DWELLING

Posted on 2025/09/05 by JimR, Chaplain

This morning I chose to look at Psalm 15:1-5. (1) LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; (4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (5) He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

The phrase “Who may DWELL”? The study summation says. . . the Hebrew of the phrase “who shall dwell” does not suggest “living in,” but rather “visiting with”—that is, being acceptable to come into God’s presence.

I have to take issue with this train of thought by the Berean, John W. Ritenbaugh.

I am a word study person. The word for DWELL in this verse is:

shâkan, shaw-kan’; a primitive root (apparently akin (by transmission) to H7901 through the idea of lodging; compare H5531, H7925); to reside or permanently stay (literally or figuratively):—abide, continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-er), have habitation, inhabit, lay, place, (cause to) remain, rest, set (up).

The word SHAKAN does not indicate the idea of visiting. It says without a doubt that the DWELL here is indicative of residing or permanently staying. Not a VISIT mentioned anywhere in the definition.

The question at hand asks “Who may dwell”. The rest of the verses tell who they are. There is a people that will meet this criteria and go into and permanently stay in God’s presence. Enoch was one such person of human origin who did.

Gen 5:24 – And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

I firmly believe we that follow the guidelines in the text of “Who will” will in fact go to dwell permanently. Not just visit.

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Gift of Infallibity

Posted on 2025/08/20 by JimR, Chaplain

I have recently come to find the Catholic church has a supposed Biblical gift I was not aware of. The Gift of Infallibility. I tried to look up the validity of it, and all I got in my searches refers to Catholic websites. This comes as an authority from the magisterium.

First Vatican Council, 1869-1870: Pope Pius IX leading his cardinals across a plank of wood placed on the ice, watched by Mr Punch.;

The magisterium of Roman Catholicism is the special teaching authority of the Church itself. According to Catholic doctrines, this teaching authority resides only within the Pope and Catholic bishops. This implies that only those doctrinal statements that proceed from the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) can be true. It also means that, at times, the teaching authority of the RCC is uniquely free from error, a property called “infallibility.”

The question is whether the idea of papal infallibility agrees with Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church views the papacy and the exercise of infallible teaching authority as essential to guide the church and prevent it from error. But we should examine Scripture:

1) Scripture nowhere declares that Peter was in authority over the other apostles or over the entire church (see Acts 15:1–23; Galatians 2:1–14; 1 Peter 5:1–5).

Scripture shows that Peter’s authority was shared by the other apostles (Ephesians 2:19–20) and the “loosing and binding” authority given to him was shared by the local churches, not just their leaders (see Matthew 18:15–19; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Titus 2:15; 3:10–11). Thus, the foundation of papal infallibility—the existence of the papacy itself—is not scriptural.

Nowhere does Scripture state that the authority of the apostles was passed on to those they ordained (the Roman Catholic teaching of apostolic succession). Paul does not call on various churches to receive Titus, Timothy, and other church leaders based on their authority as bishops, but rather on their being fellow laborers with him (1 Corinthians 16:10, 16; 2 Corinthians 8:23). What Scripture does teach is that false teachings would arise even from among trusted church leaders. The written Word of God is our infallible guide. Not the Pope with some supposed gift of infallibility. Nowhere in Scripture is the magisterium of bishops taught and treated as of equal weight with Scripture. What history has shown is that, when any other source of authority is given equal weight with Scripture, that second authority always supersedes Scripture in the end (such is the case with the Mormons’ other accepted writings and the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watchtower). Catholic catechisms include many doctrines that are not found in or based on Scripture. The Immaculate Conception of Mary, for example, was declared official dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854, although Scripture says nothing about the circumstances of Mary’s birth. For Roman Catholics, it is the church that has final authority, not Scripture. In contrast, the Bible teaches that Scripture itself is sufficient to guide and train and equip for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). What’s important is not who is teaching but what is being taught (Galatians 1:8–9).

