Sunday Evening Preaching
October 22nd, 2006 by Northern FarmerI have a rule to never blog when I’m really tired or down or stuff like that. But rules are made to be broken and I always break my own rules anyhow so what the heck. Not like it’s the first time. But blogging is getting harder and harder as time goes by, I don’t know why, maybe I’m losing interest in it, maybe because of some of the trouble it’s caused me in the past, I don’t know for sure. It’s getting to the point that I even hate to turn on the computer anymore, never knowing what to expect.
I keep my family out of it as much as possible because I figure they don’t have to be put on display to who knows what kinda nuts are out there. So I’m pondering on what to do in the future here. Slow down, shut down or what. The only thing that makes me wonder which way to go is some of the fine folks that frequent here, posting and just plain lurking. Many have become friends over the internet and in person. Kinda gives a person a guilt complex thinking about shutting down you know.
We are having some tough times right now around here, thus the very short supply of what was once a steady stream of posts. I think, I gotta post something, but just can’t quite get to it and the posts get farther and farther apart. Now, it’s not like I don’t have stuff to write about and I don’t have opinions any more, it’s just becoming less and less of a priority when so many things are happening around here that make you realize how short life in this world really is. But God is Good! All the time! And my faith is getting stronger everyday.
And I know that I’m not the most popular guy on the block when I write about my faith, not religious enough for many. I keep watching denomination after denomination crumbling down and accepting the modern ways of the world and man. And I’m talking about many of the major denominations accepting homosexuality in their leadership and other things. How they first accept man made ism’s and gradually degenerate into hell itself. Where’s the old faith, where’s believing in the Word as the absolute truth, the Word of Almighty God Himself, the God that never changes. People change, God doesn’t change. Some folks say we’ll follow this rule and that rule, we’ll take sixteen steps this way and sixteen steps that way and that’ll make us “religious†enough for God.
But I’m here to say, whatever happened to a church that’s on fire for God! Casting out demons, healing the sick with God’s power! It ain’t going to happen to a religious church, men trying to figure out rules and saying parts of the Bible don’t pertain to us now. They say, “that was for them days back thenâ€. “God don’t do that stuff nowâ€, we the church are in control now. And they become churches of dead men, deader than doornails. Then these folks that think they are the way keep perverting rules evermore. And their churches are literally dead. They figure they shouldn’t have to go out and spread the Good News, that they can hide, just like cowards, figuring God favors them because they can come up with man made theologies and talk with a sly tongue showing off their wisdom. And the outward and inward results are a dead church with no movement of God what so ever.
Then racism is discussed and they’ll pervert their religion so that they can condone it all. Then they figure that they were chosen by God, better then the rest, and they don’t have to spread the Gospel, in fact, remember they say that the Bible doesn’t pertain to many things nowadays, them prophecies were for the old church, not now. They chose their own wisdom over the Word of God. A far cry from what we are commanded to do, that’s to spread the Good News, save the lost, and live in the Spirit. Now that’s a touchy one, living in the Spirit, then a person gets called a lunatic, a fanatic and all sorts of good stuff. They don’t get called that by the world, they get called that by the religious, the son’s of satan. Well, Jesus said to the religious, “your father the devilâ€. It ain’t no different today, not one bit different. You know, I read a thing on the internet where these religious were saying that we don’t get the gifts of the Spirit anymore because we don’t need them, we’re to smart nowdays, not like them crude people back in Acts. But I wonder, that’s saying we don’t need God, because we are so smart now with all the ism’s. Because if we don’t need the Gifts of the Spirit, that’s saying we don’t want God, because the Spirit is God. No wonder I get disgusted with all the religious out there, they deny the Bible, just picking up a few verses here and there and discarding the rest. Many folks don’t realize that the epistles were written to a Holy Ghost baptized believer. Well the church always was baptized in the Holy Spirit after being saved then, no rituals, no anything man made or thought of, just believe and whoosh! The Spirit came rushing in, big time, same today. Yup, same today for those who, “only believeâ€.
