Granny Gwen's Blog

God Is Always Faithful We Can Count On Him

2012-02-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, I was taught and believed that we had a choice to get saved or to walk away from that salvation. I had no sense of permanency or security in my walk with My Lord. I questioned whether someday I may do something that God was displeased with and He would no longer love me and cast me aside for whatever that sin was. I had such a hard time believing that I had the strength to carry on for Him or that I could measure up, after all, my life was fraught with the indoctrination from my childhood that I was of no value to my family or my community. How could I ever be loved by God, how could He knowing me, love me. I questioned God on numerous occasions, what sin would separate us, how many sins or how big did they have to be to incur the wrath of God, that He would throw me away.

I thought, what kind of God would tell us we could lose our salvation and then not even describe to us the detailed criteria of what can cause us to be thrown away.

I believed this teaching because this is what people did, if I didn't measure up, they went away and rejected me, so I had the impression that this is what God does too. I begged God to love me differently than people did, which didn't seem like love at all. One slip up in my character and the people disappeared. They not only disappeared but had no compulsion to come to me to try to save me, to snatch me from the firebrand.

Is it possible that our view of God and our interpretation of Scripture comes from our observations about people and their responses to us? I am grateful that God is not like people. His ways are so far above mankind, that we have no ability to understand or carry out His righteousness. We must have the Holy Spirit to walk with Him and we must possess the Holy Spirit if we are to remain. If the Holy Spirit left us, as people do, and we are not saved by our works, then how would we ever get back again to possess the Holy Spirit, our works would not save us to come back. Oh my what a dilemma I struggled with before the Lord opened my eyes. I saw no evidence in the Word that the Holy Spirit hopped in and out of people like a jumping jack.

I am convinced without doubt that we cannot lose our salvation. If we believe that God saved us after we chose and confessed our sin, and that Christ said in Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God," then we have to believe that God is the one who saves and we do not save ourselves through our works. If we know that we can not save ourselves through our own works then we have to know that we cannot keep ourselves by our works.

When God saves us, He gives us what we desire and that is to be forgiven and to be saved, then He does the work of saving, He does the work of cleansing and He does the work of keeping. God said 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." God changes us into something we were not before.

We are however trapped in this body of death, Our soul has been overtaken by the Holy Spirit of God. Ephesians 1:13-14 says "In Him you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

I would like us to take a look at some of the words in this verse, they are; Holy Spirit of Promise, Sealed, Guarantee, inheritance, purchased possession. All of these show that it is a done deal when we have been changed by God. When we realize that He changes us when we get saved, He makes two people one in marriage and He remains faithful to Israel in all His promises. All of these works are His and constant with His character. We cannot undo our salvation, and we don't want to. We cannot undo our marriage and if we are saved, we don't want to. God is a God of faithfulness when we are not.

We do sin after salvation because God said that no one is righteous no not one, this is why God had to seal us with His Holy Spirit, to keep us. It is a salvation by works and inconsistent to say that we can't save our self but we can do enough good works to keep ourselves. Christ can not come off the cross, He said it is finished. HE will not ever go back to the cross, because "it is finished."

Now the problem is that, we see people who claim to be saved and have walked away, but God said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord , Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"

It is clear that many people who claim to be saved, will look so good that others looking on will not realize that they are not saved and never have been. In this passage God says "I NEVER knew you." They were never changed into a new creation even though they looked so good on the outside.

We do however sin, we are not sinless but we sin less, because God said that He is in the process of sanctification until the day we die. This is why God said in 1 John 2 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." An unsaved person does not have an advocate with the Father, only His children do. If we see someone living a lifestyle of sin without conscience about it, then they not saved. They may go to church, pray in front of people, and even.....get this....cast out demons in His name...but they have never been changed because they have never trusted Christ. They may even have lived a good life, but are doing it in the flesh rather than under the control of the Holy Spirit. For me this matter is settled. The Lord gave me the "smoking gun" scripture in Ephesians 1:13-14, that settles it completely for me.

My God told me, "I will never throw you away because you do not measure up, you could never measure up. When you fall I will pick you up and bring you back" I remember the story of the lamb who wanders off from his shepherd. The shepherd does not let him go to fall over cliffs and die; he goes after him and breaks the legs of the lamb. He breaks his legs and then carries him so that the lamb learns to depend on the shepherd and will not continue to wander away after that. God sometimes breaks our legs as believers, but he never throws us away as people do. He is pure love and knows the propensity of man to wander.

Do we love people as God loves us or do we love people the way humanity does, with disinterest in one another. Do we do the easy thing focusing on feelings and fun, rather than the hard work of rebuke and discipline praying for and hoping that our loved one will be restored? God does walk away from rebellious pretenders, but He never walks away from His lambs.

Helping the Disturbed Character In Our Lives

2012-02-05T17:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.manipulative-people.com/facilitating-change-in-irresponsible-characters/

Can't We Just Be Honest and Open?

2012-02-05T17:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.manipulative-people.com/another-look-at-manipulation-tactics/

Who Should Christians Follow

2012-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

Once again I have been faced with the question of modern idolatry in the form of dedication to a man. This has become so common, more than any other sin, this one has overtaken our society by storm. God said that we are not to "say you are of Paul or Apollos." 1 Corinthians 1:12 If we are completely dedicated to Christ then we could never say "I follow the teachings of ......." pertaining to a man. If we quote a man's writing more than the teachings of Christ or find ourselves unable to express our Christianity solely in terms of Christ and Him alone, then we have an idol. Christ was very clear that He wanted us to see only Him. I am reminded of the days when our children were growing up and I was attempting to instruct them, and their eyes were wandering all around the room, distracted by the other people in the house. I had to continually admonish them to "look at me while I am talking to you." As their eyes and hearts were diverted to other people and things, I had to be vigilant about bringing their attention back to me. I knew that if I allowed them to be distracted, they would not carry out my wishes or learn any important lessons. This is how we, as stubborn children, are with God. He is continually nudging us to come back to focus on Him and only Him. As long as we will not let go of our human idols, we cannot progress any further. The challenge today is to practice for one week resolving not to mention the name of any man in reference to Biblical principles. Could we go through an entire week, only speaking of Christ and His principles without mentioning a man's name in conjunction with our study? What a novel idea!

Blaming Others For Our Sin

2012-01-29T18:28:00.001-08:00

http://www.manipulative-people.com/externalizing-manipulation-tactic-3/

Christ Reforms A Heart

2012-01-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqq5mF8FBfY&feature=related

Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet

2012-01-29T10:21:00.001-08:00

http://www.frontlinemin.org/jeremiah.asp

The Weeping Prophet

2012-01-28T10:16:00.001-08:00

http://www.frontlinemin.org/jeremiah.asp

2012-01-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

We as a Christian culture does not take lying and stealing seriously in the body. We think of it with no more shame than eating too many cookies. We protect the offender with flattery rather than rebuking them with instruction and shame.

There is more than just criminal activity here. Many of God’s principles have been broken by this one single act. When we steal from others we are deceitful. When we steal we are dishonoring our parents, husband and children, they are the ones most harmed by our thievery.

When we steal we are taking what does not belong to us therefore bringing hardship on those we steal from and bringing shame to Christ when we bare his name.

When we steal and go before the judge claiming that it is our parents fault or our upbringing that festers in our deepest recesses, with bitterness and anger we are lying. We are lying when we say we can’t help ourselves, what we mean is that we want people to feel sorry for us, so that our shame is diminished and even eliminated.

When we steal we are teaching our children wickedness and how to excuse their sinful behavior and how to lie to get out of trouble.

When we steal we mismanage our funds in terms of the fines and jail time we pay after being caught. We also spend other peoples money through tax dollars that are used to house and feed us while we are in jail.

We inconvenience our friends when they have to agonize over going to court with us and coming back later after our sentence is up. We may even break up a marriage or friendship when those who love us feel we can no longer be trusted.

We are terrible examples to the judge and other workers in the courthouse who know that we are Christians. Our witness is damaged and it is so far reaching that those in the courtroom who have seen the carnage will go and disparage Christ to all their unsaved friends and even persecute other believers because of our actions. Very often our names are printed in the newspaper for the entire community to see, further damaging the reputation of Christ and His followers.

When we steal we cause division within the church between the flatterers and those who are concerned about holiness and confession and brokenness in the soul of the offender.

In short when we steal we damage the name of Christ and His followers in our homes, in our communities, in the courtroom while teaching young people and small children to lie, deceive and harm others for their own desires. And lastly, when we excuse our sin by blaming others, we are dishonoring God and breaking all ten commandments.

Are We Killing the Messengers

2012-01-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzXEwJ4Ti7o

Are We Peacekeepers or Peacemakers

2012-01-25T22:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.creationworldview.org/articles_view.asp?id=16

Our Christian Culture Has Not Trusted Christ!

2012-01-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

When we are pointing the fingers at division in the church over doctrine, we must remember that error is always divisive. The Calvinists think that the Armenians are divisive and the Armenians think the Calvinists are divisive. The fact is that both are divisive. The Calvinists are spreading a false gospel based on a false premise that no one has a choice in their salvation. Armenians are spreading a false idea that they think came from Arminius but in fact did not. One believes there is no choice and that every man was created to go to heaven or hell. The other believes that man chooses but can be saved one moment and walk away if their sin is bad enough the next.

Both concepts are unbiblical and therefore divisive. Calvin was a persecutor of the true church and Arminius clearly taught that one could not lose their salvation once they had trusted Christ.

Those who follow Calvin rather than Christ have made a plaster saint out of the false information written about him and the followers of Arminius have believed something about his teachings that were not true. What is the problem with all this human idol worship? The problem is that too many folks are depending on human beings for their answers rather than on the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I have a conversation with someone about doctrine, I am suspect of their walk with God when the first things out of their mouth is "Calvin says." It is at that point that I know that they are more interested in what a man thinks than in what God has said.

We lack faith when we place our trust in the teachings of one man because we are trusting that man rather than the Holy Spirit and God's Word. We think that we can not hear God through the Holy Spirit, we must see a man, hear his voice or read his writings to know the truth. If we trusted Christ when He said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth, then we would not be concerned about following the particular teachings of a man. If we trust Christ and believe that the Holy Spirit can teach us then we don't need to run to writers for our wisdom.

It is alright to read the writings of others, write ourselves and even have real live teachers, the problem comes when we do not test all that they say by reading the Word of God ourselves. So often man likes to have a "helper" like the Holy Spirit that they can see, touch and read, just like the Israelites who wanted a human leader that they could see and hear, rather than God Himself. In other Words our pride wants to guide us into the realm of intellectual elitism by quoting popular writers. How can we brag if our boasting is about an unseen God. Arrogance is at the root of all human error and must be denounced before we can hear the Lord.

We lack faith in the promise of the Lord when He said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. Whatever did the Lord do the last 2000 years before Calvin and Arminius were born? He used the Holy Spirit and still does that today. Our culture has a hard time hearing our "helper and teacher" that lives in us, because the noises of the elite writers are drowning Him out. The pressures of our modern culture are crushing in upon us, making us feel silly and stupid if we do not give in to the ideas of these iconic figures of the past.

Our challenge is to refuse to listen to those who would quote men and correct those who would continually attempt to intimidate us into accepting the teachings of men rather than the teachings of Christ.

Please let us STOP raising our idols above Christ. We need to push them over and burn them. If we cannot control our impulses to follow the teachings of one man then we are in sin and will lead others into sin also. Do we have the faith to walk away from the teachings of man and trust Christ in us to bring us to an understanding of the truth.

When we look into the past and see the lives of these people we worship, we would see that every one of them has wrong teaching to some degree and in Calvin’s' case heresy. That is why the Lord said "let God be true and every man a liar." Romans 3:4

God told us all we need to know in His Word and God gave us the perfect Helper, Teacher and Comforter to be to us all that we need.

Wow, Narcissism is on the Rise!

2012-01-25T14:38:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJP0FUk6oWY&feature=related

Take It Like a Grown Up

2012-01-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

When we dishonor and disobey God, we have no one to blame but ourselves. All that we do comes out of the depth of our hearts. It is interesting that when we do something good we want all the credit, but when we do something evil we want to blame someone else. Everyone comes from a disfunctional family because no parent is perfect. What excuse did Adam and Eve have, their parent was the Almighty God Himself? If we think our parents are to blame, then how long do we get to keep using them as the excuse for our sinful choices? All the rest of our lives for every sin? No. We only begin healing when we see that we alone are responsible for every choice we make.

If we think psychology has the answers to mans sinful nature, think again. Psychology was born out of unregenerate mankind's attempt to indulge in sin without conscience. It has produced the apostate church we have today and further fanned the flames of wickedness in the unsaved man. The world has been using psychology for several generations to "help" people, and our world is far worse than it has ever been. God's way is the only way, and that is to stand up and admit our sin like mature men and women and joyfully take our punishments, knowing that we deserve it. This is the only path to cleansing and restoration in the soul of man.

God Died For the Whole World!

2012-01-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-CcIoWTUmI&sns=fb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyF9voY6R8g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9spJ849XxBU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHuEHtD1wVk&feature=related

If We Are Saved There Will Be Fruit!

2012-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wftJVYoORug&feature=share

God Never Breaks A Promise, Nor Does He Abandon His Own

2011-12-31T22:31:00.001-08:00

http://www.av1611.org/etern.html

Walking With A Perfect Heart

2011-12-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Perfect toward Him
By Jc Nathanael

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“...I will walk within my house with a perfect heart”
(Psalm 101:2, NKJ)

TODAY’S WORD from Jc nathanael
This time of year, people often take time to reflect and set goals for the New Year. But have you ever set “perfection” as a goal on your list?

Now, that may seem a little strange or unobtainable to many, but really, in God’s eyes perfection isn’t about performance. In fact, it isn’t about behavior at all. What God is looking for is a heart that is perfect toward Him. Scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. That means that He is more pleased with someone who has a heart toward Him who may mess up than He is with someone doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons.

The condition of your heart is extremely important to God. When you have a right heart, you are humble before Him. You seek His ways. You get up each day with a desire to please Him. You submit every area of your life to Him, and you are willing to make adjustments and receive correction so you can grow and come up higher.

As you prepare for the coming year, make knowing Him your number one priority. Yield yourself to Him and let Him shape your character. Serve Him with all your might and let your heart be perfect toward Him!

Loving Relationships are not Based on Winning or Losing, but Giving!

2011-12-28T13:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.difficultrelationships.com/2006/03/15/manipulation-domination-intimidation/

Forgiveness Do We Really Understand It God's Way

2011-12-23T11:36:00.001-08:00

http://www.luke173ministries.org/466808

The False god!

2011-12-23T00:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.cuttingedge.org/News/n1132.cfm

Why We Know Santa Clause Is A False god!

2011-12-23T00:19:00.000-08:00

A poem I would like to share, written by a friend.

Who has hair as white as snow and says "Ho Ho"?

Who is everywhere, in every store and mall,

Wearing his red suit and welcomes all?

Who is a carpenter that works with wood

And brings joy for boys and girls that are good?

Who knows when we are asleep and awake, oh for goodness sake?

Who in the clouds he rides with a blaze or spark in his eyes?

Who in a chimney or furnace doesn't burn,

And we stand in line to wait our turn?

Who checks a book or list of people good and bad,

if good we're not, oh how sad!

The poem is about Santa Clause, it is interesting to note that every trait mentioned here has a scripture verse from the Bible that describes God. Is it no wonder that some of us believe that Santa is a false god devised by Satan to deceive? I have been saying for years now that Santa was a false god and these points prove it. The little children of our country look to him every year for their gifts, not to Christ, and the parents of our land promote this just to see the happy faces of the children.

Lisha, in her studies came up with these verses that are proof of what we say about this false god that so many people think is just an innocent attempt at fun.

Revelation 1:14 and Daniel 7:9, speaking of the true God, says, "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow.

Zechariah 2:6 (KJV) says of the One true God, "Ho Ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, Saith the Lord."

Proverbs 15:3 Speaking of the True God, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."

Revelation 9:13 Speaking of the True God, "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood."

Isaiah 63:2, Speaking of the True God, "Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?"

Matthew 11:28 Speaking of the True God, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Mark 6:3 "Isn't this the carpenter? (Speaking about our Lord Jesus Christ.)
Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy."

Psalm 139:7-8 Speaking of the True God, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."

Deut. 33:26 Speaking of the True God says, "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun who rides on the heavens to help you on the clouds in His majesty."

Rev. 19:12 Speaking of the True God says, "His eyes are like blazing fire...."

Rev. 1:15 Speaking of the True God says, "His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace..."

Rev. 20:12 Speaking of the True God says, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened."

Revelation 20:15 Speaking of the True God says, "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he is thrown into the lake of fire.

Satan says in Isaiah 14:14 "I will be like the Most High" in his heart and he tries to tear us and Christ apart.

This message should be whole heartedly recieved to keep ourselves from being deceived. With another we have been sharing His story, but from now on it is my Lord Jesus who gets all the glory.

