Praying for our authority- including (President Obama)

First off let me say that we are all entitled to our opinions and to what we believe. Like a person who believes he is Superman and that he in fact can fly so he decides to test his theory by jumping off a building, obviously he will discover that he can’t fly very quickly and his belief was wrong. Because gravity is real whether we believe in it or not.

I firmly believe as a Christian our ultimate authority is the Word of God the Bible. So what it says is truth whether or not we like it or agree with it. It is Truth and nothing but the Truth. That said let’s turn to these two passages:
Romans 13:1

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. KJV

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. NLT
Matthew 5:44

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; KJV

But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! NLT

Now for what’s been on my heart the issue of authority, so here goes…..

The Bible says in the reference above “all authority comes from God & those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” So that means that our Presidents past and present (yes I did say present) President Obama has been placed there by God. Now he has made a lot of mistakes and most likely continue too, so I am not saying that he is not responsible for his actions or innocent. But instead of telling the world how evil he is online and the world abroad, I believe we as followers and servants of Christ, should pray… that’s right pray for him. Because the second verse that I posted above says “Love your enemies” so if you should hate him so much that he becomes your enemy you should love him.

The trend now is to tell the world everything that we don’t like now in regards to tastes like food, music, clothes, sports teams, and such that’s perfectly fine. But in regards to authority such as parents, teachers, bosses, Pastors, police officers, Mayors, Governors, Presidents, and all who hold a position of authority in our lives, God has a higher standard He wants us to pray and obey, and by listening to God His favor and blessings will flow in our lives.

3 things to Pray for President Obama:

1. For His Salvation, God can save anyone, and He wants all to come to know Him 1 Timothy 4:4

2. For him to have wisdom

3. For his protection and his family’s protection

Thanks for stopping bye and may God bless you richly

Yohn

Gotta have Marshmallows

I was teaching the little kids today this story:


Safe on an Island (Acts 28:1-10)





I was about to tell them about how Paul got bit by a snake and how he just shook it into the fire, and asked them “What do you need to build a fire?” The answer of course is sticks, but one of them said “marshmallows!” What a great answer ha ha! When you have a fire you gotta have marshmallows.

Grace with Victory!

Psalm 37:23-24

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Recently in the news I heard of a big time Pastor falling due to what he called a "moral failure" which is a nice way to put he committed adultery, then in the article he mentioned how no ones perfect, and went on to justify himself. Sad this man played with fire and got burned.

Then I recently watched a movie about a amazing christian singer who died in a car crash. The movie showed a flawed man who smoked cigarettes, and got drunk all the time, mean while managing to write amazing christian songs, and speak challenging words to Churches. I think the over arching message was God loves you in spite of you, and He gives you His free grace. Which is absolutely true. But I think the movie glamorized this man's sin, and failed to show that the real guy had a real vibrant relationship with God.

So the point I am making is everywhere we look we see flawed humanity, and the message being proclaimed is God loves you. Which I say a big amen to that, but where is the message that this wonderful verse proclaims? "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth (holds him up) him with his hand. It plainly declares that God is able to give us victory, and hold us up! And the first part says that He will guide our steps, and if we have God guiding our steps we won't walk into the traps that the enemy sets for us.

We can have grace and victory together! God has given me this for the past 20+ years I have walked with Him, sure I have messed up and continue to, but He upholds me with His strong hand! My prayer is He'll do the same for you! May we walk in His grace and His victory each day He gives us amen!

Our 16th Anniversary!

Today I celebrate 16 years with my beautiful wife and best friend, words can not express how happy I feel that God gave me a wonderful treasure like the verse says:

Proverbs 18:22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord.

We played this song at our wedding and the vow I made with you my bride is as true now as it was then. I love you with all of my heart 

My Testimony

This was my very first post on my blog, and I thought I'd share it again, cause our testimonies are one way we will defeat the enemy, and it's neat to see where people came from. Feel free to share your testimony on the comment section. God bless and keep you

Yohn

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;

My Testimony

I was born in the 70's and my parents were hippies and like most hippies they did drank and did drugs. Me and my older brother were named while my dad was high. My brother was namedRaisan Cain, he now goes by Ray and I was named Yohn Dur, I now go by Yohn except my family still calls me Yohn Dur. I grew up like most kids in a dysfunctional family. I started smoking, drinking, and doing drugs at age 12. Which led me to juvenile hall a couple of times and was leading me on the road to destruction and hell. I remember looking at my future back then and thinking I would either be in prison, or dead because of an overdose. Then in January of 1993 everything changed I came home one day and my parents were mentioning Jesus not as a swear word but as Lord. I didn't want anything to do with Jesus at the time and told them I was gonna party and do drugs till I died. Thank God that wasn't true because my parents started having Bible study at the house and I started talking to the guy that led it like a punk kid with sarcastic questions like who made God?, and isn't Jesus a myth? He answered me each time with love and it was love that drew me before I knew it I was listening to the Bible stories he would share with us like David and Goliath. And in June of 1993 all alone in my bedroom I told Jesus I would be His if He would take the desire to get high on drugs out of me, you see I chased the high everyday had to have the high, the high, the high, would do anything for the high. But right then and there He took that desire away and replaced it with a desire for Him. You see Jesus has done soooo much for me not only saving me 20 years ago, but blessing me with a beautiful wife, and two beautiful children. My life is forever changed because of him!