There is no need for Roman Catholicism’s teaching of apostolic succession and papal infallibility, for Scripture states that God has provided for His church through the following:

a) Infallible Scripture (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; Acts 17:10–12; 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Isaiah 8:20; 40:8; etc.),

b) Christ’s unending high priesthood in heaven (Hebrews 7:22–28),

c) The Holy Spirit, who guided the apostles into truth after Christ’s death (John 16:12–15); who gifts believers for the work of the ministry, including teaching (Romans 12:3–8; Ephesians 4:11–16); and who uses the written Word as His chief tool (John 17:17; Psalm 119; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). In summary, the Bible speaks of only one abiding, infallible guide left by God for His church. It is the written Word of God, not an infallible leader (2 Timothy 3:15–17). And, as the Holy Spirit carried holy men along in the writing of that Word (2 Peter 1:19–21), so He indwells, fills, guides, and gifts members of the church today (1 Corinthians 12 and 14; Ephesians 4:11–16).

With the exception of the first paragraph above, all of the information to this point was obtained from the following site: https://www.gotquestions.org/papal-infallibility.html

Now, for my take on this supposed gift. Catholicism is not Christian. It is a false “religion” set up to control the masses. Such doctrines set up by the church were to keep the people in ignorance of scripture, as is seen in the above research. I must insert here that I’m not Catholic, nor Protestant. I’m a follower of Christ. Religion doesn’t play in my thinking. Relationship with Christ is the key to being a follower.

Matthew 7:21-23 – Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Knowing God equates to our personal relationship with Him. Personal relationships are born of personal experience. In the last chapter, Job responded to God with:

Job 42:5–6 – I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore, I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.

Job didn’t know God as well before his ordeal as he did after, through his personal experience. He did not know why he was being afflicted, but in the end God revealed Himself to Job in ways Job had not known before. Their relationship grew. The verses above delineates the difference.

Since the day Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis on the door of the church, and Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, the veil the Catholic church put up (I equate to the veil in the Temple, which was rent when Jesus was crucified) has been rent as well, exposing the fraudulent Catholic church.

There is no such thing as the assumed gift of infallibility that the Catholic church posed over its followers.

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A Book’s Cover

Posted on 2025/08/16 by JimR, Chaplain

I’ve “seen” people every day when working at NHCL, and didn’t know if I wanted to get to know them because I wasn’t attracted to the way they looked. I got to “know” them and found them to be good people. From this, I learned that one should not judge a book by its cover. Some of the best “book covers” don’t have a story inside worth telling. It is best to engage with everyone before deciding how to view the person as a whole.

I copied this from a Facebook post as a prime example.

At a High School Reunion, a group of successful alumni—now doctors, lawyers, business owners—decided to visit their favorite teacher. They chatted about their careers and families, but soon the conversation shifted to life’s pressures, stress, and constant chasing after more.

After listening for a while, their teacher smiled and said, “Hold on a minute. I’ll go make us some coffee.”

He came back with a large pot and a tray full of cups—none of them matching. Some were fine porcelain, others were plain ceramic, a few were chipped glass mugs, and one even looked like it came from a diner.

As everyone reached for a cup, the professor watched in silence. Once they all had coffee in hand, he said:

“Notice what just happened. Most of you instinctively reached for the nicest cups—leaving behind the simpler ones. It’s normal to want the best for ourselves, but that’s often where the stress begins.”

He gestured toward the cups.

“The cup doesn’t make the coffee taste any better. What you really wanted was the coffee. But you still focused on the cup.”

Then he paused.

“Life is the coffee. Your job, your house, your income, your status—those are just cups. They help contain life, but they don’t define it. And the trouble is, the more we focus on the cup, the more we miss out on the coffee.”

He smiled.

“Remember, happy people don’t always have the best of everything. But they know how to make the best of what they have.

