Actually, Scripture doesn't teach that # 5 : "God never puts more on us than we can handle"

If you have ever gone through some trial, or suffered any form of loss, no doubt you have had some loving, sincere, saint of God put their arms around you and utter the words, “God never puts more on us than we can handle.” You may have even done it to someone else. The problem is that it is not scriptural. Not only is the phrase not found in scripture, but the concept is completely foreign to the Christian Life. We are called to be cross-bearers (matt 16:24) and we are called to suffer (Phil 3). In II Corinthians 1:8 Paul declares His own distress. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.” Paul was very clear that His suffering was well beyond His ability to handle it.  In I Kings 19:7 the angel of God came to Elijah with a message that the journey He was preparing to take was too hard for him. These are just examples of God’s people finding themselves over their heads in distress. The idea that God will never place more on us than we can handle comes from a misunderstanding of I Corinthians 10:13 where we are told that no temptation will come  upon us, from which we cannot escape. He is referring to temptation not troubles and trials.

We do need to acknowledge that much of our distress in this world is the direct result of our sin. David said in psalm 38:4 “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”  Later in verse 8 He says, “I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.” God can and under certain circumstances does relieve us of the consequences of our actions but He is certainly under no obligation to do so. God has set in motion some natural laws which He by his own choice does not intervene. Scripture refers to it as the law of sowing and reaping.

Many times when we are seeking to serve God the most, we find ourselves under the attack of the enemy, Satan. There are times when God allows this to happen so that He can position us to better do His will. In the early chapters of the book of Acts we find the Christian Church under persecution which was so bad that they left Jerusalem and were scattered. As they fled for their lives they carried their faith with them and because of their persecution the Gospel spread over the known world. While Paul was in prison he wrote, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Phil 1:12-14)

Much of our trials and tribulations are allowed in our lives to be a reminder of our need for God and to display His power. The idea that God never allows us to go through things that we cannot handle is not only false but we could make the case that the exact opposite is true. God delights in allowing us to get into impossible situations so that when He intervenes everyone around will know that it is Him.  The apostle Paul said it best after He had prayed to the Lord to remove the thorn in His flesh. These are His words, “Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Corinthians 12:8=10) The thorn in His flesh existed for only one reason, So that the power of Christ would dwell in Him.

Probably the most emotionally and spiritually uplifting reason for the distresses in our lives is simply so the church can be the community God has called us to be. If God never places more on us than we can handle, then why would we be admonished to “Bear one another’s burdens.” (Gal 6:2) There are too many scriptures pertaining to the idea of helping one another and praying for one another to deal within this brief article. The entire concept of helping ministries, and the social ministries of the church is to meet needs that an individual cannot meet on their own. If we never faced anything that we could not handle on our own, we would be completely self-sufficient in every way which, and that is simply not God’s plan or will for our lives as believers.

SECRET SOCIETIES TAKING US INTO THE NEW WORLD ORDER: BY GARY FORD

We have discussed the Illuminati, Bilderberg’s, Club of Rome, Trilateral Commission, and Skull and Bones, as organizations that operate in secret. They are anti-capitalism,   anti-Christian, and believe the one world government is the answer to mankind’s problems. The Federal Reserve, and the United Nations both have been created for the purpose of bringing this about.   

Two of the major organizations in this movement are the Roman Catholic Church and Free Masonry.
Both of these organizations have two presentations. To the regular members they are told one thing about what the organization stands for but the higher one goes in the hierarchy the more he learns something different.
The Catholic Church is a mixture of paganism and Christianity. Paganism worshiped many Gods and had many symbols depicting this. These same symbols can be found in the Catholic Church today. To really see how the church has been led one must look into to the Jesuit Order of which the present pope is a part.  The hierarchy of the church believes the following points.

1.    The Pope is God on earth and has the power to change anything the Catholic Church believes and practices. He as well as his priest can forgive sins. This is a part of Satan’s lie, who himself wants to be God.

2.    Each person has a right to have all that God has created if he as a need of it. If one owns more than he needs, the other, if he has need, can take it for himself, (stealing). The end justifies the means.

3.    All property owned by the church belongs to the pope who has the power to do with it what he wishes.

4.    Wealth redistribution is important and that can best be done in a one world government in which the pope has the power to control. This will be carried out in the NOW.

 In order to help carry out this mission the Jesuits created Free Masonry. It carries the same pagan symbols, such as the double headed eagle, the half moon with an eight pointed star, and many others. One does not learn, until he takes the oath for the 33 degree that it is satanic and that Lucifer is the enlightened one. It is established in many cultures around the world, and adapts to each religion. In Christian countries it presents itself as Christian, and in Muslim cultures or where they worship Buda, it presents accordingly.

