Pastor's Ponderings

Here is another pondering from my father and pastor......

It has been a while since I "pondered". I guess I have not had enough sense to think about much.  But did you ever wonder why Jesus went farther in the garden than his three closest disciples?  Perhaps it was because he had things to say in a manner they would not understand.  He knew that if they heard him pleading with the spirit to allow him to not go to the cross, they would not view him in the same manner they had.  They would say, Is this the man who commanded the elements and they obeyed?  Is this the man who cast out demons? Is this the man who raised the dead?  Did he not feed multitudes with little food? Why then is he so afraid at this time? Why is he so hesitant at this time?  Perhaps it would have destroyed their confidence in him.

Do you ever feel like if everyone heard you at your weakest moments as you prayed that they would doubt if you really were walking with God?  Do you ever want to cry out to God in your hurt and anguish, but are afraid to do so because of what those who hear you would think?  You are not alone.  I think this is why Jesus prayed alone so much and why he prayed alone in the garden.  He knew that perception plays a big part in people's confidence.  That is why we are commanded to enter our closet and shut the door.  Our Father will hear in secret.  He will not lose confidence in us.  He will not think that we are not saved.  He will know our belief and help our unbelief.  So when you pray alone, do not hesitate to open up to God.  He knows the feelings of our infirmities, not just our infirmities; and there is a big difference.

God Bless You

Pastor Billy Long

Which Religion Is Right?

We are so often asked if we think all religions are right or just ours. Here is my answer. If you have two different reports of the same incident, one negative, the other positive, how do you determine which is correct? One may be totally wrong, one may be totally right, but in most cases reality is somewhere in the middle. Each version probably has enough in it, given the bias Of the reporter to determine , if carefully researched, the truth. So it is with religion. There are some that are totally false. They have no Biblical basis. Most contain error and truth. Most contain enough information in them, that if carefully compared to scripture would lead to truth. So the question should not be what religion is correct, but whether you are following the leading of the Holy Spirit. For as many as are Led by the spirit, They are the sons of God.

Pastor Billy Long
Apostolic Tabernacle

Yours Truly,

Cman

Because You Need To Know What I Think

Pastor's Ponderings

Matthew 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.
3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight)

Did you ever say to yourself that if you could have a visible sign from God, you would have clear direction and purpose? We would all like to think so, but would we? The children of Israel had two clearly visible manifestations of God every day. The cloud by day and the fire by night.
They also saw the red sea part, saw a rod bud, saw quail and manna and still wandered for 40 years. It is possible to walk by sight and wander. We must walk by faith. When we do, the path sometimes seems rough and long, but remember, when we follow Christ, He leads us in paths of righteousness for his name sake. Visible signs can cause us to forget the word of God and depend on what we see, not what the word and the spirit say.


Pastor Billy P. Long
Apostolic Tabernacle
Benton Harbor MI


Yours Truly,

Cman

Because You Need To Know What I Think

Is There Strength In Diversity

Is there strength in diversity? Is diversity the opposite of unity? What do most people mean when they use the argument about strength in diversity? I believe the answer is no and no. I believe that most people who argue about the strength in diversity really bring division and they justify their division by saying that their disagreement is not divisive, but diverse.

There is no strength simply in bringing together divierse materials. But being diverse does not in itself mean lack of unity. If psalm 133 is correct, then if things are going to be good and pleasant and anointed of God, then we must have unity, not divisiveness. What we really need is for all the diverse parts to be fitly framed together according to God's plan and then there will be strength. Being different just to be different helps no one. If it did, then we could build our houses out of any scraps we could find and it would be strong. But when different views, talents and dreams come together for unity of purpose, God can and will, move.

From my Dad, Billy Long

Yours Truly,

Cman

Because You Need To Know What I Think

Time And Eternity - My Dad's Response

Johnathan, your pondering is indeed something to ponder. However you have forgotten something very important. If the basis of your study is wrong, then the conclusion will be wrong. You started your basis for pondering with the finite trying to get to the infinite. It will never work. The reason .33333 plus .6666 will never come to a mathmatical decimal one is because man can never reach to the level of God. It does not matter how intelligent man is, his combined knowledge, wisdom, genius, or reasoning ability will never equal God's.

You asked about the linear movement of time. You must remember that in God's world, there is no such thing as time. We keep everthing organized, not because of linear movement of time, but because God is not the author of confusion, so He set things in order. You also asked if time could just be the result of mulitple infinities. The answer is yes, if you believe in multiple gods or co-equal, co-eternal, co-existent beings in that one god. But if you believe that there is only One God and He is Spirit, then you realize that time is a creation of that infinite spirit so He could deal with the .3333 plus .6666 of His creation.

When you are talking of God's creation being man and calling him finite, then you must remember that not all of man is finite. There is a part of man that is infinite. Man is not the finite result of many infinities. Infinities did not combine to create. Infinity did it by Himself. God is not an infinite number of infinities. He is I Am. When you are infinity, there are no others. God did not, does not, nor will combine with any other infinite, finite, or entity in order to be. This is why this verse is in scripture. Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." We must first believe that God is. We can not explain Him with man's wisdom nor science, but we can explain him through faith.

I know we have talked at length of faith. Faith is truly like beauty. We may not be able to universely define it, but each of us know it when we see it. So it is with us. We may not all have the same definition of faith, but God certainly knows it when He sees it. And He certainly does reward it. . In conclusion, eternity is not a construct. Eternity is. It is, because God is. It is not a combination of anything. Eternity is man living in God's world. Time is God living in man's world.

Love You Dad


Yours Truly,

Cman

Because You Need To Know What I Think

Run Over By A Troop And Fell On By A Wall

Ephesians 3:20, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

We all know that as a child of God, we have power. It was a promise from God that we would receive power after that the Holy Spirit came upon us. If you are like me, you have good days and bad days. Just as we do physically so do we spiritually. Some days I feel as though I could leap over a wall and run through a troop. Other days I feel as though I have been run over by a troop and fell on by a wall. Why is that?

This scripture says “according to the power that worketh in us,” not simply the power in us. Just as we have days when our physical body does not respond properly, so it is spiritually. Even though the power in us never diminishes, the working power does. This is not because God’s power is less, but because it cannot work as it used to. This may be a temporary loss or it could be permanent. It could be due to an injury or due to neglect. It could be due to lack of spiritual exercise or proper eating.

The good news is the first part of the scripture. Even when the power working is diminished, it does not mean that God cannot do great things through us. The first part still says that He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” So even though you feel less spiritual today, do not allow the enemy to convince you that good things will not happen. God will take a little and make it a lot. God bless you all.

Pastor Billy P. Long (that's my dad :) )
Apostolic Tabernacle

Because you need to know what HE thinks