Tag: Christianity

In Case You Did Not Know

On By Dr. William James Carter, IIn Uncategorized1 Comment

It’s true and I know I don’t mention it much but other than being an author and blogger I am also a public speaker. Yes, I have been know to get behind the mike espousing truths to all that will hear.

Now, while I often speak at church services in forums that include revivals, anniversaries and the like I answer to just good old-fashioned preaching and teaching. I also provide lectures, workshops and many other speaking venues. But my services are not for churches alone. If your company needs a speaker on such issues as diversity and ethics I will do my all to answer the call.

And if you want to know more about me I will be brief but you can learn more about me on my website. Even so I was saved at the age of seventeen, worked in the church in nearly every position to my present associate pastor. Further academia has found its way on my resume. I hold an A.A. in Business, a B.S. in Religion, M.A.R. in Biblical Studies and an M.Div in Pastoral Ministries. It is my hope one to to acquire that elusive doctorate.

Now, you know how to contact me and you know that all my work is premised upon the Word of God so I am on the standby to aid you in that I can.

The Insanity of Christianity

On By Dr. William James Carter, IIn Uncategorized8 Comments

Those of us that practice Christianity the way God intended have been called many names. Among those names are “Holy Rollers” and Bible Thumpers.” No wonder Christians are called names! We choose to be holy because the Word of God instructs us to be holy and we choose to thump through the Bible so that we can understand what holiness is all about. And when the principles of the Word of God are applied we are called many other names; many of which I cannot bring myself to repeat.

Despite the many names Christians have been called Christianity still thrives and drives others over the brink of name calling. With this it must be true that whoever practices Christianity must be insane. The fact is Christians celebrate a God that has never been seen. We worship and adore One who cannot be seen. I Timothy 1:17 confirms that we celebrate an invisible God with the Words, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Yes, we must be insane to worship the invisible God that created all rather than worshiping images created by own hands.

Our insanity deepens when we begin to obey the Word of the invisible God. You see we are called homophobic simply because God has ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman. Without parsing the term “homophobic” I think it somewhat reasonable to say that the term makes no sense linguistically.  Still it is no wonder that there is much insanity in Christianity. We choose to honor an invisible God that teaches that homosexuality is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22 is the very standard the invisible God has set and by that standard insane Christians live. “ Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Yes, there is much insanity in Christianity.

But not all Christian phobias are so blatant. We are told throughout scriptural text teaches that Christians are not to be conformed to the world rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). No wonder there is insanity in Christianity; we are being brainwashed. We live according to the mandate of God and don’t give in to the rudiments of the world. We stand separate and apart from everything that pulls away from God.  We are counted as boring and sticks-in-the-mud all because we have renewed minds. Yes, one would have to be insane to trust and rely in an invisible God that teaches marriage as being a union between one man and one woman who have transformed their minds from the things of the world into the mind of Christ.

I have to say with all boldness that I am one of those insane people trusting in the invisible God Who sent His only Son to be born of a virgin (man that’s insane) Who lived a sinless life pointing men to His Father. This same sinless Man was killed because He was insane enough to do the will of His Father. Yes, there is much insanity in Christianity but I would rather be with insane Christians than with sane infidels.  

It’s Not About You

The below are notes of a message I presented a few days ago. While it is not normal to post such notes I know that many are hurting and wondering why. Perhaps some encouragement will come from my lesson.

It’s Not About You!

For

Springs of Refreshing Fellowship Church

1932 Gwynn Oak Ave

Woodlawn, MD 21207

Prepared by:

Elder William James Carter, The 1st

25 Oct 2012

© The Christian Perspective

It’s Not About You!

Many Christians today are enduring considerable troubles. Some are being lied to and lied upon. Others are being otherwise mistreated. One song writer said that she had been lied on and cheated, talked about and mistreated. Another declared “troubles in my way, I have to cry sometime. So much trouble, I have to cry some time. I lay awake at night but that’s alright because I know that Jesus will fix it after while.”

But there has been trouble for the people of God long before the advent of modern Christian music.  Let’s consider Joseph for a moment. He was a son favoured by his father Jacob. With that Jacob (Israel) made him a coat of many colours. This along with the dreams of Jacob caused considerable jealousy and anger in his brothers. The anger was such that the brothers plotted to kill Joseph.