Written by Lisha McDonald

Chrislam: The Next Wave

2011-12-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

The new wave coming at us with great force is one more piece of the puzzle and one more entry that completes the puzzle. This entity is called “Chrislam.” This may be one of the most frightening marriages since Billy Graham proclaimed Mother Theresa a godly woman. Mother Theresa worked hard all her life attempting to teach to the Indian people that we needed to work our way to heaven and that adding Christ to your existing religion will make you a better Hindu or whatever religion you wish to retain.

Jesus Christ made it clear in His Word that “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

There have been many clerics in the past, who have been promoting the idea of melding all religions into one, but they were hidden and worked covertly. The concept would have not been accepted in mainstream American churches as a widely taught concept, until now.

Now our culture and the world are ready, and very few believers (compared to the Christian population) raise an objection to this unholy alliance between Islam and Christianity. When we fuse these two entities together Christianity ceases to be Christianity, if fact those that promote it could not be saved or the Holy Spirit would warn them. The inklings from the Holy Spirit would be so strong there would be no need to even consider the question, there would be an automatic rejection of the idea.

Islam denies the deity of Christ, not to mention that the entire premise of the Islamic faith is based on a false moon god who has no son. If one were to read the Qur’an they would realize that it is a religion of war, torture and murder, while Christianity is based on self sacrifice, peace and love. Those who know the Qur’an and have come out of it will tell you that there is no concept of love in Islam.

The very foundations of Christianity are based on the premise that we are “desperately wicked” and are in need of a Savior. The Bible tells us that when we come to Christ desiring to be saved, He shows us that His love was so great that He gave up His life for us, in payment for the terrible debt that we owed. We have offended a Holy God and must repent, after which He saves us, cleanses and keeps us until He comes for us.

Islam will tell you that all those who will not choose Allah, should be killed. Interesting, Our God died for us and the God of Islam kills those who will not follow him and commands others to kill all the infidels. The opposite of Christianity is displayed in Islam.

Christ sacrificed His own life for us to demonstrate how much He loves us. Christ desires that all would be saved and gives everyone of us a choice to follow Him.

Allah kills those who will not follow him. The tenets of Islam teach the torturing of women and has wickedly devalues them. Christ taught men to love their wives and care for them as “the weaker vessel.” The term weaker vessel in the original language denotes a highly cherished and delicate pottery to be carefully cared for.

Allah teaches that there is no forgiveness for sins against one another and teaches to exact revenge . Christ teaches us to forgive those who have offended us and to bless those who curse us and spitefully use us.

As we can see from the comparisons, Islam is the opposite of Christianity and can in no way enhance the Christian walk, nor can Christianity remain Christian when it fuses with Islam.

I have to believe that a true believer would never entertain the idea of consolidating the pagan religions of the world with Christianity. This is the apostate church spoken of in the Bible. It is more than just moving away from the principles of the Word of God; it is a wicked attempt on the part of Satan to blur the lines between true Christianity and the pagan religions, confusing those who are already lost.

When we compare the attitudes of the Islamic faith with the attitudes of the Christian faith we will see that they are completely opposite and this makes sense, because Islam is a satanic religion, its author is the father of lies himself.

The greatest foundation of our Christian faith are that Christ, the Son of God came to die to pay the debt for sin that we owed, and that we can not work our way to heaven. Islam completely rejects this notion, when it says that Allah has no son and we get to heaven if our good works outweigh our bad works. The god of Islam says that a follower can get into heaven with 49% evil on his soul and Christ says that the Holy God of the Bible will not tolerate any sin in His presence. That is why Christ was the sacrificial lamb, it had to be a perfect sacrifice to pay the debt of sin and Christ the Son of God was that substitute for us. This is an incredible contrast that can not be ignored.

Islam and Christianity are polar opposites that can never meet. Those who follow Islam are headed for hell and those who follow the risen Christ are on their way to heaven, it is just that simple.

WARNING! Islam can never meld with Christianity! It is a religion orchestrated by Satan and he and all his minions will end up in the lake of fire along with those who will not trust Christ and Him alone.

God's Forgiveness Man's Responsibility

2011-12-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how the Lord connects our relationship with Him with our relationship with man. Everything God has shown us in the Word about His character is a picture of how we are to act toward our fellow man.

When the Lord commanded us to come to Him for forgiveness and confession of sin, it was for the purpose of reconciliation. His death on the cross was His offering to us, to come and receive freely His forgiveness and salvation from sin and hell.

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

God never says that He forgives if we are not repentant, or if we do not come.

Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

We must make the effort to come, and so is it true that we must go to our friends to be reconciled to them, just as we needed to with Christ. When we pass over this step of repentance with friends, we leave out a very important step in our own growth and we can not be reconciled to our friend fully.

So often we think that all we have to do is a good deed or two to make up for our sin against a brother, hoping that time will dissipate the wrong and the good deeds will outweigh the bad ones causing reconciliation. The problem with this understanding is that God requires us to confess our sins to Him and one to another. God does not like our gifts when we are attempting to buy His forgiveness.

James 5:16 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

It is interesting to me that right after the statement, “confess your trespasses one to another” is the statement “the effective prayer of a righteous man avails much.” I believe these statements are together because our prayers are hindered when we refuse to go and confess to someone our sin against them, hoping the effect of our sin will dissipate like a fog as the warmth of the sun falls upon it. The problem with this theory is that it is not what God said for us to do. The sun of our good deeds on the fog of our sin, will not dissipate a harm or emotional hurt that we do to another believer. The offended may chose to obey God in the verse that says “bless those who curse you.” But there is always a mistrust in the heart of the offended because there has been no confession of wrong doing. The Offended is left with the conclusion that the offender must have thought it was alright to do what they did.

The Lord made provision for reconciliation with Him through our confession and acceptance of His free gift on the cross. It is also true of the believer who has offended someone. The provision of forgiveness is there in the heart of the offended, but the offender must confess to receive it.

Unfortunately our culture thinks that there is no confession required as the pagans think, that as long as enough good deeds are done to the offended it will wipe away all sin against them. This thinking comes from all the pagan religions of the world that say we must do more good works than bad works to earn heaven. Even in relationships we think of God the way we think of our personal relationships, that if we do enough good to them, it will wipe out all the offenses. God did not operate this way.

It is my belief that God wanted us to come and confess our sin and receive His free gift, the same way He desires us to go to the offended party and receive their free gift. But if we do not go to God to confess, and we do not go to the offended to confess, then we are still prideful and think that if we just do good works to obtain forgiveness to our God and to our friends, then we are living a Christianity of works, not only in our Christianity but also in our personal relationships. God is not concerned about many good works, He is concerned with the heart. Only those who confess can be reconciled to Him and the same is true in human relationships. God desires that we be reconciled and so does the brother who was harmed. The one, who does not confess, is the one who does not care more deeply about the relationship than they do their own pride.

If I have been wronged in some way, I will be suspect of the person who comes with gifts. Perhaps the gifts are to relieve their own conscience and really has nothing to do with the harm they have done to me. The relationship can be cordial but it is never close until the offending party is broken enough to place himself in a position of humility and coming in sorrow that He not only offended a Holy God, but that He harmed the one he claims to love.

Love and humility can not be separated. If we love God, we can not knowingly ignore the fact that we have harmed another human being. With this kind of humility there is no thought of “my rights.” The humble brother cares more that he may have harmed someone than he does about his own justifications for his sin.

If we are to follow Christ’s example and obey His Word, we will set aside any pride that may be keeping us from admitting our sin, or even just going to find out what our sin may have been if we think we have not sinned. If someone is offended, we must go to that person, not with the attitude of winning them to your side, but in humility desiring to find out where we failed.

Matthew 5:23-24 God does not say wait until your brother tells you, He says “IF you remember that your brother has something against you” then we are to go before our brother has a chance to tell you. If we do not know whether we have harmed someone and they clearly tell us, we do not look for ways to justify ourselves, we place ourselves in our friends shoes to attempt to understand why he was offended, this is love.

God’s way is best! It is never effective to bring gifts to the altar of God and expect that He will be pleased with us when we show no sorrow over our sin. The same is true of human relationships. It does no good to bring a gift to a hurting friend, when we caused the hurt, and never clearly state our sin against them. The gift becomes suspect, and the relationship can only remain superficial because there is the belief in the offended party that the offender was not sorry they harmed us, only sorry there is a strain on the relationship.

Satan loves when we can not talk things through and clear things up. He loves it when relationships remain superficial. We have a problem in our culture of treating human beings the way we treat God. If we can not openly speak with friends about our sin, we are probably hiding from God too.

God does not want our sacrifices, He wants our heart.

Man does not want our gifts, he wants our love.

Gifts only count when there has been love displayed previously.

Gifts given from a loving heart are two gifts given.

Could We At Least Ask God If This Is True, That We Might Cleanse Ourselves?

2011-12-15T09:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upavo6Gjseg&feature=share

The Sports Worshipers and their gods!

2011-12-13T15:33:00.001-08:00

Today I have become appalled at the banterings of the loyal fans of Mr.Tebow the football player. I have been told that he kneels down to pray whenever he makes a goal on the playing field. I have several questions about this action that Mr. Tebow feels a need to express. My first question is; why doesn’t he also kneel when he looses a goal, since we are to give thanks in all matters of our life, even when we do not win.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

My next question is what would this young man be thanking God for, winning, the huge salary that he will get for being good at his sport or perhaps he is thanking the Lord for all the fans that got saved during his goal? Or could it be that some human lives were saved because he got his goal for the team?

Thirdly, why doesn’t Mr. Tebow do his kneeling in a quiet corner of the locker room or the privacy of his home?

Matthew 6:5 says “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the street, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”

Why do we not get excited about the little old man or woman who have spent the last 60 years on their knees in church every week. We never hear about them on face book, those who have been quietly in their pews seeking the face of God without fanfare. Perhaps we don’t hear about them because they are not famous or ball players.

Since sports have been a terrible distraction among believers, I have a hard time thinking that Mr. Tebows goal is of any value at all. As believers our focus should not be on games and playing but on the work of the Lord. I do not say that we should never play a game in a family setting, but to play for money is tantamount to the theater. It is for the purpose of entertaining people. Go see your sports and plays, but don’t claim that it has value before the Lord in evangelism unless it brings a clear message of a gospel of repentance. Then see how popular our ball player would be, even among his Christian fans.

Mr. Tebow, in my opinion is not being persecuted for his faith in the media. He is not being stopped from his kneeling, his salary is not being taken away, and his family is not being incarcerated. I would not call negative comments from the media “persecution.”

This term “persecution” assigned to Mr. Tebow is a slap in the face of all the people around the world who are being tortured, jailed and their homes being burned and families murdered for their faith.

This young man may have a very good heart, but his actions lack maturity. I could support him fully if he were giving a clear gospel message during half time, or upon entry into the stadium. I have a hard time with believers who choose for their profession something that does not produce a viable product or service other than entertainment.

We have become a sports crazed society of narcissists. When believers will go to a stadium and shout and carry on over winning a goal, but spend little or no time in God’s house of prayer, this is a clue that our Christianity is seriously skewed.

I have been to church gatherings many times when the attendees will speak endlessly about the ball games and become embarrassed at someone wanting to discuss the Bible or things of the Lord, in His own house! These are all clues of a sin sick apostate church. When our people are fighting mad at the suggestion that we should stop our sports mania, but raise no objection when Christ’s name is being maligned.

I wonder too, how many fans of Mr. Tebow would be this excited about his display of religiosity if he were loosing, or if he refused to play a game on Sunday? I suspect that this whole matter has to do with his winning streak and popularity more than his supposed spirituality.

I am not the least bit impressed by a ball player who prays in public in front of thousands of fans, in violation of the Word of God. I am so very sorry that so many believers have been sucked into this mania and will use any excuse to continue in it.

We can see that this sports craze has infected the believing church by the rumors we hear of churches having “super bowl” parties right in the house of God. Has anyone seen the half time entertainment, it is an abomination. I have only seen one and heard from others who have seen them, something is wrong when Christians can watch and enjoy foot ball half time.

Shame on those believers who are undiscerning and defensive of this travesty, the sports world. Pray to repent from all of it. If we did away with all sports we would lose nothing, but perhaps we would gain more time with God and more time with our families.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 says "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness! And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.' therefore Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."

Part 5 Day 3B Our Trip To Israel

2011-12-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

One of our excursions on this day was to the town of Nazareth. What impressed me about this town was that even though there were automobiles and all the modern amenities we would find here in the states, it still maintained the appearance of a village because of the stone everywhere in the buildings. We never did see one painted structure in all our travels in Israel. Every building was gray stone. There were red roofs made of tile, but that was the only color we saw. The terrain was dry and dusty and the buildings seemed to disappear into the earth as though they were rising out of it by themselves. I liked it there very much, because it seemed like such a simple life.

Nazareth is a town of about 65,000 people predominantly Muslim Arabs. As we rode the streets in our tour bus we could see school children getting off the buses to go home. The children wore uniforms of polo shirts and jeans, even the girls. The colors were evidence of which school they attended. Every child wore the same color for their school. I was surprised to see that the unmarried young high school girls were not wearing traditional Islamic garb, but we did see women with children waiting for a bus, who were wearing it.

In Nazareth we visited the house of a sect called the “Druze” who opened their home regularly for groups of people for lunch. We sat on couches all around very large rooms with coffee table high serving tables. There were two rooms next to each other that were able to accommodate the 43 people on our tour.

A young woman came out while we were eating to explain the religion of the Druze to us. The Druze religion was probably the most ridiculous religion that I have heard of. It goes like this; the original Druze left the Islamic religion for the sake of equality between the sexes. Their rules were basically that each person had a choice to be a “secular” Druze or a “religious” Druze. The secular Druze could live as they pleased, no matter how outrageous and every one in the sect accepted them and their choice. The religious Druze placed on themselves religious morals and clothing that restricted their behavior and living style. These religious Druze were accepted by the sect also. So let’s recap….Immoral secular Druze were allowed to be that way without challenge and that was alright and the religious Druze were allowed to be strict in their way of life without challenge and that was accepted by the secular Druze. Is this beginning to sound like the American culture?

The Druze practiced the old way of marriage, in that when a man got married, he did not leave his father’s home, he simply built on top of it another level and brought his wife there to start a family. Some of the Druze homes were eight stories high, this sect tended to have large families and could have as many as 50 people in one household. That is why the rooms were so large where we dined for lunch. These rooms were the gathering place for much of the family activity. My first question about this living arrangement was, “how do all these people get alone well enough to live with each other?” The answer became clear when we learned that there were no challenges to lifestyle since everyone “did what was right in their own eyes.” I guess that it would be easy to dwell together when no one cared about moral choices. Although my guess is that there is more conflict than the Druze would like to admit. After all when there are no morals or restrictions on behavior, there must be sin abounding, when sin abounds there are very hateful attitudes. Attitudes must be unrestrained if there are no expectations of conduct. If there are no moral standards then what prevents one Druze from stealing from another one, whether it be clothing or a spouse. There is a standard in terms of the pecking order in the family. The father and mother are highly respected and cared for in the family.

I recall a scripture that says; “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Another place we visited on this day was the Nazareth Village. It was a compound where the Christians in the area built a replica village to demonstrate the life style in the time of Christ. We saw real people dressed in the costume of the time doing what the villagers would have been doing then. We saw a 400 year old olive tree there; they can live up to 1000 years old. There have been claims that the olive tree can live up to 5000 years. The olive seed has as much oil in it as the olive itself and is desired in the making of Olive oil, so the seeds are not thrown out, they are valuable. We were surprised to learn that green olives are not a different kind of olive; they are simply a black olive that has been picked before it ripens. The black olives are the fully ripe olives.

As we were walking the paths to see the actors in their roles we came to a corral that held several goats and one sheep. Outside the corral was a young man dressed as a shepherd. Another lady and I approached the corral to reach inside and pet the goats, but before we got to them they began to walk away. The Shepherd saw that we wanted to pet them so he said a couple of words in Hebrew and the goats immediately returned to the front of the corral. There was no hesitation at all and they moved quickly. I was deeply impacted by this, because it reminded me of the verse “My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me.” Then we watched the shepherd open the gate and walk away from us to take the goats to another place. Those goats stayed so close to him that they were practically stepping on his feet and they were jumping up on him. This was a picture of how our walk with Christ should look. Do we enthusiastically run after Him the way these goats desired to be with their shepherd? Later in the trip we saw another shepherd herding his sheep along the dry desert. I asked our guide Muriam where on earth was he going; there was no food or water in sight that we could see? She told me that the shepherd knows the places to go to get food and water and the goats know this, so they stay very close to him.

Another lesson for us from life was in this real life picture of a principle of our walk with Christ. Do we trust Him to know where we should go even if we cannot see with our eyes His purpose? Those goats trusted their master more than we trust our Lord.

