Sunday, December 31, 2017

A Word of Caution About the Coming New Year, Just in Case You Haven't Noticed

A Warning From the Lord Regarding America's Future
If She Doesn't Change Her Ways
by Pastor Paul J. Bern
To view this on my website, click here :-)



For my final posting for 2017, I'm going to pass along another warning from the Lord regarding the future of our country, or the future of the USA if the reader lives elsewhere. First, let me point out that prophecy doesn't mean being able to foretell the future. That's called divination, which is of the occult, which is essentially a form of Satanic worship. Prophecy, in the scriptural sense, simply means affirmatively declaring the Word of God, or of conveying the will of God and letting it be known with precision. For example, if I say, “Jesus will return next Christmas Eve”, that's a prediction of the future, and in this case a pretty bad one. But if I say, “Everyone act, think and live as if Jesus will return by next Christmas, for He will return at an hour when many do not expect him”, then I have prophesied the Word of God by allowing myself to be used as a vessel for God's Word to humankind, or as a conduit for God's awesome power (which is beyond all human imagination). And so allow me a few paragraphs and yourself several minutes to relate what I believe is this important Word from the Lord God Almighty through his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lamb that was slain and yet lives!



As it was in the times of the prophets of old, so it is today – “my people perish due to a lack of knowledge”. Everyone today seems filled with book knowledge, and yet can't perform basic life skills like preparing a budget, reading a local bus schedule or changing a flat tire. America's days as a superpower, both militarily and economically, are just about over. Do you not see what is happening all around you? Your government is printing money at maximum speed to keep your rigged capitalist economic system, a system based on indebtedness and greed that is a laughingstock both up in heaven and down in hell, from imploding. It is as plain and bright as the daytime sunshine God created that America's pyramid-schemed economic system has run its course. It will soon be exactly as it was written by my beloved son and apostle John, “In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen, I am not a widow, and I will never mourn'. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe, oh great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'” (Revelation chapter 18, verses 7-10)



A controversy has been raised for centuries regarding the identity of “Babylon, city of power” mentioned above. In times of old, most people of faith concluded that it was the Vatican. More recently, Islam has been declared the culprit, but I'm not sure that's the case either. Granted, the Islamic nations are mentioned in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39 as being in alliance with “the king of the north”, which likely includes Russia. So we can rule out the Catholic and Muslim faiths. Guess what modern country is left? Is there anyone who still doubts that this passage of Scripture was written about our country, the United States? Go back and read that again, or better yet, read Revelation chapter eighteen in its entirety, it's all right there in black and white. “In one hour her doom (will) come”....



The US is the world's biggest (by far) military power. We're also #1 globally in homicides, the production of pornography, first in the number of people in prison, and the only developed industrialized nation that withholds medical care and higher education from its population unless we pay exorbitant prices to obtain them. Never mind that medical care, together with higher education and internet access, are fundamental, basic human rights. When the government – any government – sins against its own people, it sins collectively against God! So how else is the US government sinning against God? Our dollar, or more accurately the rate they are being printed, makes a major currency devaluation likely, possibly even in the near future. This is particularly true if the abuses on Wall Street, as well as Washington, DC, continue unabated. This huge cover-up of the abuse of power will result in America's destruction unless it is all forcibly stopped immediately! If the US does not repent of these egregious sins and get its house in order, God will punish our country with more economic hardship, natural disasters and plagues than it has ever seen in her lifetime. I know there are those who will not take my warning seriously, but I remind you that the future of our country is at stake. I do not speak for myself, but I speak on the Lord's behalf through Christ Jesus his Son. He is the composer of this message; I'm just a courier of his.



We have taken the earth that God created and ruined it. Everything is polluted, even our own bodies. Oil residue still exists on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and western Florida more than 7 years after that oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico; the seafood (not OUR seafood, since it all belongs to God) is contaminated with mercury and hundreds of tons of scrap plastic; our livestock are catching deadly new strains of the flu, and our IQ's become ever more diminished due to ingesting fluoridated water for decades. Autism, once thought to have originated from childhood vaccines, is now being more correctly understood as having environmental rather than medical causes and origins. We're doing all this to ourselves. Humanity has collectively become suicidal, and we're taking the whole stinkin' planet with us on the way out. We have collectively become insane, and it's all because of a group of psychopaths that have hijacked the US for their own enrichment. Since it is ourselves, the bottom 99%, who are on the receiving end of all this abuse, we will have to band together to get out of this untenable situation. For some ideas on how you can peacefully fight back, get a copy of my book “Occupying America: We Shall Overcome” from this link.