One brother decided not to kill him but pretend that he was killed. The plot thickened as Joseph was sold into slavery. But the slavery was not to be the end of Joseph. He soon found favour with the Pharaoh and was made head of the entire house. But then there was more trouble as the Pharaoh’s wife sought to ensnare Joseph. But because he would not give in Joseph was lied on and sent to prison.

But once again he was given favour and placed in charge of the jail. Again all had to answer to him but again he was lied to. Again promises were broken and he ended up spending more time in prison than he should have. All the while he was growing in favour and eventually was called in to interpret the dream of the Pharaoh. God was not finished with Joseph because favour was once again restored upon him so that not only was he in charge of the Pharaoh’s house but he was made to be second in command of the entire land answering to no one but the Pharaoh.

The whole time Joseph was going through the trouble being away from his father God was working in and through him to bring about a desired end. God allowed Joseph to be sold and imprisoned because of the promise that God made to Abraham. If Joseph had not been in prison at the time of Pharaoh’s dream then he would not have been in place to interpret which is the reason he was promoted to second in command. This was done as a fulfillment of the dreams of Joseph showing that he would rule over his brothers and rule over his brothers he did.

Even so it  was not the whole purpose of God for Joseph to rule over his brothers rather God was looking through the annals of time for when His Son would be manifested to the saving of a people. This is where Genesis 50:20 comes into play:

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

This is one of the most misapplied text in Scripture. This text has nothing to do with God working solely for Joseph rather it is evident that God’s intent was to save “much people alive.” The fact of the matter is that Joseph did not go through all that he went through so that God could reward him rather God allowed the trouble so that He could save much people alive. God’s purpose was to maintain His promise to Abraham and had little to do with Joseph. In fact if Joseph had not been there God would have used someone else. The trouble was not about Joseph.

How do we know that the trouble was not about Joseph? It is because of God’s promise not only to Abraham but those promises reiterated to Isaac and Jacob.  Even more chapter forty six of Genesis provides a genealogy of the tribes of Israel. Among those tribes is the Tribe of Judah. It is through the Tribe of Judah that God would save many people alive through His Son Jesus. It was through Joseph that God saved a nation which included the Tribe of Judah. Joseph’s trouble was not about him rather it was about saving a people.

Looking back at Genesis 50:20 the word “thought” means: to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count[1]. Joseph, speaking to his brothers reminded them that they planned to do him harm. He brought to their attention that the plans they had for him could have cost them their lives especially considering his position. But it was not in the will of God to have them killed rather it was God’s plan to save them alive for a greater plan.

Evil plans were not a matter that only Joseph had to endure. Matthew chapter nine shows that Jesus was onboard a ship traveling to the other side of Capernaum. Upon his arrival a paralyzed man was brought to Him which resulted in Jesus forgiving the man of his sins. But some of the scribes saw this action as blasphemous and Jesus knowing what was going on in their hearts confronted them and then healed the man.

The scribes intended no good for Jesus but the end result of their intended trap was well know by Jesus. Jesus knew that the healing of man would bring glory to God so that others might live. And others did live to glorify God because of the healing. But the evil intent discussed in this chapter serves only as a type of the suffering that Jesus would go through that He could save many people alive.

Such was the entire life of Jesus. He was sent to earth not to glorify Himself but so that the Father would be glorified. There is no more evidence of this than during Christ’s travailing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. As a side note that Gethsemane was really an olive grove. Olive oil is often used to represent the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew what he was about to endure. He had already been ridiculed, lied on and lied about. Some had already tried to stone Him. Yet  Jesus had done nothing worthy of any wrong doing. He was suffering because He stood for righteousness but that the suffering was not about Him rather about the One that sent Him. Christ had to die to save many alive.

In order to better understand a brief examination of the life of Jesus must be examined. Certain items are a must when suffering for godly reasons. This is a partial list of items necessary to know when suffering is to save many alive:

ü Must be a Christian-Born Again: John 3:7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

ü Suffering must be relative to righteous living: II Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

ü Suffering must not be self-inflicted: I Peter 2:19 “ For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

ü Desire to please God: I Thessalonians 4:1 “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”

ü Rejoice in suffering for Christ: I Peter 4:12-19 “12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

[1] Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for chashab (Strong’s 2803)“. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 24 Oct 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H2803&t=KJV >

On By Dr. William James Carter, IIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The Cell Phone Grasp

On By Dr. William James Carter, IIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The following is an article I wrote for my newsletter The Christian Perspective. It is a type of what goes in in the world. Your coments are appreciated.

