The Apotheosis of George Washington

The Apotheosis of Washington?? Apotheosis literally means "the process (or moment) of becoming (a) god". This painting by the Italian-born artist Constantino Brumidi shows George Washington ascending to heaven, taking his place among ancient Roman "gods" like Neptune, Mercury and Minerva. It is located not in the hidden corner of some obscure Museum of Conspiracies, but for all the world to see in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, covering 4,664 sq.ft. (433 m²). 

This is another blatant pointer to the true foundation of the USA, besides many other heathen, Masonic, non-Christian symbolism in culture and architecure, from the Statue of 'Liberty' in New York, to the Egyptian obelisk of the Washington Monument and the all-seeing eye on the 1-$ bill. Christians must distance  themselves from any of these symbols and 'works of art', because they do not honor the one true God, the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but they are expressions of rebellion against him, abominations for which his wrath comes and rivival tarries!

Official website of the Architect of the Capitol, the organization that is responsible for the upkeeping and presentation of the Capitol and its works of art. 

Our attitude towards sickness and healing

Here are some thoughts, jotted down after listening to a teaching by Bill Johnson on unanswered prayer. I hope you will find some encouragement and/or some food for thought and further reflection. God bless!

• "If you just had enough faith, you would be healed!" This is not a cruel thing to say to somebody who is sick (even though it certainly can come across in a condemning way), but it is throwing them a life-line, pointing them to the only solution to their problem. It is actually cruel not to tell them that they should have faith for their healing!
• The opposite of "a little faith" is not GREAT faith, but NO faith! Jesus said that with faith as small as a mustard seed we could move mountains – no "great" faith required even for such a monumental task. Jesus also simply asked whether He will find "faith" on the earth when He returns – again no "great" faith required or expected. Similarly, Jesus asked the disciples after He stilled the storm WHERE their faith was. He did not rebuke them for not having "enough" faith, but simply made it clear to them that their faith was in the wrong thing (i.e. in their own ability top maneuver through the rough sea, in this case).
• "Complacency and ignorance tolerate unanswered prayers." Bills Johnson
• Accepting sickness in our lives somehow seems to be easier than believing God for healing, as you will not be disappointed (you cannot be disappointed if you didn't really expect to get anything in the first place), but it simply does not glorify God.
• If we pray for somebody to be healed, but doubt that God wants to heal that person, we are actually saying that we have more compassion for that person than God, but that is impossible. That makes me think that God wants to heal me more than I want to be healed myself!
• If we expect to be healed because of some kind of merit from our side, we are doomed. God is our Father, and as such we do not have to and we cannot do anything to earn His favor. He heals us because He loves us.
• I want to be healed so that my life glorifies God. It's a sad, man-made theology that says God would be glorified when we accept sickness because He wants to teach us something or build character in us. Jesus never told that to ANYBODY who came to Him for healing!
• Rather than shaking or being bedridden or being dependent on medicine, I am convinced it glorifies God much more when I am hiking through the mountains, enjoying His creation while snorkeling off the coast of the Cayman Islands, riding a bicycle to a waterfall around Chiang Rai, or playing football, being fully alive FOR Him, IN Him and together WITH Him.
• I do not want to be healed merely so that I can SERVE God better, but to ENJOY Him more (even though it will certainly be much more fun to preach, teach, drive busses, clean stuff or do whatever, rather than being miserable, unable to do anything. Jesus did not die on the cross because the Father needed servants… He wanted CHILDREN J
• God wants us to pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is no sickness in heaven, thus to "seek His Kingdom" here on earth entails for people to be healthy and whole.
• 2. Timothy 3:12 says that everybody who wants to lead a godly life will suffer PERSECUTION, not sickness.
• I do not want to accuse God ("You don't want to heal me") and neither do I want to blame myself ("I deserve to be sick") but I am guilty of self-pity, believing that I have to convince God of how miserable my situation is – as if He had not noticed.
• Healing was God's idea, not ours.
• Mt 6:33 ("Seek first His Kingdom"): We should never make our needs the primary focus of our prayers, even though it is absolutely legitimate to pray for our "daily bread" – instead, we should always be praying for what is on HIS heart.
• "Answers to prayer reveal God" – we need to pray for more than one thing at any given time, not to focus on just one issue. The breakthrough in one area will give us the hope and perseverance to see breakthroughs in other areas.
• Some things God does not give to soldiers / fighters, but only to sons and daughters. This point seems to be the easiest one, but often turns out to be the hardest, because we grow up being taught that we only get what we deserve…
• Just in case you were wondering: No, I am not a parrot. God created me to be a son, made in His image, not a parrot who just says what we think He wants to hear…

Facing temptation

The Bible leaves no room for doubt: Practicing homosexuality is sin. So how could God possibly redeem same-sex attraction? I am convinced that same-sex attraction is a gift, rather than a curse. But, like every gift that God has given, we can either use it for good, according to God's purpose and for his glory; or we can use it for our own, selfish and, in the long-run, harmful purposes according to the lies of the enemy. So the answer to our question is actually rather simple: God wants people, who feel attracted to their own gender, to love people of their own gender with His love. What God created to be an expression of his own father-heart, Satan wants to pervert and reduce to a sexual level, just as he is trying to reduce the love between a man and a woman to a mere sexual experience. Most Christians are aware that the relationship between a married couple is supposed to be much more than just a god-sanctioned boundary for sex, but a picture and a reflection of Christ's love for his bride, the church. In a similar way, God intended the love between two men to be an expression and a demonstration of the love of God the Father for his Son, Jesus. The sexual confusion of our days, which is really nothing new, but has existed since biblical times (see Sodom and Gomorrah), shows how far the enemy has succeeded in deceiving mankind to believe his lies.

When Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit, they found it had not only looked delicious, but it actually was. To this day, there is some kind of pleasure in sin – that is why it is so attractive to us. But not only are there negative long-term consequences of sin, but the rewards of trusting and obeying God's instructions far outweigh the pleasures of sin. Adam and Eve were not scolded for thinking that the fruit was delicious, but because they did not believe God that it would be better for them if they abstained from eating it. That is the nature of all temptation: it promises us some kind of gratification, but it covers up the fact that it will not really satisfy our deeper need. And this need is the presence of God, His blessing, His glory and His delight in us. So don't be afraid if you face temptation, because you have the opportunity to get one step closer to what you are really looking for – if you resist the temptation! Giving in, on the other hand, will take you one step further away from the One who is the only one who can fulfill your deepest desires. If you know that you have not really found what you are looking for, and many of you do know that, then don't despair but simply turn to Jesus, repent and start to follow him. He is waiting to fulfill your greatest dreams and longings. He wants to give you life, abundant life, a hope and a future. Come now and taste and see that the Lord is good!