Hard times are coming, of that we can all be sure. Wars threaten to break out everywhere we look. God has shown me that gas rationing and food rationing are both in America's future. Poverty will increase by leaps and bounds, creating a permanent underclass of Americans who will become the spearhead of a Second American Revolution. Civil unrest is definitely coming, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1960's. Rioting may occur in (hopefully) isolated areas, and people may have to stay barricaded in their homes and apartments for days and weeks at a time. With 70% of America's economy dependent on consumer spending, this is ominous to say the least. If and when the dollar collapses – a very real possibility – all these things will be much worse (God forbid). The Bible warns us that “a day is coming when no one will be able to work”. We have been taking our privileged lives for granted for too long. God is a patient and loving God who is slow to anger but swift and sure regarding his punishment for those who willfully disobey. When we take a look around us, we see our neighborhoods, subdivisions, schools, churches, businesses, and industries, and all the infrastructure associated with them. Yet God is warning you all that even the tallest tower – which here in Atlanta is just over 52 stories – will not be left standing upon the arrival of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. It is only then, when the arrival of Christ Jesus splits the Mount of Olives in two, that “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord”. You children of his are all just about out of time.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Free book excerpt # 17 from author, blogger and Web pastor Paul J. Bern

“The Apostles In Plain English Vol. 1: the Apostle Paul” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) 2017 by Rev. Paul J. Bern and CreateSpace.com
 
Five years in the making, this first of a series is a lot more than just a compilation of Bible studies. This collection of Paul's writings presents them from a broader perspective that are much more applicable to modern life than one might expect. 

This study of Paul's writings is done from a whole new 21st century perspective that is sure to educate while making the process enjoyable. Over 500 pages of enlightenment! A must-read for believers, whether they attend church or not! An inspirational guide for secular folks too!

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/N4RXD3iOnxI




The Love Chapter

[1st Corinthians chapter 13]

Today in our continuing study of 1st Corinthians we will cover chapter 13, which is sometimes called “the love chapter” by ministers, Bible scholars, and independent pastors like myself. This 13th chapter is not only a deeply meaningful and eloquent piece of scripture, it has literary beauty as well. The words flow like a gently running stream through a magnificent landscape of cascading spirituality, defining what true love is and how it is shared between ourselves and others in compassionate and tender fashion. Let me begin this lesson at verse one right away. This chapter of 1st Corinthians is so good it won't wait!


“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1st Cor. 13, verses 1-3)


When the apostle Paul wrote these words he was not writing about love in a physical sense and he was not commenting on being married vs. remaining single. He was writing about the kind of love that Jesus said we should all have in abundance as He taught us about the two greatest commandments. When asked about this during His ministry, Jesus replied, “These two commandments are that you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and that you must love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commands rest all the law and the prophets.” And so it doesn't matter what we do for God if we have no love for serving others and do not practice putting them before ourselves as I try to do with this ministry. All the effort in the world will come to nothing if we have no love in our hearts. Paul then goes on to point out the meaning of that statement.


“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1st Cor. 13, verses 4-6)


I could say that this passage is pretty much self-explanatory and move on, but before I do let me comment on what the inverse of this scripture looks like. When Paul wrote that love is patient and kind, he was warning us against being impatient, demanding, unkind and mean. Paul was also telling us that there will be no bullies in heaven. Bullying is completely un-Christian, and this kind of behavior must be opposed in the name of Jesus at every turn. Moreover, when Paul wrote that love is not envious, boastful or proud he was warning us – and the entire Church – against being jealous, arrogant, obnoxious and conceited. When Paul wrote that love is not rude or self-seeking, he was reminding us to be considerate of others while warning us not to be belligerent, controlling or manipulative because such behavior never comes from God. 
 

When Paul wrote that love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs, he was reminding us to control our tempers, to never hold grudges (especially for very long), and to never be abusive towards others for any reason. When Paul wrote that love rejoices with the truth and never delights in evil, he was reminding us that standing against social and economic injustice and the abuse of power is the responsibility of Christians everywhere, as Rev. Dr. King Jr. (who was himself a minister of the Gospel) so memorably reminded us of a generation ago. If love always protects, then it is never negligent nor does it lack diligence. If love always trusts then it is never dishonest. If love always perseveres, then love is relentless, never giving up. Let me now continue our study of this truly beautiful passage of Scripture.