USE YOUR SWORD

3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” 1 Samuel 15:3


Can you imagine being a soldier in Israel’s army and hearing these instructions? Killing all the animals would be sad but doable, but then you’d kill men, woman,children, babies? In order to do this you’d just have to react and not sit down and think about it. Cause that’s what King Saul chose to do, he saved the best animals, and even spared the King of the Amalekite’s, and then you see the prophet Samuel speaking for God and pronounce punishment on King Saul. Because the King chose to disobey God.


God knew if you saved the women and Children they would want to take vengeance, and would end up doing just that one day. So God fixed the problem before it even started.


The question I have for you is does God still work this way today? Is there a God of the Old Testament who is full of wrath, and a God of the New Testament who only loves? This is sadly what a lot of people believe and teach but the Bible says:


Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.


So that means God has never changed and will never change, He is the same God today as He was when He gave the Israelite’s this command. The difference is today our battle is not with flesh and blood Ephesians 6:12. Our battle is a spiritual one, the Old Testament paints a physical picture of what the New Testament says is spiritual. The Old Testament is types and shadows of the New Testament.


But what are we fighting against today? There are 3 enemies that we need to fight everyday, they are 1. The World 2. The Flesh and 3. The devil, and the device, or I should say, the weapon they all use to battle us is sin. God has given us a weapon also and that is a sword Ephesians 6:17.


1. The World-As we look at this you may be saying I thought the world was good, didn’t God make the world? Yes he did, but when we battle the world we are battling the thoughts and desires of this world, have you ever noticed that the world paints bad to look good, and good to look bad? For example when you see a beer commercial it has pretty girls and handsome guys, which is a lie, the truth would be a fat beer belly guy and not too pretty girls. And then when I say the world virgin what do you think? It’s a beautiful thing to be a virgin but the world makes it look bad. So we need to pull out our sword, the bible and renew our thinking, by reading, meditating on it, and memorizing it:


Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.


The flesh- that is our own sinful desires, the other word for it is our old man Romans 6:6 KJV. Have you ever wondered why it’s easier to do bad then good? Do you remember being taught how to lie, cheat, steal? So when these evil desires that are in us rise up we must put them to death and crucifying our flesh:


Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


and finally 3. The devil- One of the greatest things that the devil has done is he has people who do not believe that he is real, even some Christians believe this. We must believe what the Bible says about him not only is he real but he has a game plan which is to steal, kill, and destroy John 10:10. What does he steal? By using the weapon of sin, he stills your time, and your faith examples of this are porn, and drugs. What does he kill? With that same old weapon sin he kills relationships just think of how many marriages are killed by sin like adultery. What does he destroy? He tries to destroy your very life, by speaking lies (of which he is the father of lies) he gets many people at any age to commit suicide, which breaks my heart every time I hear that someone else committed suicide especially a young person and that they chose to believe the devils lies, instead of God’s truth that they are fearfully and wonderfully made Psalm 139:14, God never makes junk.


So to wrap this up God wants us to strap on our Sword and use it to fight our enemy, and He will give us the victory and make us more than conquerors Romans 8:37.

I Am Mountain | Gungor (Official Music Video)

Awesome song, trippy video, I dig it!

Spend me O' Lord

Thoughts on humility

Humility is a funny thing the moment you say “I’ve got it!” you’ve lost it. Also it’s been said that humility isn’t thinking less of yourself it’s thinking of yourself less which is true but I think a fuller definition of humility is not thinking of yourself at all. Let me end this post with a story

A music major at a university was touring through Austria she went into the birthplace of Beethoven the place where he grew up as a child, and she slipped under the rope that was guarding the piano that he learned to play on. and she couldn’t resist the temptation and she began to play a few tunes on that piano. Of course that brought over one of the guards, one of the tenders of that house and immediately she slipped back out and said ” I’m sorry I suppose that no musician could resist the temptation to sit at Beethoven’s piano and play and this guard tour guide said “as well as a matter of fact two weeks ago the great Paderewski was here (great concert pianist perhaps the greatest) and he was asked to play at that piano and he said I could never play at the piano of the great master Beethoven” and she got the point. Humility it’s when you realize the greaterness of somebody else.

Let’s remember the greaterness of our Savior Jesus Christ and learn to forget about ourselves today.