Remote World - a Spinuzzi’s blog

SALT And LIGHT - Who are we in this world, Really?
SALT? Without salt, our bodies shut down - quit - die. These days when I go outside and work I have to take in extra salt or I suffer horrible leg cramps at night. Years ago there was a ‘Star Trek’ episode about a creature that would suck all the salt out of a person - killing them. This is what Satan (and the world system of religion) does to us Christians - Christ’s church, Christ’s bride. He’s killing us.
The Bible says we are to be salt and light. Without light, we are not just blind, but we die, too. The light (God’s TRUTH, The Christ) energizes life - creates food to sustain us. But let’s get back to the salt for now. The Bible says if the salt loses its savor, it’s good for what? NOTHING.

Matthew 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

It is thrown out and trampled by men! Sound like what is happening today to the message (our message) of Christ?
What does God mean when he says it loses its savor (taste)?
Let me read a passage:

1 Peter 2:9-10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

And:

Romans 11
 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
 25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

This passage was a warning, but in it we also see that Christians have some great roots!

We are grafted into the chosen people of God! We are now Part of that tree! We are to stand out! We are not to just blend in with the world’s religions - be they pagan or be they in the guise of Christianity - the Catholic Church for example. (more…)

Y’know, God made some things really clear so that even those of us that are thick-sculled (like me) could understand them. That’s what the ten commandments were all about – they didn’t list every individual sin that we could perpetrate against God – just the really ‘big’ ones. All the rest fall somewhere under those ten . In fact, the one Jesus told us is the greatest commandment – You will love the Lord (your God) with all your heart and mind [Matthew 22:37-39] - covers it all. God stated this commandment in order to help us keep our relationship with Him, as sin will come between us. It also separates the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares. All Christians wrestle with sin in their lives, but there are things that are the ‘big easys’, and He listed them for us. You know: have no other gods before Him, don’t commit murder, don’t commit adultery, etc.

Here’s where we get into offending people, but that’s OK, Jesus was prophesied to be a ’stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’ and said of Himself that He came not to bring peace, but to set brother against brother, etc. Since we are to emulate Him, here I go:

We are told to test ourselves, to know if we are of the faith. When God said sinners will not enter the Kingdom of God the context is one of continuing in sin without repentance. We may struggle with some sins, but we repent. It is in continuing in sin that we exclude ourselves from relationship with God. Remember the parables of the tares, the sower of seed, and the prodigal son: no relationship = no salvation. Period. So, can someone who murders and continues to murder be saved? Of course not. The same applies with adultery, homosexuality , and, maybe especially, idolatry [1 Corinthians 6:8-10]. First commandment. God made this plain so even the simple-minded could understand it. Just read the Bible and pray for understanding. Do you do that? IF WE LOVE GOD WE WILL SEEK HIM IN PRAYER AND IN HIS WORD [Matthew 6:32-34]. First commandment. You do that and some things will slap you in the face: Idolatry is not loving or seeking after God. Witchcraft is idolatry. (more…)

Proverbs 12:18 (New American Standard Bible)
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

We all like to be comfortable within our own ideologies. We prefer to do what feels good to us much more than doing what will ultimately be the right thing to do, if that right thing makes us uncomfortable or doesn’t contribute to our glory, power, and comfort. For most people this is perfectly fine. For most this is perfectly natural – and to be expected. Unfortunately there is a group of people on this here planet that have been tasked with doing what will get them in trouble, cause themselves hardship, divide them from most other people, and what will cause others to likewise be uncomfortable. Those who belong to this group are collectively known as Christians. Now I’m not talking about the tares, the false Christians, the fakes, the CINOs, the comfy ones…. I mean the committed Christians who took Jesus Christ at His word. So what kind of things did He tell Christians to be doing? Hey, go read the New Testament and you’ll find He said things like ’speak the truth in love’, ‘love your enemies’, ’spread the gospel’, ‘repent of your sins’, ’show mercy as you have been shown mercy’, and such. The Bible also gives us a list of what kind of fruit these Christians will be putting out in Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
This brings us to where we can examine the little feud going on between Ann Coulter and Joseph Farah. Actually , it would seem the feud is only on Ann’s side, as she is the one calling names and using invective. In fact, she has said that Farah and those of us who think she is giving tacit approval to homosexuality by speaking at “Homocon” are “fake Christians”. So far, what I have seen of Farah’s response to how Coulter is behaving is based on Biblically sound principles and is evidence of the fruit a Christian is supposed to produce. He has stated the facts and acted in the best interest of Christians, while not acting capriciously to Coulter. Coulter, on the other hand, has resorted to name-calling (used by those who are angry, embarrassed, and who cannot justify their actions), calling Farah “swine” and a “publicity whore”. For the life of me I can’t seem to find this in the Bible as acceptable behavior for a Christian. Farah, in contrast, (more…)

I am one of those who has not been a stranger to pain in my life, while at the same time I have been spoiled by being healthy and physically active. During the last few years, however, I have occasionally been bed-ridden with a back problem that is accompanied with almost unbearable pain. This is the case at the moment - I can do nothing but lay here and hope and pray that my vertebra get back in place soon. For me it is a time of not only feeling powerless and useless, but a feeling of being trapped, much like claustrophobia. Yesterday morning, unable to move, I was fighting rising panic. And then there is the fear of another back spasm with its blinding pain…
During such times I must trust God that He will bring good even from this - perhaps from writing, doing research, and from inner reflection about my relationship with and reliance upon Him. It is also a time to realize that when I am doing just fine I need to remember and pray for those in difficult circumstances.