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The Petrine Doctrine

Posted on 2025/08/14 by JimR, Chaplain

Just a quick study today. I’d never heard of the Petrine Doctrine. So, of course I’m going to find out what it’s all about. Here’s a brief definition. This post is a bit long, but if you’re a student of the Bible, it is worth the read.

What is the Petrine theory in Roman Catholicism?

The Petrine theory asserts the legitimacy of the Pope’s ministry and primacy as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. It states that the apostle Peter was the first pope, and his ministry was passed to his successors as bishops of Rome.

The foundation of the Petrine theory is from the Bible or is so assumed. The first source is Jesus’ words: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”. The second is Christ bestowing the “keys of the Kingdom” on Peter. The Pope’s office is the link between the church’s apostolicity and its universality.

Several historical milestones affirm the Petrine principle. By the time of Leo I the Great, the pope was viewed as the “heir of Peter” and “Peter’s vicar,” as Peter was vicar of Christ.

There are four viewpoints on and around this statement that Peter is the rock upon which the church was built.

Number one is the view that Jesus was declaring that Peter would be the “rock” on which He would build His church. Jesus appears to be using a play on words. “You are Peter [petros] and on this rock [petra] I will build my church.” Since Peter’s name means “rock,” and Jesus is going to build His church on a rock, it appears that Christ means to link Peter with the founding of the church. God indeed used Peter greatly in the foundation of the church. It was Peter who first proclaimed the gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–47). Peter was also the first to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1–48). In a sense, Peter was the rock “foundation” of the church.

Number two is another popular interpretation is that the rock Jesus was referring to is not Peter, but Peter’s statement in Matthew 16:16: “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” In this view, the “rock” is the truthfulness of that statement—the church is built on the rock-solid truth that Jesus is God’s Chosen One and the eternal Son of God. In confessing Jesus as the Christ, Peter, the “rock,” was demonstrating his own stability as he stood on that truth. He was, in a way, showing his character and why Jesus nicknamed him “Cephas” or “Peter” (see John 1:42).

Number three says Jesus had never explicitly taught the disciples the fullness of His identity, and so it was God who had sovereignly opened Peter’s eyes to that revelation. Jesus marks the source of that truth in Matthew 16:17. Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God poured forth from him as a heartfelt declaration of personal faith. Since personal faith in Christ is the hallmark of the true Christian, those who place their faith in Christ, as Peter did, are the church. Peter, writing to believers dispersed through the ancient world, likens them to stones used to build the church: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4–5). The faith of believers is what makes them “living stones” able to be built into the church.

Number four says after Jesus declares that God the Father had revealed the truth to Peter, He says, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The word for “Peter,” Petros, is a masculine noun that means “a detached stone, a stone that might be thrown or easily moved” (Zodhiates, S., The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, AMG Publishers, 1992, p. 1,154). The word for “rock” next mentioned is a different Greek word, petra, a feminine noun that means “a mass of rock” or “a cliff” and therefore something foundational (ibid.; see also Matthew 7:24–25). The difference in the two terms may suggest that Jesus was contrasting Peter with Himself. That is, Jesus was saying, “You are the small rock, but I am the foundation of the church.” This view finds support in other passages that present Christ, not Peter, as the foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11) and the life-giving rock (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Of course, the apostles played a foundational role in the building of the church, but the role of primacy is reserved for Christ alone. So, Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 are best interpreted as a simple play on words: a boulder-like, foundational truth came from the mouth of one who was called a small stone.

Christ Himself is called the “chief cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6–7; cf. Matthew 21:42). The chief cornerstone of any building was that upon which a building is anchored. If Christ declared Himself to be the cornerstone, how could Peter be the rock upon which the church was built? Believers are the stones that make up the church. They are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (not just Peter) and anchored to the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). “The one who trusts in [Christ] will never be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6).

