Anchored in Him

Now it Begins

2012-01-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

What does our Future Look Like?

Ahmadinejad -- It would seem that the Hitler for our generation has been spouting off again, issuing threats of doom and gloom against the nation of Israel. Physically, he is also a lot like Hitler - very slight build, a funny cartoon face, and dubious facial hair. But all kidding aside, this man is the Number One Enemy of the Jews today. He has a satanic blood lust to see all Jews everywhere tortured, killed painfully, and driven into the sea. This is his over-arching ambition in life, and has been furiously stockpiling caches of weapons and technology towards this end.

The battle of Gog and Magog will be World War III, but it will not be the last war where all the nations of the world will surround Israel and attempt to defeat her. The battle of Armageddon will be the last battle to be fought. But all the players for WW III, prophesied by God in the Holy Bible,are now all taking the stage, assembling their armaments, and are waiting for the moment when they will all attack.

Certainly we are living in the "last-days" and Christ will be returning very soon. For some that will be a time of great joy, but for others will be much different.

The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, set your face against God, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord say: I am agains you, O Gog, cheif prince of Meshech and Tbal. I will turn you around, put hooks in you jaws and bring you out with your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops -- the many nations with you (Ezekiel 38:1-6).

To understand what is being stated, you need to know who the players are. God gives us the lists the major nations that will attack Israel, and they are:

Magog - this is modern day Russia
Persia - this is modern day Iran
Meshech and Tubal, Togarmah - this region is modern day Turkey
Ethiopia - this is modern Ethiopia
Libya - this is modern day Libya
Gomer - this is modern day Germany

Russia, the biggest End Times player, has already helped Iran build a nuclear reactor. Iran has repeated over and over their desire to wipe Israel off the map. Iran now has nuclear weapons capable of reaching Israel.

Militant Islam has two goals in our day and age. The first is that of spreading Islam to every country in the world. Second is the complete and total destruction of the Jewish people. Listen to this hatredin their own words, I don't want to be guilty of misstating their position:

This is not the position of just the "radical extreme", no, it's the position of hundreds of millions of Muslims today, and they are united in their desire to see harm come to Israel, and more important, the Jews themselves. Ideally, they would like to "drive the Jews into the sea" so that they might claim Jerusalem as their own.

Our future has been planned...there is no stopping it. Christ will be proclaimed Lord of Lords one day. That you can count on. It is not a question on how, but when!

The Promise Land

2011-12-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great, the Euphrates -- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites"

(Genesis 15:18-21).

Note the territory, according to Scripture.

There is a common misperception, that the Jews were forced into the diaspora by the Roman after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and then, 1,8000 years later, suddenly returned to Palestine demanding their country back.

In reality, the Jewish people have maintained ties to their historic homeland for more than 3,700 years. A national language and a distinct civilization have been maintained. The Jewish people base their claim to the land of Israel on at least four premises:

God promised the land to the patriarch Abraham;
The Jewish people settled and developed the land;
The international community granted political sovereignty in Palestine to the Jewish people and
The territory was captured in defensive wars.

The term "Palestine" is believed to be derived from the Philistines, an Aegean people who, in the 12th Century B.C., settled along the Mediterranean coastal plain of what is now Israel and the Gaza Strip. In the second century A.D., after crushing the last Jewish revolt, the Romans first applied the name Palaestina to Judea (the southern portion of what is now called the West Bank) in an attempt to minimize Jewish identification with the land of Israel. The Arabic word "Filastin" is derived from this Latin name.

When Jews began to immigrate to Palestine in large numbers in 1882, fewer than 250,000 Arabs lived there, and the majority of them had arrived in recent decades. Palestine was never an exclusively Arab country, although Arabic gradually became the language of most the population after the Muslim invasions of the seventh century. No independent Arab or Palestinian state ever existed in Palestine. When the distinguished Arab-American historian, Princeton University Prof. Philip Hitti, testified against partition before the Anglo-American Committee in 1946, he said: "There is no such thing as 'Palestine' in history, absolutely not." In fact, Palestine is never explicitly mentioned in the Koran, rather it is called "the holy land" (al-Arad al-Muqaddash).

Today there are many misconcepts; many that have been developed by those who have not right to claims any land that belows to Israel. Israel's international "birth certificate" was validated by the promise of the Bible; uninterrupted Jewish settlement from the time of Abram onward; the Balfour Declaration of 1917; the League of Nations Mandate, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration; the United Nations partition resolution of 1947; Israel's admission to the UN in 1949; the recognition of Israel by most other states; and, most of all, the society created by Israel's people in decades of thriving, dynamic national existence.

Revelation 19:11-16

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will come in His Timing
Not Ours!

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. he treads the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11-16

2012 - Fact or Fiction?

2011-12-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

2012

Signs of the End of the Age
Matthew 24

There has been much talk about the world coming to an end, but it is only talk. Scripture is very direct when it comes to prophecy. Jesus answered, "Watch out that no one deceived you" in Matthew 24:4. He lays out a step-by-step outline of what needs to be completed prior to His return.

Many will come claiming to be Christ, "I am the Christ" Matthew 24:5.

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come Matthew 24:6.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places Matthew 24:7.

You will be handled over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me Matthew 24:9.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come Matthew 24:14.

But He also stated that "all these signs are but birth pains and not His return." In Matthew 24:15, He states: "So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation spoken in the prophet Daniel -- let the reader understand -- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak." ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION is Satan taking over the earth and proclaiming himself as god within the Temple.

