, or the preacher, or Captains, to be the ones providing the entertainment and enjoyment. Too many churches are in the entertainment business today! The church is there to educate us on the Holy Scriptures and is the foundation for obtaining maturity, serving God, and for connecting us with others in love. 
 
5. Glorifying God implies a lot more than you getting enjoyment out of a message or music, or a setting where personal friendships are nice, and it must have a real connection of love with another brother or sister to make it edifying.
Enjoying the blessings of the love for God and others is a devotion you must be practicing at home and you then bring that love to the Corps for all of us to share together! If you come to only suck out inspiration, that is self-focused, and you may get disillusioned. As mature Christians you should come to give love! One couple one time in a Corp were being distant and critical and one Sunday said, “We didn’t feel the spirit today”. I replied, “Well, a few dozen people told me that they did feel it, a few dozen prayed, so I can only assume it is the spirit not with you because you came predisposed to not feel it”! 
For me to enjoy and love God is to serve Him and see lives changed! Many times Regina and I have repeated the sinners prayer with people and it is exciting! I really get pleasure from seeing other people being touched by the Holy Spirit, don’t you? You know they are feeling God’s love, the best feeling in the world! A real experience that changes people to start becoming loving creatures!
 
6. Loving God together is like when we give out the food, those of us who give in out feel as much happiness as those that receive it. Love is filling a need. Why do 1 million soldiers and 2 more million volunteers choose to serve others through the Salvation Army? Because it is the most fulfilling way to love and enjoy God there is! 
And I want to tell you some of you have been missing out on the blessings you could be getting and you are not present when good things were happening here! 
Have you ever thought about what is on your resume for God? If you are to glorify Him and enjoy Him, how do you do that? What do you study and how intensely? What is your experience? How many hours do you invest telling others about God and his love? Did you mention anything to anyone last week about your love for God? Are you studying God’s word? How many minutes a day?
If I were to ask you, show me what preparation have you done in the past 10 years to help others understand more about God and His love what could you show? Do you really have much to show for how you love and glorify God?
But on your resume of things you are learning for God’s glory some of you could show me few weekends of leadership training. Some could show me your notes from your Bible studies, Others of you could show me a few more proofs, but the reality is some of you are behind in knowing as much as you should on how to love others with the gospel. 
What does your Love for God resume look like? I don’t expect you to have all of what I have here, these things I have learned after 4 decades but this could given you be something to think about from my example. 
 
7.Bible: Read it several dozen times, and many the commentaries.
Sermons: Heard and read many hundreds
Praise: Learned a few hundred songs, in English and Spanish
Theology: SFOT Salvation Army College, (w/Trevecca Nazarene College)
Disaster Services: Certified for Critical Incident Stress Management, and Ministry support, Certified DUI instructor
Evangelism trainer: The SA National Seminar, and 14 years evangelistic experience in South America.
ESOL Teacher, Guitar teacher, private tutor
American Sign Language: ASL, worked in the deaf community teaching the Bible and completed a courses to work with the deaf-blind from the Hellen Keller Institute.
Lived in 5 different countries, and learned 3 additional languages.
 
8.Do you know why I learned all of these things? Because God put me into situations that I had to learn these things: it was either sink or swim!
I had to let God remake everything about me so I could acquire the ability to have a sincere interest in loving people in order to minister to them because that is what God commanded me to do, to love others! I started with a blank paper signed and later God filed it in!
 
But how can you and I love people unless we learn about their specific needs, understand their languages and cultures, and actually do hands on experience serving them? I am asking you…how much do you really love, know, and do? 
How much does God expect you to know? The situation is He is always waiting on you, waiting on you to decide to love more, to become more mature and to be more willing to be remade into something useful so he can bless and love you more! 
Think of church like a bank, you can only withdraw what you put in! All of us need to put our hearts into doing more with God to show our love for Him.
Volunteers use to come to give a few hours in the office, just show up for God. Just confirm what time you want to show up and there will be something for you! You could also show up not to work, but just to read or pray in the chapel, or practice music and sing praising God, or to dance. Some of you are not taking advantage of the resources that are yours here always.   
God can show you what you need. 
 
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Love for God and others will cause you to work hard at improving your resume knowledge and experience for him, about how to serve others in His creation, about how to love others into His Kingdom! It starts with you, then the connections in the church, then connections with the whole world around us! God will take you far with His love, you just need to be willing to go there. Pray for love to make you grow close to God and others!

What Love Is, And What It Is Not

What Love Is, And What It Is Not                                  Kelly Durant   2-7-21

 

1 John 3:16  (NKJV)

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 

2. When my daughter Renee was little, we would play a little game of words. She started this when she was about 3 years old. I would say to her, “I love you!” And then she would reply, “I love you more!” Then I would say, “No, I love you more!” To the which she would reply, “No, I love you more!”  And we would say this back and forth for 5 minutes!