Toward the end of the day we visited the Ethiopian In Take Center where Ethiopian refugees are housed and trained before being allowed to become citizens of Israel. They are people who were forced into Christianity by the Catholic Church in their ancestry, but desire to be Jewish in their religion. In order to become citizens of Israel they must proclaim that they are of the Jewish religion and be able to prove a Jewish heritage in their families. When we got off the bus, a barrage of children came at us in force. They ran up to us to see the visitors. I bent down to give them a hug, they grabbed on so tight that I toppled over from the weight of four very affectionate children. Grandpa got a picture of this. Those children followed us all over the camp. When we went into the common hall to hear a talk about what this organization does, we were placed on one side of a partitian with the Ethiopian men and on the other side all the women sat. The Ethiopians could not speak English or Hebrew but we got a chance to greet them in sign language. They were being trained in Hebrew and the Torah during their stay and would be expected to hold down jobs after leaving the compound.

Our next and last stop was a very nice restaurant on the Sea of Galilee in Tiberius. The food was amazing. We sat in a candle lit room waiting for our food when a boat with fireworks, sailing up next to our tables that were situated on the dock next to the Sea. The music coming from the boat was our national anthem. As the music played and the fireworks flashed a group of Israeli children came and sang "God Bless America to us. It brought tears to some of our eyes that we were treated with such honor and that these people wanted to bless us and our country. It was delightful. The Restaurant had a roof but was completely opened to the Sea and the kitchen was in the middle where the food was prepared.

This was also the day that Gilad Shalete was released from captivity. He was a young man who was captured and held for ransom by the Palestinians some four years ago. We were in the Jesus Boat Museum when the news came. We had to ask someone what all the excitement was because we couldn’t understand Hebrew. The news was translated for us by our guide Muriam, and it made us all laugh. She said that the Palestinians claimed that the Jews were so weak and valueless that they got only one man back compared to the 1000 Palestinians that were returned to them in ransom. The reply of the Israeli people was that the Jews were so valuable that it took one Jew to equal over 1000 Palestinians. I think there were about 1026 Palestinians that were released to bring back Gilad. There was rejoicing in Israel that day.

Gwendolyn petting the Goats

The Shepherd and his goats and one sheep

A woman spinning her thread to make cloth. This is why cloth was so expensive in the days of Christ, imagine how long it would take person to make enough thread to make a garment.

At the Ethiopian Intake Center, these girls were sweetie pies.

The Druze house where we had lunch and learned about this sect who broke off from Islam

The Druze House

The Stairs Entrance to the Druze house

Our Culture Changed But God Did Not Change

2011-11-30T09:36:00.001-08:00

http://blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/divorce.htm

Ravi Zacharias Tells Us About Pleasure Part 2

2011-11-29T10:10:00.001-08:00

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/let-my-people-think/player/the-problem-of-pleasure-part-2-of-2-238268.html

Ravi Zacharias Tells Us About Pleasure Part 1

2011-11-29T10:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/let-my-people-think/player/the-problem-of-pleasure-part-1-of-2-236387.html

What Does Jesus Christ Say About The Marriage Union

2011-11-27T21:01:00.001-08:00

http://www.marriagedivorce.com/What-Jesus-Said-About-Divorce-and-Remarriage.pdf

Christ Has Not Broken His Promise, He Never Breaks a Promise Even If We Do

2011-11-23T09:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.thebereancall.org/node/5825

A Rebuke to the American Church

2011-11-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

Israel is not yet saved, but they hold a standard that we used to enjoy in my childhood. When we were there I did not have the same sense of oppression that I feel here in the area that I live. Everywhere we looked ladies were dressed modestly. We did not see one child screaming out in rebellion against their parent.

There wasn't one immoral shop or video store. There were no immoral bill boards, nor were there wicked magazines glaring at us in the grocery store. We did not see piercings and tattoos at all, let alone in mass on one person as we see here.

There was a sense of peace and calm and quietness among the people and in the streets. The celebrations were men dancing to the Lord, raising song to Him and upholding the Torah. There was a sense of peace because we were not confronted daily and openly with blatant wickedness as we are here. Of course there would be evil among an unsaved people, but there was a cultural standard that was adhered to because of the Old Testament that made for a freedom from public displays of evil.

When we returned I felt the oppression return, the Lord confirmed my suspicion that I was sensing evil personified in our area of the world where there are no standards and where the church has lost it's first love. The church has become proud of itself, they gleefully plan their meaningless events for their cloistered gatherings, that for the most part glorify themselves rather than God.

They are not broken over their worldliness, but happy for their own accomplishments. They are as the churches in Revelation that God describes as "you hate what I hate and love what I love, but you have forgotten your first love."

Israel has yet to find the Lord Jesus Christ, but as in the days of old, when an unsaved king would honor the God of the Jews, the king would be blessed. Israel has been blessed with a quiet, peaceful culture of freedom from blatant immorality because of their dedication to Yah and His Law in the Torah. One day they will find Christ and be our brothers and sisters, for now we should be embarrassed that we do not speak out clearly and boldly about the wickedness around us. We are suppose to know the Savior, and we do not act like we do. American's lamp stand is being removed and we as believers don't recognize it, we are sleeping peacefully on our beds of cowardice and conformity to our culture. The house of God in America needs to repent from it's complacency and self righteousness.

2011-11-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Israel Trip Part 4 Day 3 “Up To Jerusalem” Part 1

Day three of our trip proved to be a great blessing in more ways than just touring. I was feeling well enough to continue the tour with Rodger, I was thankful that the Lord allowed me to only miss one day.

Our first event for the day after breakfast was a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee. We boarded a little boat that held all 43 members of our tour. It was a gloriously beautiful day on the water. The boat was a covered boat with open sides. We could sit and visit with one another as we rode along, a slight breeze cooled us. It was a warm day but not miserable as it probably would have been had we visited

Israel

in the early summer.

We were quietly enjoying the breeze and visiting with friends when the captain of the boat began attaching the flags of the United States and Canada to the flag pole. Then the US anthem was played over the loud speaker, all the people stood in honor of the flag of our nation, tears came as we thought of the beauty of this foreign land honoring their visitors with their own anthem and flag. I have an intense feeling of a mixture of pride and regret whenever the anthem is sung and the flag raised. First the pride that comes from enjoying the original purpose of our country, to cultivate freedom of religion, but also regret and sadness that we have turned our backs on the principles that we once held deeply.

After the American anthem, the Anthem of Canada was played, we joined in that because there were those on our tour from that country. Canada has always been our friend and ally in the past and had similar roots, so we feel a kinship to them. It felt the way a real family would be, a family of believers sharing one another’s joys, on the place where Christ walked on water. It would not have been as beautiful without those people, they blessed us.

It was an emotional experience to see the kind Israeli skipper, raise our flags to us, and to hear our own anthems. After the anthems were sung, flags raised and everyone was seated again, we floated on the water a little more until we arrived in the middle of the Sea of Galilee where Jim Showers, from Friends of Israel, led us in songs and we worshiped the Lord. Bill Sutter, also from Friends of Israel, shared the account of Christ walking on the water. The Bible accounts become so much more real when we were in the places where they happened.

From the boat we could see Tiberias and the Jesus Boat Museum north of Tiberias, which was our destination stop. At this museum we saw an original boat that was used on the Sea of Galilee for fishing and transportation across the lake. Boats were mentioned 50 times in the Bible, and this one was very likely the same kind that Christ and His disciples used.

This particular ancient boat was found in 1986 along the northern shore of Galilee. It was buried in the mud. In this year there was a drought and the water receded and exposed part of the boat. It was an amazing find, but also just as amazing was the method that was used to bring it out of the mud. The archaeologists had to be very careful because as soon as the wood hit air it would begin to fall apart. One of the ways they used to preserve it was to spray polyurethane around the exposed parts to keep them intact. The records show that Moshe and Yuval Lufan, brothers, found the boat. They were second generation fishermen from Kibbutz Ginosar. The brothers reported that when they found the boat, a double rainbow appeared in the sky. It took 12 days to lift the boat out of the water using many volunteers.

Our next stop was the town of Capernaum. Before we left our Kibbutz this morning we were told that there was a strict dress code for all holy places and that we should prepare ourselves to be dressed appropriately. Sleeveless blouses and shorts were not allowed nor were bare feet and the men were required to wear a covering on their head. Grandpa wore a hat as did all the men in our group. It was interesting to me that the women were not required a covering when the New Testament teaches the men to be uncovered and the women to be covered. Of course in Israel the laws are based on the Tora, the law, which differs with the New Covenant of Christ Jesus in some ways. There wasn’t a great variety of different kinds of foods as we see in the United States, at least not on our journey every thing was Kosher.

At Capharnaum or Capernaum, we saw the ruins of the synagogue that was built on top of the one Christ taught in. The one on top was built 200 years after Christ, this was a fourth century synagogue. We also saw the remains of the city of Capharnaum. It is interesting to note how small the houses were and they were all constructed from stone. The houses were connected to one another by common walls and the inside rooms were tiny. Within the town was located the house of Peter the Apostle where Christ healed the mother in law of Peter. There is a Catholic church built over the spot. The church is on pillars above the ground so that Peter’s house could be easily seen.

Our next stop was the Jordan river. We were all offered a chance to be baptized in the Jordan river, there were several who did this, but Grandpa and I decided that it would not have much meaning for us since we had already been baptized, but we watched as the others were being dunked. On the building all around the Jordan river are large plaques on which the passage Mark 1:9-11 were written. Each plaque had the same verse but were written in a different languages.

English looks like this:

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came out of water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven; ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.’”

Hawaiian Pidgen looks like this:

Dat time, Jesus come from Nazaret town, Galilee side, an John wen baptize him inside da Jordan River. Right den Jesus wen come up outa da water. An you know wat? Jesus wen see da sky broke open, an wen spock God’s Spirit coming down on top him, jalike one dove. An wow! Had one voice from da sky wen say, “You my boy! I really get love an aloha fo you, an I stay good inside cuz a you!” Mark 1:9-11

Unfortunately there is a sign in the gardens of the Jordan River that is in commemoration of Glenn Beck’s visit there…..too bad!

I decided not to do a spell check on this post, it would take to long due to the Pidgeon Hawaiian. If anyone sees misspellings, please just suck-it-up and try to enjoy the stories and ignore the spelling.

I will continue this day 3 on the next post, it is really too much for just one.

Rodger and Gwendolyn on the Sea of Galilee with Tiberias in the background.

At the Jesus Boat Museum North of Tiberias.

Capharnaum: The Synogogue built over the one that Christ taught in.

Peter's house in Capharnaum is located under this Catholic church.

Synagogue at Capharnaum

Peter's house at Capharnaum

On the Sea of Galilee

The Synogogue at Capharnaum

Rodger at the Capharnaum Synogogue

The Baptisms at the Jordan River

A Bible Verse at the Jordan River in Pidgin Hawaiian

Paul Washer and Biblical Manhood

2011-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U-JmgBnFHk Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVXXm49qg0I Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U-JmgBnFHk Part 3

Israel Trip Part 3 Day 2 of our Tour in Israel “Up To Jerusalem”

2011-11-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

This was the day that I did not go with Rodger. I stayed back in the Kabbutz because of my intense intestinal problem. I slept all day; occasionally coming out of the apartment to sit on the patio to watch the Sea of Galilee, across the water I could see Tiberius. In ancient times Tiberius was the largest Jewish City in Galilee and the hub of political and commercial activity of the Jews of Palestine.

This region has been known for many earthquakes dating back to before the time of Christ. It has been devastated by earthquakes in the 1800’s and a major flood in the early 1900’s. The area has been restored and rebuilt over the years and stands as a picturesque city on the shores of Galilee today.

Rodger left early in the morning to travel to Gomah, where he saw endangered vultures being raised by the Israelis to bring them back. In Gomah he saw an ancient oil press from the Byzantine period that was used to crush olives. These presses seemed to be many places in Israel. Gomah is also where “Masada of the North” was lactated. Masada of the North refers to the area around Gomah that the Romans destroyed in 67 AD and where tradition records that the Jews who were resisting the Romans jumped off the hill in Gomah and killed themselves, although this has not been proven in history. Masada of the North is not to be confused with Masada near the Dead Sea which we will see later.

Miriam, our guide introduced our group to a man who would tell his story at the site of the border between Israel and Lebanon. On this historic site Rodger could see from Israel into Lebanon. On the Israeli side of the border there were spy cameras and sophisticated listening devices pointing at Lebanon to monitor any invasive activity on the part of the Lebanese.

Ari Ben Yaakov is a Jewish man who was raised in Ohio in the United States. He went to Israel as a young man in his twenties and remained there until now, in his seventies. He felt drawn back to Israel because he was influenced by the Zionist movement. In the picture he is wearing a t-shirt that lists all the ancient civilizations that have come against Israel over the centuries and are now gone, while Israel is the only one still standing.

On the border of Israel and Lebanon Rodger saw rocket launchers that were used when the Palestinians had the land before Israel secured it.

After leaving the border, the group traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes where Christ delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

The next stop was the Golan Heights where Rodger saw the border between Israel and Syria. He also viewed the land that was captured by Israel during the 1967 six day war. The strip is now under the control of the UN peace keeping forces.

It is amazing the struggles that Israel has been through over the centuries. God has brought her out of many situations that should have ended her permanently, but she keeps returning as prophecy said she would.

Catholic Church at the Mount of Beatitudes

Border between Israel and Lebanon

Fence between Israel and Syria

Listening Divice in Israel Pointed at Lebanon

Cameras pointed at Lebanon located in Israel

Rocket Launchers left by the Palastinians on Israel Land

Israel Trip: Part 2, Day 1 on our Tour in Israel “Up To Jerusalem”

2011-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Rodger and I joined the “Friends of Israel” tour in New Jersey and went through all the rigorous screening required when leaving our country to go to Israel. There were many long waits and we were required to show our passports several times before boarding the plane. I guess the United States just didn’t want us to leave. The flight was a little over eleven hours. Rodger and I were not allowed to sit together in the same row, but we were across the aisle from one another the entire flight. Rodger was sitting with two Israeli men, a father and his son. The son was preparing to enter the Israeli military upon his return. Every person, man and woman, is required to serve in the military at age 18, women for 2 years and men for 3 years.

During this flight I had contracted some kind of intestinal problem and was in the bathroom every 20 minutes. Thankfully the Lord placed me in an isle seat only three rows back from the bathroom. I am now intimately acquainted with the inside of the Continental Airlines lavatory. By the time we reached Tel Aviv in Israel we were completely exhausted ready to take a nap, but that did not happen. I guess Israel didn’t want us to come in.

Upon arrival at Tel Aviv, we were summoned to several checkout points, our carry on luggage was searched, and we were asked questions about the reason for our visit. We had to show our passport several times and it took a long time to get out of the airport. Thankfully there were no pat downs or embarrassing personal searches.

As soon as we gathered our luggage we boarded our tour bus with all the other people who were on the tour with us, 43 total. We arrived in Israel in the morning hours. Our guide Murium Feinberg-Vamosh was there too, ready to begin traveling to our first destination, which was a visit to the ancient port of Joppa, sometimes, referred to as Jaffa. Miriam is Jewish but not a believer, who was born in the United States and moved to Israel to go back to her roots; she speaks Hebrew fluently and works as a reporter for a prominent news paper in Israel and is a guide in her spare time. She is married to a Jew who was born and raised in Israel. Our bus driver is a Jewish man named Ruvin, we did not know if he was a believer, but he was a very friendly man and a great bus driver. He managed to maneuver the bus in places that were not easy for cars to go. The FOI leader, Bill Sutter said that we saw miracles every day with his driving. He would drop us off at one place, leaving us there while we walked to another place some distance away and picked us up there. We never back tracked anywhere, it was a well organized tour.

Joppa was the town from which Jonah sailed before he was swallowed by the big fish and where Paul visited Simon the Tanner. In the pictures you will see Simon the Tanner’s house that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Acts 10:5-6, Jonah 1:3

After leaving Joppa we traveled to the Roman city of Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea, located about 30 miles north of Joppa. In the Scriptures we read what happened at Caesarea Maritime. We saw here Herod’s palace, his chariot race arena, and an amphitheater where stage productions were performed. We also saw an ancient Minaret in an Islamic Mosque, which is the tall pointed round structure shaped like a rocket. Herrod’s palace was immense. As you will see from the pictures, Herod had everything he needed there and all the entertainment he wanted.

· Philip the evangelist preached and lived in Caesarea (Acts 8:40).
· Peter was sent to baptize Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman garrison in Caesarea (Acts 10).
· Peter came to Caesarea after he was delivered from prison (Acts 12:19).
· King Herod Agrippa of Judaea died at Caesarea, being "eaten of worms" (Acts 12:19-23).
· Paul visited the city when he arrived or departed by ship from the harbor at Caesarea (Acts 9:30; 18:22; 21:8-16).
· Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea for two years before sailing to Rome to appear before Caesar (Acts 23:22-26:32).

Next we went to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv where we saw the room where the decision was made to make Israel a Nation. This was prophecy fulfilled the day that the Jews got their nation back after centuries of being without a homeland. We saw the room where Israel declared they were a nation and that they now had a homeland. The Scripture that comes to mind here is Isaiah 68:8. God brought forth a nation in a day according to prophecy. Other Scriptures that possibly pertain to the miracles of the Lord with Israel are: Isaiah 11:12 and 43:5-7. There is a picture of a chart that shows which nations were for Israel and which were against. Those highlighted in green were the nations that voted yes to give Israel the land. The world felt appalled at the treatment of the Jews in World War 2, which motivated them to give the Jews their own land and their own nation.