So when people state December 21, 2012 as the end of this world...think back to what they said about Y2K not so long ago. Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father."

For the Glory of It All

2011-12-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

Why Holloween?

2011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Most holidays commemorate or celebrate something. But what about Halloween? What is Halloween actualy a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of som ancient pagan ritual where folks get together for parties, dress-up in costumes, and bob for apples?

The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its orgins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31st. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New Year.

One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.

Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed, so on the night of October 31st, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. they wourl then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes (similar to today's Halloween Costumes), and noisily parade around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.

Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.

Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.

The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.

In Greek Mythology, goddesses of the underworld were often used to invoke the Samhain. Popular costumes portray Hecate and Medusa. Hecate was the most favored goddess by Zeus, and wandered the emptiness between the worlds of life and death looking for souls of the dead. Both were considered serpent goddesses, and their ancient dark legends spawned myths such as vampires, who fed off the living using venom and snake-like fangs. Ritualistic dress includes snake adornments and three headed masks. Today, Hecate is often referred to as the goddess of witches.

Following Jesus - What does that mean?

2011-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Recently we had Glenn offer some words on our campus. Below was the subject...hope you enjoy.

Glenn Murray: Practical thoughts on Jesus [DVD Cut] from Glenn Murray on Vimeo.

A DREAM TO REALITY - Mercy Ships

2011-03-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Discover the origins of Mercy Ships along with a brief history of this international humanitarian organization which brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor. Hope you enjoy...

AFRICA MERCY ARRIVES IN SIERRA LEONE-2011

2011-02-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Africa Mercy has reached Freetown, Sierra leone...2-28-2011, for her 10 months of serving the forgotten poor, providing FREE life-changing surgeries, as well as other medical and dental care to those in desperate need. This is the 5th Service to Sierra Leone, and we wanted to share this special moment with you.

What is Dry Dock?

2011-02-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share...what a typical Dry Dock looks like.

Africa Mercy -- January 2011

He Knows My Name

2011-01-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

We all need this song...please play and enjoy

New World Order

2011-01-13T12:53:00.001-08:00

I want your Money

Praise You in the Storm

2011-01-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Psalm 23 - The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

There will be storms in life. But it is how we trust Him
-- Before, During, and After --
will reflect how good you have secured your anchor!
Trust Him to see you through each situation.

So it is Christmas_2010

2010-12-23T05:54:00.001-08:00

Christmas is different for everyone; each looking at the true meaning and then changing it to meet their specific needs. But Christmas really doesn't change; it is the individuals who change from day to day, month to month, and year to year. There is a truth that never changes; the true meaning of Christmas. In Luke 2, the New Testament offers the sacred account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.' When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.' So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about the child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen which were just as they had been told."

So this year, instead of running around, fighting all the traffic...stop and consider the true meaning of Christmas and share it with someone you love.

Discover the Meaning of Christmas

2010-12-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich_A Time to Impeach

2010-12-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our country was once the greatest country on this planet...the question at hand is...WHAT AND HOW DID IT CHANGE? If you can answer that question then it is time to make the change together and take back what has been lost.

Man Contracts A Computer Virus

2010-08-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that now one may buy or sell except on who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of man: His number is 666 (Revelation 13:16-18).

We live is a world were technology seems to be increasing expeditiously; reflecting a time when we are controlled by the same technology we once controlled. We go to the movies and see such worldly ideas of having Terminators that go around killing mankind and/or Big Brother Governments that watch our every move...believing that it will never truly come about. or never get to that! But the future is here and Satan will use every means he can to control the masses. I am certainly not anti-technology; for the information has been posted based on today's technology, but certainly one needs to view technology based on Scripture to determine what is right or wrong. I leave that up to you to determine.

Just so you don't think I am going off the deep-end and reading too much into this...I leave you with this: For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). Any government can make statements that are believable, "for the good of mankind," but the question at hand is -- for who's good is it really? We are living in a time (2008-2012) where the government is Big Brother; forcing new and better ways to live, but is it truly better or the start of something that will turn on us later. Chips, in plants for security, sound like a great concept; you don't have to carry money, but in light of Revelation 13...it should make you stop and wonder before running off to the local store to receive! What starts small (sin) normally takes over big time. Satan has that ability to turn good to bad in a heart beat!

Loma Togo-2010

2010-08-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

We're helping the blind to see.
To date, we have touched the lives of nearly 30,000 people with both eye procedures and evaluations.

We're making a lasting impact.

In the recent months we taught seven surgeons and two nurses in Togo how to use innovative medical techniques to treat cataracts and other vision issues in West Africa. Because of their training, they will be able to serve hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of people who live in this region for years to come.

We're caring for the forgotten poor.
On the vision team alone, over 50 volunteers, mainly professionals, are bringing care and compassion to Mercy Ships' patients. From the initial eye screening appointments held weekly throughout Togo, to guiding the patients on the ship for surgery, to the Celebration of Sight ceremonies where patients often engage in African dancing and song, our patients feel the love they deserve.
Mercy's on its way,

Don Stephens
Founder/President
Mercy Ships

The Story: Acts 8:26-40

2010-08-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

In the middle of a successful crusade in Samaria, Philip was called to go south into desert country. He left the city for the country, the crowds for one person, Samaritans for an African. But this was no “wild goose chase.” It never is with God. The call came from an angel and guidance came from the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:26,29).