“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away;For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” (1st Cor. 13, verses 8-10)


“Love never fails”. Even though the world around us is coming apart at the seams, love will still be standing when it implodes because God, who is eternal, is the personification of love. Even though marriages fail, love will drive men or women to seek another relationship to replace it. Even though our country's unsustainable debt-based economic policies threaten to crash the capitalist financial system straight into the ground (and make no mistake, that is exactly what will ultimately occur), love will still be standing even when your money is no good anymore (and that day is also coming, so take heed). Even though nations go to war, love always rebuilds the population when the war finally ends. And it is love from which we derive compassion and empathy, two more human virtues that similarly never fail.


Before I move on, let me comment briefly on verse 10, “For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” Knowing and prophesying in part is an acknowledgment of our one-on-one relationship with Christ Jesus. We know Him through our daily walk with Him, through being in an ongoing state of prayer, and we proclaim his Word because we have read it, understood it and are actively obeying it. We only know Jesus in part because we have never actually seen Him, but our faith in Him makes up the difference. Still, until He returns, we only know Him “in part”. “But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears”. The word perfection in this verse symbolizes and is used as a synonym for Christ. So when He returns, our imperfect relationship with Him will be made perfect because we will have seen Him and in so doing we will be achieving Spiritual fulfillment. Now that I have analyzed this I will move on and finish this up.


“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1st Cor. 13, verses 11-13)


Paul is comparing maturing from a child to an adult to our growth in faith in Christ as we are first transformed from lost nonbelievers to born-again Christians and then subsequently becoming ever stronger in our walk with our Savior. As of now, we can only hope to emulate Jesus as best as we can, and we freely choose to believe in Him and to uphold the sacredness of His name even though we have never seen Him. But one fine day we shall all see Him face to face, and we will all instantly recognize Him. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully...; our journey as Christians does not end until we are with Jesus in heaven in New Jerusalem, to dwell with Him forever.


Love is the greatest virtue, it has no equal and thus reigns supreme because its source is from God, a supreme being. True Christian love is unconditional, with nothing held back. It is not selfish or egocentric, it is not used cynically to manipulate or control people, nor is it given in exchange for anything, but instead it is distributed freely and always without expecting anything in return. The three greatest virtues as Paul names them are faith, hope and love – but “the greatest of these is love”. Jesus said in the gospel of John, “A new command I give you, that you are to love one another”. If we just focused all our energy on this one thing, the world would quickly become a far more enjoyable and much safer place to live. And that's a worthwhile goal anytime.


Buy direct from the author ($19.95) at http://www.pcmatl.org/#!books-and-donations/c17et 


Watch the video at https://youtu.be/N4RXD3iOnxI
Happy holidays from Rev. Paul J. Bern 

Sunday, December 17, 2017

A Different Kind of Christmas Message for 2017

Does Anybody Really Know What Time This Is?
Does Anybody Really Care?
By Web pastor Paul J. Bern
To view this on my website, click here :-)


 
This week's commentary is titled the same as that 1970 song by “Chicago”. The holiday season is what time it is. Question is, does anybody really care about the original reason we celebrate Christmas? Thanksgiving is long gone, Christmas is this coming week, and it will be 2018 before you know it. Some will say to themselves, “I'm so glad it's the holidays, I love this time of year”, and really mean it. Others will say the same thing but inwardly they are always relieved when it's all over and done with. And then there are still others who struggle to get through the holidays, those for whom this is a stressful time. Is it any wonder people get stressed about this time of year? All the frenzied shopping and materialistic acquisition of the latest gadgets, the most up-to-date technologies, the loveliest jewelry, the finest watches and accessories for men and women, and all the new clothes, are soon followed by all the returns, swaps and refunds, and let's not forget the miserable traffic jams while we're at it. Let's remind ourselves one more time – why are we doing this? Because it's the holidays, and everybody loves the holidays because everybody loves to shop! Right? I mean, we all do think and act like everyone else as we're supposed to, right? Or is that anywhere near being a correct statement?


The ugly truth is that we have been programmed to behave this way. For generations we have been bombarded with advertisements via the media. First it was newspaper, then radio, then TV became the biggest player in advertising and marketing until the Internet came along, and the Web will soon eclipse them all in terms of sheer volume. Back in the days before the Internet some sales were made in stores, but many other products were sold door-to-door, and a lot of people wouldn't buy anything that way because they were afraid to trust door-to-door salespeople, and sometimes for good reason. Well, the large volume of advertisements of all variations that we see today on TV or the Internet, or that we hear on the radio, are a lot like those door-to-door salespeople of a generation or two ago. People don't listen to or watch the ads for the most part. They are regarded as a nuisance that one can't do much about. Suppose, just for a moment, that the Internet didn't exist. What if all those TV, radio and Internet ads were door-to-door salespeople? It would be like going back to 1960! It would also mean your doorbell would ring once every minute 24/7! That works out to 1,440 doorbell rings per day, 365 days a year. Well, if nobody would put up with that, why do they put up with all the ads? The answer is because we have been brainwashed, conditioned to accept advertisements not as just a part of everyday living – there will always be ads, even in space someday – but as a necessary part of life.