The Cell Phone Grasp

 

     It does not take much to see how much the cell phone has changed this nation. It seems that everybody and his brother has one. Even more elementary school children are seen walking the streets with these devises stuck to the sides of their heads.  Grandma and Grandpa are seen in the grocery stores with these phones as though they have had these things their entire lives. There are people on television declaring that because of their “free” cell phones they can now call their bosses, doctors and grandchildren. Yet one question has to come to mind. What did they do before these cell phones?

     But this is the best of the situation. Take for instance the early twenty-something female. On one arm swings the ever important purse or bag. Tightly clenched in her free hand is a cell phone. The young lady is not merely holding the phone but she is holding onto it as though her life is dependent on the firm grasp of the phone. Yet she is not the only one. If you are driving simply look out the car window to the middle-aged gentleman. It is obvious that the well-groomed individual is a businessman. Still he has one hand firmly on the steering wheel of the sedan while the free hand refuses to relent the phone that does everything except scratch his back. O, but wait! Look at the car on the other side and there is a middle-aged lady following suite as the gentleman.

     The point is that people treat their cell phones as though their lives depend upon their grasps. One would think that if that phone were dropped or lost that somehow the earth would stop on its axis or that the world would surly come to an end. But other questions do come to mind when the cell phone grasp is considered. For instance, what would happen if these that grasp the phone would take hold to Jesus with such vigor? How much would Christians impact the world if they grasped strongly the filling of the Holy Spirit? How much would the saints grow if indeed they hide the Word of God in their hearts? And the list of questions can go on and on.

     The words in Hebrews 10:23 are “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering…” The interesting term in the verse is “hold fast”. In the Greek this term means in part, “to hold downright, hold in firm grasp, to have in full and secure possession.”[1] With this it is encumbered upon those that call themselves Christians to remove the mantel of appeasement and replace it with the garment of holiness. Holiness means that there is taking possession the truths of God and not relenting to the whims of idiosyncratic notions posed by those that choose to live a double standard. Holding fast the profession of our faith means that the Christian must hold securely what the faith is about without allowing the dictates of secularists to present false ideologies of Christendom.

     There is no doubt that cell phones have impacted this present society in a number of ways. But the impact of the faith of Christianity has impacted millions from the birth of the Church. This is the reason the Christian might do well to let loose the cell phone and take full possession of God’s Word. Once this is accomplished the Christian will be able to positively impact those around him while at the same time growing all the more relevant for a dying world. No, there is no need to throw out the cell phone but there is a reason to hide the Word of God in the heart of the Church.   

[1] Wesley J. Perschbacher. The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody: HendricksonPublishers, Inc. 1990)

 

Raising Godly Children

On By Dr. William James Carter, IIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Yea, it’s true. I have been watching very carefully over the years. I have been watching how parents raise their children. More specifically I have been watching how “Christian” parents raise their children.  I have also noticed how Jews raise their children and how Muslims raise their children. It strikes me as odd that the ones that declare that they truly trust in the Most High God don’t even bother to teach their children the virtues of Christendom rather they think it wise to let the children make their own decisions. I wonder if this is wise and wonder if this is the way God intended it to be.

I find it interesting that the children of God were taught to teach their children in a number of instances as enumerated in Deuteronomy.  Chapter six speaks to teaching children in this fashion:  “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” It should be noted that these are not mere suggestions but a requirement of God to keep His statutes before the people so that when they become of age the children will be able to continue in the way of the Lord as they pass on the mandate to their children.

If God is the same yesterday, today and forever why have many that call themselves Christians forsaken to teach their children? Why do they allow them to participate in ungodly ventures under the guises of allow them to be children? Is it because these parents are not themselves Christians and are not certain of how to teach their children? These are the questions that need to be posed when parents choose not to teach their children the way of the Lord.

Yet the problem is far from difficult to resolve. The first step to teach children the virtues of Christendom is that the parents themselves must be Christians. If this first step is implemented the godly parents will by nature raise godly children. Parents need to raise their children in the way that they should go not allow them to make their own decisions. I can speak first hand because I was once a teenager and some of the things I did were very ungodly. But I am thankful for salvation at an early age. Yet this does not mean that parent should neglect their own salvation.

No, children should not be left to their own vices but should be taught the Word of God in every possible way at every opportunity. But this cannot be done of the parents are far from godly.