Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [that is, your intellect and will], that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Matthew 15:18-19
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
(Notice here that what Jesus just listed the things forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Notice also that He listed "evil thoughts" first. The evil contents of man's heart produce evil desires and evil thoughts in him, and from that starting point comes the commission of the crimes.)

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Conversion is more than a change of opinion. Conversion is a change of heart, for according to the above Scriptures, the heart is the spring of action, and the spring of man's nature. Being a Christian does not mean that we sin, only our sins are forgiven forever. No; being a Christian means being fundamentally changed. Your nature is substituted for God's, and the things we practice in our meditations, words, and actions reveal the extent to which God has changed us.

Why oh why oh why???? Maybe it wouldn't have saved our country from its inevitable downfall, but at least we wouldn't have the Federal Reserve ripping us to bits.

Instead, we voted in a guy who carried with him nothing good but good slogans. We had absolutely no idea what they meant, but by gar they sure sounded good! We had a whole generation that just graduated from the government indoctrination camps, and they did their patriotic duty to vote the government into government again. They always know what they're doing, right? They always know how to fix the problems, right?

OK, here is the meaning behind those popular slogans:

HOPE -- Hope that you keep your job so you can pay the taxes and pay the bankers and pay the Fed and pay your social security. If you don't, we'll bail out the bad bankers who gave you bad loans.


CHANGE -- Changing the value of change, forcing our country to give up its own currency, and adopt a UN global currency instead. After all, there's no better way to solve a crisis than creating a crisis to solve!


BRIGHT FUTURE -- Kablooey.


SUNSHINE --

I found this beautiful rendition of the great song, "Be Still for the Presence of the Lord," sung by Aled Jones. The choir in the background is the amazing soprano boy choir, Libera.

Philippians 1:3-11 may sound like a formal greeting to the Philippian Christians, but it is so full of the Gospel:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

This statement in Scripture, repeated throughout the Bible, has been recurring to me lately. I thought I'd share it with you all:

Habakkuk 2:2-4:
Then the LORD answered me and said:
"Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith."


Romans 1:16-17:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."


Galatians 3:10-14:
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.


Hebrews 10:35-39:
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
"For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.