In the picture the man speaking in 1948, was David Ben Gurion the first Prime Minister of Israel. The picture on the wall behind Ben Gurion is a man named Hertzl, who had a dream and worked for the eventual formation of a nation of Israel, but never lived to see it happen.

After all this we ended the days tour at Maagan Holiday Village a Kibbutz located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where we spent three nights. The word Kibbutz in Hebrew means “the Gathering”, a collective community based on agriculture. They were Jews who no longer wanted to work for Arabs but wanted to work their own land earning their own living, in a communal formation. The only way they could make it farming was to share the land and work closely together, more like a family, getting away from the culture of the Arabs. Joseph Baratz was the man who came up with the idea of the Kibbutz, he said:

“We were happy enough working on the land, but we knew more and more certainly that the ways of the old settlements were not for us. This was not the way we hoped to settle the country—this old way with Jews on top and Arabs working for them; anyway, we thought that there shouldn't be employers and employees at all. There must be a better way.”

Everywhere we looked there was dry ground and huge rocks. Occasionally we would see some green, a small grove of trees or some crops, but nothing like our area of the world where green is everywhere around us all year around. Even though it was a desolate looking place, it was intriguing because of the history and connection to the Bible. We felt a sense of awe that we were really in the place where Bible events happened. I asked Rodger to pinch me on a number of occasions, he just turned to me and said, “yah me too.”

A chill ran through me as I looked around the room where prophecy was fulfilled in the forming of the nation of Israel. God is always faithful in keeping His promises. Israel is proof of this fact. God said, Isaiah 45:17 “But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.” Jeremiah 31:3 also says; “The Lord has appeared to me of old saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.’” It was a faith building experience to know that God had promised once that He would bring His people back to Him in the end and return their nation to them. He returned their nation in 1948 and there is more to come for Israel as God works in their hearts and makes them the final carriers of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the end. The Jews around the world who were never born there and have never lived there have been returning to their heritage, the land of Israel, since that prophetic occurrence of the rebirth of the nation in 1948. That is wondrous miracle.

Our Kibbutz room on the Sea of Galalee, was a small one bedroom apartment, complete with bathroom, kitchen and living room, facing the Sea of Galilee with a patio, picnic table and chairs. People from all over the world come there for vacations. I didn’t like the beds much. They were comfortable but they were split in the middle because in the Jewish tradition, the man is not suppose to touch the woman during her “unclean” time of the month, so the beds were two beds each wider than a normal twin bed, pushed together to make one large one. One night I scooted closer to Rodger to cuddle and the beds separated and I went down to the floor in a heap landing on my elbow. Rodger said it was like the parting of the Red Sea, he and I laughed, but we had to be aware not to sleep near the center of the beds. When we went to the Dan Panorama in Jerusalem there were the same kind of beds, but these were on carpet and didn’t roll.

All the breakfast food was Kosher, they could not serve milk with meat, so there was no meat at the morning meal but there was milk. At the evening meals there were meats but no milk. This practice comes from the Levitical laws that disallow boiling a lamb in its mother’s milk. A little of a stretch for me, but that is their culture and it was that way everywhere we went. I don’t recall seeing any fat people, not one obese person to be found in all our travels there.

An Ancient Minneret on a Muslim Mosque at Caearea Maritime.

Independence Hall in Tel Aviv
The world map indicating which countries supported Israel.
Herrods chariot race track at Caesaria Maritime on the Mediteranian Sea
Our Kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee

2011-11-12T00:17:00.000-08:00

Our Trip To Israel Part 1: New York City

When we left Portland we flew to Newark New Jersey, arriving in New Jersey six hours later. We were told that our flight went more quickly than expected because the tail winds were with us. On the way back from New Jersey to Portland our flight was almost two hours longer because we were headed into the winds which slowed the plane significantly. The return flight was a little rougher and bouncier than the flight into Newark.

Our first stop on the tour of New York was at Liberty Park in New Jersey where we took a ferry called the Miss New Jersey to Ellis Island and then onto the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island.

On Ellis Island we found the walls that contained the names of many thousands of immigrants who came into the Intake Center from 1892-1954. Eight Million immigrants were processed through this island, which was the gateway to their potential prosperity and religious freedom. It seemed strange almost that immigrants were still coming through Ellis Ilsnad during our lifetime. Ellis Island was closed to Immigrants in 1954. One of those immigrants was my uncle Nils Nilson, of which there were several in the registry but not on the walls. This was the promised land to these very tired and ragged people who had traveled by boat for months to get to the land of the free.

Immigrants were inspected for disease and those that showed signs of ill health were marked with chalk on their clothing so that they could be identified as unhealthy and later determined to be those that would be deported. Some immigrants learned of this practice and determined to be able to stay in the country, wiped off the chalk marks or turned their clothing inside out to be able to enter undetected. Some immigrants who did not do these things, were sent back to their native countries.

Rodger and I had lunch in the Ellis Island Café that was furnished with reproduction furniture of that period. On the walls were painted beautiful murals depicting the immigrant experience. We almost felt as though we were stepping back in the time of the immigrants.

After Ellis Island we returned to the ferry, the Miss New Jersey, and sailed to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty stood. What an incredible sight as we floated closer and closer to that massive statue. How excited the immigrants must have been as they came into New York harbor after such long voyages and tired hearts, looking up at the Statue that represented the freedom they were about to experience in their new home.

The Statue of Liberty was given to us by France and inside is an engraved plaque on which is written a sonnet by Emma Lazarus the following:

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Wow to think that America was once the promised land to the world, and still is to many.

As you look at the pictures of the statue you will find the walkway at the pedestal just above her feet, that is the walkway Rodger and I were standing on when we climbed the many stairs to get as high up as we were allowed. No one was allowed in the torch because of disrepair, and the crown was allowed but not on the day we were there.

From the Miss New Jersey ferry we could look across to Manhattan in New York City.

After leaving Liberty Island we sailed back to Liberty park where we started and proceeded to carry on to New York City. There we saw many sites including Rockefeller Center, Time Square, The subway, Grand Central Station, the Holland Tunnel… the one Lucy Ricardo drove her lawn mower through in one of the I Love Lucy episodes. We saw the Lincoln center, Central park, the Crysler building and the Empire State building. We also saw St. Patricks Cathedral, which was amazingly beautiful.

In Time square we saw where they drop the ball on New Years eve every year and we saw a living billboard. It was a computer that registered those who were walking on the street in a particular place on the sidewalk. Rodger and I were in the bill board and took pictures of ourselves along with our guide. Our guide is a lady who held a multicolored stripped umbrella which she carried above the heads of the crowd so that we would not lose her. Time Square was an mass of people. There were street restaurants in the middle of the Square. It was a place I cared only to see once. The multitudes of people left me overwhelmed, I could not imagine a time such as New Years Eve when a million people gather there on the streets and hanging out of windows just to see a silver ball fall to earth, designating a new year. After all the year is going to come whether or not anyone dropped a huge ball.

David Wilkersons church was only about four blocks from where we were, but we did not get to see it. Rodger asked if we were going to get to see Wall street where the stock market was, the guide said no because the street was too narrow for our tour bus to drive through. Wall street was only a couple of blocks away from where we were at that time. Also we saw ground zero where the World Trade Center stood and we saw the partially built new one that is going up. We also saw NBC studios where the Today Show was produced.

The excursion to New York was a side note to the our intended destination of Israel. In my estimation New York is a monster that overwhelms. If ever there were a place of overindulgence and materialism, it is New York city. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty were our favorites in New York Harbor, the rest of it was interesting but not worth repeating. I love the small town life, the city has no draw for me.

Rodger Under the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island

Rodger and I waiting for the Ferry to dock so that we can board.

On the Miss New Jersey in New York Harbor with

Manhattan in the background.

Husband The Protector and Provider, The Woman the Home Manager and Helper

2011-11-11T16:32:00.001-08:00

Leadership Qualities of Christian Husbands

With Jesus as the greatest example, Biblical leadership is equal to servant leadership. Therefore, to understand the leadership qualities of a true Christian husband, men must learn about the heart of a servant.

A Christian husband does not live to be served, but lives to serve his wife and children. His motivation is love -- loving God first, then loving those entrusted to his care before seeking to fulfill his own needs. Since his wife is his chosen life partner, investing sincere attention and love into her means that a husband considers his wife his most treasured "asset."

In addition to the expected responsibilities of working and providing, as well as protecting and defending, a Christian husband pastors, teaches and counsels his wife. Most importantly, he nourishes and cherishes her, and incubates her with love. This is succinctly and beautifully stated in The Message version of Ephesians 5:25-28:

"Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church -- a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor since they're already 'one' in marriage."

The Biblical servant learned to be attentive and sensitive to needs. He watched for ways to help, doing things without being asked, sharing in household duties and going above and beyond what was necessary, without expecting gratitude in return.

The Christian husband practices these same principles, seeking to love as Jesus loved. The 'thanks' or rewards come back in countless other ways. Quality time and efforts invested are never wasted. Service is not slavery, with a negative connotation; rather it is giving or sowing, with the knowledge that an abundant harvest is forthcoming.

For the Christian husband, leading his wife is not "lording over" but watching over. The husband helps his wife realize her full potential, discussing and thinking through decisions together and making suggestions regarding wise utilization of her time and efforts. It is important that husbands not be too controlling or critical, but instead be appreciative, patient, considerate, gentle, encouraging, and above most other things, a good listener.

As the household manager, the Christian husband exercises diligence and reliability. He is aware of household needs and manages financial decisions. He also takes care of or arranges for repairs as needed in a timely manner. The husband doesn't use all his spare time for personal leisure or recreation, but first handles the business of the home. He doesn't allow things to pile up and alleviates his wife's anxiety whenever possible.

One characteristic of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 is that "the heart of her husband safely trusts her." This goes both ways. A wife's heart should be secure in her husband's love. If his desire is to love, honor, cherish and sustain her, together they can realize answered prayers and experience the blessings of being heirs together of the grace of life.

Written by: Peter Miller

I must add to this post that I am not a fan of the Message Bible. It is an abomination, but the article itself, in my estimation reflected the spirit of the Biblical husband. I left the reference in the article to the Message Bible because I placed the article written by someone else in it's entirety in order to properly give credit to the writer. I changed nothing of what Mr. Miller wrote. I do not endorse in any way the Message Bible, if one could even call it a Bible.

The Sinful Man

2011-11-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Excellent Article on the Sinful Man

http://safeguardyoursoul.com/cure-for-the-swollen-self-by-travis-bryan-iii/

When we walk in pride we can not see our own infirmities. In order to confess our sins to the Lord we must admit them to ourselves first. God said "examine yourselves." When we spend most of our time hating others, we can never become convicted about our own sin.

Hearing the Shepherds Voice

2011-11-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

On our recent trip to Israel, I met an actor in Nazareth village who portrayed a shepherd who was tending his goats. As we approached the coral that the shepherd was guarding, we reached in to pet the goats that were clustered as close to their shepherd as they could get. He was on the outside of the pen while they poked their noses through the slats to reach him. Some of us ladies walked up to the pen, but by then the goats were walking away from the front of the pen. One of the ladies called out to the goats to come back. She spoke several times only to be completely ignored by the goats. The Shepherd saw what was happening and spoke two words in Hebrew to the goats and they instantly responded and returned to the front of the coral where the shepherd stood. The goats appeared not to hear the strange voice at all. The voice of the woman was so unfamiliar that they didn't even lift their heads to turn and look at her in curiosity.

How often do we turn our attentions away from the voice of Christ to listen to the voices of the unsaved or wrong teachers? We look to man first and when their teaching fails, we clamor to hear from God, He is our second choice rather than our first.

This episode with the shepherd reminded me of the Words of our Lord when He said "my sheep know my voice and they obey." In this real life picture of the goats obeying their master we see not only obedience but immediate obedience and great joy in that obedience. The goats loved to be with their shepherd. We watched as the shepherd opened the coral door to let them out and walk away from the pen. The goats stayed so close to the shepherd that he could barely take a step. They stepped on his feet and jumped up on him to stay close.

I loved this real life message that God was showing me. The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be as those goats, clamoring for every moment with Him, following Him no matter where He goes, keeping our attentions on Him every moment. The goats did not just follow Him because He commanded, but because they loved Him. There was no hesitation in their obedience because they loved to please him.

We should be so in love with our Savior that it is His voice we listen to first and all other voices that are not familiar to His commands and directives are ignored, given no attention at all. Do we live in the confidence that we can hear His voice to the point of knowing the difference between His commands and the false prophets and teachers? Do we keep our head straight ahead, heeding not the unfamiliar voice of the world or those who do not understand what God has told us?

If we love Him, we take our instruction from Him and only listen to those who walk closely with Him. We listen only to those who know His Word and are obeying it. When someone comes along to divert our attention from Him by human knowledge, we should pay them no mind whatever and even correct them that they may not influence us.

The more we remain silent and do not address wrong teaching, the greater chance we have of being sucked into the lies of the evil one. We must mentally fight the deception and verbally refute it when it comes at us. The longer we ignore a problem the more likely that problem will grow into worse and worse disobedience.

If we desire to be close to our Savior, we must stay close to His Word daily and intimately in conversation with Him. As long as the goats stayed very close to the shepherd, they were safe with no chance of being deceived or harmed. We have a lot to learn from that shepherd and his goats. We can love our Shepherd as deeply and completely as those goats loved their shepherd, but to do so, we must set aside our own desires and pride, to trust Him completely.

There were other wonderful lessons from the trip to Israel, but the Lord impacted me with this one because, I believe, if we get this principle right, all other matters will fall in line with His will. If we seek Him with all our hearts and follow the Shepherd closely through His word and prayer we will clearly hear His voice not being deceived by false teachers or riddled with false guilt and manipulations from our culture. We will be strong, bold and confident in our walk, not wavering in our convictions no matter who comes against us or how many friends we may lose.

In this present culture good is called bad and bad is called good. Unrighteousness is celebrated and righteousness spurned. Those who attempt to bring God's standard to any question are labeled judgmental and unloving. The popular ways are in opposition to our Lord and His commands, and the unpopular ways are those that honor the commands of Christ. We are in those end times the Lord speaks of in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such turn away!"

The Lord tells us to withdraw from such people so that we will not be influenced by them. We may visit with them long enough to give them the gospel but they can not be our close friends. God says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits."

This is what has happened to the church in these last days. We have become so accustomed to non-believers frequenting our churches as visitors that we have softened God's message by watering down the truth so as not to offend the non-believer. If we offend him, he may not come back. I say, what is the purpose of a non-believer staying in the church if he is not seeing the filthiness of his sin becoming convicted over it. We should preach a bold truth, love the unbeliever enough to be honest about the sinfulness of sin, and giving him the good news that Christ gave his life that others might live. Without a bold gospel message, we only make a non-believer comfortable and feeling good about himself, making it more difficult for the next person God sends to give him the true message. Each time a non-believer hears a false gospel; his heart becomes a little more hardened to the authentic gospel of Christ. We will be held accountable for our "fear of man rather than God."

Our purpose is not to get the non-believer to like us, but to present a gospel of truth that he might love Christ. We must stop focusing on being like and appreciated and keep our hearts set on telling the whole truth that the hearers might become saved and join us in heaven when this life is over. Do we care more about Christ's commands and the eternal soul of the unbeliever than we do about our own comfort? That is the question each one of us needs to ask the Lord, and then act upon what He tells us.

Let's follow the Shepherd; He has all the answers to everything perfectly!!!

Manipulation To Control The Congregation: Is It Biblical

2011-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Have any of you ever been in a church service where the pastor or speaker stopped a song in the middle of it and instructed the attendees to sing louder or with feeling as though they mean it?

During that same worship service we may hear the preacher command the people to say amen. I have also heard preachers say things like “can I hear a word of confirmation.” The people listening were not doing it before they were instructed to do so, but suddenly because they were entreated to do so, they loudly proclaimed amen. So the leader got them to do what did not enter their minds or hearts. Of what value is this?

Every time I hear this, I think of the Catholic church that I was a part of and the little booklets that we used to follow the mass. We knew which response was required for each of the statements made by the priest and which pages we needed to be looking at. We repeated what was expected after the priest’s comments. There was no feeling required, just rote recitation, we could even be dozing and responding at the same time.

Commanding the congregation to do or say anything is how cults have control over their people. Our Lord wants our hearts and all our responses to be from our heart and not out of obedience for the sake of appearances. Each person must do and say what the Holy Spirit leads them to do apart from any human bidding.

The preacher must have the faith to allow the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of people, rather than trying to manipulate the folks in their emotions. Anyone can get a response from non-thinking people, who are concerned about their appearance. It is not hard to control people in a covert manner, when the elder has instilled a sense of awe based on their position in life.

Many church goers have the preachers on a pedestal as though they have a special in with God that the parishioners do not have. This is a false perception of the office of elder. The elder is no more holy than the rest of the church goers, except that he has been called to that service and qualifies based on Biblical standards. All the people should be looking to the Word of God for their standard and not the preacher. He should be above reproach, but he is not the standard, he must meet the standards of the word of God as all of us must. We should all be above reproach, if we love Christ.