But around here there’s going to be some old fashioned devil stomping. Anything I write will be with the thought in mind that the Bible is true today as it was yesterday. The gifts the Church got back then are the same today, God didn’t change one single bit. And I see the gifts with my own eyes so it’ll be pretty hard for any worldly religious person to tell me otherwise. It’ll be pretty hard to tell me that God doesn’t heal the same now as before, when I see it all the time and experienced it myself. And nothing hurts more than seeing someone you care about who’s sick, very sick, still stick to denominational perversions that don’t believe in God’s healing powers. NOTHING! More faith in an aspirin than God, that’s what man’s religious wisdom will do. Imagine, when I am told by somebody that their denomination is the only way, after seeing what I’ve seen, after knowing what I know and after believing that the Word of God is true. Imagine me hearing that they don’t have to spread the Gospel, because God chose them because they follow some man made rules.
I can’t wait for the day when all religions die! And everyone will witness it. Oh, what a day that will be. When the poor and the helpless are elevated to royalty, and the wise get smashed down to nothing. What a Blessed Hope! And it’s a promise from God!
October 22nd, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Tom, people are worshipping the churches, their homes, cars, clothes etc and not God. God seems to get pushed further and further away. He is out of schools and looks like he will soon be pushed out of what our country was founded on. I spent the day at a church down the road that was having their homecoming. I volunteered to keep their nursery so the nursery workers could be part of the celebration. The mothers showed their Christian side by commenting on my living in a small home with farm animals around. They have $300,000 to $400,00 homes that they and their husbands have to work to pay for while their parents that still attend that church are farmers. didn’t hurt my feelings what they thought of me just that they forgot their raising and they didn’t act very Christian like. Sorry about the long comment. Have missed your posts. don’t let anyone keep you from posting. Do like I do and hit the delete button on the trouble makers.
October 22nd, 2006 at 9:12 pm
Preach it Brother Tom!
October 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 pm
Yes and Amen! I have seen the blind see ,the deaf hear and the lame walk.( I really have) I have seen the dead in this world rise to new life in Christ. Follow the leading of the Lord where your blog is concerned..You will always be blessed that way
May our Lord richly bless you as you walk in Faith ,Love and Power!
October 23rd, 2006 at 3:49 am
Well said Tom. I know what you’re feeling about the blogging, and I just pray that God will spur you on with the writing. You’re much too special to just stop. God bless you, man. You’re in my prayers.
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:53 am
Morning Tom,
I know what your going through buddy. Years ago I started a forum just for fun. It kept growing and growing and I eventually became a slave to it. Finally turned it over to someone who I think is making a living off it now. But the durn thing was taking on a life of its own and I had too many family obligations with a couple of young boys. After about 7 years, I’m just starting to feel around this internet thing again. Just relax and have fun with this. I think you give people a lot to think about when you do write. Who knows, maybe this is your calling. I think mine is to slap two teenage boys back into morality reality sometimes…..wanna trade??
Your words ring true about religions. Unfortunately, being run by man they fall into mans problems. I believe your right about following the bible and it being as true as it was yesterday. I have yet to see a sequel…
You still up to your eyeballs in work?? We finally had a relaxing weekend around here. I knew I’d pay for it though, just before dark last night my wife and I took a drive out to one of our barns (the one I’ve been trying to straighten) and with the high winds last week, one of the boards came loose and punched a hole through the roof. Too late to fix it last evening, so I’ll rummage through some old tin tonight and try to get that fixed before the next windstorm.
Take care, and have a GREAT day,
Brad
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:55 am
Peggy,
Thanks for the wondeful comments, wow! Your hitting the nail on the head showing the carnal church at it’s finest, or should I say worst. And that’s the norm in this day and age. I gotta tell you very honestly, last nights post was written, or started with the thought in mind that it would be my last. I”d had it with blogging here. And how that post came out that followed was not planned one bit. It came strong. There’s a two edged sword in that post, first the modern carnal church and also the super religious that stop any movement of God because they are so into themselves and their hula hoop religions, dead religions, the kind Jesus hated. And there’s plenty of them around on the internet. That post hit with both barrels and there’s unlimited ammunition from the Word to handle any of these people. Thank you my friend! God Bless!
Brent,
I didn’t think anyone would even respond to that post after I wrote it. And your response means more to me than you can ever imagine. Thank you brother!! God Bless!
Patti,
I always strongly suspected that you did witness many movements of God and were not into man’s religion. And Praise the Lord my suspicions were correct! I’ve seen so many healings, for real healings, impossible healings that I can’t just stay silent because of some religious folks thinking their way is the only way. Those are the dead and the sad part is they spread the death, keeping people in bondage with their rules and laws, never looking to Christ. Talking theology and figuring they are so wise, meanwhile they can’t even hold their own families together. Just give me Jesus, I don’t need anything else! May God Bless your day today! Thank you so much!!
