Love, love, love, and ecumenicalism.

There is a huge wave of concerning mindsets going through the Church right now. I know some people would say, “Well that’s not the True Church then” but they still are a part of the True Church as of right now. But they are trying to bring in some things that just aren’t right. We are parading singers on platforms that literally sing with people who are in false doctrine. We have new “standards’ being pushed by a younger generation, because we all know that the younger generations can always justify what was previously taught not to do. Everyone wants to give everyone a chance and love them to death, but in all reality, they plummet them further into the abyss.

We recently, and I mean 2 years ago, had to make a horrendously difficult decision and uncomfortable at best. Our church (pastor) without any direction or counsel from the church decided that he wanted to go a different doctrinal way. That’s fine with me, but I won’t be able to do that. In an effort to grow the church, he decided to “error” (his own words) on the side of grace than to preach Truth. First off, you are erroring. It’s “err” on the side of caution. But scripture doesn’t back that up. Scripture tells us to be vigilant, to be holy, to be set apart, to preach the Truth, with doctrine, which is profitable for reproof (disapproval), correction, and instruction in righteousness (right living according to God.) That brings up an interesting point.

Many people equate self righteousness to standards. We dress and act a certain way because we are self righteous, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, there are always going to be those ones that think they are better than everyone else because of what they look like or have, but as a group, no. But in all reality, turning your back on standards literally is self righteousness. You think you know how to live right according to your self, not God.

Women on the platform in pants, short hair, makeup and ear rings, while us congregants are trying to teach our children to live right. I could go into detail on the entire situation which would blow your mind, but I digress. We had to leave and find a new church that taught the truth, that wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed to preach it over the pulpit. We found that church and have been there 2 years. But we have watched others who were what we thought sold out to the Truth, stay in that church (although most left) and backslide with them. It’s heartbreaking really.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”

Titus 3:8-11

This is where the title comes in. Love. What is love? The dictionary says its deep feelings of affection. There are some other definitions, for this cause, this is the one I chose.

We all have a desire to care, most of us anyway. Well, we all should. But what is true Biblical love? Biblical love is what doctrine is about. Biblical love is sacrificial (John 3:16) demands obedience (John 5:3). What Biblical love isn’t is sloppy agape or greasy grace. So when we come to someone to bring them the truth, and they reject it 2 or 3 times, they are a heretic. That’s what the Bible says. Grace comes in with what God decides to do after we tell them the truth. And we can deliver salvation to someone with grace, I am not advocating anyone being ugly. But sometimes the Truth doesn’t look pretty to someone who feels convicted. Flesh rears its ugly head and they become defensive, but that’s a different situation.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch not the unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, And ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

I don’t know how you can read this and still have sloppy agape and love for people who do not live according to the Bible. Now, don’t get me wrong, we love everyone. We witness to everyone and we want to bring everyone to the knowledge of Christ. But there is a major difference in loving someone to salvation and love them in their sin. What happens when you love someone in their sin? I am glad you asked.

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Romans 1:24-32

The point of the above verse is that last line. These people who do these things are worthy of death, and those who take pleasure in them as well. That means if you enable sin, you are guilty of it. No one wants to hear things like this anymore. The world has infiltrated the Church so much that if you feel this way or voice it, you are accused of being a bad Christian. I didn’t write the Book, I just try to live by it as best as I can.

My precious pastors wife told me that Bro. T. W. Barnes said that the political world is a reflection of the spiritual world. GOD HELP US. But it’s true. I see it. I see the BLM, feministic, love what is bad and shun what is good mentality so much. I have interactions with people who claim to be in the Truth, on Apostolic platforms that call me a zealot or a Pharisee. You can call me whatever you want, but I only know one thing, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

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I Don’t Care Anymore

I just don’t. And not about important things, but about one thing the devil tries to use against me all the time.

Last year was a rough year, for most I am sure. But this post really isn’t about complaining or anything, but it is about freedom. Freedom from shame and guilt, and embarrassment.

I own a dog grooming shop. I have been grooming dogs for 15 years and am on my 3rd shop. I owned my first shop in Seattle, WA, then in Herrin, IL, where I am once again grooming dogs. We have wonderful customers. I know I am not the best, but I give it my all and work very hard from my business and my family. My wife helps at the shop and it is our sole income. We do very well, and God has blessed us so much throughout all of this, including the subject of this post.

We lived in Florida in 2018 and Hurricane Michael came through, so we came to Illinois to ride it out. We had (at the time) a 2 year old and didn’t know what this hurricane would bring so we felt safer just making a week vacation out of it and seeing our family. But, we weren’t able to ever return.

I visited where I used to work in Illinois and they offered me a job for part time, and long story short, it didn’t work out, so I started my own shop, again. We have been open almost 3 years now, praise God. But it hasn’t been easy. But it’s been worth it.

So for the fun part: On June 10, 2021, a woman walked into my shop with an appointment she had made a month before, due to our shop being busy. (Busy groomers can’t be too awful, right?)