The man Philip was to meet was an Ethiopia who worked under Candace, the queen mother. He was secretary of the treasury, and he was spiritually thirsty. In fact, he traveled 800 miles to Jerusalem to get some answers for his seeking heart. He left Jerusalem with a copy of the scroll of Isaiah. Miraculously, these two connected on the Gaza road—the eunuch in his royal chariot and Philip, perhaps, on a camel.

As Philip approached the chariot, he heard the Ethiopian reading Isaiah. Philip asked a great question, which is the key to the story: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (8:30). And the man’s response was, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (v.31). Seekers need a guide. The Greek word for guide, hodegos, is interesting. When Peter appealed to the believers in Jerusalem to replace Judas, he identified Judas as the one who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. He guided with a kiss and a torch that illuminated the face of Jesus. But Philip was a different kind of hodegos for the eunuch as he used Isaiah to light up the face of Jesus and said, “Believe!”

Philip evangelized the Ethiopian from Isaiah 53. And the rest of the story is one of belief, baptism, and rejoicing. The eunuch returned to his homeland with his spiritual thirst quenched as he drank of the water of life (John 7:37-38).

What I want to suggest from this story is -- how many times have you felt that what you are doing is just a wast of time. If Philip thought that, what would have become of this encounter with the Ethiopian? Certainly it would have been a missed chance to share the gospel, but more than that, it would have not allow Philip to be blessed by the encounter. We all need to take time for others; allowing us to be blessed by thinking of others before ourselves. No trip will ever be a "wild goose chase" if God is involved. Think about it -- the next time you feel that your time is being wasted!

I'm a Christ Follower

2010-08-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

How do we approach our relationship with Christ? Certainly all of us need to address; but what we come up with and how it is perceived will determine how affective we are in sharing the Gospel. Think about it; especially when it is time to open your mouth.

When In A Hole, Stop Digging

2010-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Although, it may seem like simple advice; using common sense has been taken over by those who believe they know better. Like most, they are under the illusion that if they keep on doing what they are doing, things will change. They won't! Doing the same thing and expecting things to be different is the definition of insanity. If you are not getting the results you want, it is because you are not taking the proper actions. Stop doing what you are doing and do something else, anything else!

When life isn't going your way, the first thing you should look at is your contributions within the situation. We need to stop and ask ourselves what are we doing presently that contributes. To many, it may seem like you are the victim, but the truth is there are very few innocent victims. Most of us, when given the opportunity, can figure out what part we are playing in creating what we don't want in our lives. More than likely we are doing something or allowing something to happen that isn't serving us. Stop! Give yourself the opportunity to take a few steps back from the situation and access what is really going on. If you can't do this on your own, seek help from a professional or trusted friend. Often, others can see what isn't working in our lives and what the cause is better than we can. Once you figure out what you need to do differently, do it. Knowing what to change and not changing it doesn't help; you just continue down the same path without a solution. Awareness is the first step. The next step is -- take action.

Christ never wanted us to dig this hole to begin with. We did it without Him and against Him. It all started with Genesis 3:4 "The the serpent said to the women, "You will not surely die. for god knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." We dig our hole then and we are still digging it deeper each day. Only Jesus Christ can offer a means of stopping our efforts and filling in our holes...but we have to allow Him. He started filling in our hole and continues to do so.

Over the past few weeks I have been posting things pertaining to our present fix as a nation. We dug this hole ourselves; allowing those in control to continue to rule over us. We first need to fix our own hole before we attempt to fix the holes of others. It starts with us; any action to climb out and fill in the hole we find ourselves must start within us. Remember that when we look at the situation and want to place our trust in others to help fill our hole.

Three Things About Islam

2010-07-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

It is interesting that points made express an attitude; one that we now are living with everyday based on who is running the government. When you consider the approach to interacting with Islam, you must consider what it stands for and how it operates. There is a difference as to approach.

Obama, then, found himself in a place where he seems most comfortable, splitting the difference on a tough issue and presenting it as the course of reasoned judgment rather than of dogmatic ideology. Where Bush saw black and white, Obama sees gray. Where Bush favored swagger, Obama is searching for a more supple blend of force and intellect. Where Bush saw Islamic extremism as an existential threat equivalent to Nazism or Communism, Obama contends that that view warps the situation out of proportion and plays into terrorists’ hands by elevating their stature and allowing them — even without attacking again — to alter the nature of American society.

How should we hand the concept of terrorism? Certainly, in every situation there are two sides, but to detail with such a culture, you must should strength; anything else will show your weakness and that is a bad place to be. Presently, we have removed all our strength and those who would attack this country know that we will not do anything to stop them. Whether Obama or Bush is correct, only history will prove out where America will be in the future.

2 Timothy 4:3,4–”For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Just so you think that I offer this because of a concern for our government, our nation, and our relationships with other nations who don't have the same history...Kerby's Point of View, written by Kerby Anderson.

"More profanity is on the way due in large part to the ruling of three judges in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. They were to rule on the narrow issue of what has come to be called 'fleeting expletives.' Instead, the panel chose to rule broadly against any FCC rule against broadcast indecency. Here is the argument: 'The observation that people will always find a way to subvert censorship laws may expose a certain futility in the FCC's crusade against indecent speech.' Notice the words. The FCC rules against broadcast indecency are called 'censorship laws.' The attempt to set a standard of decency is called a 'crusade.' The judges' choice of words shows their bias against decency and their willingness to allow more profanity on our nation's airwaves..."