 

Who wants to be loved? Have you ever thought about it, God gave us the natural hunger to want to be loved, right? When someone loves you, you feel in the clouds, you feel life has a purpose and you only want goodness and love for everyone else! Jesus gave us love as no other and we must explore the depth of this great love. God is love! (See 1 Jn. 4) Specifically, God Yahweh, Jesus’ Father, the great “I am”, is the creator of all things lovely and beautiful.

 

But love exists in many different manifestations. How many of you studied this in school? What is the love for a friend or the church brethren in Greek? Philia. What is the crazy love for your soul mate? Eros. What is the love for God and everyone, the giving love?  Agape. There are others, but the idea is we must learn to distinguish between what love is and what it is not. Some people might say they love ice cream, but we understand that is just an expression of what you crave, but real love is something to value and we must understand it, and share it.

 

3. What concerns me about today’s culture is that we have lost the original meaning(s) of what love is. Some love ballads in the past decades seemed to have an ability to inspire a love for a man or woman, and that love is powerful, we all want that heart need satisfied as it brings joy. Everyone I know wants someone to love and someone to love them back to make them happy. And a puppy dog or pet is often the only source of love for many lonely souls! What is wrong with people today, losing their love for others? We have moved away from Biblical truths!

 

But in this most recent decade love has been redefined into something foreign and grotesque and we must return to the roots of what love actually is according to the Word of God. Love is all inclusive, but love does not include loving those who destroy and harm. Stop and pray for common sense! Nature and God’s creation reveals natural love.

 

There has been a concerted effort in the past decade(s) to destroy love, to destroy people who love, to stop playing the music of love, and mock those who do acts of kindness in love!  Christians, in their majority are real lovers of the hurting, doing acts of love.  Jesus said in the ‘end-times’ “the love of many would turn cold”. This persecution against loving people comes from Satan himself who hates love. Satan and his demons, in positions of power and influence, hate our Jehovah God of love, and most of all he and his roaming demons hate Jesus because Jesus is the most powerful Loving One! He is the embodiment of absolute sacrifice and love for all humanity! Jesus’ love fills your spirit with happiness it saves your soul for eternity, and for Satan that means you are one that got away. You escaped his deceptions, so you are escaping his enslavement, bitterness, and hell and he hates you for it! You escape his dominion by God’s love; He first loved you, but then you must love Him back! You don’t pretend to love and help the poor, you actually do love your neighbor when you help them!

 

4. God wants us to love our enemies. Why? Because haters want to convert you into being a hater as well! Satan’s unhappy condemned followers want to infect you with their unloving disease of hate, but be wise to their game, don’t fall into their trap. Reflect on it, it is not easy at all to keep on loving when you are suffering the damages of hate. But we can only win by love!

 

Because Jesus commanded it, we will obey it! Matthew 5:43-47

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ...The idea is to do your part and try to convert these haters over to your side, to the side of love!

 

Having love, and forgiving others, does not mean you allow any person to continue to enslave, torture, and destroy you! As Christians we must be wise. To forgive evil and then think we need to let it keep happening is insanity; love means you expose evil so that the shame and punishment takes it far away from you. Love is not illogically loving those who are unrepentant and perverted wanting to keep you as their victim! These abusers want to equate lust as love and convert you into being a child of hell as they are! Many Hollow-wood people seem to adapt the same liberal politics as their abusers, which is insanity, you would think they would consider them repugnant and be the opposite! What is love? It is healing, the opposite of pain, shame, and justifiable punishment! 

 

5. Matthew 22: 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Here is a curious detail.

 

You are to love your neighbor as you love yourself. What does it mean to love yourself? Do you love yourself? But when does loving yourself go too far? How many of you love to eat? How about going out and having fun at a movie or a concert? I think most people spend most all of the money they make from week to week on their selves, right? Maintaining and loving the body God gave you is important, but it must be kept in a balance, not being excessive in consumption. Love is not doing dozens of surgeries, abusing your body, for an elusive beauty!

 

If you love another as yourself then you will feed them, do nice things for them, and even do things for those unfortunate ones you may not even like. Parents love their children. A parent’s love will even give up new clothes for their selves in order to buy new clothes for their kids. Love is manifested in being kind to yourself and others, being altruistic, sacrificial, giving, and affectionate. Let’s review what the Bible says about love; many of you know these things, but are they practiced authentically? Do you love God? Then practice these things:

 

1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 (a) Love never fails.

 

6. So, take note how love has gotten off track in today’s culture, not meaning what it use too. We must always remember that our current culture is one where “good is bad and bad is good”. Satan’ design, through social engineers and demonic influences in politics, through governments, through entertainment, and through music dominate with perversions over what love was intended to be. Love today means lust, the embracement of sin, and perversions.

