But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. (I Kings 11:1-4 KJV)

What is your idol that would pull away from your relationship with God? Is it money? Is your spouse? Whatever your idol is, God would like you to return to Him.

In the latter part of his life, King Solomon turned away from God and began to worship the other gods. As we read in I Kings 11, Solomon began to fall in love with the other women as Simpson did. Unlike Simpson, he had a thousand of women while he was in kingship. As a result, God turned away from Solomon and let him experienced many sufferings.

It is not good for us that we would decide to walk away from our Creator after we’d receive wisdom from Him. I recently read news coverage on election between Obama and McCain. It’s sad to see that they proclaimed to be BORN-AGAIN Christian leaders, and yet, we see that they only go to Christians for vote this year’s presidential election and have nothing to do with bringing America return back to God. We see this occurring event every presidential election. What is happening to this country? Even though being a national leader for his people, it is an idolatry to listen only to his people to lead the nation and refuse God’s Word. Solomon didn’t obey God fully; instead, he only listened to the people from the other religions.

So, what is your idol that would pull away from your relationship with God? Throw your idol away and begin to walk with God.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:14-15 KJV)

Do you have a long lasting friend in your life? If you have one, that is the greatest value in your life. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Other scriptures point us that friendship has a great value than any other relationships.

We must understand that being friendship with someone can lead us to marriage, long-lasting friend, and so on. God called Abraham as friend. To be in friendship with God, we must understand that we just cannot be too friendly with Him. Unlike our fiends, He is also our King and Lord. Some churches have misconception on this. God didn’t just call Abraham as friend until He tested his faith.

If God wants us just His friends, we would do the thing what we’d please in our eyes. We can curse at God, for instant. This is why many America churches are fallen from the faith. We just cannot too familiar with God. Instead, we need to understand that He is also our King and Savior.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 KJV)

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? (I Peter 4:17 KJV)

Even though most of us don’t like to hear about the wrath of God begins in the Church, we need to take it seriously. Why did Peter write this warning down? There are several ways to answer this, but Jesus warned His apostles that there would be false prophets among the believers, who would try to lead us to the antichrist.

As we see today’s Christianity, we have become as the rest of this world and have been lukewarm our relationship with God. Many televangelists are becoming more popular to the world, because they teach the messages from the worldly view. Paul said in II Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:1-6 KJV)

We are living in two different world societies. One society where we are trying to live according to God’s standard and another is the world way or Satan’s standard. The United States is mixed cultural society. Most today’s Christians believe that we are the Christian nation because:

1) our founding fathers were Christians

2) we have built many churches across the U.S.

3) we are supporting the land of Israel

4) many believers proclaim that our governmental system was originated from the Word of God.

These or more points may seem to be true. Yet, we have other sides of what this country is standing for. You may have noticed our country has many religions, too. We have people from the Roman Catholicism, Moslem, Judaism, Mormonism, and many Christian denominationalisms. Being in Christian denominational church is also a type of religion, too. Paul pointed out that there is no separation within the church of Jesus Christ (see I Corinthians 3).

We have arrived far where we cannot let our students pray and read their Bibles in campus or many unborn children are dying without breath their first breathes. We have the lost our hunger for the Word of God that we let these problems become our legal rights. Few weeks ago, our President George W. Bush invited Pope Benedict XVI into the White House. Now, this tells many things about our president, which many America citizens believe that he’s is a Born-Again Christian. I question about his faith—whether he is truly born-again in Jesus Christ or just pretending being a Christian President. Not only our president endorsed this Catholic pope as a world Christian leader, but Pastors Jack Van Imp, Pat Robertson, Paul and Jan Crouch (just named few). If you have studied the Roman Catholicism, there are many contradiction beliefs between their religion system and the Holy Bible. For example, their worship to Virgin Mary came from Jeremiah 44, where the children of Israel worshipped to the Queen of Heaven, one of Babylonian gods.

Even though we cannot wipe off the sinful system of this nation, we have a chance to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ with our loved ones and people around us. It is up to us do the works that God gave us (Matthew 28:18-20).

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:5-7 KJV)

But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. (John 10:12-13 KJV)

In this new series on the Two-Side of Living, we will look whether this nation was founded by the Word of God. Many Christians believe that this country was founded by the Christianity. But we also need to find ourselves why we are facing many national tragedies in our society. It seems that God is trying to wake this nation up to realize that we are sinning against Him and bring us back to Himself.