Christ has the answer to every situation, but so often we would rather look to ourselves as to how to address societies problems. Our problems didn't start with the election of Obama, but it may end there! Our prayer is - Lord come quickly to retrieve your children, from the mess we are in.

We can be assured that no matter how far we walk away from Him, He will always love us and desire to bring us back to Him. But there will come a point when too far is too far (Romans 1:18-32). Hopefully we haven't got there yet!

One Nation Under God!

2010-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

"...the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."

The United States has certainly changed in just 234 years. we have gone from a nation, founded on the principles of God, to one being forced to expect Allah. How did this happen? It is based on statements like this...

The common definition of “religion” as belief in a divine or superhuman power to be obeyed and worshiped, or the expression of such a belief, is not expansive enough to deal with the breadth of religious experiences and spiritual endeavors in contemporary America. Today religion is increasingly likely to be defined as any system of belief or practices resembling, suggestive of, or likened to a religious system; or perhaps even simply “any object of conscientious regard.” Religion has become whatever a person declares to be the object of regard or pursuit. Some commentators on American religion are offering a slightly different formulation of this same phenomenon. The last twenty-five years, they suggest, have witnessed a growing number of Americans who completely reject the word “religious” and in its place use the word “spiritual.” Often they choose to live apart from established religious institutions, “indifferent to organized religion or even hostile to it.” These individuals see the cosmos as pulsing with spiritual energies which can be tapped through various spiritual disciplines. These newer expressions of individual and vernacular forms of spirituality are part of the story behind Harold Bloom’s judgment that “Western nation is as religion-soaked as ours.” Only a very fluid definition of religion can do justice to the multitude of different “religions” and forms of spirituality that exist in contemporary America.

LET US NEVER FORGET WHERE WE CAME FROM; FOR ONLY BY REALIZING THAT FACT CAN WE TRULY LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND WHAT GOD HAS ASKED US TO DO! GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE NO MATTER WHO IS DIRECTING TRAFFIC IN WASHINGTON, DC. LET US STAND WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DIED FOR THIS NATION AND NEVER, EVER TURN OUR BACKS ON OUR RIGHT TO FOLLOW HIM!

ROLLING THUNDER - 2010

Moral Compass?

2010-06-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

A great evil is arising; it is threatening to destroy all that is godly around the world. There is a clamoring noise of violent discord flooding our streets that once where peaceful; where children grew up without fear based on a stable family life.

Like a sickness within the roots of a tree, societies have become rotten from the inside out. When winds blow, they come crashing down into piles of rubble. Why – because they have been rooted in dry dirt, having no life refreshing source to sustain them in times of distress. In great disorder there comes great chaos and corruption; resulting in worldly sufferings.

Where is the wisdom and strength that will turn back the flood of darkness, to release the light of righteousness, peace, and joy to our generation? Where is the leadership and governance to turn the world from death unto life? Where are the great kings to transform the hearts of mankind and bring real life to our spirits? Where is the kingdom of God when we really need it?

The kingdom of God is in the KING Christ Jesus; the only governance that save and can transform. JESUS, THE ONE WHO DWELLS IN HIS TEMPLE ON EARTH AND IS ALSO SEATED AT THE THRONE OF HEAVEN, CAN DESTROY EVIL AND PLANT HEAVEN IN ITS PLACE BY POURING HIMSELF OUT IN A THUNDEROUS TRUMP OF ROARING FIRE OF LOVE AND JUSTICE IN HIS PEOPLE. THE TRUMPETS ARE BLOWING – BUT ARE WE LISTENING?

The fire of the glory of God is at hand. The presence of the Lord is within and without. Nothing is hidden from Him, and all things are to be put under His feet. No flesh can stand in this day of the Lord (Mal 3:2). Activate, come alive, look into the Spirit, and do not look back. You shall be as a mighty army and do exploits beyond any human ability (Isa 52:1-3) (Rom 13:10-14). The power and presence of the beauties of holiness are upon you in this day. Do not miss His personal visitation; prepare now the time is short and urgent (Luke 19:41-44).

We need to remember -- Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning (Psa 30:5). “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Keep on pursuing love. It never fails and His kingdom never ends (Luke 12:32).

Walk Humbly

2010-06-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Seven hundred years before Jesus walked the earth, a prophet Micah wrote words given to him by God; words that toll us what God expected from His children as they worked out the life of service.

Micah 6:8
"He has showed you, O men, what is good. And what doe the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

God loves us so much that He gave His Son so we may be restored to Him and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). When we begin to understand the fullness of His love and place our complete trust in Him for the forgiveness of sin, it's natural to ask: "What do You now require of me Lord?" But as we search the Scriptures, we find no additional "requirements" for our Christian walk, which are not summed up in the words of Micah.

As we live by Faith, we must "act justly" by doing what is fair and right; "Anyone who does not do what is right is not a Child of God" (1 John 3:10). This means we live with integrity and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 13:31).

God requires that we show His love and mercy through offering compassion and forgiveness to other; "judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful" (James 2:13). It also means we live with a continual thankfulness for God's mercy toward us. And understanding of God's merciful forgiveness of our sins should compel us to forgive and show mercy to others. Without God's mercy, we would all be lost.