Thanks John! The way it looks this morning is that this blog is shaking free of the world and man’s religions and is going to follow the straight and narrow and have a blast doing so. This frees me up, not just to preach all the time, but to just be myself and write about farming and the country and all the fun stuff without having to worry about stepping on certain peoples toes. I ain’t worrying about that no more because from now on I won’t step on toes no more, I’ll stomp their feet hard! Enough is enough, I ain’t going to try to please man anymore. People don’t like it they can go to their own little religious sites and squirm around with their man made theologies and rot. There’s nothing I can do about that. But around here any blood bought believer can just relax. And for those that ain’t Christian, well read at your own risk because one of these days, your gonna get it
Thanks Again and God Bless!
October 23rd, 2006 at 5:57 am
Hey Brad, Thanks! Gotta go but I’ll get back to you sometime today! Thanks my friend!!
October 23rd, 2006 at 10:48 am
I agree with you on these religous doctrines. That tell you when you can eat certain foods our when you can fast or pray. It does say in the bible that there will be false doctrines and false prophets. Some people look at these things and say the must be some of those satan churches out there. But they’re not. People have been blinded by there own stupidity. They rather take someone word on something then took look it up for themselves. If these people would read there bibles to see if these things were true most would find that they have been living a life of lies. They would find out that there is only one way to get to Heaven and that what ever is in the Bible not only pertained to the days of old but the days of new. The same power and authority that Jesus and His disciples had we also have. Because Jesus died on the cross for us. It’s time for us Christians to wake up and realize that we are not puppets but humans. That we have a free mind. We need to get into the word and seek after those things that are true. Not just accepting what someone you heard preaching. But accepting what you read. I know at our church we have told people in the past. To get into the bible to make sure what you’ve heard is true. Just don’t accepted it. Read on it. Millions of people are thinking that they are gonig to Heaven becuase of religious doctrines. When they die they find out that they had been believing in a hole bunch of lies. We need to do our own research. That’s why God made the Bible. If you don’t know something is right or wrong. Well crack open the Bible and the truth’s will set you free.
October 23rd, 2006 at 11:24 am
Today’s Christians, do not want to hear truth. They want to be comfortable. If they listen to truth, then they are responsible. They are quenching the Holy Spirit by blocking Him out. I see all these seeker friendly services. They are reaching out through entertainment. They are trying to woo the people to the Lord in an easy to sit and listen to way. No wonder these new Christians balk at learning they are no longer their own, but a bond servant to the Lord. There is too much fire escape preaching and not enough teaching about laying down your life, yielding your rights, etc. If I ever have needs that need to be prayed for, I come to people like you. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I want someone who believes in the power of prayer, in the power in the name of Jesus. Preach on brother and know that if no one comes against you and tries to hush you up, you are probably not preaching the right stuff. So as long as people are fussin’ , you are probably on the right track.
October 23rd, 2006 at 1:23 pm
I too would certainly miss your posts if you gave up blogging. It’s nice to find a few people who hold to the truth and don’t sway with the changing winds.
I am with you about “religion” also. Although we really love our little church around the corner- good, sound Biblical teaching and a family of believers that love the Lord and each other- I get frustrated even there with all the emphasis on denomination. (To us, we are CHRISTIANS and that is how we identify ourselves, not members of a denomination. As a matter of fact, we have never actually joined the church for that reason- too many denominational aspects of full church membership).
As for your detractors- please don’t let them deter you. I was recently told I was “too contentious” for speaking some truth on another blog where I found misleading info being given. My comments were removed and I was emailed directly and told I was “self-gratifying” and so on. While it bothers me that others are apparently buying the claims this person was making, I had to decide to stop reading it and just pray no one would be led astray since the truth would not be tolerated. (And there was some satisfaction in dragging and dropping that blog in the “trash”).
Hope to see more of your thoughts when you get the chance.
Laura
October 23rd, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Tom,
I can relate to what you’re saying about getting around to posting. It’s amazing the harshness that comes out of people’s fingertips in response to a post! And the time it takes to compose a post! Takes away the time from famiy time, or work time!
Telling the truth is not always well heard!! We are proud that you do, and agree with you wholeheartedly!
I do beleive you’ve got an attentive readership by the comments posted so far, and you would be sorely missed if you decided to withdraw. And you never know who might show up at your door to talk to you cause they haven’t been able to read you on the blog!