OK, let's step back and look at this from a broader perspective. It is indisputable that we are programmed to spend, and this is true throughout the Western hemisphere. Who benefits from this bastardization of the birth of our Lord and Savior? Where does all the money we spend at Christmas time wind up? Walmart? Target? Sears? Amazon? Their stockholders get a portion, granted, and the company gets better capitalized, that's true. The rest of it goes to the top 1% of the richest people in America and Western Europe, and let's not forget Canada and Japan while we're at it. There are about 400 families globally who control roughly 40% of the liquid assets of the entire world. They are the ones who are ultimately pocketing our money after all the counting is done after Christmas. They are the ones running the ads with all the subliminal messages while directing them at your children and grandchildren. They are the ones who want to get in between your ears and mess around with your brain. Why knock on your door to sell you something when they can come at you right through your television or computer screen? The only solution to this is to unplug your TV's and unsubscribe from your cable or satellite company.


The 400 richest families mentioned above are also the ones who fund the international banking system with portions of their proceeds. This means these 400 families help fund Monsanto so they can poison the ground we grow our food in, they fund 'Big Pharma' so we can be pumped full of drugs of often questionable value, and they help fund the “black projects” like HAARP and the blanketing of our earth with “chemtrails” that poison the air. They also fund the Wall Street bankers who are stealing us blind. And all this is being marketed and advertised by way of those ads we all get thrown in our faces on a continuous basis. I won't presume to speak for anyone else here, but is anybody else besides me fed up with the current state of affairs to the point that we are ready to join a revolt – or perhaps even lead one? Moreover, don't you think this is the complete opposite of what Jesus would want us to do to celebrate his birthday? By poisoning the world his Father created and the people and animal life that inhabit it? “Jesus”, the worn out cliché goes, “is the reason for the season”. Well if that is the case, then why do we celebrate Christmas every year by enriching 400 families who already have more money than they could ever physically spend in their lifetimes? What is it going to take to get you all to rise up against our oppressors?


As I wrote in a Christmas message from a couple years ago, Jesus wasn't born on December 25th anyway. He was born on the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, which is in late September or early October by our Western calendar, depending on the year (the Jewish calendar has 360 days). So I won't be redundant by restating that. But the holidays are not just about the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a time for a celebration of his life. Normally we have celebrations of people's lives at their funerals. But, since Jesus rose from the dead and still lives, Christmas is a time of celebration for what Jesus accomplished with his life. Jesus is far more than a little baby boy born in a manger (A 'manger', by the way, is a feeding trough for livestock. “This is my body, broken in remembrance of me....”). He was an apostle for 12, and later for 72, a healer of multitudes, a performer of miracles, a bouncer of demons, a teacher of humanity, a Savior of the world, and a King of the universe. He sits at the right hand of God, his only begotten Son, and his Holy Spirit inhabits the hearts of all who will humble themselves enough to ask him in. At Christmas time we celebrate the life of the man who died on a wooden cross by being nailed to it. Once this was done, that cross was stood straight up and dropped into a hole in the ground so that Jesus was about 5 or 6 feet off the ground. He was likely tied to the cross with ropes to keep him from slipping off the nails. I cannot conceive of having to endure such agony. Jesus' only consolation as he hung on that cross was his occasional relief from the pain as he slipped in and out of consciousness due to the great loss of blood.