UPDATE, Thursday, March 4th: I’ve been working this week - rigged a cart with a lift to help me move equipment. It has been a little painful, but getting better. Two more weeks available to get it in shape before I go parachuting. I’ll brace up just in case, but if the past is any indicator - all should be well by then. Looking forward to stepping out into the wind!

Perhaps the most important question we as humans ever encounter is “Who am I?” By this I mean “What do I represent to others and to God?” Are we trustworthy? Liars? Wise? Foolish? Loyal? Selfish? The list goes on… but the point is: we decide who we are by what we believe and who we follow. Our actions provide evidence as to what those beliefs really are and who we really follow. As the old saying goes; the proof is in the pudding, or, as the Bible puts it, the fruit reveals what kind of tree is present:

Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Notice I said this question is perhaps the most important, but not necessarily what concerns an individual the most. Self-centeredness often makes us overlook this question because we either don’t want to examine ourselves or don’t care about the question as long as we get what we want. For Christians, however, the question is paramount, for our very salvation hinges on it. If we do not examine ourselves daily we will end up denying Christ by our actions:

2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

1 Cor 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Titus 2:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
1 ¶ But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

(more…)

The scientific community was having their 10-year International Conference in Versailles, France. Many speakers had spoken of the great scientific wonders that mankind had achieved over the previous ten years. A final speaker addressed the huge audience with great pride. The man was a biologist who worked in the area of genetics. As he proudly surveyed the crowd of distinguished men he felt compelled to state “We have come a long way in all the sciences, so far in fact that I can now say to God Himself “Hey You! We can now do anything You can! We have, through our technology and intellect, gotten to the point where we ARE god!” The thunderous applause and standing ovation was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a blinding light near the top of the grand hall. A loud, deep voice said “Oh, really? You think that’s so?” After a few moments of stunned silence the speaker regained his confidence and arrogantly asserted, “Yes, we do!”
“Could you make a man?” God asked them.
“Ha!” the biologist replied, “Easily!”
“Well,” said God, “I made one from dirt.”
“We can do that!” was the reply from the scientists.
“Okay”, says God, “Let’s see you do it.”
One of the scientists jumped up and said “I’ll go outside and dig up the dirt!”
There was a loud thunder-crack and silence fell again. God’s voice thundered “Get your OWN dirt!”

Trust comes naturally to small children, but we adults have been burned enough to know better. When we got some horses I took my youngest daughter, Arianna, down to the pen to show her the white horse, Buckey. As we approached, Buckey put his head over the fence in anticipation of our attention. I didn’t know this horse and so planned to stay on our side of the fence for now. Arianna was sitting cradled in my arm. When we got to Buckey my attention was on him to see how he would react to my baby. I was stunned by what happened next. Arianna with a gleeful sound literally leapt out of my arm and on to Buckey’s long face, hugging his head and laughing. In my mind, knowing how a horse will toss his head, I imagined Arianna being flung high and far by this powerful white horse. As fast as I could move (more…)

The following is from the book “The Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”.

Mighty God,
I humble myself for faculties misused,
opportunities neglected,
words ill-advised,
I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways,
my broken resolutions, untrue service,
my backsliding steps,
my vain thoughts.
O bury my sins in the ocean of Jesus’ blood,
and let no evil result from my fretful temper,
unseemly behavior, provoking pettiness, (more…)

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My Ol’ Man is a vile excuse for a human being! Every day I am confronted with and disgusted by his lack of care and love for his own wife and children, and I think it is time for him to die. You think me harsh or cruel? You ask me how dare I suggest such a thing? You have no idea what we have been put through because of his selfish, destructive, coarse, and abusive lifestyle. His callous disregard of the welfare of those who depend on him has been a constant grinding-away of our souls, especially for me. I have come to hate him. I have seen him hurt his wife and children – but it is ME he has hurt most. It is ME he has abused most. It is ME he has embarrassed and discredited most.
I want him dead. I have tried to kill him before and failed, but I will try again and again until I see the life drained from his mocking eyes. I will exult in his death! I will rejoice in it and will not have remorse. Murder, you say? (more…)

Most pots think they are smart. They are mistaken. There are pots that think they are smarter than most other pots. This may be true, but in the end it can be to their disadvantage. Most pots believe they are special. This is also true, but it, too, can be a disadvantage. The pots who think they are smarter than others who also think they are more special than other pots are in real trouble. The problem is that these pots tend to think deeply about certain subjects, and are impressed with themselves about this ability. This might be humorous, seeing, after all that they are in fact just pots, if the consequences were not so tragic. When a pot is given some measure of awareness of the Truth by the Potter the pot may think it sees much more of the Truth than it does, in fact, see. This leads to a bit of self-importance: “Listen to ME! I have Truth!” The self-importance in turn leads to a focus on ones self. This is a bad thing for pots. When a pot focuses on itself it may forget its purpose, not to mention the fact that the pot has now become more concerned with itself than the world of Truth it has only begun to explore.
In the case of the pot of the previous story the combination of some Truth with self-absorption led to the pot seeing that (more…)