Since the September 11, 2001, our country has been filled with tragedies. There are many false teachers are coming out from the closets. We also see that homosexual people are beginning to come out from their secret places. A democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, is trying to provide more support on homosexual rights. If this nation was founded by Christian leaders, why she is supporting the thing that is against God? When our President Bush (Jr.) had a State Union Address event in 2001, he invited one of Satanist Rock Stars into White House.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (John 14:1-4 KJV)

In KJV Life Application says, “There are few verses in Scripture that describe eternal life, but they are rich with promises (see note John 14:2, 3).” The Bible is an instruction book for us to live a life according to God’s standard, but it also contains many God’s promises for the humanity. Unlike our promises to children, His promise for us and for this world doesn’t fail. His promise is always come true, whether we like it or not.

The Word of God brings us correction to our mistakes and instruction in righteousness (II Timothy 3:16). They are many books we can read about how we need to live a Christian life, but there is the only one book that is still outstanding since Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament (actually Job wrote the first book of the Old Testament). We can see His Word of prophecies began to come to reality that He spoke many centuries ago. We can see the little glimpse of the prophecy on today’s world event that Apostle John wrote in the Book of Revelation. We don’t need scientifically explanation of why the world is downside today. Even though ungodly men can speak true about corruption of this nation, God wants us to be alert about His warning to judge the world.

We sometimes so caught up with the rest of the world that we would forget our promises to children, friends, coworkers, and other people around us. Why? God knows that we are not like His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). But we make ourselves busy everyday and can loose our thoughts about them. This is sad situation. We need to build our relationship basis on our God, family and people, not on the material things. I hardly believe that person still can work at the night club or stripped club after he accepted Jesus Christ and became His follower. Although he can do the missionary there, but as a job position. Instead, we need to make separation ourselves to follow Christ or the rest of this world. We cannot please both God and the world.To be children of God, we must have boundary between the two worlds— Kingdom of God and the world—and trust God’s promises and make our efforts to keep promises for our own people just as what Christ did for us.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)

We don’t hear often about what would happen if we change God’s Word. Nowadays, we don’t care enough which bible version is considered as the truth to God’s spoken words. We have confused with the original manuscript of the Holy Bible. We can read the NKJV, NIV, NCV, and TLV introductions of the Bible that say they were coming from the original manuscript of Hebrew and Greek words.

Apostle John wrote about the warning of changing God’s Words in Revelation 22:18-19. If we change God’s words from original, we will be looking forward to the wrath of God on us. This sound doesn’t seem good, but it’s true. I, too, am guilty on this. I thought all the Bible versions were considered as God’s Words.

I recommend for you to read the KJV Bible Information to find why the KJV is considered as the true English Bible version. You will be amazed that why you don’t hear often on this subject. Many preachers use I Timothy 4:1 on the subject of end time prophecy. This is right on subject and it also relates to versions of the Bible.

There are several verses that give us about changing God’s Words as warning. We don’t need to create new version of the Bible for us to understand His Words comfortably. But we need to let the Holy Spirit teaches us to understand the God’s written words.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)

As we would conclude this message series on relationship, I’d like to talk to you couple more weeks on the Word of God. If we shop at the Christian Book Store, we will see there are hundreds of Bible versions in their bookshelves. We can pick which Bible versions we like to use. Unfortunately, many of modern bible versions are not equal to the original version of the Holy Bible. Why do we have several bible versions than any other religions? What this effect to the churches today?

As the author of Hebrews said, the work of God is very powerful tool we have. We have the Bible for our souls, spirits, strengths, minds, and hearts. It can help us to learn how to build relationship with God and people. It can help us to understand the world history in the past, presence, and future. It also can help us to live in healthier life. Without the Bible, we would not be survived. The Bible also said that God’s Word shall not pass away like the world. “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.” (I Peter 1:25a KJV.)

Sadly, many of us may lose the passion to read the Bible everyday. Or many of us exchange the Bible with different version to read for our own interest. If we would go to several different churches each week, we would have difficult to find KJV Bible churches. When I watched some TV programs on TBN, there are only few programs that teach on the KJV Bible. I believe that we need to be sensitive to read God’s Word or listen to the preacher’s message from which Bible.