That is what we are actually celebrating – not just Jesus' birth, but his life and how he lived it! “I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the fullest.” (John 10: 10) Jesus' life, and the eternal life he has offered to everyone in exchange for our undying faith in him, is what Christmas is really all about! It's about the birth of Jesus, granted, but there is so much more to it than that. It's all about what Jesus did with his life once he was born. Christmas isn't a solitary calendar date, it's a starting point for a process that is still ongoing as each of us blossoms into the creation we were meant to be. Just as the Father enabled Jesus and his 3 ½ year ministry to blossom into all that it was meant to be. So this Christmas, let's do more than just celebrate Jesus' birth. Let's celebrate Christmas as the starting point to His magnificent life.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

What the Phony News Media Haven't Bothered to Tell You, or Have Overlooked, About the California Wildfires

Various Wildfires in the Bible
by Web Pastor Paul J. Bern
To view this on my website, click here :-)



Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows long before their arrival. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are hurricanes, tornado's, earthquakes, deadly wildfires, floods, mass shootings and murders of every description. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly. The only true security can be found in Jesus Christ. When our lives are over and our bodies inevitably wear out and die, we can't take any of our stuff with us. Too many people live their lives to see how much they can accumulate while they're still here. What we should be doing instead is to live our lives to see how much of a legacy we leave behind when we're dead and gone.



Isaiah 30 verse 27 says, “See, the name of the Lord comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire.” One of the things that impressed me most about the west coast wildfires is they can spread faster than a human can run. That is, they can overtake and consume someone who is trying to flee without a vehicle. God's Word, the Bible in whatever format or version you choose, is a “consuming fire” that spares nothing and no one, even to the very soul! The fires of hell are just as real as those wildfires you've been watching on the news, or preferably on Alternative Media. Jesus said as much in Matthew 5 verse 22: “....I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca', is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'you fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.” “Raca” is an Arabic gesture of contempt, like calling someone an expletive or talking down to them as if they are worthless. That person may well seem worthless to their accuser, but the accuser forgets that God made them both.



In Mark's gospel chapter 9, verse 43 mentions the fires of hell too. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, where the fire never goes out.” Wildfires, no matter how out of control they may become, are all eventually put out. Not so with the fires of hell. And if Jesus tells us that hell is a real place, you had best believe it is because Jesus cannot lie – it's just not possible for the Son of God to do that. In the same way that none of us could swim in a swimming pool filled with hydrochloric acid, Jesus cannot lie any more than a house cat can transform itself into a leopard. So hell is real, and any person who says otherwise is in a state of denial. No apologies. The apostle Paul wrote about what occurs in instances like the California wildfires, or the huge hurricanes we had earlier this year, when people put their faith in the wrong things. “....his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to the light. It will be revealed with fire, and fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”



“The Day” is a reference to the Biblical return of Jesus to reign forever here on earth. The “Day of the Lord”, as the Bible calls it, will be marked by the wholesale destruction of everything man-made. Just as God destroyed the earth once before by the Great Flood, as he destroyed earth before with water he will soon destroy again with fire. Our legacies cannot be consumed by fire, only our material goods, together with ourselves in a worst case scenario. “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” Just as those who made it through the ferocious fires out in California escaped with only the clothes on their backs, so those who hoard possessions and wealth in this life will have the least in the next, if they make it to be with the Lord at all! You materialistic people – you know who you are – are living your lives all wrong! Some don't realize it and others just don't care. As a famous preacher once said, “People who don't care leave holes in time.” One final thought just below about the California wildfires, and that will be all for this week. Be blessed in Jesus' mighty name!

The Jerusalem Fire, a Sign or Coincidence?






Commentary By: Gordon King at https://endtimebibleprophecy.wordpress.com

Signs of the times, or mere coincidence? I don’t know, you be the judge.
This year has been a year of devastation and disaster as we see not only economic, social, and political disaster, but also man-made and natural disaster.
We see wildfires all across the Western United States, huge massive fires endangering lives, causing mass evacuations, and threatening property.
One of these fires located in Northern California is named “The Jerusalem Fire”.
I am not saying that this is a sign, yet isn’t it odd, the Jerusalem fire? Jerusalem, the middle of controversy for the entire world. Jerusalem, “it shall be a burdensome stone”. It’s something to think about.
If it’s not a sign, then it should at the least be a wake up call! Things in the world are just not right, the world is on fire! And the center of the world, Jerusalem, is in the middle of a fire storm.
Don’t take my word for it, read the holy scriptures, the Bible, see for yourself what the Lord says regarding the end times.


God bless! Maranatha! To view the original article on the Web, click here!

Sunday, December 3, 2017

THE WORLD IN 2018: The Prophecy Warning... (2017-2018 EVENTS)

Let's Kick All the Sex Perverts to the Curb!!