The Roman Catholic Church argues that Peter is the rock upon which Jesus built His church, confers upon Peter the title of pope, and claims to be the one true church. As we have seen, however, identifying the rock as Peter is not the only valid interpretation of Matthew 16:18. Even if Peter is the rock upon which Jesus promised to build His church, it does not give the Roman Catholic Church any authority. Scripture nowhere records Peter being in Rome. Scripture nowhere describes Peter as being supreme over the other apostles. The New Testament does not describe Peter as being the all-authoritative leader of the early church. The origin of the Catholic Church is not in the teachings of Peter or any other apostle. If Peter truly was the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, it would be in full agreement with what Peter taught (Acts 2, 1 Peter, 2 Peter).

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/upon-this-rock.html

My take away from this is that the revelation was not about Peter, but about what he recognized as Jesus being the Son of God. That was the primary focal point.

The second and fourth interpretations of this revelation tends more to the revelation, not Peter, although he facilitated much of the establishment of the church. His work made it foundational, but without that revelation he had nothing upon which to build.

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The Chapter of Noah

Posted on 2025/08/12 by JimR, Chaplain

I am still studying the Book of Enoch I. I’m now in the chapter concerning Noah and the building of the Ark. What I see is things that are hidden from view in the Protestant Bible. For instance, there is no mention of Noah having help building the Ark other than his sons and himself. But in the Book of Enoch, there is mention of Angels that helped build the Ark.

The book also states that on that day, God waited till all the righteous people had died except for Methuselah and Noah. Perhaps Lamech, Noah’s father, was around, but I cannot say. There were giants (Nephilim) who poked fun at Noah. They had been warned of a great deluge that would destroy the inhabitants of the earth. They mocked him, saying they were too tall to become submerged and that the geysers could be stopped by simply placing their feet on the mouth of it to stop it from erupting. One instance says they tried to do so, but God caused the geyser to spew hot water, burning their feet. In all their taunting, they did not or could not stop Noah from his task, because God had ordained it to be built. There is also mention that nothing like it had ever been built, so Noah didn’t know what to call the Ark in an ocean-going way upon water.

This is my third reading of the Book of Enoch, and each time it has become clearer to me. I am getting the understanding of this book, and it has enlightened me to mysteries that are left unanswered in the Canon of Scripture. Understanding has become real to me in how it meshes with the Holy Bible of the Protestant faith. Those who read this may consider me errant in my studies. I take any thought of God’s plan into consideration. There are too many writings out there in the world that tie together with the commonly known scriptures.

The whole plan of salvation is a part of the whole. God wants a people who love Him simply because of who He is. I don’t love Him for what He can do for me. That becomes self-centered and selfish on my part. I can’t deny that He does things for me, but it comes out of my knowledge of Him and my love for Him. For God to take care of me is an extended benefit of loving Him for who He is to me. I don’t say this to disguise or mislead anyone. I’m still learning to lean on Him as my Father. Without Him none of the other things in this life matter. So I want to know all I can about Him. I won’t let men stop me by hiding writings from me or telling me what I read isn’t for me to know or believe.

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How Do I Study?

Posted on 2025/08/07 by JimR, Chaplain

When someone reads the Bible, we must interpret scripture not only for what it seems to say, but also to understand the cultural setting in which the scripture was written. We often overlook much of what the Bible says by applying our Western thought to it. I discussed this with someone recently who has no concept that the Bible was not originally written in Western terms.

I have access to Hebrew studies from the Israel Bible Center. I listened to Dr. Schaser, who gave a short explanation of the value of understanding scripture through the eyes of the Jewish mind.

I adopted the “word study” method of learning as my primary way to understand scripture that falls back to the cultural setting and mindset of the day the scripture was written in or about. I look at the typical Christian today and shake my head at the lack of overall understanding of who they are in relationship with God.