The final requirement is for us to "walk humbly" with our God. The word humble means to place a low value on "self." This is not a very popular concept in our "me-first-generation," which seems to reward the individual who is prideful and confident in his own ability. We are trained to achieve, acquire, and rise higher than we believe possible; but God calls us to submit and walk with Christ continually exalted above all else in our life; "He must become greater; I must become less" (John 3:30).

True humility is required for proper worship and thankfulness before God. We did nothing to deserve eternal live and yet we have received. We are made worthy and given value without having done anything to earn our Salvation. This heavenly gift ought to produce a never ending stream of praise from our heart and cause us to focus less on ourselves and more on the needs of others.

All we have and all we are has been given to us by a loving God who created the Universe and accepted us into His Kingdom through Faith in His Son. Let's glorify Him with every step we take; and with each step of Faith, let's remember to act justly, love mercifully, and walk humility.

By Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word
God's Daily Word [closerwalk@gdwm.org]

Butterfly Kisses

2010-06-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

May 29, 2010 I had the unique opportunity to perform a wedding. This was my first! I wanted to share the following in hopes you receive a blessing. We need to think about what we are passing onto our children. Is it a set of values that are God honoring? Certainly in this family, it was!

The Blessing -- One of the most powerful aspects of the blessing of the Lord is how it is passed to the next generation. God has made specific promises concerning the blessing of the Lord, and how it will pass down to our children. As we teach and guide our children in the ways of the Lord, the blessing of the Lord will become a powerful reality in their lives. We must prepare our children to walk in the blessing of the Lord.

MAY GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY

2010-05-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

MAY GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY

On a recent trip across United States, an Airline Captain experienced something special. He writes:

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked. 'Yes', she said. 'Is there an escort?' I asked. 'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'. "Would you please tell him to come to the flight-deck. You can board him early," I said.

A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight-deck. He was the image of perfection, dressed as most soldiers would be with his rank. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. As with most escorts, they talk about the fallen as if they are still alive and with us.

‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,’ he said.

He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us in flight control are veterans! Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.

Prayer: 'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen..'

Don Hendrickson

First Baptist Academy

Dean of Students

May 31, 2010

HOLY HOLY

2010-04-01T11:41:00.001-07:00

By His Strips, we are healed!

Government at its best

2010-04-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night." So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then congress said, "How does the watchman do his job without instructions?" So they created a planning department and hired two people; one person to write the instructions and one to do time studies. Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control Department and hired two people; one to do the study and one to write the report. Then congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So they created the following positions: a time keeper and a payroll officer, and then hired two people. Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?" So they created an administrative section and hired three people; an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary. Then Congress said, "We have had this command in operation for one year and we are $18,000.00 over budge. We must cutback overall cost." So they laid off the night watchman. Sounds allot like what is now being done with HEALTHCARE!

Where are you TREASURES?

2010-01-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Movies, books, and television programs excite our imagination when they present stories about hunting for treasure. The pirates of old amassed great forunes in gold, silver, and jewels. Some of those riches are still hidden to this day.

But there are treasures far more valuable than anything you can find in a buried treasure chest or a sunken pirate ship. Those treasures are found in the Bible. We call them the Promises of God, and their value is beyond measure!

Like so many Americans, we need to get back to the faith of the Bible. We need to read and study it. Doing so will help open our eyes to the great Truths of God. One of those great truths is that God has promised to give us Eternal Life. Many believe, that eternal life is some future goal, but that goal can be lived right here and now! He will answer our prayers, if we are truly seeking His will for our lives.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be openen to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it woll be opened."

Christians can pray with confidence knowing that they have a great High Priest that will intercede on their behalf. God is love, and He is the greatees giver (James 1:17). He even wants to give us the earth as an inheritance (Matthew 5:5). Eventually, God plans to give us a even greater gift. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son (Revelation 21:7).

We have just here our President, who presented his agenda for 2010 and beyond. Agendas can certainly be developed, but if they are not centered in God's will; they, like all others, will fail. It is time to put your trust in the One who can make a difference.

A New Year Promised 2010

2009-12-31T10:29:00.001-08:00

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

(Barack Obama)

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

(John F. Kennedy)

CHANGE...Promised from the very beginning; the very definition the word has taken on a hold new meaning.

On Janurary 20th, 2009 millions worldwide watched as Barack Obama take the Oath of Office, thus swearing him in as the 44th President of the United States of America...his claim to fame in history as the first African American to hold the office of Commander-in-Chief. Since that extraordinary moment, Obama's promise of CHANGE.

As we fast approach yet another new year, we, as Americans, have been called to renewal, to become better at what we do, and to be accountable to those in the government who claim to be the final authority. We have been called upon to redefine our way of life, our values, principles, and our beliefs based on a set of different standards. We have been asked to "not consider not the past with all its mistakes and lack of leadership", but to grow towards an unknown future that is defined by a government. The question at hand is what are we changing into? As Americans we should never loose the past; we should preserve the best of what we have accomplished and build onto it for the betterment of mankind; just the way God originally intended.

November 1929, on the occasion of the twelfth anniversary of the October Revolution, Pravda published an article, by Stalin entitled "A Year of Great Change." The article, replete with quotations from Lenin, summed up what Stalin considered achievements in three areas: productivity of labor, industrial construction, and management through better government. It was in effect, a retrospective justification from a radical break with the New Economic Policy introduced by Lenin in 1921, and a manifesto for the First Five-Year Plan, that already was in the second year. This was the most ambitious undertaking to centralize state planning ever attempted reflected both the unbridled optimism of the Stalinist leadership in the capacity of the Soviet Union to catch up to and surpass that advanced capitalist countries "in a relatively minimal historical period," and the considerable pressure they had exerted on the economic specialists who devised successive versions of the plan. Those economists, working in the State Planning Commission, were faced with the unprecedented and incredibly complicated task of drafting a plan to transform the entire economic structure of the country. Governmental control was the key to it success.