Let me say at this point that the preacher must be accountable to the congregation for their conduct. If they are not preaching the Word correctly, they must be confronted about it, and asked to reconsider their position and correct their errors.

When a preacher believes himself to be unapproachable and above the congregation then it is time for him to be removed. An arrogant and un-teachable and unreachable elder is a danger to the health of a fellowship. He will create mind numbed attendees who will not evaluate everything said, in light of the Word. When a congregation gets to this point, those who love the Lord and His Word become discouraged and leave and those who are left, forget to exercise thinking in their theology. When this happens we have a cult like attitude that continues in error until the fellowship becomes apostate.

If we have faith, we will not feel a need to control every aspect of a persons actions. We can trust the Holy Spirit to work within each believer, and then we will have a vibrant fellowship. However if our group is filled with superficial Christianity we will not hear “amen’s’ or “hallelujahs” because it is not in the hearts of the people, so what would be the point in making them respond as we think they should.

We can get people to do many things so that they will not be embarrassed if they don’t, but we have not changed their hearts, so forcing them did not make them holier, or grow in their spirits.

When we preach a hard gospel of repentance and obedience, the Lord will be able to use His Word, which does not go out void as He promised. Let’s stop attempting to manipulate the people and begin to preach the gospel with authority and then the Lord will be able to work in the hearts of the hearers.

Let’s stop being careful, depending on our flesh and good looks to hopefully win them in the flesh, and begin telling the hard truth leaving the results to the Lord. He can do it so much better than our impotent human manipulations.

Do we trust the Lord or do we do our spirituality in the flesh to be praised of men? That is the question we all need to answer. God says that the fear of man brings a snare and that we are to obey God rather than man. If we step out in faith and preach an anointed gospel, then we can see the Lord work.

God Will Save the Jews One Day, Hallelujah!

2011-09-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.gotquestions.org/Jewish-Christian.html

What "Self Esteem" Teaching Has Created!

2011-09-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

What Parents Can Learn From Teachers

Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D.
Child Psychologist

The start of another school year is a big event for children and a big event for parents. Children have hopes of doing well and parents have hopes that their children will have a successful school year. Teachers also have hopes for the new school year.

This past summer, I was involved in a continuing education program for teachers. Teachers as you know are required to take continuing education courses to increase their effectiveness as teachers. During my discussion time with the teachers in my classes this summer, I asked them, how many had been teaching for over 20 years. The majority of the teachers raised their hands. I next asked them if they had seen any changes in children over the past 20 years. Their response was an instant yes. Unfortunately the changes they had observed over the past 20 years were not in the positive direction. Here is what they said:

Children today are disrespectful of their teachers
Children today are disrespectful of their peers
Children today are disrespectful of their possessions

The teachers I questioned of course were not referring to every single student. There are exceptions to the statements they made. However, without a doubt, the teachers I talked with were confident that the trends they have been observing involve the majority of their students.

As I listened to the concerns of the teachers this summer, I wondered what advice I could in turn, give to parents. Here is what I believe parents can learn from the trends teachers are seeing in their schools today.

CHILDREN GENERALLY DON'T RESPECT THEIR TEACHERS
There is no question that children have displayed an increase of disrespectful behavior towards adults over the past 20 years. I believe there are many reasons for this. Some of the reasons are:

Popular sitcoms where kids are allowed to talk back and make wise disrespectful statements to the adult characters; the laugh sound track associated with these statements give kids the impression that the often rude remarks are funny and acceptable.

Another source for today’s disrespect comes from 20 years of permissive parenting. Child experts in the past have convinced parents to not scold, punish or upset their children with discipline and to treat children as equals.

Movies have also played a part in encouraging children to be disrespectful of the adults in their lives. A recent "family" movie, for example ended with a little boy referring to his grandfather as an “old fart.”

The important point for parents to realize is that this trend of disrespect is not a good trend. Children who do well in life are children who have grown up learning to be respectful of adults and respectful of teachers. Many children will continue to be wise and rude to their teachers and even threaten them with lawsuits. But, as a parent you can go a long way towards helping your child have a successful life by teaching them while they are young, to be respectful of adults and their teachers.

CHILDREN ARE DISRESPECTFUL OF THEIR PEERS
Children have always been competitive with other children. And children have always teased and made fun of other children and formed cliques. But we have learned two things about today’s children from our research. One is that playful teasing has now become increasingly nasty. And secondly we have learned that continued disrespectful behavior between children can end up damaging a child’s personality.

Many professionals like myself believe that peer cruelty is out of control in our schools today. When children learn to be mean and nasty at an early age to other children they are learning a terrible lesson about life. So it is very important for parents to monitor how their children respond to other children and to help them become aware of the feelings and needs of other children. The biggest problem we have in our world today is people not being able to get along. Our hope for the future is in teaching children to become aware that cruel and nasty behavior is wrong and will hold them back in life.

CHILDREN ARE DISRESPECTFUL OF THEIR BELONGINGS
I no sooner heard this comment from teachers when I heard their follow up comment. They said, “Dr. you would not believe what our lost and found looks like...it looks like a fine department store.” And then the teachers related to me how surprised they are that the children are not concerned or worried over what they have lost or misplaced. A common comment from kids they said is, “my parents will buy me another one.”

In my opinion, only children who are indulged and showered with too much, could respond to losing their belongings in this manner. The answer to this problem is, of course, for parents to put the brakes on over-buying things for their children. Parents also need to let their children suffer the consequences of doing without the clothes, walkman, toy, etc. they lost. If a child has been repeatedly careless with his belongings, the parents should not rush out to buy a replacement.

Teachers often spend more time each day with children than parents. This means parents can learn a lot from teachers about the behavior of their children. The consensus today is that parents would be doing their children a huge favor by making sure to teach respect for authority, respect for peers and respect for possessions.

The Greatest Hope That Has Ever Been Promised! Hallelujah!

2011-09-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness,

You who seek the Lord:

Look to the rock from which you were hewn,

And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.

Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah to who bore you;

For I called you alone, And blessed Him and increased Him.

For the Lord will comfort Zion,

He will comfort all her waste places;

He will make her wilderness like Eden,

And her desert like the garden of the Lord;

Joy and gladness will be found in it,

Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Listen to Me, My people;

And give ear to Me, O My nation:

For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest.

As a light of the peoples.

My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,

And my arms will judge the peoples;

The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath.

For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,

The earth will grow old like a garment,

And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;

But My salvation will be forever,

And My righteousness will not be abolished

Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,

You people in whose heart is My law:

Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their revilings.

For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool;

But My righteousness will be forever,

And My salvation from generation to generation.

Isaiah 51: 1-8

"The Love of Many Will Grow Cold"

2011-09-26T10:10:00.001-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/notes/kristen-leisa-chesnut/the-use-of-cell-lines-from-aborted-babies-for-flavor-enhancement-research-and-yo/264372996927872

I was sent this article by a face book friend recently, the content was very disturbing, even sickening. If this article is accurate then I fear that we are on the slippery slope, sliding into wholesale euthanasia for those who are not considered productive, crippled, retarded or too old to be an asset to our culture. This is already happening to some degree, but we are moving toward many more outrageous acts of vicious evils than ever before in the history of our country.

The "utopian" ideals that permeated Hitler's thinking and his friend Margaret Sanger were what motivated the fuehrer to carry out the many atrocities that he planned and executed during his reign. During the terrible assault on the Jewish people, their body parts were used for various household goods, skin was used for lamp shades and their hair for weaving rugs.

The evil that Hitler inflicted on the world was beyond the pale. They were so horrendous that, when the news began to expose these things, many people didn't believe it. We still have Hitler's in our world and even in our country. They can not carry out the same things that Hitler did, but they have the same wickedness in their hearts. Given enough power and influence, many of our leaders are capable of the abominations He perpetrated and worse.

We know this by the rampant use of abortion for the sake of convenience. Margaret Sanger wrote in her book, "Pivot of Civilization" that blacks were inferior stock and should not be allowed to propagate." Her desire to control and eliminate the black population is on its way to fruition. The African American population in our country practices abortion as a form of birth control far more than any other people group in our country. Ms. Sanger is getting her desire, she, along with Planned Parenthood, have managed to deceive the black community into believing that killing their children will eliminate their problems and make their life easier. There are some African Americans who are against abortion, but many who are, will vote democrat nearly every election in spite of the fact that the democrats hold the most stringent line on pro-abortion politics than any other party.

We have become used to all these evils, Satan has introduced each evil, one at a time, as we become used to each one, he then introduces another one, when that one becomes common place and non threatening to our personal life, we begin to ignore it and even embrace it. We have been sliding into the abyss for 65 years now with the onset of the "self esteem" teaching.

Satan first had to convince the culture that we must think of ourselves to have a quality life, then he deceived us into believing that individuality and personal rights were tantamount to a productive and meritorious life. The objective in all this teaching was to persuade the populous that if we could be self reliant, self absorbed and self accomplished, we would live the ultimate life of ease and pleasure.

What we have gained by this model for living has been broken families, lonely, angry, frustrated children engaging in activities that destroy their lives, drugs, alcohol and immorality leading to a complete lack of commitment to anyone or anything. Marriage is dissolved on a whim, children are killed for the sake of convenience, elderly are neglected, bills left unpaid, free handouts are commonplace, the list could easily fill a book.

We have gained nothing by this hatred for service to others. The love is gone, and the Lord said it would be that way.

Matthew 24:12 “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

When we see mothers who hate their babies enough to kill them, or divorce their father without regard to the well being of the children, we are walking in selfishness. Every time we see a woman leaving her household to earn money without concern for the raising of the children or their emotional well being, we are walking in that cold loveless state of being that Satan loves.

There are those who are not hateful but have allowed the deception in their lives because they want to be able to do what is easier. They have lied to themselves in believing that the divorce would make a better life for the children or that the school down the street would teach them better than we can. They have accepted the lie that our worth comes from our careers and self exaltation. Our lives do not have more love in them because of these patterns of thinking; they have become worse and loveless.

When self is on the throne, there is no peace, or happiness, not the kind of happiness from doing what is noble and right. The phony happiness that comes from bragging about our jobs or personal accomplishments, is as fleeting as the wind, and must continue day in and day out to bring happiness. The joy of the Lord that dwells in the depth of the soul based on commitment and purpose is what lasts. It is sustained by the Lord and never leaves, because obedience to Him brings that permanent and abiding love that only He can give.

True love will never come as long as selfishness abounds. When we see God’s ways as important and essential in our existence, then we will experience His wonderful love and purpose.

Matthew 23:12 “And whoever exalts himself will be abased and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

2011-09-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Narcissism: The Subtle Epidemic

There was a time when Narcissism was a mere thought related to Greek Mythology. When we thought of Narcissism, we were picturing the beautiful young man named Narcissus, who gazed into a lake and fell in love with himself. He could no longer think of anyone or anything else, his love for himself overshadowed anything else that was going on in the world.

The term Narcissism became synonymous with total selfishness and the person who thought of no one else but himself. A generation ago, this type of person was not so evident, there may have been many but the culture was not accepting of it, so they masked their attitudes to fit into society.

We now have an epidemic of the narcissistic traits that used to be a footnote among families, at school and in the work place. Narcissism didn’t work well in our culture so it was much more hidden, but with the onset of “self esteem” teaching we have seen a tsunami effect in the last 40 years of this insidious evil of self awareness.

What do we see when we are looking at a narcissist? We might see a person who lacks empathy for the needs or well being of others. They take and take and give little or nothing back. The Narcissist values their possessions and status over people.

An example of this is the story of a young woman; we’ll call her Polly, who thought so completely of herself that she would become angry when she did not get her way. Polly managed to twist whatever someone did for her into something mean and terrible, because the gift that was given her was not what she wanted. She never seemed to be able to look beyond the gift to the kindness of the act. Life was all about getting what she wanted the way she wanted it.

One day Polly and her husband had someone over for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. Polly was not a diligent person because she was so selfish, she puttered around the kitchen doing very little to prepare for her guests and when the guests arrived, the food was not ready and her friends were very hungry.

They waited and waited for the meal to be served, but two hours passed before the guests realized perhaps there wasn’t going to be any dinner. The lady guest, we’ll call her Dorcus, thought that there might be a misunderstanding about dinner so she commented, “I am sorry, I guess I misunderstood, we thought that we were invited to dinner.” Polly, became agitated and responded that “you were, but I have just not gotten a chance to fix it yet.”

Dorcus, realizing that this evening was not going to be easy, said to Polly, “perhaps I can help you in the kitchen, I am sure the guys are hungry by now.” Polly felt incensed that Dorcus would say this but said yes to the offer of help. Dorcus asked Polly what she had planned to make, and Polly presented her with some uncooked meat and unpeeled potatoes.

Polly flitted about the kitchen gathering the uncooked dinner items and presenting them to Dorcus. Dorcus began to work on cooking the meal while Polly stood clamoring about everything but the food. Dorcus ended up making the entire dinner with very little help from Polly. The dinner was served, Dorcus set the table too, and they all sat down to eat. During the meal it was apparent to Dorcus’s husband that she had done most or all of the work, and thanked his wife for making a delicious meal. Polly was angry at this display of gratefulness, because she had considered that it was her kitchen and therefore, she should have received the compliment of a good dinner.

This scenerio is the reaction of a narcissistic personality. They do not do what should be done and when someone else steps up to the plate to get the job done and gets the credit, they become angry. Their thinking is twisted in that, they tend to day dream in their thoughts that since there was food in their kitchen and it got cooked, that they are the ones who cooked it, and should get the praise.

It did not occur to Polly to thank Dorcus for doing the meal for her, or that she (Polly) had fallen down in her responsibility to her guests in the area of hospitality. She simply was embarrassed that she did not get praised and was jealous that her friend did her job for her and worst of all someone else received gracious attention from others.

To further show the mindset of a narcissist we can take a look at another story containing similar thought patterns.

This story is about Gloria and her mother in law Charity. One afternoon Gloria’s mother in law called Gloria to see if it would be alright to come and visit her, something that didn’t happen very often because of the distance between their homes, too far to make regular trips.

Upon arriving at Gloria’s home, Charity knocked on the door several times because no one seemed to be coming. After a few minutes at the door, she heard Gloria shouting from the kitchen in the back for her six year old son to answer the door.

Howard, Charity’s grandson came to the door, opened it and ran away without a word. Charity walked into the house toward the kitchen looking for Gloria, thinking that she was probably in the bathroom and couldn’t get to the door. Gloria was sitting in a chair looking at a magazine when her mother in law walked into the kitchen.

Gloria never moved from her chair and lifted her head for a moment to say hello. Charity sat down at the table where her daughter in law was sitting and began to attempt a conversation. Gloria would look up from her magazine occasionally as her mother in law spoke. After about twenty minutes her mother in law noticed a coffee pot on the counter with a little coffee left in it, seeing that no one was going to offer her something, she politely asked if she may have a cup of coffee. Gloria apologized for her oversight and told her mother in law to go ahead and get her own. Charity got up from the table to serve herself. At this point Gloria said that she didn’t think there was enough in the pot, so she got up to make some tea instead.

While the tea was brewing, Gloria went to the china cabinet to get out a very special cup that was a collector’s cup of fine porcelain, where three other cups of the same quality sat. Then she walked over to the cupboard and pulled from it an everyday cup and placed them both on the counter.

After brewing the tea, she poured the tea into the cups and brought them to the table. She handed the everyday cup to her mother in law and sat down to enjoy her tea from the special cup.

Narcissistic personality disordered people would not understand if you told them, that this was an insulting action on the part of the daughter in law. Gloria wanted the best cup in the house and didn’t want to take a chance on someone else breaking the other special cups so she didn’t share the best with her guest. Or Gloria didn’t think at all, she just wanted that cup and it didn’t occur to her that there was someone else in the room.

Most mothers in law would feel hurt that they were treated as second class citizens, not worthy or responsible enough to handle using the “good cups.” It wasn’t a question of what kind of cup that was used. Mothers in laws don’t really care what their coffee was served in, but the insult was that Gloria chose to pamper herself in front of her mother in law while sending the message that her mother in law was not worthy of the same quality that she was.

There is another trait of the narcissist that is very disturbing, an attitude that leaves us in complete shock when we encounter it, and that is the lack of empathy shown for the heartache and troubles of others.

In this story we will show that the narcissist cares only about whether or not they are personally inconvenienced, and never about the friend or relative who may have been harmed.

This is the story about the son and daughter in law who are so completely absorbed in their own pleasure and convenience that they are willing to throw the mother in law under the bus to remain in control. Narcissism is all about controlling others to maintain the top position.

One day Trudy set out with her grandson on a little trip to see her son, daughter in law and her other grandchildren. The child she brought with her was from another family. Again, while at the home, the mother in law was offered no refreshment until she asked for it, which seems to be a classic trait of narcissists. It does not occur to them to be hospitable. While visiting in the house with her son and daughter in law, the grandchild who came with Granny went outside to play.