This simple method of learning will revolutionize a person’s concept of God and their worth. Self-worth is not an option. It’s all based on how God looks at us. He created a way to mold a people in His image who would love Him just because they want to. Not because they are scared into Heaven and kept there by fear. It’s a love that makes you want to give Him a great big hug and thank Him for who He is to us. Our Father, our Savior, and our way to live in total peace. To totally understand this, try the method I use. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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Taking Stock

Posted on 2025/08/05 by JimR, Chaplain

Hello again. Summer break from driving a school bus is coming to an end in a couple of weeks. I keep forging ahead.

Today, I feel the need to take stock of where I am with God. I think we all need to do that occasionally. This is how I do this.

I’ve never considered how others think about God or themselves. Over my lifetime, I have found myself amazed at people who claim to be Christians but say they have never heard God speak to them. From my earliest age, about twelve, God began speaking to me. I didn’t think of it as being unusual. I just thought it was supposed to be that way. He told me when I was about thirteen, He was calling me to be in the ministry. My mom’s dad, my granddad of course, was a Baptist mnister. He was a small man of stature. He may have been five feet tall. Having heard him preach and being raised in the Baptist church filled me with the vernacular and culture of the denomination. I told God I would accept the call and I would lie in bed at night and preach with all the furvor I could muster up. I kept my voice at a whisper to keep from alarming everyone in the family. It was hell fire and brimstone preaching. Then something else fell upon my thinking. I needed to make a statement of salvation. Sounds a bit out of sync doesn’t it? God does, what God does. I don’t question it. He then began to impress upon me my need for a confession of my sins and ask for His forgiveness. That required me to step out of my pew row and walk to the front and tell the preacher I why I was there. That struck fear in me, as I was not one to do things in front of people. From the age of thirteen until sixteen I held myself back from doing this. Then one week in June of 1967 during a week of revival meetings, the spirit of God came to me in such a way I decided my old life had to end. The last day of the revival I planned out my walk to the front. When the song started for the invitation to come forward, I slipped out the far left side of the pew and walked down the outside aisle to the front and came across to the preacher and gave myself to God for the remission of my sins. A weight came off of me. My mom was proud of me. My dad said nothing. I was baptized that Sunday with others and became a church member.

My side note here was when I went to bed that Friday night, I can only say I started with such a negative thought of what lay ahead. My first prayer to God that night was pitiful. My bedroom window was above the headboard of my bed, so I put my knees on my pillow, my elbows on the top of my padded headboard, and looked out my window into the stars. Then I said. “God, come get me tonight, because I know I’m not going make it.” That was meaning I knew I was not going to be the stellar person required to get to Heaven. God did not come get me of couse. He wanted to refine me.

I had been saved. I came to know many years later that Jesus wrote everyone’s name in the Book of Life when He was crucified. He made atonement for all men and women. So how is it we don’t know this, and why is it some will not find their name in the Book of Life? If one does not accept this fact, then upon their death, their name is removed from the Book of Life. When we are saved, it is an acknowledgement of Him, whom God sent, and our name is recognized as being in the Book of Life. We are then sealed to that confession.

That confession and birth of our spirit (reactivation) is just the beginning. The Spirit of God then comes into us via connection to our spirit and begins the process of bringing the soul into submission to God. He put a bridle on us so He could lead us on the right path. So begins the salvation of the soul, which is ongoing and completed upon our bodily death when we are finished with our salvation process.

The whole process throughout life is to marry the soul to the spirit. I think it would be beneficial to study to marriage of Christ to His bride, the church. This is a mystery. The ultimate goal of God is to become one with us in this marriage. The teaching of the Bible says that when a man and woman marry, they become one. But it is indeed a process. I believe in the confession of sins for their remission unto salvation, but I don’t stop there.

The Pentecostals found the next step. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of tongues is a step further towards God. This is where conversation with God increases. I knew the voice of God, but when I experienced this stage of growth, it was like God’s voice became magnified. My understanding was increased. God gave me my own personal phrase in tongues. To this day, when I say this phrase, my whole body feels it from my head to my feet. It rejuvenates me when I’m in need.

