If you follow this blog, you may have noticed I’ve not had much to say the past several weeks, and when I did write, my posts were getting off the stated purpose of this blog. I apologize for this. The truth is, I have been struggling, and I started to use the blog to vent. Well, the Lord has made it clear to me that this is not acceptable. This is His blog: I am just the scribe (but no, I do not think I am a prophet — just a scribe and nothing more). I have been watching what is happening in this world and turning more and more to Scripture for my refuge. As I study God’s Word, I find peace, but I also find I feel less like writing. This comes from a sense of true, sincere humility. As I realize how flawed I am, I think: “Who am I to tell others how to think or act?” But the Lord has hold of me. When I need encouragement, He sends someone to tell me my words have meaning for them and their life. When this happens, I think: “If He has deemed me worthy of delivering His message to others, who am I to question Him?” When I resist and rebel, He consumes me like a fire from within until I obey and write what He commands. At times like this, I know what it was like for Jonah. So, either way, I am compelled to continue writing. But more than this, the Lord has let me know that I must write more — only I must stay away from my personal thoughts about narrow issues and focus on sharing what He has taught me about the bigger picture. My job is to share my insights into principles and ideals and leave the rest to Him. As I said, He is teaching me, and this includes teaching me to trust.
Therefore, in an attempt to be obedient, I have purged a number of my recent posts. Anything that struck me as strictly political has been purged. Going forward, I will be more active on this blog, but I will also try to be more focused. My goal is to focus only on sharing what I have been shown concerning the principles and ideals underlying the central purpose of this page. If I do this, I am confident that whatever message I am supposed to deliver will be received by whomever it is intended to be read. I pray this is you, and that — somehow — my obedience will bless you and your family.
ADDENDUM
A reader made a good point (and suggestion). I shouldn’t have deleted those posts. Instead, I should have moved them to a single location so that I (and others) can look back on my past mistakes and — hopefully — learn from them. So, you can find the posts I deleted here: GOING WRONG
The Oil for Your Lamp 
You have undoubtedly been a blessing to me in my understanding of God and His Word and Truth. My eyes and my heart have been opened like never before. I am very thankful that God is using you in this way. I can understand the struggle, which is never ending. Keep telling the truth, my brother in Christ, for silence is the enemy of Truth.
Thanks, Greg. But I’m not the only one being used. He just used you to speak to me 🙂
I hope you haven’t purged too many of your posts! I often link to them at my blog!
Currently, I’m not privy to the posts you have deleted. However, I have not found any (that comes to mind) posts written by you that deserved to be deleted.
We are all flawed. However, when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and utilize God’s Word to support what we write about, then what is being shared is probably necessary.
I don’t think that there are any off-limits topics. Admittedly, some topics are more difficult to write about than others. I just caught a glimpse of a blog post over at “sharia unveiled” about Muslim child rape (and a threat made to decapitate an infant!!!) in my reader that stopped my breath and made my stomach sick and churn because of the evil that it revealed! The greater point is needed to be said – to STOP the Islamization going on here in America and the world! Are we to turn a blind eye to this? I don’t think we should ignore any of the evil going on all around us. Heaven forbid! The best way to dispel the darkness is to shine the light of Christ upon it! But I’m veering off topic…
Joe, you have done an AMAZING job here at this blog as a scribe in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ! I know that you don’t desire any applause, because any “crowns” of righteousness are to be tossed from our hands towards the feet of Jesus in eternity. Please continue in your efforts here! I have learned so much from you and have shared that knowledge with readers at my blog.
Christinewjc,
I deleted the posts that named people by name (Beck, Limbaugh, Trump) and just responded to things they said. Sorry if this affects you, but I feel this was wrong of me. If I respond to these people in the future, I’ll respond to the subject and not mention their names — so as to address a principle and not a person.
As for me teaching you? HA! Thanks, but I’m just sharing what the Lord has been teaching me. So anything you find of value here comes from Him, and any rubbish you may find… Well, that was me speaking out of turn/place 🙂
Oh boy…if I had to delete people by name (especially 0bama) over the past 7+ years I would be at it for weeks!