Many well known leaders in the world have been high degree Free Masons. Some of these include Putin, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Arafat, Churchill, Rabin, Blair, Prince Phillip, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Jessie Jackson, J Edgar Hoover, Roosevelt, Ragan, Ford, Bush, and Carter. There are many others.
I suspect that the liberal progressive agenda of our present government is related, ie, wealth redistribution, income inequality, immigration amnesty, etc.   There is a power grab by our government, where everything is being regulated and controlled, executive orders are the rule of the day, rather than working with congress. The Christian influence is being eradicated from the military.  Even the chaplains are not allowed to mention the name of Jesus Christ or display a Bible.  However, a major effort seems to be made to respect the beliefs and practices of the other religions. Many of the military high rank have been replaced because they disagree with the administration. This appears to be a fascist government, not a democracy.
There are many similarities between the Roman Catholic Church, Free Masonry, and Islam. Islam was created around 535 AD by Mohamed when he was inspired while in a cave. Pagan gods are usually displayed coming out of a cave.
Many occult happenings have resulted from man’s encounter with angles. Demons can manifest as angles. Joseph Smith encountered an angle. Mormons believe that man can become as God. They say, “ as we are, God once was. As God is we shall become.”  Genies, (like the genie in the bottle) are spirit beings that give messages to mankind. This is where the word genius comes from. The Bible warns against having dealing with spirits other than the Holly Spirit.
The Catholic Church, Masons, Islam, all have the half moon with the eight pointed star. This symbol goes back to pagan worship and the tower of Babble. The Hittites had the same symbol.  There are many other pagan symbols common to all of these organizations. The all seeing eye is a symbol of all three, and is now a part of the United States seal which is on the dollar bill.  This represents the Egyptian god, Osiris.
In the Catholic Church, Christ was replaced by Mary as the mediator between God and man. Mary was sinless and is deified. Christ was spared death on the cross as someone else was killed in His place.
Monasteries are built high upon a hill. Pagan temples were build high upon hills where they sacrificed to the gods. Cathedrals are built on ancient sites of worship including the Vatican.
In Muslim countries the mosques are built right beside the cathedrals. They contain the same symbols, worship the dead, as it is the same religion. Muslims pray with beads, Catholics pray with a rosary. Both have the priesthood. 
So what is the point for the Catholic Church to be in cahoots with Islam? It is the thesis and anti-thesis which leads to the synthesis. In order to bring about change, chaos must be created. War is justified if it brings about the desired results. The ends Represents the means. Some believe that Obamacare is designed to not work but to disrupt the health care system which will make people accepting of total socialized medicine which was the objective in the beginning.  By using Islam to counter or war with Christianity things will get so bad that the masses will welcome a one world government and religion as a better alternative. At this point it appears that our government expects and is getting prepared for an incident that will call for marshal law. Could gun control be a part of this plan?  Could a situation be created to justify declaring marshal law and the synthesis would become the one world government?
Pope Francis, who is a Jesuit has boldly stated that all one has to do to obtain salvation is to follow his conscience, even if he is an atheist. He plans to bring all the religions together into one. Even though they talk about Jesus Christ being the Son of God that does not seem to be our ticket to heaven.
Once a mason obtains his 33 degree he can become a Shiner. The Shrine Oath is given with the use of the Koran, rather than the Bible.
So what does all this mean. It is obvious this is the spirit of the antichrist in our world which is Satan at work as the present ruler of this world. His lie is that we can be God or as God, which is the same issue for which he was kicked out of heaven and took a third of the angles with him. This lie he also used in the garden of Eden when he enticed Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge. This lie will manifest in the NOW with the antichrist being king over all the world as he will be Satan incarnated. This will climax when Christ returns to earth, subdues Satan, and sets up his kingdom on each. If we want to be a part of Christ’s reign on earth, we must accept Him and Him only, as our way to heaven. We must repent for our sins and ask Him to be our Lord. It is only through him that we can have eternal life rather than eternal damnation.
As Christians we are to be the salt of the earth. Therefore, we need to be knowledgeable and aware of what is really going on in our world through Satan’s influence. To be salt we must proclaim that “Christ is the only way to heaven”, to a world that is lost and confused.

"Extraordinary Crisis" Needed To Preserve Hopes Of A New World Order: By Gary Ford

A new lament is percolating up from the depths of another DC think tank, this time, from the Atlantic Council, which is considered to be an organization of some influence, being headed by General Brent Scowcroft, the former National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and H. W. Bush, and who also advised sitting President Obama.

In this particular instance, the message coming from the Atlantic Council is Harlan K. Ullman, current Chairman of the Killowen Group which advises government leaders, and one of the authors of the “shock and awe” doctrine that was so prominent in the opening days of the Iraq war.
Ullman writes that an “extraordinary crisis” is needed to preserve the “New World Order,” which he sees as being under threat by non-state actors of the Edward Snowden stripe.