 

Real love includes you and me loving sinners (we all are saved and redeemed sinners), but as Christians we must hate sin, why? Because it destroys and God’s Word commands it.  You cannot love Satan and his children and God and His children at the same time! Psalm 15:4 In whose (ours) eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord. Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverse mouth I hate. (There are certainly millions of perverse mouths on the news channels and the internet!) People today talk all about what they hate, but when do they proclaim LOVE?

 

Do not let Satan trick you into thinking you are a hypocrite if you do not “love” his shameful sins and his repugnant, evil, destructive people! Never let anyone shame you into thinking you should love and accept horrible people who manipulate with intimidation, lies, deceptions, perversions, and abuses. Satanism is sadly increasing. Much evidence proves human sacrifice is still taking place as it did in the days of the O.T. as it was with the Satanic idol of Moloch. We are on the side of those who denounce and abhor the works of evil, the practices of evil dignitaries who murder, oppress, and exploit. Do not ever let the world tell you who to hate as many mindless uniformed people go with the flow of hating Christians and good people. ‘For wide is the gate to destruction’, and how we see the flow of the masses degrading down to the gates of hell! Listen to me, and to the people of God telling you to love all people and pray for everyone near you! Jesus is the winner and He is God’s love for all who receive Him!

 

7. As a general rule what the world loves and says is “good” is actually “evil” and even Christians choose the wrong side many times because, they are not close to God! Hosea 4:6

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children”.  God warns us all not to “love the world” nor be ignorant.

 

There is a severe judgment coming for those who “love” and prefer the evil trends of the world over God’s love. 2 Kings 17:17 “And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.” Loving what’s in the world, such as idolizing politicians, musicians, actors, or any person, implies that you may be aligning yourself with people who are outright Satanic worshippers! Some Christians are so deceived they think they will go to heaven while they never proclaim a “love” for God, telling others of Jesus, or doing anything to prove they are different from anyone else in the world. Love is verb; what action do you do to prove you love as God commanded?

 

The perversion of love today is nothing new. The people of God, the Israelites several thousands of years ago, having a God of purity to guide and provide, degraded their selves to worship Satan’s idols, even giving their own infant children to be burned up horrifically in a huge bronze idol, the idol of Moloch. Imagine being so dead to love you kill your own?! The opposite of love will lead to a degradation into horrific evil! Evil must be conquered by practicing a supernatural love from Jesus that fights for the innocent, the abused, the enslaved, the broken, the hurting, the impoverished, and the corrupted soul!  

 

8. So how will you be able to give and receive real love in our degraded, perverted, abusive world of today? Only by being led by God’s Holy Spirit! It means you must love God above all things and get on your knees and beg Him to give you a loving heart for everyone, everyday! 

 

I have to do it, God has to refill me daily with love and His Divine Word to keep on going despite how much evil there is. The temptation to hate and to stop trying to love is great, but only by love is how we can win and conquer the world for God! Pray for God to send loving people as friends in your lives! God’s love is still out there and it is powerful, but you must search for it. 

 

And loving everyone includes, in particular, those in your own house, those in your family, those in your church Corps, and those in this community. I know you keep yourself alive and cared for so, “Love your neighbor as yourself!” Love everyone, even your enemies. Love is laying down your life for the brothers and sisters!

 

9. Have you heard the quote, ‘It’s not enough to love the flowers, you must also hate the weeds?’ This is how love works, it nourishes the lovely, it loves and is loved back, but love also protects the lovely and weak from the aggressive evil that comes in to destroy. God is love, but He also protects His own children and He is also a burning fire which purifies and burns away evil that gets close to His presence destroying those who would destroy. 

 

So for all aspects of life, ask God for wisdom on who to love and who to resist! Young people be careful not to fall in love with just anyone, as love is blind, and you may be investing heavily in someone who will never change to be loving as you are as a Christian. In the end, a one-way street love will dry your spirit and make you disillusioned, cold, and void of love for God and others unless you repent and heal and start over. Ask God to bring people who are true and loving in your life, otherwise you are a victim to random unloving people.

 

What a tragedy that so many people start off life loving everyone (but loving the wrong kind as well, loving what the world tells you to love) and end up getting severely burned and made bitter to the point they become haters and join other hater groups to just spout hate, hate, and hate daily over any little thing. What a sad, trapped, condemned life Satan offers when you leave God’s side. Will you repent today and learn to love what God loves? It’s clearly in His Word, do you read it? Will you hate evil and defend the things of God instead of the things of the world? 

 

Chose today, will you stand with God’s faithful lovers, the proclaimers and obeyers of Jesus’ love, message, and salvation? Or will you slide all the way down by hate and bitterness to the level of the degradation of the Satanic hater abusers? The world glorifies hate and perverseness as love, but we denounce it as deception and evil. Daily we see in the news the unloving Satanic ones of the world are falling quickly into their deserved condemnation, shame, and ugliness (and jail). The final judgment will condemn them to an eternal hell! You and I must love as many as we can out of their hell while they still have life, but they must choose love, as God taught us, to be restored. This is our mission, to love! Jesus loves you and I do too!