Christine
October 23rd, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Brad,
Yup, still up to my eye balls in work, thank the Lord for the shorter days of Fall. But progress is being made all the same and I’m kinda getting into it. On the family front things are calming down with cancer and all that stuff. It’s almost a week since I was sitting in ER. Got your e-mail and have to thank you! God Bless!
PJ,
What can I say,m I agree! One thing that you mentioned about our little church backing up “everything” with the Word is so true. On any given message the Bible gets a pretty good workout! It’s all in there, Praise the Lord! God Bless!
Marci,
You know, you folks are just something else! Such good comments, so much truth and so much a person can learn from brothers and sisters in Christ! I’m just flat out thankful for you all! Thanks and God Bless!
Laura,
I sure do understand your feelings about denominations, and I agree! I know at our little church there’s no such stuff, and there’s no shortage of people sharing their gifts either. I know I just want to do more and more.
Welcome to the wonderful world of internet religious folks! Talk about a pit of snakes, been there, seen allot. Now I have nothing to do with them misguided people preaching their religion of man. If they want to come here, that’s fine with me, but I’m like you and just stay away from them sites. First of all the society they figure on building will never fly because they’re not believing in the Word. They believe in ism’s. I once wrote that it would be hell on earth if they ever had their ways. But thankfully it’ll never fly because God’s not behind it, nomatter how much they say that He is. The perfect example is how they almost go nuts if you proclaim the Word, then watch the fur fly! Anything you say is met with pure hate. I’m glad you found out and did something about it. Around here on this blog I’ve gradually got it to the point where a Bible believing Christian can feel at home, the way it should be. Thanks so much for filling me in on your experiences in blogdom! God Bless!
Christine,
But I never asked for anything as far as my blogging goes, never, I never thought people would read it, never. But from now on it’s going to be a bit different.
First, thanks!! What a day, last night I sat down to say I was closing it down, then the fingers got to typing and wrote all that stuff and now I’m roaring to have at it. Ah, the freedom the truth brings, eh! In reality it doesn’t take me much time to blog “if” I’m in the mood, but lately it’s been kinda tough, not so much the overload of work, just couldn’t seem to write. Always wondering how to blog and not step on toes. Well, for me that just doesn’t work. I’m almost bursting at the seams to just shout it out. I told Pastor Josh in church yesterday that I was ready to explode in shouting it all out, the Gospel that is, I was almost going nuts there was so much inside wanting to come out. And last evening in the middle of blogging it started to come, just a small portion but some came never the less. I know deep in my heart that as far as Christian Agrarianism, ( a term I very seldom use the last few months because of the religious perversions that are proclaiming that they are the way), the regular Bible believing folks from a broad spectrum of denominations are by far the great majority leading the way in this movement. The Bible believing folks are living it in various stages from begining to end, not sitting around trying to figure it out like the religious. I’ve noticed the religious are always gloom and doom, and the regular simple folks are happy and having at it. That’s by the Grace of God, because He’s with the simple believers, not the spreaders of man’s doctrines. No matter what hell throws at the simple folks they keep on plugging because God’s Grace is with them. That’s why one can see so many folks from all different walks of life living a true Christian Agrarian style of life.
Oh boy, this sure ain’t going to make me the most popular guy around, but what the hey
Oops, got a bit long winded there
God Bless You and Yours Down There!
October 23rd, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Hey Christine that is an idea!! A blog block party. We can leapfrog car pool. You can come here and then we can go there..The souther folks hitchin a ride with the middle folk then catchin up with us norther folk then on to the far north!….Better save a couple of those chickens Tom
October 23rd, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Patti,
Uh, for the southerners, a tip, bring warm clothes 
Hmmm! Just tell me when I should yell ” we’s got company comin ma!” I’ll go out and knock off a couple of roosters and rustle up some vittles from here and there. Maybe even one of them farm raised turkeys that follow me around
October 24th, 2006 at 5:44 am
Well Tom,
I’m not a bible quoting kind of guy, basically because anybody can turn anything around to how they want to interpret it. So I have two things I have never heard two different view points on and hang onto these things dearly. One is the Nicene creed, and the other is (I think) what everything we do is based around.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?. Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
You just can’t go wrong with those (hope I didn’t break any copyright laws here
).
Keep it up my friend, you do give out a lot to chew on. You make my day whether I’m sitting on the tractor, or sitting in this cube.