She comes in with a goldendoodle and a chihuahua. At that time we had a church pew in our shop for people to sit on, so she sits down on the pew after saying she will move all of the “explicative for poop” out of the way. Kinda weird, but all people are different. I did her dogs nails and then explained to her that her very matted, very pelted, very yeasty goldendoodle will have to be shaved. She agreed and said that it doesn’t matter, he always looks “retarted” after his groom. So she leaves, and I begin to get to work on this mess she just brought in. My wife comes around the corner, after she leaves, and says that she doesn’t have a good feeling about her. My wife has discernment.

I groom the dog, which coat came off like a rug in one piece. It was pretty unruly, because come to find out, it hadn’t ever been in a grooming salon, the owner did it before. Which may or may not be true, who knows, but the dog was pretty hard to groom. Not to mention, matting is extremely painful. Matting isn’t a grooming issue, its an owner issue. We aren’t wizards with magic wands that can demat a pelted dog. But people still put that expectation on us, only to be let down. I digress.

The lady comes in and pays, tips and acts like everything is fine. The next morning I get a text on my business scheduling app from her that says to cancel her dog, I hurt it, blah blah blah. I refunded her money (I will never refund anyone money again) and she continued to call me every name in the book, put me down, call me incompetent, etc. She invited me to social media to defend myself, to which I laughed and declined. She told me she was going to post our text conversation everywhere, I told her that was fine, and told her it wasn’t my first rodeo, toots. Toots. TOOTS. Granted, my flesh got in the way, but how is toots worse than the horrible things she called me. Toots is what sent her in to my shop about 3 hours later, screaming and recording.

I was in the back room grooming, we used to groom up front, but the owners would come back too soon and it would make it impossible to finish their dog, so we moved it into the back where the owners wouldn’t interrupt the groom. I hear screaming. It is impossible to hear anything up front in the back with the door closed. So I get up and look out the door and its this woman. Screaming with a phone out. Luckily my 4 year old was in the back. So I came out like a raging bull after my wife told her to leave over and over and took her phone and threw it out of the shop. I didn’t want my child seeing that. We don’t conduct ourselves that way, and that was the only way I could get her out of my shop.

Well it got recorded by the thrown phone. So the police had to arrest me. I was taken to the jail, and booked and let go. I never went into a cell. The police officer “arrested” her, but she had to go to the hospital for what turned out to be a jammed finger, which I didn’t even know doctors would diagnose that, but I saw the medical report. She was cited for disorderly conduct and I was citied for simple battery, which is any unwanted touching. I was not charged with anything. It was dropped. The police told her she came there looking for a fight and she needed to be the one going to jail. Everyone knows what happened that day including this woman. I wish I could say it ended there. But that was only the beginning. She flagged down people from the road and told them I beat her and her dog (which wasn’t even there) and I am the one that actually called the police. They finally arrive what seems like an hour and take me in and she goes to the hospital.

Immediately the video of me taking her phone was put up all over Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. I had people calling from all over the country to tell me how bad of a person I am. I had one guy vividly explain explicitly what he wanted to do to me. People were coming to my shop while I wasn’t there and making their own videos. I had to have the police go to someone’s house in Sheboygan County, WS and tell a man to stop harassing us. In 18 days, she had made over 150 videos about me on her TikTok. It didn’t stop my business, but I was afraid every person was a setup from her. We stopped grooming doodles and matted dogs for a while just to try to calm down the craziness. I literally thought I was going to lose my mind over everything surrounding us. This went on for 2 months.

In the midst of the storm, we saw Jesus standing there. It was on a Sunday morning, June 27, that we were having a red hot fiery service, and during worship, I heard a war cry. I look over and its my wife. Then, I realized that she was dancing. She hadn’t been able to dance for 2 years because of MS. God touched her and completely healed her. I knew God was close. That changed everything.

We got a lawyer and because this woman is so unlearned, she made 4 defamation lawsuit cases possible with her incessant videos. Which I still have. And even though she dropped the charges against me, I can STILL sue her for 4 cases, but I didn’t feel like that is what the Lord would want.

After about 2 months of this, I finally had the opportunity to talk to her. I had never talked to her since the arrest and I only tried one time with maybe 2 comments on a post of the video to take up for myself. The mayor of the town my shop was in said that when something like that happens, you respond once and leave it alone. That’s from a business perspective, as he owns multiple car dealerships as well as being the mayor. While I was talking to her, I figured out the real reason for all of it. She’s broken. She’s a backslidden Apostolic and was on drugs for a long time. Everything she accused me of was really her own struggles. Well for the most part, or at least that’s what I think. She did accuse us of making child porn out of shop because my 4 year old was there. We are a family business, and family is at the business. Anyway, she is hurting, so she wants others to hurt. It’s either that or she needs to go to a very long mental hospital stay.

This is where the title comes in. There’s a slew of things I left out because I don’t want to play some of those things over again in my mind. But the main part was that she decided to make many posts about my past. I know everyone has a past and everyone goes through stuff, but of course I feel mine is worse. Our own problems are always bigger than anyone else’s.