Suddenly there was a blood curdling scream from the front porch and a terrifying growling and snarling sound. The grandson was on the porch floor crying and screaming while the dog was attacking with bites over and over again, leaving small open wounds on the child. The son pulled the dog off the child and held it back while the child went inside. The son stood petting the dog and explaining how the dog was there to frighten away the coyotes. Neither the son nor daughter in law ran to see the wounds of the cousin. Granny went inside to see if he was alright, but the daughter in law and the son made no moves to get medicine for the wounds or even look at them until granny told them that the dog left bite wounds all over the child’s head.

The mother in law, angry at the lack of concern for the child and the pampering of the dog, began to lecture the couple on their laxity in having such a dog at their home. The son continued to make excuses for the dog because he chased off the coyotes. When told that the dog could harm children and even get them in trouble with the law, the response was, “the dog doesn’t hurt our children.”

Granny could see that she was not going to be able to get through to these very self absorbed people, in an attempt to show them that they were callous and mean. Granny left the house to take her grandson back home, while there was no apology at the time, from the couple for the dog attack.

The attitudes that followed were beyond belief. The couple was angry at the mother in law for “chewing them out” and cut off all contact with her for her rudeness. Her suggestion that the dog be put down was spurned and treated with contempt as though she had done something wrong in the rebuke.

This is a classic reaction in the characteristics of the narcissist. They can not see their own sin, and when others point out their sin, they are accused of being mean. The mother in law was cut off from them and told she needed to apologize for her actions. When she sent birthday gifts or cards there was no indication of receiving them and the last card that went in the mails came back.

This leads us to another trait of the narcissist; they have to always be in control and therefore will use subtle and not so subtle forms of manipulation to control their victim. If their victim can not be controlled and will not fall into their web, they then cut them off entirely. The narcissist can not stand to be corrected and must be in control of all their relationships or those that will not submit are excluded and deleted. There is no room in their life for anyone who will not cower to their manipulative tricks.

With a narcissist winning the game is all that matters, even if it means lying or stretching the truth to win. They leave a wake of broken relationships, constantly moving on to new ones because when they are discovered to be narcissists, their friends avoid them. They are toxic and will not relent until they get their own way.

They tend to be very superficial and avoid talking about Biblical matters or character development. They tend to know what buttons to push to rile a person and then when the person reacts they point the finger at them as though the victim started it all. Their main goal is to turn others against their victim so that they have a sense of first place in the lives of those they wish to impress.

The narcissist has a very high opinion of themselves and have grandiose views of their abilities, whether or not they are accomplished, does not matter, only that they believe they are wonderful, is all that matters, they live in a dream world.

The narcissist has a frightening lack of remorse in anything that they do, and no respect for others. Fear is one of the tactics of the narcissist, they will accuse you of things you are not doing, malign your reputation with others to gain advantage and deny that they did it. They may display respect to gain an advantage in some way, but when they are found out they will turn and rend you while running away to find someone else to prey on. The Narcissist is guiltless and empty.

"Because their inner life is so restricted and essentially dead, it doesn't contain images of how to live a full life -- these things are not important to them, they expect others to look after day-to-day chores, they resent wasting their specialness on common things, they don't put their heart into their work (though they'll tell you how many hours they put into it), they borrow their opinions and preferences and tastes from whomever strikes them as authoritative at the moment." From: "How to Recognize a Narcissist"

Our question might be what does a Christian do with these kinds of people? How do we handle relationships with someone like this?

1 Peter 5:8 says that the devil is like a roaring lion roaming around seeking whom he can devour. Satan uses these people to upset families and relationships. The narcissist must grow a conscience where there is none. They must begin to develop empathy and diligence in order to be a decent member of society. The only way this can happen is for them to become a new creation through the saving blood of Jesus Christ. Outside of this occurrence there can be no hope for the narcissist.

Without Christ the narcissist does not change and even becomes worse as they grow older and more effective in their methods. The only hope for them is salvation through Christ, so the answer to the question, what do I do with a narcissist, is to pray that the Lord do a mighty work in their life and that He tell you what He wants from you. Sometimes it is vitally important to get your family away from these people, and other times God may want you to remain in their life for a period of time to be a light.

Some scriptures that we find that give a vivid description of the narcissist are located in Romans 1: 28-32, 2 Timothy 3 and 1 Timothy 4. These passages show us how terrible these people can become and even the devastating effect they can have on the believer and his family. We must be carefully in prayer when dealing with them and in some cases we are called to have nothing to do with them.

If the Lord saves them, then we can rejoice and have fellowship, but until then we are not to have fellowship with the darkness. As the Lord says, bad company corrupts good character. We never want to place ourselves in the position of continual contact with someone who will affect our walk with the Lord or bait us into conflicts.

There are many more stories just like these that could be told and I am sure you have some of your own to tell. May the Lord bless you, as you seek Him for specific answers to specific situations.

What Does It Mean To Encourage?

2011-09-19T18:26:00.001-07:00

There are more times in the Word when the Lord corrects and rebukes than there are positive words from our Lord. He came to earth to show us our sinful nature, cause us to repent, and then instruct us in the Christian walk once we are saved. This requires continual correction, we are a stubborn lot, all of us, need to be reminded that what we are doing, saying and thinking needs redirection. When I meet a purely positive person I become nauseated when I hear the gooey sounds of flattery. The Lord condemns such flattery by saying that those who do it are "spreading a net for your feet." Flattery does not cause us to change our ways, it only leaves us feeling wonderful where we are. And, it creates in us the pride that resists any correction that may be needed. If we love our brother encourage him by telling the truth about his actions that he might learn to obey God. Encouragement is not the same as flattery, in fact it is the opposite. Encouragement tells us that we can do better and move forward and grow. Flattery says that we are wonderful the way we are and that we don't need to grow. I choose to be encouraged and not flattered. Besides, the Lord told us not to trust a flatterer, he is only hoping to gain an advantage over us by it.

Should I Offer Forgiveness Without Repentance

2011-09-19T17:50:00.001-07:00

By Allison Stevens

Unconditional forgiveness is canceling a debt to all those who intentionally offend us, whether or not they own up to what they have done. Offering forgiveness without repentance, however, does not follow the biblical model of forgiveness (Luke 17:3,4).

The Bible says that we are to forgive as God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13). God forgives us when we repent (Mark 1:15,Luke 13:3,5, Acts 3:19). He does not grant forgiveness to those of us who are stiff-necked and refuse to repent. We must recognize our sin and repent to receive and enjoy God’s merciful forgiveness. God requires repentance and so must we.

Repentance is important because it’s a person’s only hope for real change (Matthew 18:3; Acts 26:20). If we don’t admit our sin, it’s impossible to be transformed. If we aren’t keenly aware of the sinful direction our lives are going, we will not see a need to adjust the direction. Repentance demonstrates that we need God to help us change our thinking, attitudes, and behavior.

An unrepentant person maintains a sense of control over his life through pride, which can lead to destruction, violence, and animosity (Proverbs 8:13; 16:18; 29:23). Turning toward God (repentance) is necessary to break the cycle of destructive behaviors and patterns of relating to others. If as believers we don’t require repentance on the part of the offender, we stand in the way of that person’s coming to see his need for God and experiencing His forgiveness. To put it simply, forgiveness is a two-way process: repentance on the part of the offender and pardon on the part of the offended.

When only one part of the forgiveness process takes place, the hurt felt by the offended one can lead to hatred, bitterness, and desire for revenge. Because we desperately want relief from the gnawing desire to get even, we can be tempted to let an issue go, or “forgive” without ever confronting the person or waiting for him to show remorse.

It’s wrong, however, to assume that if we don’t forgive someone, we’ll be weighed down with hatred, bitterness, and revengeful desires. That’s not necessarily true because the Bible says we are to love a person regardless of whether or not he or she shows any remorse. We can love our enemies 1, but continue to have an unsettled issue with them. In many cases, it is more loving to withhold forgiveness until a change of heart is demonstrated than it is to offer forgiveness without the offender’s acknowledgment of deliberate wrongdoing.

Instead of giving in to revenge, we can soften our hearts toward those who have hurt us when we humbly admit that we, too, have hurt others. It is only by God’s grace that we can enjoy His goodness toward us at all. Just as important, we can have faith that God will avenge if it is necessary (Leviticus 19:18, Romans 12:19-21) and that He will hold each of us accountable (Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13 ). We don’t need to worry because our pain doesn’t go unnoticed by our Lord (Psalm 147:3). With that frame of mind, we can demonstrate a deeper trust in God and be led to pray for those who’ve hurt us.

Yes, an unconditional pardon can be granted without the offender ever knowing they’ve hurt us. But this one-sided “forgiveness” is not in our best interest, nor in the best interest of the person who hurt us. It devalues the significance of repentance and robs both the offender and us of the opportunity to grow in Christ.An enemy can be defined as one who intentionally hurts us, is destructive, and can’t be trusted because of his or her lack of remorse. Unconditional forgiveness implies that our response to our enemies should be to offer a pardon with no response on the part of the offender. The Bible teaches, however, that we should respond to our enemies in love (Matthew 5:44). Scripture does not teach that we need to forgive our enemies. Instead, we should love them and pray for them. Love and forgiveness are not synonymous.

The ultimate purpose of forgiveness is the healing of a relationship. This healing occurs only when the offender repents and demonstrates remorse and the offended one grants a pardon and demonstrates loving acceptance.

Should I Offer Forgiveness Without Repentance

2011-09-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

By Allison Stevens

The Bible says that we are to forgive as God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13). God forgives us when we repent (Mark 1:15,Luke 13:3,5, Acts 3:19). He does not grant forgiveness to those of us who are stiff-necked and refuse to repent. We must recognize our sin and repent to receive and enjoy God’s merciful forgiveness. God requires repentance and so must we.

Repentance is important because it’s a person’s only hope for real change (Matthew 18:3; Acts 26:20). If we don’t admit our sin, it’s impossible to be transformed. If we aren’t keenly aware of the sinful direction our lives are going, we will not see a need to adjust the direction. Repentance demonstrates that we need God to help us change our thinking, attitudes, and behavior.

An unrepentant person maintains a sense of control over his life through pride, which can lead to destruction, violence, and animosity (Proverbs 8:13; 16:18; 29:23). Turning toward God (repentance) is necessary to break the cycle of destructive behaviors and patterns of relating to others. If as believers we don’t require repentance on the part of the offender, we stand in the way of that person’s coming to see his need for God and experiencing His forgiveness. To put it simply, forgiveness is a two-way process: repentance on the part of the offender and pardon on the part of the offended.

When only one part of the forgiveness process takes place, the hurt felt by the offended one can lead to hatred, bitterness, and desire for revenge. Because we desperately want relief from the gnawing desire to get even, we can be tempted to let an issue go, or “forgive” without ever confronting the person or waiting for him to show remorse.

It’s wrong, however, to assume that if we don’t forgive someone, we’ll be weighed down with hatred, bitterness, and revengeful desires. That’s not necessarily true because the Bible says we are to love a person regardless of whether or not he or she shows any remorse. We can love our enemies ¹, but continue to have an unsettled issue with them. In many cases, it is more loving to withhold forgiveness until a change of heart is demonstrated than it is to offer forgiveness without the offender’s acknowledgment of deliberate wrongdoing.

Instead of giving in to revenge, we can soften our hearts toward those who have hurt us when we humbly admit that we, too, have hurt others. It is only by God’s grace that we can enjoy His goodness toward us at all. Just as important, we can have faith that God will avenge if it is necessary (Leviticus 19:18, Romans 12:19-21) and that He will hold each of us accountable (Romans 14:12; Hebrews 4:13 ). We don’t need to worry because our pain doesn’t go unnoticed by our Lord (Psalm 147:3). With that frame of mind, we can demonstrate a deeper trust in God and be led to pray for those who’ve hurt us.

Yes, an unconditional pardon can be granted without the offender ever knowing they’ve hurt us. But this one-sided “forgiveness” is not in our best interest, nor in the best interest of the person who hurt us. It devalues the significance of repentance and robs both the offender and us of the opportunity to grow in Christ.

An enemy can be defined as one who intentionally hurts us, is destructive, and can’t be trusted because of his or her lack of remorse. Unconditional forgiveness implies that our response to our enemies should be to offer a pardon with no response on the part of the offender. The Bible teaches, however, that we should respond to our enemies in love (Matthew 5:44). Scripture does not teach that we need to forgive our enemies. Instead, we should love them and pray for them. Love and forgiveness are not synonymous.

The ultimate purpose of forgiveness is the healing of a relationship. This healing occurs only when the offender repents and demonstrates remorse and the offended one grants a pardon and demonstrates loving acceptance.

Signs of Our Times

2011-09-13T09:59:00.001-07:00

It is interesting to note that our relationship with the Lord can be model of our human relationships. If we walk in pride and aloofness toward our fellow human being, very likely we think that we deserve the goodness of God. Christ made it clear that no one deserves anything but condemnation. It is only through the shed blood of Christ and His dwelling in us that we can be loving and kind to another human being.

When we are self focused instead of Christ focused our relationships with others will be based on what we can get out of them rather than what we can offer them, personal expectations toward others rule our thinking. And, that is the picture and operation we have with our Lord. A self focus will cause us to see God as our servant and puppet to do our bidding. We will be materialistic, protecting whatever is ours and getting as much out of life as we can no matter who it may inconvenience or harm. These people have difficulty admitting their sin to God or to anyone. They spend their time justifying the hurt they have caused and running from the solution.

When we are Christ focused, we will see others as objects of our love, seeking to obey Christ in our love and service to them. Our first thoughts will be how to help or please them. Our possessions belong to God, and we will love to share them. We share our time, our things and our thoughts. We will not be requiring actions, thoughts or convictions to meet our expectations, but we will find ways to meet the desires of others. We will also want the best for our friends in terms of their spiritual needs. Do we praise them when they need a word of correction, do we harshly rebuke them when their only crime is to fail to meet our expectations.

When we love Christ our focus will be His will in our life and the lives of those we love. We will desire their good over our pleasure. We will rejoice when our friends obey God and weep when they disobey Him.

We will encourage our friends with all aspects of God's love. When patience is required we will do that according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When a spanking is needed we will obey the Holy Spirit and administer correction. The goal is to help our friends to see God's will and not ours. Our goal is to help our friends to become more holy and to let them administer the same kind of love to us.

Relationships are not based on superficial enjoyment of life, but on mutual growth, working through problems and desiring reconciliation. To run from a problem simply to avoid conflict is not Christ like.

There are times when we draw back from a friend, because we see the hostility in their hearts and we can not get them to listen until the Lord has broken their hearts and prepared them for the message. The prodigal son is a picture of this. The Father loved his son, but saw that attempting to talk him out of his foolishness was an exercise in futility, so he gave his son what he wanted and left him in the Lord's hands.

We have little faith when we think we have to do something to fix a matter. Greater faith is exhibited when we step back, trust the Lord and remain in prayer.

I was grateful the day the Lord imparted this principle to me. The burden of having to continually explain myself to someone who would not listen was removed and I walk in freedom. I desire that same freedom for others who find themselves in relationships that seem impossible. God can do it better than we can and sometimes, even more often these days, we must step out of God's way to let Him work.

We live in a rebellious, arrogant society that mocks the wisdom of their elders and curses their father and their mother. Proverbs 30:11 "There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in it's own eyes, Yet it is not washed from its' filthiness."

The Lord told us this would happen in the end times when He said in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such turn away."

This is a sorrowful verse, because of its implications for our lives. Many many people who did the best they could to raise their children to love Christ, in their imperfections they still loved Him, but their children are loving their fun, freedom and self righteousness more than they love God , and I am not describing the non-believer, but the believing children. They have lost their way because the pull of the world has been too strong and they have created in their hearts a god of their own making. A god of indulgence, pride and disregard for anyone but themselves.

Our only hope and our best hope is that the Lord do a mighty work in their hearts, that He take them through whatever is necessary to show them their wickedness and cause them to bend their knee to a holy God in repentance.

Keep looking up, He is coming soon and very soon!

God Hears Even Our Unspoken Desires!

2011-08-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Angels visited our church, an experience I once had in a little chapel near our home. Our little group of 10+ people had dwindled to four people, my husband and myself and one other elderly couple. There had been several deaths in the group over the past 10 years and we were the youngest of the worshipers when the gathering disbanded. One Sunday I was feeling very sad at the empty building that had once been vibrant with worshipers more than 60 years ago. As I sat in the pew with my husband and the other couple, I began to tear up over the emptiness of the pews, questioning God, "where are the worshipers?" I grieved for a time as I prayed for the Lord to fill the pews, realizing that it probably would not happen that day. Then suddenly I heard the back door open and close, I heard the sound of foot steps and rustling of benches as if there were people filing into them. Not wanting to disrupt anyone else I resisted the urge to turn a look at who was entering the pews. Then I heard it again, the door opening and the rustling of bodies filling up the pews. This time I looked, then our elderly friend looked, then my husband looked, we all heard the sounds, but as we turned in curiosity we found still empty pews. I began to weep even more as I realized God had seen my anguish and sent angels to join us. We couldn't see the bodies, but we could feel the love. I worshiped that day, more than I have ever worshiped, praising Him for sending others to be with us in our service, others who loved Him, others who have seen Him. I will always remember that day because of the love I felt. The Lord had not answered a prayer, He had fulfilled an unspoken desire for more worshipers in the little chapel on the hill. Hallelujah!!!