At this point in my life occurred when I was about twenty-seven. I had been to Sunday evening service after a week of fasting. I had felt an overwhelming presence of God all week. After that service I had to go to work on the graveyard shift. I found myself without that presence. I started to work, but that feeling became stronger and I began to cry to God. He did not answer. I had to cross a bridge going to work that was over the Cape Fear River. For a few moments, I contemplated killing myself as I got to the middle of the bridge. The fall over the rail in my car would have plummeted over 100 ft to the water below. As I was about to snatch the steering wheel in a hard right towards the rail, it was like God grabbed it at that moment, and I drove on to work, but I was crying uncontrollably. When I got into the building at work, I was trying to compose myself, but I wasn’t doing it very well, so I decided I would go back home. I went to my supervisor and told him I did not feel well and was going home. He took one look at me and said I did not look good either and agreed I should go home. I cried all the way home. When I entered the living room at home my wife got up to see why I was home and I sat on the floor in front of the couch with my head in her lap and just did the “ugly” cry. I tried to explain to her what I was feeling or not feeling, but she remained quiet and finally said she was going back to bed. A few minutes later after she’s gone back to sleep, I lifted my eyes up and God met my gaze. His Spirit then flowed down into me all the way to my feet. I felt super engergized. It was like electricity and then it began. The Heavenly language. I spoke in tongues. I kept this up for some time. God had come back to live inside of me through his Spirit. I became possessed by God.

In the Bible, its speaks of God saying to those who thought they were saved, He told them to depart from Him because He never knew them. This is a very deep thought. He is saying to them that He never had a relationship with them. Just as Adam knew Eve and begat children, so God also wants to and knows His. It is a mystery, and sounds unusual to some, but to know God in such an intimate way assures your eternal life. You must know God intimately. I did that evening have that intimate time with God and have felt His presence in my life for the vast majority of my walk with Him. I know I’m saved by the birth of my spirit and the indwelling of His spirit in communion with me in this manner where my spirit and His are conforming my soul to become like Him so the marriage between Him and me would completely cosummate our union. Upon my leaving my physical body the salvation of my soul will be said with a final “I do” in marriage.

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Strange Days

Posted on 2025/08/05 by JimR, Chaplain

I’m not nearly as close to who I personally used to be. My studies have opened my eyes to things I never dreamed about. I know I have someone somewhere concerned about just where my mind is.

Old age is indeed a place I’d rather not be, but here I am. I am planning on seeing seventy-five in about three months. Once I get there, I’m sure my mind will steady out a bit. I have health concerns to get past. I have likely posted about this some time ago. I have prostate cancer, but it’s stable. The prognosis is ten years out with slow to no growth. It is to be monitored only.

I have another issue that concerns me. I’ve been taking a strong anti-acid drug called Rabeprazole. I have GERD. It keeps me from having heartburn. I’ve not known of anyone in my family with cancer except one of my brothers, but he was a half-brother.

I say this even though having said I have cancer. The issue is that no males in my family lived past sixty for at least three or four generations back. With them not having gotten as old as I have, it becomes apparent to me that it comes from following God’s voice and pursuing His calling on my life.

He came upon me a few years ago and rested on me while I wrote a small book that has been published. God has given me life abundantly, and even though my body is exhibiting the signs of aging, He still has me doing things.

I have to get past this year in my life, and I will forge ahead for another while.

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My Country

Posted on 2025/07/23 by JimR, Chaplain

Although I write mostly concerning my faith or personal issues, this post involves my patriotism. I love my nation and grew up in simpler times when respect was foremost in life, even toward our enemies, but we protected out nation.

The paragraph below is an excerpt from a post by Trey Gowdy. True U.S. citizens have indeed watched the noted group of faceless people march forward with designs on destroying the United States of America by their own hands and allowing foreign countries to buy into American land and business properties. Our very sovereignty of this nation has already been eroded by them. This needs to stop, and it isn’t just Democrats. It’s also Republicans. Both contain groups of professional political types, which shows that we need term limits for this ilk of people. I would rather we do what is necessary so that our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to experience what we older folks enjoyed during our lifetime.