Writing in an article called War on Terror is not the Only Threat, Ullman asserts that the biggest, most fundamental forces that are reshaping the international geostrategic system are not rising military powers like China, but rather, non-governmental actors like the hacker group, Anonymous, Bradley Manning, and most recently, Edward Snowden, because they encourage individual empowerment, which hobbles state control.

“Very few have taken note and fewer have acted on this realization,” notes Ullman, who further complains that the “information revolution and instantaneous global communications” are thwarting the “new world order” that President George H.W. Bush announced more than twenty years ago. He continues that in the absence of an “extraordinary crisis,” there isn’t much that can be done to limit, much less reverse the damage to the new world order by failed or failing governance.

The implication could not be clearer. The only way to get the plans for the new world order “back on track” is another 9/11-style cataclysm that will enable the state to re-assert its dominance while “containing, reducing and eliminating the dangers posed by newly empowered non-state actors.”
Ullman’s ultimate conclusion then is that the “elimination” of these non-state actors and empowered individuals is simply necessary in order to preserve the new world order. An overview of their material seems to suggest that the Atlantic Council’s definition of a “new world order” is a global technocracy run by some sort of synthesis of big government and big business under which individuality is replaced by transhumanist singularity.

If all of this sounds eerily familiar, it is because it is strikingly similar to the line advanced by Trilateral Commission co-founder and regular Bilderberg attendee Zbigniew Brzezinski, who in 2010 told the members of the Council on Foreign Relations that a “global political awakening,” combined with infighting amongst the elite, was threatening to derail the move towards a one world government.

The Department Of Homeland Security's Purchase in 2013 of 1.6 Billion rounds of ammunition have added fuel to conspiratorial fire that the US government is actively preparing for civil discord on a massive scale, that should it come to pass will bring new meaning to the words "New World Order".

Whom Will You Serve? : Division Designed By God

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."  Joshua 24:15 NIV

It would seem an understatement to say that we are living in divisive times. Probably the only thing that the majority of us could agree on is how divided we are. For years politicians have promised they had the answer. Recently our current administration has divided us more than ever before. The race problem that had seemingly been brought under control has been exploited and exploded to a point that is worse than I remember in my life time. The progressive liberal, anti-God movement has made greater advances than at any other time in our history. Satan has done what he specializes in to the point that even in the Christian community we are divided on very serious issues. Have you ever noticed how Satan cloaks sinful behavior in the disguise of freedom of choice, and alternate lifestyles? It’s like the billboard advertising beer. On a hot day the picture of the ice rolling off of the top, and the foam oozing off the top make it look so refreshing. They never show you the picture of the drunk in the gutter, or the broken homes that have been created by it. So now we can fully understand the warning Isaiah issued in chapter 50:20. We live in a society that calls good, evil and evil, good. Toward the end of His life Joshua issued a final address, and challenged the elders and leaders of Israel to choose, whom they would serve. He understood that God does not allow for neutrality. With the divisiveness of our day and age, there is a feeling that something huge is about to happen. Some have suggested that our nation is headed for another civil war others interpret circumstances as leading rapidly to the coming of the Lord. Some have even suggested that Barak Obama is the anti-Christ. I don’t think he is because He couldn’t get that much of the world to follow Him, but I do think He is a forerunner to the anti-Christ. He along with His cohorts is certainly setting the stage where the public at large would follow and even worship the person who could fix our problems. Regardless of where this all ends up there are some things that we need to understand.

Division is by divine design. The very fact that man is by nature a sinful creature makes unity a more dangerous thing than division. God himself confused the people’s languages, and scattered them over all the earth. He himself recognized that while they remained unified in their effort that, “nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” (Gen 11:6) Jesus himself said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (Matt. 10:34) Jesus was not advocating violence, nor did He automatically intend for us to turn away from our families, but he did understand that His message is divisive, and that faith is not compatible with unbelief. The fact that we are divided is not the problem. The problem comes when we become unified in the acceptance and promotion of evil behavior. In the Christian community we even respectfully maintain a certain level of separation. I love my charismatic friends and have preached and sang in their churches, however there are serious reasons of faith that prevent me from being one. In II Corinthians when Paul forbids the intermarrying of believers to non-believers, He asks the question of what we have in common with them. And then speaking of the unbelieving and idolaters he commands us to come out from them and be separate. (II Cor. 6:17) The time for separation has come. Christians and the Church have been partakers of the world’s delights for long enough that we have become dull in our senses. We have allowed Hollywood, Politicians, and a Godless education system to distort our world view. We have exercised a politically correct, live and let live mentality, and we have become partakers of their sin. Romans 1:32 suggests that by simple approval of another’s sinful lifestyle, we ourselves deserve the same punishment. Silence is consent. It is time for Christians everywhere band together in community, and stand up against Satan, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel. If the love of Christ is in us we must proclaim the truth of Scripture. Love is not silent in the face of imminent danger.