There were many different videos made stating that I am a homosexual. Of course, they didn’t use those words, even though half of them are homosexuals. She said that I cheat on my wife with men (one of the lawsuits) when I definitely don’t. It really isn’t a secret to most, I came from that lifestyle, but I left that lifestyle behind.

I have always been absolutely ashamed and afraid of someone bringing it up, mostly because of my wife’s reputation, but because I hate who I was so much that it doesn’t take me to a good place. Anytime anyone has an issue with me, that is what they bring up. Even an ex-pastor I had. But I should be the one to tell people or discuss it with people, not some psycho who thinks they can get me. My wife knows everything and we have a very amazing relationship with open communication and love. People would killlllllll to have what we have. Maybe that’s why this woman did this, she is jealous.

But I have reached the point that if someone is going to treat me differently because of my past, you are not worth having in my life. That literally includes every person on this planet. I am insecure, but I am fighting through those insecurities and trying to do what God would have me to do. So with that said, I will be posting a video testimony soon. I am still trying to get the nerve to do it, because I hate seeing myself on a camera.

I thought all of the stuff with the crazy lady was over, until we moved towns because of it all. She has taken it upon herself to try to get us closed down, and tells everyone that on her TikTok. But she won’t be able to. Because what God has put together, let no man put asunder, including my marriage, my family, and my business. She is just a roaring lion. Lots of loud noises. The people who follow her, believe her, or anything like that, I want them as far away too.

Principles

As time moves forward, and the Lord tarries, the more and more “open-mindedness” is increasing. People these days can talk themselves out of anything. They can run through rabbit trails to justify anything and everything, leaving all rational reasoning behind. And the Church is certainly not exempt from this. But the Lord has been dealing with me in the area of principality. The definition of principle is a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or a chain of reasoning.

I tend to be a wordsmith and an amateur at that. But, I digress. The definition states that it is a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation of a system. Obviously, it says that, you just read it. But that is the portion of the definition I love. FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH. Fundamental is “of central importance.” Can you see where I am going with this?

Many people today like to say “well, I feel…” and then you can insert anything at the end of that sentence that has anything to do with a difference of opinion. Let me give an example. “I don’t feel like I need to go to church to be a good person” or “I don’t feel like God cares about the way I look on the outside.” I literally can not handle a sentence that begins with “I feel” or “I don’t feel.” The problem in those sentences is I. That leads to a very narrow and narcissistic view on anything that would follow. What it comes down to, the things of God are not contingent on how I feel about them. They aren’t contingent on my feelings, my thoughts, my opinions or how well it fits into my agenda. They aren’t contingent on my loved one’s status with God (saved, not saved, believer, atheist.) But what the things of God are contingent on is principle.

As of late, I have heard many Apostolic’s and former Apostolic’s using these sentences. I’ve watched many leave the faith over things that they couldn’t feel this way or that way over. Or they feel that certain things aren’t necessary anymore, even though a couple of years ago the preached them. They use excuses like, the Bible doesn’t say that in black and white. Or, God won’t send me to hell over not wearing a skirt. Or, the Bible doesn’t say you have to wear skirts, everyone wore dresses back then.

The list goes on and on. But it’s time to keep the main thing the main thing. People can ask every question, foolish questions, sincere questions, and at times, the answers aren’t always comfortable. “Can I go to heaven if I don’t get baptized?” That isn’t a comfortable question. “Why did God take my child?” That is a very uncomfortable question. To answer either of those, you would have to base your answer on principle. Consider the following verse.

Isaiah 28:10 – For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

A precept is a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought. Other words for precept are command, ordinance, oracle, injunction.

We are given precepts and lines all over the Word of God. Here is an example: The Bible does not say that you can’t smoke Camel cigarettes. But as Christians, Apostolic ones at least, we believe smoking cigarettes is wrong. Why? The Bible doesn’t say its wrong. Well, you are correct, but it does say that our body is a temple of the Holy Ghost and that it doesn’t even belong to me (1 Corinthians 6:19.) So the precept is that our body belongs to God and is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and the line is that I don’t damage my body with cigarettes. God gives the precept, and He gives us the power and authority to draw the line, and He HONORS the line.

Consider Moses. He had to go up Mt. Sinai to get the commandments from God, and God told him to draw a barrier so that the people wouldn’t follow him up the mountain.

Exodus 19:23 – And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.

God told Moses to draw bounds (lines). God did not tell Moses where to draw the lines, He just told him to draw them. So Moses did. And God honored those lines. That’s the same way for us. We are His servants.

Lines aren’t placed to keep people in, they are placed to keep the enemy out. Lines aren’t placed to hinder people, or to keep us from “living life,” they are placed to keep up set apart and unblemished from this world. It is up to the pastor to place lines, that has been God’s fundamental truth since the beginning. When you don’t understand the importance of precepts and lines, and how they are unmovable, then you will be easily swayed by the voices of this world and the enemy. Draw your lines, and keep those lines! Because God is.