I believe some churches lost the passion on the God’s Word due to several bible versions and something else. The Bible said we are aliens of this world. We don’t need to equally yoke with the world system, but being children of God. We don’t hear often about how the Bible is corrupted by the world system. It is the same way with Contemporary Christian Music Industries. They are trying to be equally yoke with the rest of the world. I’d be discussing more this issue in the new series on “Two-Side of Living.”

Let me ask you a question. Do you know the real Person Jesus Christ? If not, it is not too late to find Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” He wants to know you and show you the way to live a life if you let Him.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (I Timothy 6:10 KJV)

Have we noticed that many people are in bankrupt more than ever? Let’s look on the recent entertainment news on Britney Spear or Robby Ray. They began their careers good from start, but as they got into more fame and fortune, their individual life began to fall apart.

How do we handle our finance in right way?

I’m not going to say that give our money to televangelists or any media. Many preachers teach us if we give our money to ministries, God will bless us with hundredfold. This may be trued, but God will not only bless us with money. Instead, He will bless us in every part of our lives.

Here are some suggestions to use your money and time wisely:

• Tithe your money to your local church rather than give your money to several other churches.
• Give your time to God each day before beginning and ending of your day.
• Interact with your people outside the church.
• Encourage and help other people.
• Find at least one stable job.
• Do not rely on your credit cards to meet your bills.
• Pay your bills promptly.
• Spend time with your family each day.

God wants us to focus on everything in our lives rather than just for money. But He also wants us to focus on Him everything we are doing. We lost a great passion to have quality time with God. What are we going to do about it?

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (I John 3:11 KJV)

February 14 is a day of love, which is called Valentine’s Day. Even though this holiday arrived from the pagan religion and has the immorality religious practice behind it, we should love one another as God loves us.

John explained that how Cain hated his young brother and committed the first murder of the history, which is recorded in Genesis 4. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous his brother that God accepted Abel’s gift and not his. I believe that this is ongoing event throughout our generation. One of my coworkers found information about our health on stress; and one of statements said that we are getting more separation from each other—health, family, friends, and etc. Let’s look at the divorce rate in America (http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsUS.shtml):

• There were approximately 2,230,000 marriages in 2005 -- down from 2,279,000 the previous year, despite a total population increase of 2.9 million over the same period.
• The divorce rate in 2005 (per 1,000 people) was 3.6 -- the lowest rate since 1970, and down from 4.2 in 2000 and from 4.7 in 1990. (The peak was at 5.3 in 1981, according to the Associated Press.)
• The marriage rate in 2005 (per 1,000) was 7.5, down from 7.8 the previous year.
• In 2004, the state with the highest reported divorce rate was Nevada , at 6.4 (per 1,000). Arkansas was a close second, with a divorce rate of 6.3, followed by Wyoming at 5.3. The District of Columbia had the lowest reported divorce rate, at 1.7, followed by Massachusetts at 2.2 and Pennsylvania at 2.5. (Figures were not complete for California , Georgia , Hawaii , Indiana , Louisiana , or Oklahoma .)
• 8.1% of coupled households consist of unmarried heterosexual partners, according to The State of Our Unions 2005, a report issued by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University . The same study said that only 63% of American children grow up with both biological parents -- the lowest figure in the Western world.
• As of 2003, 43.7% of custodial mothers and 56.2% of custodial fathers were either separated or divorced. And in 2002, 7.8 million Americans paid about $40 billion in child and/or spousal support (84% of the payers were male).
• Americans tend to get married more between June and October than during the rest of the year. In 2005, August had the most marriages at about 235,000 or a rate of 9.3 per 1,000 people. The previous year, July was the highest month at 246,000, or a rate of 9.9; this doubled the lowest month in 2004, January.
  

If we see our media news, many young people are killed because of their parents’ separations and many teens’ decisions are resulted as thumb down.

God doesn’t want to see the separation from each other. We should love each other. This year is very critical for the United States of America . The people have the choice who should be the next president for the next four years. Even though our nation is like a two-side coin, God wants us to involve in our political events. Our votes are depending on how our nation would be—love for following God’s way or Satan.