It doesn't take a New Year to renewal the hearts and minds of mankind. It takes renewal to the only One who can make a difference. Times are certainly bleak, both economically and spiritually, but even in these darkest times, we must never leave our first love!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct yoru paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

2009-12-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and have a

HAPPY NEW YEAR

For all those who faithfully stand by us, as we serve Him through Mercy Ships, we want to thank you from the bottom of our heart. Christ is the reason for the season. You love and support gives us Christmas year round...just like God's love.

Christ makes the difference...dwelling in us and enabling us to be more than we once were. Paul - "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Christ's birth was the beginning of the great gift ever offered; a process that shall end for His creation. We are privileged to have a part in proclaiming the Good News. We hope you will take time to share Christ with someone this season.

This will be my last entry for 2009. God bless you all...

Not a HOSPITAL...A MANGER

2009-12-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas should be a time of peace and tranquility, joy, and love. It should be a time of year looked forward to by young and old alike; a time that should last forever.

Each year, we, as civilized people, rush, push, and hawk the Christmas Season until we begin to wish we could just skip the whole thing and go right to the New Year. We have commercialized and exploited Christmas to the point that, instead of anticipating the coming of Christmas with joy and gladness, we dread the time. That is not the way it was planned IN THE BEGINNING.

The First Christmas had gifts too, but far more important then anyone could possibility give today. GOLD, FRANKINCENSE and MYRRH; gifts to a child; gifts to a Savior! Jesus, born in a manger would grow up to be the man who -- told stormy waters to be still; who told us that He was the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE; that if we believed in Him, we would gain ETERNAL LIFE. He didn't come into our world to RULE, but to SERVE. He came in as a CHILD, not a MAN. He was not born at a local HOSPITAL, but in a MANGER. This SEED of LIGHT, was planted in our world as a gift of LOVE. Many, down through history, have attempted to snuff the light out, only to meet face-to-face with God's love. His birth in a MANAGER and His DEATH on the CROSS began as it started; in a small country...where most would consider it to be THIRD WORLD. Without Christ at the CENTER of CHRISTMAS there would be no reason for EASTER. His birth is our ETERNAL REMINDER of LOVE; that He will never walked away from His CREATION even thou they walked away from Him.

So, when you rush around to try to find that last minute gift...remember; it wasn't planned that way IN THE BEGINNING. The GIFT of LOVE, for whatever we do during this season must have Christ at the CENTER.

BIG BROTHER, WHO ARE THOU?

2009-09-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

In the society that George Orwell suggested in his 1984 book, everyone is under complete surveillance by the authorities, mainly by telescreens. The people are constantly reminded of this by the phrase "Big Brother is Watching You," which is the core "truth" of the propaganda system in this state. Big Brother's physical characteristics are intended to resemble Joseph Stalin, although in the film his moustacke more closely resembles Adolf Hitler's.

Collaborative surveillance between government and the private sector is not new. For three decades during the Cold War, for example, telegraph companies like Western Union, RCA Global and International Telephone and Telegraph gave the National Security Agency, or NSA, all cables that went to or from the United States. Operation Shamrock, which ran from 1945 to 1975, helped the NSA compile 75,000 files on individuals and organizations, many of them involved in peace movements and civil disobedience.

These days, the increasing amount of electronic data that is collected and stored, along with developments in software technology, make it easy for the government to sort through mounds of data quickly to profile individuals through their connections and activities. Although the Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the government from keeping dossiers on Americans unless they are the specific target of an investigation, the government circumvents the legislation by piggybacking on private-sector data collection. Can it get worse? It certainly can when there is a system promoting sureillance.

A government proposal for a national ID card, for example, was shot down by civil liberties groups and Congress for being too intrusive and prone to abuse. And Congress voted to cancel funding for John Poindexter's Total Information Awareness, a national database that would have tracked citizens' private transactions such as Web surfing, bank deposits and withdrawals, doctor visits, travel itineraries and visa and passport applications. But this hasn't stopped the government from achieving the same ends by buying similar data from private aggregators like Acxiom, ChoicePoint, Abacus and LexisNexis. According to the ACLU, ChoicePoint's million-dollar contracts with the Justice Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal agencies let authorities tap into its billions of records to track the interests, lifestyles and activities of Americans.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Justice Department has asked for, and largely received, additional powers that allow it to perform an unprecedented amount of surveillance of American citizens and visitors. The USA Patriot Act, passed in haste after Sept. 11, started the ball rolling.

Certainly when you talk about security, many would simply state "it is a trade-off." It makes no sense to ask whether a particular security system is effective or not. The proper question to ask is whether the trade-off is worth it. Is the level of security gained worth the costs, whether in money, in liberties, in privacy or in convenience? When you combine security with an agressive government, most certainly that trade-off moves closer to the wrong side of the house, which can only lead to a George Orwell run nation. We are fast approaching just that kind of situation.

Casting Crowns

2009-09-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Casting Crowns

In the book of Revelation, the first thing the apostle John saw (after Christ spoke to him about the seven churches) was Almighty God sitting on a throne in heaven. Around the throne were twenty-four elders, each wearing a Golden Crown!