Let Them Go and Watch Them Grow

2011-08-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.maritalhealing.com/conflicts/controllingspouse.php

Controlling people are unhappy people. When we learn to let others fly according to their personal characteristics under the control of the Holy Spirit, we then can enjoy them much more. When we can take our focus off of ourselves and let another person flourish creatively, we will have a greater happiness.

It is a matter of faith, letting go of our spouse to grow in their own way as we reap the benefits of their growth. If we can think in terms of them as half of us, the half that holds a different and exciting personality that enhances us if we do not interfere with it.

When we selfishly guard every movement of those we love, we tend to stifle their creativity, growth and intimacy with us. To resolve to enjoy the way God made our spouse and let them fly freely, they will ascend to new heights as they move through life using their gifts and talents while at the same time enhancing the entire marriage experience by their blooms.

This kind of marriage takes self sacrifice and unselfishness. A marriage that is in chains to one of the spouses wants, is a marriage doomed to hardship and resentment. Do we want our spouses to have to continually struggle to avoid their resentment, because of the bondage they feel in the union. Or, do we want our spouse to feel free to express themselves and in so doing grow closer to us.

Bondage never reaps closeness. that is why the Lord Jesus Christ never forces us to be what He wants us to be, but freely gives us what He desires, when we want it. The best way to endear someone to ourselves is to let them go and watch them grow. Then we will be truly happy and our joy will be full from their accomplishment.

http://www.maritalhealing.com/conflicts/controllingspouse.php

The Love of The Lord Jesus Christ

2011-08-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

Unsaved people can do the things that the Lord tells believers to do and have a sense of pride about it. This is not the love that Christ is describing in the entirety of His Word. His love is much deeper and flows from the richness of His very being. His love leaps at the presence of another believer who loves Him and possesses His Holy Spirit.

It is not a superficial friendliness that we can experience in any secular gathering, but a devotion to those who are not only like minded but share the radical allegiance to a Holy God that only those who walk closely with Him can experience. This oneness of Spirit transcends superficial friendly chatter.

The desire to share the truths of the Word and bathe in the wisdom of God is overwhelming at times. One has to wonder about the dryness that overtakes most of our "fellowship" gatherings, when the songs are sung in a utilitarian and mundane low tone, and the enthusiasm that should overtake us as we worship Him is absent. We have to wonder where that love of the Lord is hiding.

Friendliness does not constitute fellowship and happiness is not evidence of the joy of the Lord. Emotionalism does not reveal spirituality, but enthusiasm for the Lord is evident everywhere we go and with whomever we are visiting, especially those who possess the Holy Spirit. There can be no greater fellowship between those of like mind than the melding of the Holy Spirit within each believer with each other believer.

When there is competition, apathy, pride, arrogance and guarded hiding, there is worldliness. When we have been made free by the blood of our Savior, we can be transparent, honest and open. There is bondage in the superficial rote of mechanical Christianity but freedom and faith among those who have left their own way to follow the way of the Master.

We must ask ourselves if we are Christians who care to appear spiritual but will not submit to the Lord, still wanting to control our own Spirituality, or are we believers who wish to let go of our "image", our false spirituality, which we display to others for self glorification. We must let go of our false way, to trust and follow Christ. He is not interested in our image, but our love and devotion. He said clearly that He does not want our sacrifice but our heart.

Personal relationships with other believers is the same, we do not desire random acts of kindness out of duty, but everything done out of the love of Christ that dwells deep within our souls. That love ultimately glorifies God. The other kind of superficial devotion out of duty glorifies self and tends to be expectation oriented.

To trust Christ means to let go of our own way and follow His. It's all there in the Book, in case we are not sure what it looks like. But that is not enough, we must ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we need to see that we may be blinded to, and then He will show us.

Emotions Were Given To Us By God

2011-08-14T19:39:00.001-07:00

John 22:39-44

"And coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, 'Pray that you may not enter into temptation' And He was withdrawn from them about a stones throw and He knelt down and prayed, saying 'Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me, nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground..."

Even our Lord Jesus Christ had emotions in His fully human and fully God state. He suffered everything that we have and more as human beings. We do not need to pretend we have no emotions in order to appear more spiritual than anyone else. We are free to express our emotions as we trust Him through them.

God said that we were to "weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh." We are to share in the difficulties and the joys of our Christian brothers and sisters. God says that we do not have the spirit of fear, this is true, but that does not mean that we never feel fear if we are spiritual. We give those fears to the Lord and proceed in obedience in spite of them. We do not walk a lifestyle of fearfulness; we know where we are going and Who is in charge.

Fear is an emotion, we feel happiness over good things that happen to us and we feel sadness or fear over difficult things, this is the human condition and while Christ was on the earth He too experienced fear and sadness, but obeyed the Father anyway. That is our challenge, to obey in spite of our emotions.

There are those who would tell you that if you fear you do not have faith and you are sinning. This could not be farthest from the truth. God sometimes takes away our fears and other times He leaves them in tact to strengthen our resolve to obey Him in spite of whatever we must go through. There is no faith required to do a thing if it has no fear or difficulty in the process. Faith is demonstrated when we obey no matter what we may have to endure. Faith is present through the tears, fear and danger; this is the mark of a spiritual believer, one who obeys no matter what the feelings are.

Feelings are emotions, God gave them to us, but they are not indicators of our spirituality. Our actions and heart attitudes are the real indicators not the feelings.

If we were not to have the feeling of fear, then we would not have the feeling of happiness, joy or peace. These are all a part of the equation in the Christians life. If we should deny any of them then we would have to deny all of them, the joy, happiness and peace too, not just the fear and sadness.

Such silliness in thinking that we are not spiritual if we admit our feelings. Those who are prideful and want to pretend that they are more spiritual than others by denying feelings, a natural experience of the human condition, are in a sense lying. They claim that if we are walking in faith we never feel fear, disappointment or sadness, but they like to embrace the other feelings of happiness, joy and peace. Did God make a mistake when He gave us all these feelings, did He not mean it when He says He catches all our tears in a bottle. Did He lie to us when He said "with great wisdom comes great sorrow."

If we love God, the closer we walk with Him and grow in holiness the worse the sin in the world around us will appear. God told us to focus on Him and His principles, the more we do that the blacker the world looks and the more we are grieved over what we see.

The deep down joy that the Lord gives us never leaves us because He lives in us, but the emotions still play a large roll in the shaping of our character. How can a friend ever display tenderness and compassion if we are expected to never need their comfort. God clearly stated that we should comfort one another in our troubles. If sadness and fear were unspiritual then our Lord would have never wept over Jerusalem. He would have never shed tears like great drops of blood at Gethsemane, nor would he have felt a sense of betrayal from Judas. He felt all of that just as we feel those things when are faced with this life.

Our comfort to one another should be, "we can get through this together with Christ." Never should we intimate to a broken and bleeding soul that they are being unspiritual for having feelings. When we share an emotion with our brother or sister we are showing the greatest kind of love, Christ's kind of love.

Praising the Wicked Rather Than Comforting the Victim

2011-08-12T15:45:00.001-07:00

Praising the Wicked

By Rev. R.J. Rushdoony – bio

Category: Articles

(Reprinted from Bread upon the Waters: Columns from the California Farmer [Fairfax, VA: Thoburn Press, 1974], 93–94.)

CA Farmer 229:7 (Oct. 5, 1968), p. 37.

Praising the wicked, and rewarding them, seems to be the main purpose of our judges and legislators these days.

If this seems too strong a statement, then take it up with God because Scripture plainly declares, “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them” (Prov. 28:4). The law in question is God’s law. If men abandon it, they are deserting not only law but righteousness and justice. They will therefore “praise the wicked” instead of contending with them, instead of trying to control and suppress evil.

Recently, I sat in a courtroom during hearings for two criminals, one caught in the commission of a crime, the other with a car he had stolen before witnesses. They were planning to plead innocent and were going to be provided with public defenders at taxpayers’ expense; those robbed would get no return, in one case for stolen funds and in the other case for a possibly damaged car. There was no thought in the court or law of the Biblical law of restitution. The penalty was being paid by the victims in many hours lost in the courtroom, lost goods, and taxes paid. The criminals, both with records, were dealt with gently, lest it prejudice the case, and the victims and police were questioned at times sharply.

A fair trail is a necessity under God’s law, but a court that continually penalizes the victims is in effect praising the wicked.

We need to ask the question, therefore, as to why men and nations praise the wicked. Birds of a feather flock together, and evil men will show their preference for evil, and guilty men will work to make justice ineffective lest it judge them also.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Prov. 29:18). A Biblical scholar, the Reverend Derek Kidner, has pointed out that the Hebrew for this verse can be translated literally as, where there is no prophecy or vision, that is, no preaching of the Word, “the people run wild.” Because there has been very little true preaching of the Word of God, the people run wild. And a wild people will praise the wicked.

Rev. R.J. Rushdoony (1916-2001) was the founder of Chalcedon and a leading theologian, church/state expert, and author of numerous works on the application of Biblical Law to society.

Show A Little Grace

2011-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

There are many in the church who think they are saved because they decided to be good and join an elite club of do gooders. This is not Christianity. Christ said that if we do not come to Him with a broken heart over our own sin, desiring to be changed by Him into a new creation, then we have come in pride and He will not change us when we elevate ourselves. In humility and brokenness we come and then He will make us a new creation. Did we hear this...HE makes us a new creation, we do not recreate ourselves to fit our ideas of a good person, but He changes us into His image. We have nothing to offer Him, He has everything to offer us if we will humble ourselves.

Those who think that they are better than others, comparing their sins against the sins of others, are deluding themselves. Every sin, no matter how small can put us in hell. There are no little and big sins. Pride was the sin that got Satan thrown out of heaven and which is at the center of every other sin in our lives.

If we have not trusted Christ in repentance and brokenness, comparing ourselves only to the holiness of God, then we have not been saved.

I have watched the strut of arrogant self absorbed men and women, grieved over their willful self exaltation. None of us has any reason to condemn another believer over their warts. A wart is a wart no matter how big. Let us deal with sin in our friends with caution, grace and deep love for their well being, not with pride and an attitude of stomping them down as far as we can to elevate ourselves. If we love our brother we will go to him about his sin, but with a compassion for them that we would want others to show to us if we needed to repent and become restored to the body or in a relationship.

When God said "love covers a multitude of sins" , I believe He was telling us not to condemn and harm other believers over the petty, small things, but to be willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the other believer. God can show us our flaws in the small matters. We do not have to confront or exact revenge on every unimportant matters. We can act in grace and patience, JUST LIKE THE LORD DOES WITH US.

Let the little things pass, bless those who are not perfect, because we are not. If we compare ourselves with Christ, then we will spend more time being ashamed of ourselves than we would noticing the flaws of others.

Do not ignore the big sins, but handle them with love and grace, according to the Word, and let that little stuff pass.

Satan's Tactic: Intimidation

2011-07-31T23:49:00.001-07:00

There is a movement afoot to blame "Christianity" for the falling away of Christians from the church. There have been many articles in the past few years about the hordes of people leaving the church and becoming atheists. They blame "religion" on the hypocrisy they experience within the walls of the "religious" institutions.

They are right, those atheists, when they say there is hypocrisy in the church, not only is it there, but it is in all the institutions that are not Christian too. Perhaps we need to look at the definition of hypocrisy before assigning that term to an organization or person.

Hypocrisy: "pretending to be what one is not, one who pretends to be virtuous and pious when one is really not."

Obviously, a person who is judging another as virtuous when they are not, is the self righteous non-believer. They think that there should be a higher standard for believers than they assign to themselves. Anyone who will not live up to a particular standard, becomes a hypocrite when accusing others of also not living up to the standard. This flawed thinking is nothing more than verbal manipulation to confuse and embarrass the believer.

This definition describes every human being on the face of the earth. Those who say they hate hypocrisy and blame Christians for being so, do not hold the same standards that they expect out of believers, therefore they are what they blame others of being. This is Satan's tactic for silencing the believers. If he can make us ashamed of our failures and leave us with a sense that we have no right to speak boldly on the subject of the lost sinner, then we will have little or no effect on our culture, families or friends. We will be muted for the sake of shame and tolerance.

It is important to live up to God's standard, but not for the sake of the non-believer, but because of our love for God. When we love Him and live according to His will, He will bless us with a proper witness in the community. He will use us for His purposes. We do not have to walk about worried that we do everything to impress others, we can rest in Him. Obey Him and when we fail, confess it and move on to obedience once again.

There is one thing that the accusers can not know and don't think of and that is the nature of the human race. All people are "desperately wicked" and all people do not have the ability to be anything other than sinful, hypocritical and self willed. Everyone "falls short of the glory of God."

The only remedy to combat this wretched condition is to be changed into something we could not be on our own. Someone else would have to change what we do not have the ability to change in us. We can work ourselves silly to be something we would like to be, but we can not do it in our depraved condition. So how can non-believers open their mouths in protest at the imperfections of the believer when they are still in their lost status?

One of Satan's tactics is to keep the believer focused on their past sin and human failures. He is the accuser of the brethren in the heavenlies. God says that if we have trusted Christ, He has changed us and will keep us.

Don't fall for the attacks of the devil. Look to Christ rather than the words and manipulations of unsaved people. When they accuse us of being hypocrites, agree with them. We are all hypocrites when we do not obey the Lord. Some who are in the church are not saved just as the accusing unbeliever. They walk not with our Savior, but they claim His name. Any non-believer who loves his sin, has no standing to accuse others of theirs.

The non-believer needs the gospel message that he is lost in his sin and his only recourse is to trust Christ to avoid the punishment that is coming for those who will not love Him. The key to our emotional sanity is to ignore the accusations of the non-believer or the believer who is disobedient, and keep our eyes focused on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Pray for all those who are saved and walking disobediently, those who are unsaved and those in the church who would claim Christianity but appear to be unsaved. God knows who is who and what each one needs. Also we should be praying that we are not sucked into the whiles of the devil through argumentative spirits who wish to disarm us through shame and embarrassment.

The most effective weapons against the onslaught of accusation are to continually stay in the Word, prayer and the companionship of other like minded believers who can keep us focused on Him. May the Lord make us all effective, focused and bold in our witness and walk.

Can We Hear The Holy Spirit?

2011-07-29T21:56:00.001-07:00

When we become saved we are given the Holy Spirit by God. He will speak to us in our hearts, we will know it is Him. If we read our Bibles and know God's Word, we will be more able to hear the Holy Spirit. He will speak to us through the Word (the Bible). We have the choice to obey or ignore His promptings. If we obey, we are blessed and grow. If we ignore Him, we will suffer the consequences that come with disobedience and we will remain baby Christians. We should feel guilty over sin, although if we ignore Him long enough we lose the ability to hear Him. God will allow us to experience the consequences of our disobedience. Sometimes it means He will take us home early, we will then miss His blessing. We don't ever want to grieve the Holy Spirit. We want to please God and obey the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Criticism and Failure are our Friends and Teachers

2011-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Toil and sweat, then stand back and enjoy the consequence of our labors.

Recieve correction and criticism with gladness and we will grow into accomplished individuals with a greater purpose.

As a culture, we have praised children to the point of being dishonest with them. We have told them they did a good job on something when they didn't even try, just to "encourage" them. What we have created are self inflated monsters who feel a sense of entitlement to praise and personal attention.

We no longer have children who can be team players and cooperate with others, because their focus is completely on themselves as the center of attention. They are selfish and materialistic. There are those exceptions, but for the most part children are entertained continually and not expected to work hard enough to draw a sweat, so they are also lazy and angry when they have to work. Productivity will fall off, and has, in our country, if we do not raise the next generation to invite criticism to be able to improve themselves.

Criticism is our friend, but our culture considers it rude and unkind. A child feeling good about himself has taken priority over actually doing well at something and standing back to enjoy the accomplishment.

Failure teaches, discipline teaches and criticism teaches, when we remove these elements we set a child up for life long failure and continual disappointment.

Phony praise is not a blessings but a curse. Honest evaluation brings true accomplishment that the children can build on for future success. To doom a child to mediocrity is not only unkind but a sin. Teaching excellence builds a person of character and resolve to do what is best and gratifying. There can be no better feeling than knowing that we worked hard, learned new things and can stand back and look at our creation with confidence and pleasure.

Learning is a wonderful thing, but it is not without hardship and sweat. Let's go for the greater good and feelings of accomplishment rather than the temporary feelings of flattery.

Honor Your Father and Mother

2011-06-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

Taken from EliYah's Home Page

Children, Turn Your Hearts!

