Who's in the Right House?

"But there is a God in heaven" (Daniel 2:28).

A refreshing reminder. I don't know about you, but I sure could use it. As presidential candidates are picking running mates, prancing in football stadiums, tootin' their own horns, making promises that we all know they won't keep, vying for attention, and elevating themselves to savior-hood... let's just remind ourselves who the real thing is.

I don't stand on either side of the aisle when I say this. I'm not Democrat or Republican. I'm Theocratican. I believe God has the last word on all of us and our security rests solely in Him. When God makes a promise, you know He doesn't have a two-sided mouth. It'll happen.

You would think that this election was the most important thing in the whole wide world or in the history of humanity by the way the news channels and papers are talking. Oh really? Maybe it would be IF there wasn't a God in heaven.

You see, heaven is higher than the white house. Just thought I should remind you. The human in the white house can veto the humans on capital hill. But the God in heaven has veto power over them all. The human in the white house can appoint judges and justices. But the God in heaven holds the only gavel that matters. His justice is consistent and overrides man's inconsistent idea of justice.

Democrats are afraid that McCain will be four more years of the last eight. Republicans are afraid that Obama will be... well, they're not sure what he will be. But they don't want to find out. Everyone wrings their hands in fear.

Need I remind you? Republicans survived eight years of Clinton and Democrats survived eight years of Bush. Have any back-to-back, two-term presidents been as despised and maligned by their opposing parties as these two have?

Yet we survived. We're still the most powerful, affluent nation in the world. While others walk ten miles to use a telephone, our five-year-olds are packin' blackberries and surfing the net from their tricycles. Can we all agree that we can probably survive just about anything as long as there's a God in heaven?

I just thought we should start the day with this important announcement: "but there is a God in heaven..."

From the Platform of the Theocratican Convention,
Perry Crisp

Coordinates to Truth

Johnnie was looking for direction in his life. He desperately wanted peace, truth, and happiness, but he didn't know where to turn.

He entered "peace" into his GPS and it gave him 286,354 different addresses. "Truth" opened up millions of addresses. And "happiness" seemed to be on every corner, or so the GPS claimed.

Johnnie began to get frustrated. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "Is there any hope?" he cried. He knew better than to type "hope" into the GPS. It would only lead to more dead ends.

Without really knowing why, Johnnie slowly entered three letters: "G-o-d" and pushed the search button. The list of addresses wasn't as long, but still Johnnie was puzzled that God had so many. "Why can't there just be one clear way to God?" Johnnie whispered.

The moment he asked that question, the cursor on his GPS hovered over the name of Jesus. Johnnie felt something stir inside him. His pulse quickened. His breathing became audible. What was happening?

Johnnie clicked on the name of Jesus and read these words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

Below the words of Jesus were the following directions:

1. Realize that God loves you and has a personal plan filled with meaningful coordinates for your life. Follow these directions and you will find peace, truth, happiness, and hope. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

2. To get to God, you must realize you are going in the wrong direction and turn around. You have sinned against God and it is leading you away from Him. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The direction you are going will lead you to eternal death and separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

3. Look for the cross of Jesus Christ. Stop at the cross. That is the only place anyone's life can truly be turned around. "But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). At the cross, admit to God that you are a sinner. (Sin is the "Bridge Out" to your relationship with God). Invite Jesus to come into your life personally, forgive your sins, and save you. (Jesus is the only bridge that reaches God).

4. You are now ready to turn away from the direction you were going and start a brand new journey. Give Jesus the keys. Let Him drive. Place all your trust in Him. You will find peace instantly. You will find truth constantly flowing from the lips of your new Driver. As long as you allow Him to drive, you will find happiness no matter how bumpy the road may become.

Oh, and by the way...you won't believe your final destination! There is a description of it in the Map (the Bible). It is an incredible place.

Johnnie followed those directions to God and found what he was looking for. When he types "G-o-d" into his GPS now, only one clear choice exists -- Jesus. The rest deleted themselves. They must have just been a mirage.

GPS...God Provided Salvation for you. Will you follow these directions?

Perry Crisp

Fool's Gold

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1, 53:1...it's in there twice because God knew some would say "huh?" the first time they read it).

But, have you noticed that when that fool gets angry, he suddenly becomes religious and can talk to and about nothing else? "Where is God when I need Him?" "How could God let this happen?" "If You loved me, You would help me out of this mess!"

As a full time believer in God, I find unbelievers' views fascinating, perplexing, and often quite disturbing. I've known people who get mad at a God they only believe in when they get mad at God.

I don't know what else to call that but reverse hypocrisy. Followers of Christ are always being slammed as "hypocrites," and we often deserve it. Our lives don't always reflect our testimonies of faith.

But if I'm a hypocrite when I don't live what I believe, then what do we call a person who doesn't believe in God, yet frequently flings a complaint toward heaven? If there is no God, why ring His doorbell at the midnight hour of your suffering?

Makes no sense. In fact, it's downright fool-i-s-h. Ah! God must be right. Why would a non-existent God set up a complaint department?

The truth is...God does exist and we all know that truth innately. "What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them" (Romans 1:19).

We don't have to like the fact that God exists because God created us with a free will. But He does exist. I don't like broccoli, but I know the vile weed exists!

We can willfully believe anything, regardless of how far it bends the needle past the stupid meter.

Maybe I'm asking too much. If the Bible says that atheism is for fools, then how can I expect a fool to act any other way than foolish?

Oh, by the way...for anyone reading this who truly believes there is no God, you might be interested to know that God Himself said, "there is no God." He sure did. You might check that verse out because what greater evidence to support your theory than for God Himself to say "there is no God?" It's in Deuteronomy 32:39.

Couldn't Resist,
Perry Crisp