In the center of the circle of elders, close to the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes. Whenever these creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship Him and cast their crowns at His feet.”

The idea of crowns is well documented in the Bible. Just as a soldier is given special medals and ribbons to commemorate bravery, skill, achievements, and service, one day believers will also receive different crowns. There is a Crown of Life (James 1:12,) a Crown of Glory (1Peter 5:4,) a Crown of Righteousness (2Timothy 4:8,) and a Crown of Rejoicing (1Thessalonians 2:19.)

Each believer only gets one crown, but there will be jewels or special markings in our crowns that will clearly show all the awards and honors we’ve received. Some believers think everyone will receive the same reward in heaven, and identical crowns, but that is not true. Christ’s followers are saved by grace through faith and obedience, but rewarded for works.

A good example of this is 1 Corinthians 3:8: “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” (NIV) Also, in the parable of the sower of seed in Mark 4:20, the good soil represents those who hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop, some yielding a hundred times, others sixty times, and still others thirty times the amount that was planted.

The Bible makes it clear that those who work hard, make great sacrifices, or keep themselves extra pure will be given special recognition in heaven. In Christ’s instructions to the church in Sardis, He said, “You have some in Sardis who have not soiled their garments with evil deeds. They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” (Revelations 3:4.) “Another reason we will cast our crowns at the LORD’s feet is to show that He deserves all the praise. Heaven is about the LORD, not us. He alone deserves the glory.

Casting our crowns at God’s feet is a good way to show that He deserves all the honor, praise, recognition, and thanks…another reason believers will give their crowns back to Almighty God is to show that we didn’t serve Him to get a reward. We served Him out of love. You see, in order to walk with Jesus for any length of time, you must come to the place where you serve Him out of love.” And believers will lay their crowns at Jesus’ feet by the example of the ancient custom of brides and grooms exchanging wedding gifts.

The question is, “What gift can we offer the One who has given us everything? Truth be told, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to say, “I praise you, Lord.” Like the widow in Mark 12, who put all her living into the temple treasury while the others only put in their surplus, sacrifice is the only way to truly impress Jesus. One of the best wedding gifts we can give Jesus is to befriend people who don’t know Him, invite them to a small group, and help them come to Christ.

The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that they would be his crown of glory in heaven. “What gives us hope and joy, and what is our reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before the Lord Jesus when He comes back again.” (1Thessalonians 2:19 TEV) How embarrassing it will be for those who have no wedding gift to lay at Christ’s feet in Heaven! For all eternity, they will regret that they failed to store up any treasure in heaven, as the Bible instructs.

1. Why is it important that we come to the place where we serve God out of Love and not just to avoid hell? Love is the greatest motivator in the universe. Believers who serve God so they won’t go to hell soon are distracted by the things of this world and gradually backslide. Fear is not strong enough to force us to serve God.
2. How do acts of sacrifice, like reaching out to lost souls, magnify our praise and make it more meaningful to God than verbal praise alone? In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” Talk is cheap. Acts of sacrifices that require us to set aside our own wants and desires are tangible proof that we love Jesus.
3. How does storing up treasure in heaven help keep us saved, and increase the likelihood that we will go to heaven? The things of this world distract us from heaven. In the parable of the sower, the cares of this world and the desire for wealth choked out the Word in some believers, and they backslid [Mark 4:19]. Those who store up treasure in heaven often have their mind on heavenly things—and this helps keep them saved.
4. What wedding gift are you preparing here on earth to present to Jesus at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in heaven? Souls I have witnessed to and helped save, good deeds, fasting, prayers, etc.

TEOTWAWKI

2009-09-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

TEOTWAWKI

On The Hal Lindsey Report (8-28-09) he offered a definition for the word TEOTWAWKI that I thought may be of some interest.

"The End Of The World As We Know It"

Needless to say, everyone is concerned, and rightfully so; about how our Nation and others presently function. This word doesn't just apply to the Christian arena. For example:

The Theater (The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, Dr. Strangelove, The Seventh Sign, End of Days, Mad Max, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Independence Day, and Waterworld, to just mention as few)...TEOTWAWKI has been a consistent Box Office Winner. The one theme that comes out -- that this event is scheduled to complete within our generation.
Israel feels that change coming; that they will soon welcoming the Messiah. The Jewish Sanhedrin, after 1,600 years, of being dormant, has now been re-established. Only the Sanhedrin can certify the Messiah; therefore, with the resurrection, Israel believes their time is short and the Messiah will soon return.
Islam is promoting a return of their messiah figure (known as the Mahdi), thus forcing the end of the world as we know it. If you read any paper or listen to any news group, Islam (primarily Iran) has stated from the very beginning that they want the end to come and it will have to be at a governmental level to complete the task.
Humanism/Secularism have developed an apocalyptic world view. As scientific knowledge increases at experiential levels; humanism looks to a apocalyptic atomic world war, thus with war between greed nations. With oil being the driving force, certainly this is highly possible. The concept of "one-world-government" is our only hope, according to them, with the United Nations the ruling party.
Other Radical Nations are on the increase, outside of Islam's influence; not to mention world-wide-climate-change that seem to change daily depending who you talk to. In the case of climate change, many state they are man-made, yet others view this change as a narrowing point in time where our planet will not support life. Before you only question the growth of Radical Nations or these crazies owl-lovers, our banking indurstry has one agenda - that of bring about a one-world-economic-system by down-grading national security as a cause for all the problems seen.
Our country, under our current President, continues to be part of this equation of change. Our nation, as we know it, is changing, and not for the better. Moral decline is increasing from the inside out. It is in every part of our society and is accepted as the norm.