Related Studies:

Fathers | Husbands | Mothers | Wives | Children

Before I begin, I would like to say that there may be some scriptures that are a little difficult for young children to understand. I would like to encourage the parents reading this to go over those scriptures with their children and answer all the questions that they have. With that it mind, let's begin:

Proverbs 30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

Indeed, this scripture speaks well of this generation. In a time where it is even considered funny when children dishonor their parents, we very much need to get back to looking at what Yahweh says He expects of children.
This study will be brief, but is very important for children to hear and understand. As important as it is for Fathers to turn their hearts to their children, part of the EliYah message is for children to turn their hearts to their Fathers:

Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Children, can you see how important it is for you to turn your heart to your father? Yahweh will smite the earth with a curse when it has children who will not turn their heart to their father. What does it mean for a child to turn their heart to their father? Let's read what Solomon wrote to his son:

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Solomon was a very wise man. He knew how important it was to raise his children to know Yahweh and do what is right. Children, your father has also been given the job of teaching you to know Yahweh and do what is right. It is very important that you pay close attention to what he says, especially when he instructs and corrects you:

Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

A scorner is someone who will not listen. You do not want to be a scorner, you want to be wise and hear your father's instruction and teaching. You see, this life is like walking through a large maze where there are many wrong turns a person can make. If you stay on the straight path where Yahweh wants you to be, you can be a wise son. Your parents have been through the maze already and have probably made some wrong turns. They want you to avoid those bad things and stay on the right path.

Can you imagine a ship sailing without a pilot? The ship would go wherever the wind took him because it had nobody who knew where the dangerous rocks and rivers were. That ship would likely run into big trouble and sink. That's what it is like when children will not listen to their parents direction. It is very foolish for children to not listen to their pilot:

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

Oh, how important it is for children to pay very close attention to the words of their parents! They love you and want to guide you to be wise children.
Wise children
Yahweh's will for you is to be wise children. What are some of the things that wise children do? Let's look at what scripture says about wise children:

Proverbs 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

So we see that wise children are willing to work when told and are not lazy. If you are like lazy children who sleep or play when it is time to work, you can bring much shame to your parents. Solomon warned his son:

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep -- 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Working is a part of life. We are expected by Yahweh to work and it is important that we learn this early in life.
Another thing scripture says wise children do is keep Yahweh's law:

Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Proverbs 28:7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Wise children keep Yahweh's law and do not want to be friends with those who are unwise. Wise children know how important it is to be friends with the wise:

Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Wise children do not want to be destroyed, so they do what wise men do and make friends with the wise. Solomon warned his son also about being friends with foolish people:

Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. 22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

So it is very important for you to be guided by your parents, who are wise and were children at one time just like you. Yahweh thought it was so important that you do this, that He included this in the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which Yahweh thy Elohim giveth thee.

And he repeats Himself on this:

Leviticus 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am Yahweh your Elohim.

When you honor your parents, you can be given a long life. The Apostle Paul said that this is the first commandment with a promise:

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in Yahweh: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

So it is very wise to honor your father and mother, and very foolish to dishonor them:

Proverbs 28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
Deuteronomy 27:16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Proverbs 20:20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
Proverbs 30:17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
Proverbs 19:26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

So we see that there are some very strong warnings given by Yahweh about dishonoring or cursing your father or mother. You need to be very very careful about dishonoring them in any way, for Yahweh used them to bring you into this world. Without them, you would not even exist. In the law of Yahweh, rebellious children were put to death:

Deuteronomy 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Yahweh wanted others to learn from the example of what happens to disobedient children. Children of Yahweh, be wise! Be a blessing to your father and your mother. Love to honor and obey them and not only will you be blessed, you will bring them much joy:

Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

Be not foolish, be wise!

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.
Proverbs 19:13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
Proverbs 17:21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.
Proverbs 15:20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.
Proverbs 29:3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
Proverbs 23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Not only will you please your father and mother, but you will please Yahweh also:

Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto Yahweh.

So give them the honor Yahweh desires and watch the blessings of Yahweh rain down upon you.

Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

So, dear children put away any foolish pride and turn your hearts to your fathers and bless them. Ask your parents to guide your life. You will be glad you did, and it will save you from a lot of trouble.

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": 2 While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; 3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; 4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low; 5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. 7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to Elohim who gave it.

So then, remember Yahweh and seek wisdom! Love your father who provides for you and your mother who nursed and cares for you! You do not need to honor them because they have been perfect, but you honor them because of who they are. They are your mother and father. Then they will rejoice, and you will too. Then they will declare that you are a wise son or daughter. Then you will find life and Yahweh will look upon you with favor. Then you can praise Yahweh, for all the glory we receive should be given back to Him. That is a picture of a wise child, one that loves Yahweh, one whose heart is turned to their father.
May Yahweh bless you all!

I Follow Christ and Him Alone!

2011-06-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Calvan and Augustine were staunch Catholics and persecutors of Christians in their day. Augustine never left the Catholic church and Calvin based all his writings on Augustine. We need to be careful and prayerful over following the writings of men.

When someone calls themselves by the names of these men they are endorsing what those men believed. Unfortunately most people who are following these men have not studied their theology enough to know that they were the persecutors of the church in their day. Or, they have been spoon fed certain things they like about the men, ignoring their Catholic bent.

It is a sin to say "I follow Calvin or I follow Augustine." We should be saying I follow Christ. Many Calvinists don't realize that when we are "returning" to the teachings of these men we are returning to Catholicism. Those who have never been in the Catholic church think that Augustine and Calvin were "Christian patriarchs." They were not, they were Catholic through and through. Many of their teachings were counter to the gospel in terms of a work oriented, keeping of the sacraments religion.

It is also disturbing to me that the use of the word "sacraments" has been growing within Christendom in the past 40 years. This is an effort on the part of some to meld together all denominations with Catholicism. If Satan can blur the lines between Christianity and the Catholic church we are well on our way to the one world religion.

The papacy has worked hard in the last 60 years to meld all religions of the world. Calvinism is one of the most insidious ways that Satan has used to confuse and deceive believers.

Another tactic used by these two staunch Catholics was to claim that the promises that the Lord made to Israel have been done away with and the church is now recipient of them. This is the silliest of all doctrines. God spent the entire old testament promising things to the Jews that were for no one else but them. Many of these promises have been fulfilled and some are yet to be fulfilled. It makes no sense to me that God would put up with all of us as believers sending His Son to die for us inspite of us and then claim that the Jews were so bad that God would no longer keep His promises to them. God does not break promises because of our unfaithfulness. God is always faithful and He always keeps His promises. Hallelujah!!!

All of Israel will return to Christ during the tribulation, they will be the last vestage of Christianity on the earth and will be the ones from which the witnesses come. God has "loved them with an everlasting love." He said so, I believe Him.

Should Forgiveness Be Unconditional by Dan Vander Lugt

2011-06-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Should forgiveness be unconditional?

People often have the impression that the Bible requires forgiveness to be unconditional.¹ But the Bible doesn't say that. It tells us that we should "Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13). While God's forgiveness is undeserved, it certainly isn't unconditional. The Lord's forgiveness is offered only to those who confess their sin and repent (2 Chronicles 7:14; Leviticus 26; Luke 13:3; 1 John 1:8-10).

On the surface, it might seem noble to forgive unconditionally. But unconditional forgiveness is usually motivated more by fear than by love. And because of this it's usually destructive. If a wife continues to forgive a habitually unfaithful and abusive husband unconditionally, her toleration of his behavior will probably result in even more abuse and disrespect. This kind of "unconditional" forgiveness expresses a determination to cling to the status quo. No matter how bad things are, this woman fears that things will probably get worse if she holds her husband accountable. Her passive acceptance of his behavior will probably encourage him to continue in his sin. Instead of her forgiveness being a helpful act of love, it is actually a violation of love that will hinder his growth toward Christlikeness.

Jesus' specific teaching about forgiveness in Luke 17:3-4 makes it clear that forgiveness should follow repentance:

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, "I repent," you shall forgive him.

Undeserved forgiveness and unconditional forgiveness are radically different. It takes courage and character to forgive those who repent and ask our forgiveness. If we forgive them, we expose ourselves to the risk of being hurt again. Their repentance doesn't earn our forgiveness in any way. They are still responsible for the harm they've done. But though their repentance doesn't make them deserving of our forgiveness, it makes them eligible. We can forgive them because of the example of forgiveness that God has given us in Christ (Matthew 18:21-35).

Unconditional forgiveness is an affront against justice and a denial of the significance of sin and its cruel effects. Undeserved forgiveness is an expression of divine love and the only basis of our hope for salvation.

In a flawed world, forgiveness shouldn't be given unconditionally. But we should always be willing to share the undeserved forgiveness we have received through Christ. We should be realistic in confronting our enemies, but we should also seek to love them and respond to them in a way that is ultimately in their best interest.

1. In Matthew 5:38-47, Jesus made three radical statements. First, He said that a person should turn the other cheek when someone strikes him. Second, He declared that His followers should give those who sue them more than they are asking. And third, He said that a person who is conscripted by a Roman officer to carry a load for one mile should offer to go two. Does this mean that we shouldn't defend ourselves when somebody attacks us? Is it our duty to let others take advantage of us? This couldn't have been Jesus' intention. After all, He counseled His disciples to be as "wise as serpents and as gentle as doves" (Matthew 10:16). His well-known "golden rule" (Matthew 7:12) contains the clear implication that we shouldn't encourage people to do something that would harm their character (like abuse others, steal, etc.). Back To Article

Dan Vander Lugt

Homemaking: The Higher Calling

2011-06-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of the concepts that has been lost in our culture has been that of the differing roles between men and women. One role is not greater than another role, just different. The woman had a lot of power in her home before she decided to step out of her God ordained role as keeper of the home. She had the power to make or break a home based on her attitude toward her job.

A woman who does her job well, manages the home as a CEO would manage a company. The husband is the leader and depends on the capabilities of his wife to run an efficient environment.

Within that role the wife plans meals, teaches the children, arranges for the cloths for all the family, handles personalities according to God's standards. She also see to it that nothing enters her home that would be harmful to her family. She maintains a clean, safe, nurturing and training environment. Her husband has great confidence in her ability to do this. She is a decorator, a nurse, a nutritionist, a manager of all the goods and food that enter the home. She is a gardener, a chef, a counselor, a teacher, and a shopper for the best deals for the greatest quality, she will also be a seamstress. She is an office manager in the paperwork, the planning of finances, organization of the home office. She even makes articles and sells them.

If a woman were to do this job for a wealthy family, earning a wage, she would be said to have a great career. If she does this for her family without a paycheck, she is said to be a "housewife." Our culture is silly, when it comes to this, we have denigrated the homemaking career to the position of worthless.

Most women today in our children's generation don't bother with "managing" their homes, they work outside of it and neglect all the duties that God ordained for them to do, in favor of the almighty dollar and for recognition in the community. These women go into the world to work under the authority of another person, very often a man and must obey that person to keep their job. Why then do they call themselves independent and refuse to place themselves under their husbands at home.

If a woman does her job of Homemaking as unto the Lord she will be fulfilled and happy. Her skills will far exceed those of a woman who does one kind of job outside the home, under restrictions by her boss as to how creative she can be on the job. At home, I have had wonderful freedom to use whatever skills God has given me, I have never been bored.

If we are focused on living the Proverbs 31 life as God ordained, we can be much more creative, do it in our own schedule and enjoy the smiles of a husband who feels loved by a woman who will dedicate her entire life to her children and husband. God placed the woman under the authority of the husband, it is not different than working outside the home under another man or woman who gives you a paycheck, except that God is not pleased with our dedication being to another authority, who is not our husband.

We are to be devoted to our families, they are always to come first in all our decisions. We must realize and admit that we can not do this if our loyalties are divided. We tend to admire a missionary who gives up a career to go to the mission field, but we mock a woman who has chosen to obey God and do the same thing for her family. If we live life, God's way, we will not only be fulfilled but we will have all our needs taken care of.... did we all hear that.... our needs, not wants but needs. And, I am living proof that we can do this job and be happy and fulfilled.

We will have difficulties in life, we will make mistakes and commit sins, but if we stay the course, correcting the mistakes and repenting from the sins, God will bless what He knows to be in our heart. A heart like David’s, a heart that seeks God. We too can be called the apple of His eyes, as He overlooks our frail humanness to see the Holy Spirit that lives in us and the heart that loves Him. Ladies, if you are working in the world, go home, dedicate your life to your family and watch the blessing God will have for you as you obey Him.

Can Someone Else Cause Us To Sin?

2011-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

In the Bible we are reminded of the account of the confrontation of Moses with the Pharo. God said that each time the Pharo was faced with Moses appeals to let his people go, the Pharo would refuse to do so. God said that Pharo hardened his own heart in anger against Moses and his God. And later we see that God said He hardened Pharo’s heart. Which was true? Both were true. God did challenge Pharos knowing with each new plague, Pharo would harden his heart more, so God sent what He knew would cause Pharo to do this.

When we are confronted with our sin and we explode in anger, refusing to consider our actions, take it to God in prayer and repent, then we are hardening our hearts a little further. When others point out our shortcomings, it does not matter their delivery, or their attitude, God is using them to shake us up and expose what is really in our hearts. If there is an explosion of anger when we are confronted with our sin, then the person who chastised us is not at fault for causing our anger, we have merely let come out of our inner being, that which was already there. It shows us our inner heart problem of pride and self exhaultation.

Instead of blaming the person who rebuked us, we need to be taking their message to the Lord in prayer that we might discover our own sinful attitudes, that we might repent and be cleansed from that sin. If we do not listen to those who would rebuke and correct us, then God will discipline us His way, and very often it is much harsher than the words that our friends and family would say to us. They can not take our health, our homes, our chidlren, or our security, but God can do all that in His effort to reach our soul. He can do far more in His discipline of us than any human can do, He can also use evil humans to carry out His will. We should never take lightly the exhortations, rebukes and corrections of others because they are sent of God to administer training, even if they are not aware of how they are being used.

It is never wise to take lightly or defend ourselves when confronted with sin. We ultimately will lose in the long run and perhaps enormously with life long consequences. It is in our own best interest to repent quickly and sincerly before a Holy and Righteous God, that He may withhold His wrath and discipline from us.

Lastly, if we are believers, it should be paramount that our Chrsitian witness take presidence over any discomfort we may experience in a rebuke. Our personal pride and satisfaction is irrelevant in the vast scheme of God's purposes. We must always seek the greater good for eternity in our evaluation of cercumstances.

Do we live to please ourselves or do we live to please God? This is the ultimate question that needs to be asked in every life experience. If we find ourselves protecting ourselves by avoiding self-confrontation, then we are still walking in pride. If our own desires take presidence over God's greater good, then we are nurturing pride and resisting God.

Let's seek Him with all our being and then we will see the arrogance and self will begin to take a back seat to His will and purpose.

Relationships Are Not Scheduled, They Are Established.

2011-05-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

Relationships take time and energy. They take commitment and determination to succeed and grow. When our relationships are established on superficial smiles and quaint clichés of happy trivialities, they are lacking in the depth that is necessary to sustain them. We can enjoy these sorts of friendships for a time, but these are the connections that do not last and over time dissipate at the slightest testing. Perhaps these are not relatinonships at all, but familiarities sterile of weightiness.

There is a process called distillation, which in the course of heating a mixture in order to condense it into a more pure form of the substance desired, in this process there is a higher quality resulting. This is the case in quality and lasting relationships. It is the trials of life that show us what we are made of and what motivates us. If when the difficulties come, we face them with fortitude and do not shrink away in fear and run from them, we show our enduring love for our friend.

When we face the trials head on, determined to know our friend, and discover our own heart, then we are walking in love. Christ’s love seeks not it’s own, as He has told us, but it seeks the best for our friend. Our friendship, if we walk with the Lord, will be evaluated on the basis of God’s Word and His Will. Do we want our friend to walk with the Lord in holiness, or are we more concerned about enjoying one another in happiness. God wants us to be distilled, pressed down and shaken together, that we might become strong and spiritually pure.

Pleasure in our friendship can never be the motivating factor in our walk together, but God’s full purpose must drive us in all that we hope for in our friendship. Pleasure very often is a byproduct of our Christ like walk with our companion, but not the stimulant.

Those individuals who yearn for penetrating kinship with friends, will walk through life seeking the denseness of fine fabric tightly woven together building a strength that is not easily torn or frayed. Our desires will always be for the Lord’s best in one another.

The trials of life only strengthen these sturdy fellowships and the joys are doubled when shared with a friend of quality, one who seeks the Lord in all occasions for His design. That one stays with us when we are not perfect, and has no expectation that we sustain perfection in order to remain our friends. But will correct us when we fail and lift us up when we get back on the path again. That friend will raise his spiritual voice to us when we are feeble and disobedient to Christ and mercifully soften it again when we repent.

Very often our human relationship dynamics reflect our relationship with the Lord. If we stay focused on the superficial with our friends, chances are good that we are doing the same with our Lord. Our prayers become shallow and selfish as we use the Lord like we would dance a puppet on a string, requiring Him to fulfill our every desire and ease of life.

When we seek the Lord with all our heart we see a very different bent in our walk. We see a heart that regards the commands of God above all else. That person sees all circumstances as from Him and worthy of praise, whether they be happy or sad. They are all lessons to be learned and attitudes to be altered.

Let us remember that relationships are established on the basis of much time spent and not on short periods of scheduled time.

Let us also not forget, that if we are careless and flimsy with our friends, we are probably acting the same way toward our Lord.