Of course, I respect your decision to do what you did, even though I do not necessarily believe that it was wrong of you to mention them by name.
Joe, it is sad but true that there are few Bible-based Christian writers these days. I am always so grateful to God when I find someone like you who shares what the Lord has been teaching him!
The subject of Christian apologetics includes sharing the good, the bad and the ugly in this fallen world; while also sharing that God’s written Word, the Bible, contains the answers we need and God’s Living Word, Jesus Christ is the ultimate Answer to all that both lifts us up as well as all that ails us here on this earth.
I know it may sound like a cliché but it’s true. Christians aren’t perfect, just saved by the Lord Jesus Christ who is perfect!
If we are afraid to make mistakes while sharing our faith, we wouldn’t ever get anything done!
It’s your Blog.
But I am not a fan of “purges” no matter who does it. As a student of history one sees the attempts to alter the flow of facts and record as a very undesirable thing,
More desirable for this blog would be to collect these under a new heading…. “Where I veered from the purpose ” or some such.. ;- ).
Noted. Too late for most of them. But probably for the best — because, while I still believe most of what I wrote, it was not something I should have posted. I learn VERY slowly, but I am finally starting to see that Beck has this one correct:
“There are many things I believe that I will not say, but I will never say something I do not believe.”
Well, time to learn when to keep my big mouth shut.
(And yes, I know he took it from someone else.)
Beck may have taken that from elsewhere and elsewhen…… but Methinks he hasn’t adhered to it in the least. In fact judging from some of the things Beck has said, I shudder to think what may have been thought but left UN-said by him. Especially given what he HAS said in light of the second sentence.
🙂 You and I are of opposite opinions where Beck and Limbaugh are concerned. I have found Limbaugh acting contrary to his stated positions almost as a matter of routine these past months, while you have grown to see Beck as… Well, the term ‘assclown’ would seem to fit the tone of your posts about him 🙂 The difference between them — as I see it, anyway — is that Beck is still acting consistently FOR HIM, whereas Limbaugh is not. That bothers me more than a person just being wrong about things.
Beck has been consistent since just prior to his vitriolic decomposition towards Bundy. His FOX exposes and his work first 18 months two years of Blaze were of a different thrust and caliber.
For me Beck is far MORE than just wrong about things.
My view of Limbaugh is one of evolution about what he thinks the GOP stands for, but at the same time consistent support of TP. His evolution is towards an increasing divergence between himself and the GOP leadership. In fact I think his basic realization is that he knows that the goals of that leadership is not that of the republican base and certainly not of the TP/conservative base.
“….as I see it, anyway…” as you say.
I am willing to allow that you are correct about Limbaugh. The problem for me is I do not see where any ‘realizations’ he may be having has managed to turn his rudder, so to speak. His actions are still consistent with a man whose true agenda is ‘Party Uber Alles!’ But I will hope that changes.
As for Beck, he does try to pursue Truth — AS HE SEES IT! In this, he IS consistent. The problem with him is exactly as I have said, many times: he does not see or understand Truth! Whatever it is that causes him to accept his Mormon religion also causes him to be blind to Truth. This is why he drifts from one thing to another and never seems to remember what he learned in the past. But that does not mean there is no consistency in him, because there is. All that is needed to prove it is to wait for him to find a new book or person to follow and you’ll see him parroting whatever that new teaching may be. Consistent 🙂 The trick is to be smart enough to let him find the bread crumbs for you so you can dig up whatever REAL Truth may lie in his latest tail-chasing 🙂
Read it again, all the way to the ADDENDUM 🙂
Good. However I disagree that they were mistakes.
Unless you were disagreeing with me of course…. ;- ))
LOL. I appreciate the support, but they do not set the tone I would prefer to keep on this page. Let’s just say I am ‘trying’ not to join Beck on your list of ‘assclowns.’ 🙂
You are far far too honest and genuine to be anything like Beck.
Ty, that is high praise coming from you :*)