Trey Gowdy: For nearly a decade, Americans have watched with growing horror as unelected power brokers, faceless bureaucrats, corrupt corporate media, and political leaders abused their power to sabotage a president and a Presidency that threatened their grip on power. The story began long before Trump even descended the escalator. It began with an entrenched political class of Republicans and Democrats alike who readily embraced the view of the American people, not as the sovereign, but as the problem.

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Somethings Wrong

Posted on 2025/07/21 by JimR, Chaplain

I’m told the church is full of imperfect people worshipping a perfect God. I say that is true. I’m one of the imperfect. There is something wrong that I find I have to address without making it an issue that makes people upset. I prefer God makes us convicted instead.

I’m in a church that fits the category of many churches. This is a young church in terms of both years of existence and leadership. I have over forty-seven years in church, minus a couple of years where I crashed and burned from “doing” instead of “being”. I may explain that again sometime, but I think I have done so in past posts. I had a long road to get myself back in line with my calling. Despite all that I have done against God, He has been kind to me with unending blessings. I fall at His feet asking Him to change me. And He has done so with unconditional love. Even now, I still contend with the remains of my past life, but if asked of you, my answer will always be, I chose God above all. Nothing else that presents itself in temptation can control me or change my response to God. I try to be the best disciple I can be. That means giving up all else. God and I continue to talk daily, and my spirit is always on to hear Him. I can’t seem to understand why all Christians cannot align themselves to give up their sins to get closer to Him. Therein lies my observation that something is wrong.

I go to church Sunday after Sunday and see the same people. I’ve seen a lot of different people pass through, and some stay. I love them all, and my heart hurts that in time, they still adhere to the same sins they came with. There appears to be no repentance from the sins they walk in. I see people who have not controlled their speech. I see immaturity in senior folks who have not allowed their lives to mature in God. They still exhibit childish responses to something that offends them. I see people leaving because they are fleeing from investigative processes by social services. I’ve seen preachers with narcissistic attitudes and would overlord people he found useful to his cause and then cast them aside when he had extracted what he needed from them through manipulation. I even allowed him to do so to me, but knowing what he was doing, I limited what extent he would take me. My own closest friend at the time was found to have been embezzling the church for some eleven years. I’ve seen that the principal of a Christian school was found to be grooming high school boys for his lust and was expelled from his position. I was brought before the Elders myself for trying to get a woman in the church to stop cheating on her husband by procedures that weren’t following scriptural process. God forgave me, and I’m sure others sought and received forgiveness, yet the problems are still practiced in church. We had a worship leader who was a good friend who fought with his homosexuality. There was a lot of background on this issue, but he finally gave in to his sin and left to pursue his lusts. Presently, we have a “couple” in church who are a lesbian couple, yet they have no intention of pursuing repentance. I don’t mind having them in the house. I love both of them for who they are, not what they are, but my heart hurts that they think this is okay. My brother ceased talking with me several years ago because I couldn’t condone his lifestyle, even while still caring for him. Lots of people have come and gone for various reasons, and most follow their own unique reason.

I have a pastor who tries his best to be a pastor. I give him credit for that, but I note he has issues no different from what I do. We all fight our own earthly nature. That is a consequential issue in our learning process during our walk. I have insight from God, and I see things my pastor doesn’t. I can only let him make his own mistakes, so it will be his indelible learning. A man of experience cannot be convinced of something otherwise. Experience always leaves a permanent mark towards maturity.

What’s wrong? I don’t see enough of the Father in the house to change people decisively. I see people going to the altar every Sunday with the same problems. Why? Why God? Why do we not learn through it all? My heart cries out for us to completely and decisively repent.

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