A Bride or a Whore?

A Bride or a Whore?
Tuesday May 11, 2010

Read Revelation 17:1-18

In the children’s story, “the Little Mermaid” a young mermaid is given the chance to become human, falls in love with a prince, and agrees to marry him. However an evil witch, Ursula, poses as the bride and seeks to steal the prince for herself. In the end of course Ursula is destroyed and Ariel is joined with her prince. (I must have watched this movie with my children a zillion times back in the day.) It would be a pretty creepy story if somehow the prince were to wed both. Some kind of part time marriage with a girlfriend on the side arrangement may work in the filth of television and movies but it will not fly in children’s story books or more importantly in eternity. God will not allow us to play the bride and the whore at the same time. We have to choose which we will be, especially in these days when we can almost hear the angel warming up the trumpet of Christ’s return.
One of the most striking things in the book of Revelation is the stark contrast between good and evil. One is either part of the New Jerusalem or the New Babylon for example. In Chapters 12 and 17 we see the contrast between the woman clothed with the sun, representing the people of God, and the whore of Babylon, who represents the enemy of God. In the last days she may be the false one world religion or government. In either case she seduces the nations into opposing God and persecuting his people.
In the last days we see these two women in clear opposition to each other, each having a separate destiny. The bride of Christ may be persecuted and pursued by the devil, but she is ultimately rescued by her husband and Lord. The false bride is judged and destroyed by the same.
The temptation we face today is to tell ourselves that we can follow Christ as his bride without having to separate ourselves from the lifestyle and values of this world. I fear that we have handed the world a gospel full of loopholes and exceptions that give the false impression that we can follow Christ without really having to make any changes in our lifestyle. We’ve told them, “Just pray this prayer and you’re saved.” In so doing we have taught a whole generation how to dress like a bride by day and walk the streets at night. Without a clean break from our old life of sin and a decision to follow Christ faithfully there is no salvation.
Let us remember today what verse 14 tells us: “He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and those who are with him are called and chosen and faithful.” If we are to be with our prince forever we must live as those who are called- called out of the values of this world, Chosen- chosen to walk with him in holiness, and faithful- staying close to him in all our ways with no compromise. Let us remember today that our Lord is coming for a bride, not a girlfriend. He is coming for one committed to him forever, not a live in for the moment. He will not allow us to dine at his table by day while we walk the streets of Babylon at night. He will not invite you to have a home in the New Jerusalem while you lease an apartment in Babylon. Choose this day who you will serve. Let the world see in you the radiance of his called, chosen, and faithful bride.

Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten by the word web ministry
See our website at
http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and
www.facebook.com (to group "begotten by the word")
Begotten by the word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach
http://www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)

Be blessed Today
Pastor Kitner

Assurance Just for You!

He is with you!
Hebrews 13:1-6(KJV)
1Let brotherly love continue.
2Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Special weekend for Me

This weekend will be my 22 year anniversary at the church I have been the pastor of since 1987. My birthday is officially on Saturday and I have reached 65 and Sunday =22 yrs exactly.

When I came here we moved on my birthday and my first sermons as pastor here were on Sunday September 27. I have learned a lot here, both about myself and about people. God has also taught me a lot about Himself as I have been here. I have been through times of great happiness and joy and of great sadness and sorrow as well. At times I wanted to leave here in the worst way. God has never opened another door for me to leave but chose to bless me here.

The Lord is good all the time.

Trust God!

Be blessed!
Pastor Kitner

Blessed in Christ

Blessed in Christ

Ephesians 1:3 - 8 (KJV) 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Where sin abounds in God's grace He super-abounds to us through Jesus Christ the Lord. He has blessed us with all that the Father has - all that the Son has done and all that the Holy Spirit can apply to us in Christ.

God thought about us before he ever placed us in our mothers womb to be born on this earth and declared us blessed in Christ... PTL

Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner

The Winners Creed

The Winners Creed

From “Effective Keys to Successful Leadership” by Frank Damazio

People are unreasonable, illogical and self centered – LOVE THEM ANYWAY.

If you do good, people will accuse you of being selfish and having an ulterior motive – DO GOOD ANYWAY.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies – SUCCEED ANYWAY.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable – BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow – DO GOOD ANYWAY.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds – THINK BIG ANYWAY.

People favor underdogs, but follow top dogs – FIGHT FOR SOME UNDERDOGS ANYWAY.

What you spend building for years may be destroyed overnight – BUILD ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll always get kicked in the teeth – GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.

Extra:

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Let the rest of your life be in such a fashion so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. Author Unknown

Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner

What is your problem?

I saw this on another blog and thought you could use some inspiration here.



What is your excuse for not doing things?

Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner

Stop praying about it...???

Here is a good word from a new blog that I have included in my Blog List.
Shawn Lovejoy

Stop praying about it...
One of the lamest excuses I hear people use is: "I'll pray about it." Yes, the Bible says we should pray about everything (Phil 4:). However, Paul was talking about praying about things as opposed to worrying about things. In other words, trusting God when we go through uncertainty, rather than worrying about it.
Praying about it doesn't mean, however, that prayer can be an excuse for procrastination and disobedience! So often, today, when I hear people say: "I'll pray about it"it's just an excuse to delay or disobey what they know God already has told them! Hear are some examples of things we don't need to pray about because God's will is already clear about it!

Whether or not to forgive someone:
Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT) 14“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Whether or not to get a divorce:
Matthew 19:8-9 (NLT) 8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness, but it was not what God had originally intended. 9And I tell you this, a man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.”

Whether or not to have sex, even though you're not married:
1 Corinthians 7:2 (NLT) 2But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

Whether ot not to serve in a position we're asked to serve in at church:
1 Corinthians 12:5 (NLT) There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving.

Whether or not to go on a mission trip:
Matthew 28:19 (NLT) Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Whether we should give ten percent of our income back to God through His church, or not:
Malachi 3:10 (NIV) Bring the whole tithe (tenth) into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

My question for you today: Are you going to obey God? or pray about it?
God blesses people who obey Him, not those who use prayer as an excuse for obedience.
Did I beat around the bush too much today?

By Shawn Lovejoy

Blessings on Ya!
Pastor Kitner

The Healer from Hillsong - to hear the actual song performance click here

I came across this video explaining the story behind the writing of the song ‘Healer’ by Hillsong. Just a warning, this will mess you up. A quote from Nick Poole

Here is another testimony from someone diagnosed with cancer and how God is working through them to even write a song about the healer and healing.

God bless you richly as you listen and be healed in Jesus name!
Pastor Kitner