Unspoken Prayer Requests

Most of us at some point have shared an “unspoken prayer request” with a Christian friend or in our church. In almost any church prayer time in virtually every church, someone will have that prayer request that they do not want to share publicly. These become the “Unspoken Requests”. I have often referred to them as those things which lay on the back of our hearts that are so ultimately personal that we dare not even mention them. My pastor and great friend recently challenged me on whether the concept is actually Biblical. I had to admit that I really hadn’t thought much about it. Of all the study I’ve done of the Scripture and on various topics this one wasn’t even on my radar. It was simply one of those traditions we’ve just always done without questioning. Well my brother sparked that “need to know” inside me, so I found myself digging in.

It was no shock to find out that Scripture is silent on the issue. Let me suggest a few things at the outset. There are no Biblical examples of anyone who ever requested prayer without divulging what that need actually was. While there are no Scriptures which show the practice there are also none that forbid its practice. In a moment we will look at some Scriptural reasons why using “unspoken requests” may not be such a good idea. So, is it a Biblically acceptable practice? The answer is both yes and no. The Good news is that is not wrong or sinful to ask for prayer while withholding the sordid details. The Bad news is that this type of praying is not likely to achieve results, and I think you’ll have to agree later.

It would seem that since the Bible is silent on the issue, the next logical question would be, why even do it? Why speak up in a church or other public setting and say to them, “I have an unspoken request.”  Obviously there are a lot of issues which take place in the lives of the believers that do not need to be hashed out in public. I really don’t want to know about dear sweet Julie’s bladder infection. There are sins which if made public would do more damage to the body of Christ than any good that telling it might achieve. What is ironical to say the least is that in using the concept of an unspoken prayer request we often defeat our own purpose. We attempt to reach out to our brothers and sisters about our needs, all the while, not giving the gossips anything concrete to talk about. In reality all we are doing is giving them something to wonder about. I wonder what’s wrong with her. What did He do? Let’s put it in terms of sinful behavior. If I ask for unspoken prayer, the implication is there. I may just as well have said, “Guys I’m kind of stupid and I need your prayer, but I don’t want you to know how stupid I really am.” At the same time I say these things I also understand that it is so often the unspoken requests that we need prayer and support in the most. They most often represent things in our lives that we do not feel comfortable sharing with any one. They are the hurts, trials, struggles and even the sins that harm us the most, and there is no one with whom we can share. They remain burdens that we carry alone, so we ask for general unspecific prayer, knowing that God already knows our need. In fact it could be said that if we pray for one another as we are told to do, then we pray for unspoken requests almost daily. Ephesians 6:18 and I Timothy 2:1 are a couple examples of the command to pray for everyone, but I do not know what those people need. I pray for my pastor and church leaders and while I understand from experience more about their needs than the average church member, I really don’t know what they each need in their lives.

I would be remiss if I failed to point out a few problems you get into with invoking the unspoken request. Galatians 6:2 commands us to bear one another’s burdens. This is impossible if we do not know what the burden is that we are carrying. If you ask me to carry your baggage I would like to have some idea of what is in it first. We cannot be vessels to meet needs that we do not know exist. Jesus said that if at least two of us agree on anything we would receive it. Matt 18:19 Can we agree on things we know nothing about? It is certain that when we come to the church for healing prayer we cannot hold anything back. There can be no secrets. James even goes so far as to say that we should confess our sins to one another. James 5:16 I remember one night while serving as the on-site-director of a local homeless shelter, a man showed up in my office. I knew him well. He had floated in and out for a while, and admittedly I liked this guy. This particular night He was beaten and bloody. I had never seen him like this. I wanted to take him to the emergency room, but he refused. There had apparently been drinking and possibly some drugs that led to a fight that night, and He was afraid the doctors would call the police. He refused healing help that night because He feared possible consequences. We miss out on so many blessings, and many times forfeit our healing, because we withhold our true selves from the people who are supposed to care the most.  

Is it Biblical? It is not in the sense that we are given command, or example of it. Is it wrong to do? It is not in the sense that Scripture forbids it. We do a lot of good things which Scripture is silent on. Scripture does not tell us how often to have church services, but I tend to gravitate to the ones who still hold three a week. Scripture does not speak of a series of meetings called a revival, but it is still one of the best evangelistic tools we have. Continue to use the unspoken request when it is appropriate, but let it become rare. Never let it be a wall behind which we hide our true selves. When we do, we deny ourselves the support we need so much, and we are denying Godly people the opportunity to come along with us to bear those burdens.