Humiliation and Shame for Sex Perverts is Deserved
by pastor Paul J. Bern
To view this on my website, click here :-)


I don't have to explain my topic for this week. Everybody has been watching or hearing about what has been going on in the halls of power in Washington as well as in Hollywood. Accusations of sexual assault, or lewd acts, or of randomly exposing oneself to whomever have suddenly started boiling to the surface. It started with former New York congressman Anthony Wiener, and he is now paying a very high price for his indiscretions in the form of a 21-month stint in federal prison. This was followed just a few months later by disclosure in Hollywood of producer-director Harvey Weinstien being accused of multiple counts of unwanted sexual advances and even outright assaults. Then several more Hollywood directors disclosed of their own sexual indiscretions, presumably to keep from being humiliated, followed by the flap over actor Kevin Spacey's allegedly uncontrollable sexual advances. While all this has been going on, president Trump has been accused by at least 20 women of unwanted sexual advances. Most recently, formerly popular Matt Lauer, the morning “Today” show host, was abruptly fired for his own incredibly poor judgment in failing to contain his own sexual appetites. On and on this goes, and where it stops nobody knows – except God.


My favorite book – the Bible – has plenty to say about sexual immorality. Everybody knows that, although not everyone believes in it. Allow me to name a couple of examples, and then I'd like to list a few bad things that can happen when we will not or cannot control our own sexual desires. First Corinthians chapter 6, verses 12 and 13 says, “'Everything is permissible for me' – but not everything is beneficial. 'Food for the stomach and the stomach for food' – but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.'” Having multiple sex partners in the times in which we live can be downright dangerous in a worst case scenario, particularly if your partner is already married or living with someone without telling you so. We think he/she is single but they're not, and next thing you know you-know-who comes home, and there you are. Some say, “Well, I don't care for the bar scene, so I use dating services to help me locate Mr. or Ms. Right so I can screen people first”. Let me point out that, according to data from the CDC located right here in Atlanta, 1 out of every 5 people on the dating websites have an STD. Out of those individuals, fully 80% don't bother to tell their new partners they are infected. You can imagine how that will turn out for everyone involved! The moral here is that, while we have the free will to do whatever we want, there can be an extremely high price to be paid when we abuse it.


Another example can be found further down in the same chapter of 1st Corinthians, verses 18-20, which read, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, who you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” The word 'flee' means to turn and run away from something or someone who poses a clear and present danger to yourself or your livelihood – even your very life! What happens during mass shootings? People turn and run for their lives, and that's exactly what we should do with regards to sexual immorality. That hot new partner you just stumbled upon could end up slowly killing you slowly long after the lovemaking is over – very, very slowly, in fact – with some STD that the newly infected person probably never heard of.


One final example I feel should be mentioned on the topic of sexual sins and perversion can be found in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 3, and I quote: “But among you there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.” OK, right here it is in black and white, everyone! God ranks having multiple partners right up there with the top 1% and all their insatiable greed. You know, they have 99% of America's wealth, while the remaining 99% are left with the remaining 1% – those people? Think of how much you likely despise those people, and that's how offended God is with our sexual immorality (Never mind how offended God is with their greed. I've already covered that topic extensively, and I will do so again, God willing!). This includes people – and particularly those who self-identify as 'Christians' – who hang out at nude or topless clubs, who look at porn, and in many cases even the singles bars should be off-limits to true Christian believers who are single. If anyone feels so lonesome that they would go to a night club and risk getting shot or stabbed just to find someone to love, I've got a news flash for those individuals – you won't find that special someone there. All you'll meet are a bunch of drunks, and who wants that? Those who truly desire a soul-mate should ask God to send him or her to you. Believe me, when the time is right, he will.


The apostle Paul, who wrote all the quotes I'm using today including this last one, said it best in this regard: “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1st Corinthians chapter 7, verses 8-9) Anyone who is really burning up with that much passion should go ahead and find a spouse to keep themselves from sinning – there is nothing wrong with this at all. But none of us – I am single myself – will find our future spouses on-line, or in some bar, no matter how fancy or attractive they may seem. Moreover, you will never find him or her watching porn either! If anyone really wants a spouse, they should pray to God to send them one, because when we do, and those prayers are made with the utmost sincerity, God will answer that prayer. That's one thing I know for sure. The other thing that we have all seen for ourselves on the news and other media is that, when we cannot contain or refuse to curb our sexual proclivities – or if certain people think they can get away with their unwanted sexual advances because of their status, wealth, or both – those days just came to a sudden and dramatic end! I, for one, am glad this has occurred. It happened for the good of our country and for ourselves. This series of incidents has proven conclusively that sexual immorality, when carried to its extremes, will destroy the lives of the perpetrators. Chalk one up for gender equality, for mutual respect, and for Jesus Christ, the originator of gender equality.