We should not let unborn children die without enjoying their lives and without knowing who their Creator is. God just didn’t create us for His global plan. He wants to have intimate relationship with us. He wants to love us as His own. If we let our young people to suffer, then our love for God has no eternal value. It’s ashamed for us to hear that the most divorce rates come from within churches.

God constituted the marriage and He hates divorce.

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. (Psalm 30:4 KJV)

When you are distressed, what would you like to do to release your distress? There are several ways to release the distress of our lives and the most of them are negative. The world teaches us having drink or listen to the feeling music (such as hip-pop, rock, jazz, soul, etc.) is the way of escape from distress. The world method of releasing distress may last for while, but it doesn’t satisfy our spirits.

Jesus said that let not our hearts be troubled (John 14:1). He wants us to be calmed down as we are living in this world. I understand that this world is corrupted by sins and it is not easy for us to have peace in our lives.

Singing a song to the Lord is another way to get relaxes our souls, but we also connect to our Heavenly Father. David sang a song to the Lord because he had a relationship with Him. Having a relationship with God is the key to releasing distress in our lives. Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” And Peter also said, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (I Peter 5:7).”

Why not start your day with praising the Lord with the spiritual song. Crank the worship music up and begin to remember what God has done in your life.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-25 KJV)

Which fruit are you? Are you a bad or good fruit? There is one of two types of fruit of character in each of us and it is up to us to pick which ones. One type of fruits is represented the world and another is represented God.

As Psalm 1 says that there are two ways to live a life, we have two choices of which way to live rest of our lives and beyond. In Galatians 5:19-25, Paul listed 25 fruit of characters under two categories—17 fruits of the flesh and 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit. Why did Paul name only nine fruits of the Holy Spirit than of the flesh? Does this mean that we all are going to Hell? No! Does this mean that Satan is powerful than God? No! The number of fruits of the Holy Spirit that Paul named doesn’t matter, except how we use it wisely.

Let’s begin with the fruits of flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). The fruits of flesh are the most popular we see and hear about today’s news. Some churches are following in this kind of fruit of character. There are some homosexual preachers who lead God’s people into the judgment of God and lead them into Hell. There are some prosperity preachers who lead God’s people how they become rich quicker. In fact, there is some Christian teen bible versions that teach the people can have sex outside the marriage are okay.

We are on the last day before Jesus would return within 10, 50, 100, or 1000 years from now. We are closer to the last day than before. Look in our entertainment industries and see what children are learning. They are learning witchcraft, violent, sex, adult language, and fantasy. Today’s adults are becoming more active in night outings, night clubs, and joining gangsters. As we see, we are in the day of Sodom and Gomorrah .

Paul said in II Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God has not given us the spirit of flesh that pleases the world. He has given us the Holy Spirit that we can produce the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance in us.

Even though this world will vanish away, the Words of God will last forever (I John 2:17). We can have $1,000,000 home in our lifetime, but we cannot take it with us when we would die. For eternity, we either can go to be with God and bless with eternal treasure or to be with Satan and be miserable forever.

Do you know who you are in Jesus Christ? Do you have personal relationship with Him? If not, it is not too late to establish your personal relationship with Him. God doesn’t want to punish us and send us to Hell. But He wants us to take us His Home and be with us forever. If you want Jesus Christ, please consider to invite Him into your life.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 KJV)

Many religious people asked themselves these questions: 1) Where did I come from? 2) How did I arrive here? and 3) Where do I belong? These or more questions are the most people are looking for answers to their lives.

Let me ask a question. Do you know who you are? If you are a child of Satan, your life will become short. There is no life value if you are a child of this world or Satan. Many people in Hollywood have become famous to the world, but there is no eternal life value behind the worldly fame. First John 1:15-16 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

But if you are a child of God, there is eternal value to your life. Apostle Paul says in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jesus said that there will be few people enter to eternal life (see Matthew 7:13-14). We already know that we are living on the last generation before the second coming of Jesus Christ. And it is not easy for us to live in this world for Christ. But if we are standing strong to live for Him, there is no fear when the devils would attack us and make us to worship him.

Receiving the gift of salvation is like the citizenship card. But there will be no effect to us if we hold the gift. We have to use our gifts to activate effectively. If you want to be a child of God, then you begin to exercise with those gifts that God gave you.