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
October 24th, 2006 at 5:51 am
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?. Jesus replied: †‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.â€
You done got it Brad! You done got it!! A response like that will carry me through my day! God Bless!
October 24th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
Tom, I have to tell you that it would be a sad day for me if you became disenchanted with blogging enough to call it quits. Hang in there, brother. You are a voice of truth and reason in a sick and depraved world. You won’t know this side of heaven how many lives you have touched with your words and life. I agree also with Brad’s last point. Christ’s words say it all. What if we all lived those words in our daily walk? As members of a body we are meant to be unified, each one of us with his/her own gifts that contribute to the function of the whole. If one tries to act more important or neglects his duties the entire body suffers. I’m so tired of trivial contentions that create dissension and division. I believe it is the enemy’s deceit and trickery that causes us to take our eyes off Christ and focus on one another, whether it’s doctrinal differences or pointing out the “speck” in our brother or sister’s eye. We are not meant to compare ourselves but to strive together for a common goal. “Because there is one loaf, we who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. - 1 Cor.10:17″ Keep on “straining onward” with your eyes on the prize!
October 24th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Tom,
Keep preaching. The world and a lot of Christians need their feet “stomped” hard otherwise they will keep sleeping. (I would have responded earlier, but I spent a day dealing with escaped cows.)
Jim V
October 24th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Emily,
Your comments are so true. And I know that I have to really watch myself from falling into that trap of thinking I’m on the only right way, it’s easy to fall into. And I never want to write anything that says that our little church is the only one doing it right, because there’s folks are doing it right, following Jesus in almost every church.But around here it’s quite a cast of caractors as far as faith that come together in one accoard, warms the heart really. We got Lutherans, Baptists, Reformed, Anglican, Pentecostal, Catholic and who knows what else, all in agreement that believers are the Body of Christ. Some folks don’t like it, but that’s their problem,cause I figure God sure likes it when we all get together and agree that it’s all about Him and not man.
You know it’s folks like you that keep me from blowing the computer away with the twelve gauge
Thanks and God Bless!
Jim,
Thanks, but you just gave me the shudders, that’s what nightmares are made of, cattle getting out, egad, I hate that when that happens! Thanks and God Bless!
October 24th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
One interesting thought about Church’s. Some say they can’t work together because they just don’t believe the same things. Which isn’t true. There’s 25 church’s in El Savador that get together once a month and have a meeting after the meeting all the church’s go out and evangelize together as one group. That’s the way it should be. God never put a name with any group. That’s what man did to be able to tell who believed in what. The reason why church’s don’t work together is that to many of them have to much pride to listen to the other. It’s either there way or the high way. Which is totally wrong. Just like Brad said. We need to love our neighbor ( other Church’s) as we love ourselves. If we can’t love them then we can’t love ourselves. That’s why church people are in missery sometimes. It’s because they keep bashing other church’s. Let’s start incouraging other church’s let God do the judging. As soon as we start judging others then God has a right to judge us. I know I don’t want that to happen. Let’s walk in love towards one another and pray for one another. Let God make known what is right and what is wrong. It’s all in the Good Book.
October 24th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
2 Tim 3:12- “All who desire to live right in Christ, will have trouble from othersâ€.
Take heart Tom. Being a Christian is not about a popularity contest.
October 25th, 2006 at 5:47 am
PJ,
So right you are about all of this. What power and what movements of God there would be if folks would realize this. But just using the internet as an example it sure would be rough for all that good to happen here in this society. Man’s to arrogant in his luxuries to want to get together with others in the body of Christ and do the work God commanded. People would rather argue about ism’s and try to show the world how wise they are. The stuff I’ve read on the internet from so called christians makes me want to vomit. NOthing but hate and more hate. What you seen in El Salvador was simple people with simple faith just like in the Book of Acts. Here I’m afraid that the church is so carnal and stiff necked so many times it’s almost legally dead. But instaed of just complaining about it, it’s my responsibility, for myself and family, not to be like that and just follow Jesus. And wonders do start to happen when we do. The first thing that happens is the desire to love our neighbor and spread the Good News.
Sometimes I wonder when I have a post like I wrote here, am I just doing the same thing as the religious, but I have to draw the line and proclaim Jesus as Lord, not the ways that have degenerated over the years into such “religion”. It’s a sad topic, and I wish it weren’t around just like so many other things. Thanks for such good comments and see you tonight!
Christina,
Thanks for the verse and God Bless You and Yours!