All this to say...TEOTWAWKI is alive and well. We have ONE HOPE, and that is in Jesus Christ. You need to make certain that you are not Left-Behind. Christ is the answer to all these conditions. The only hope that TEOTWAWKI doesn't effect you is to accept His Grace, Mercy, and Love. Accept Christ Today and you will not have to worry about what tomorrow brings!

SCRAP YARD THEOLOGY

2009-08-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time the Government had a VAST SCRAP YARD in the middle of a desert; the nearest town was 300 miles away!

Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night;" so they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people (one to do the studies and one to write the reports).

Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So they created the following positions, a Time Keeper, and a Payroll Officer and hired them. Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?" So they created an Administrative Section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary. Then Congress said, "We have had this command in operation for one Year and we are $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost." So they laid off the Night Watchman.

NOW slowly let it sink in! And, NOW, we are turning the BANKING SYSTEM, HEALTH CARE, INSURANCE INDUSTRY and the AUTO INDUSTRY over to the same Government?

ONLY IN AMERICA!

2009-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

EVER WONDERED WHY THE AMERICAN ECONOMY FELL OFF THE CLIFF?

John Smith...usually starts his day early. His alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN) typically rang off at 6 am. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) starting perking automatically, he took time to shave with his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG). He grabbed a clean dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA) from his closet, put on a pair of designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE), and tied his tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).

After cooking his breakfast in an electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA) and drank his morning coffee (MADE IN COLUMBIA), he decided to sit quietly for a few minutes with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to try to balance some remaining funds left in his check book; before going out to look for a job.

After readjusting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) and trying to tune his radio (MADE IN INDIA) back to his favorite station, but for some reason, this morning, he could only get foreign stations to come in clear; so he gave up! After getting into his car (MADE IN KOREA), he noticed he needed to stop and get some gas (from Saudi Arabia). He continued the rest of the day searching for a good paying AMERICAN JOB; going from one hopeful location to the next. Frustrated, at the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, he returned home to check on his Computer (MADE IN MALAYSIA) in hopes of finding employment through some local advertisements.

John soon decided to relax for a while, so he put on some sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL), poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA), and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA). The nightly news was on, talking about the economy, and how hard it was to find a job these days. He wondered to himself...looking for a job shouldn't be this hard - in AMERICA.

JOHN, LIKE MANY OF US, ARE HOPING WE CAN GET HELP FROM OUR PRESIDENT; WHO BY THE WAY WAS MADE IN KENYA.

MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK DOESN'T IT!

An Easter Prayer - 2009

2009-04-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

O God, who for our redemption gave your only begotten Son to death on the Cross, and by his glorious resurrection has delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant that we who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit. Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection, empowered and transformed by your grace in and among us.

O Lord, so stir up in your church, indeed in each of us, that Spirit of adoption and reconciliation that is made possible by your grace revealed in Jesus the Christ, that we being renewed in both body and mind, may worship and serve you in sincerity and truth. We pray this in the name of the same Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

(Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer)

Remember - He died for you, even if you where to only person on Earth...He still would have died!

Cotonou, Benin - 2009

2009-02-23T08:45:00.001-08:00

Mercy Ships Volunteers Screen 2,500 People During Benin Screening Day

Mercy Ships held its general screening day on Thursday, February 19, in Cotonou, Benin. At the Hall des Arts, Mercy Ships volunteer nurses, doctors, and support staff screened 1,952 patients. The number was so large a second day of screening took place on Friday, and over 500 more patients were screened.

Over two hundred people were already waiting when Mercy Ships security arrived at 3:30 am on Thursday, and they continued to flow though the afternoon. Seeing that many patients in one day is challenging, even for Dr. Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer and maxillo-facial surgeon with Mercy Ships, who has worked at nearly fifty screening days.

“We see these thousands of people,” Dr. Parker said. “Each one of these people is a fellow human being, and they all have their story, and they all have their hopes and dreams. We have to see them in such a way that respects them and their dignity as a fellow human being.”

Just-Start-Over

2009-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Did you ever get to a point in your life where you wished you could "just-start-over."

Certainly everyone gets to that point. Well, before you start over, think about items below.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have sleep all you want.
When you say, "I love you," mean it.
Never laugh at any one's dreams.
Love deeply and passionately; you might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
Talk slow, but think quick.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
Call you Mom and Dad often.
Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
Remember the three R's - self respect; respect others; responsibility for all your actions.
Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Smile when picking up the phone; the caller will hear it in your voice.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Read more of the Bible and watch less television.
Live a good, honorable life; then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it the second time.
Trust in God, but lock you car.
A loving atmosphere in your home is so important; do all you can to create a tranquil harmonious family.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation not past.
Read between the lines less to help your relationships.
Share your knowledge; it's a way to achieve immortality.
If you make a lot of money, put it to good use and help others while you can; that is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
Remember, not getting what you want is sometimes a blessing.
Remember, the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you give away and not what you can accumulate.
And most important -- PRAY -- there's immeasurable power in it.

Our GOD is a GOD of the DO-OVER...trust Him and He will not let you down!

Salt and Light Of A Nation

2009-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

Edmund Burke

Our World Needs Salt and Light

Societal collapse has recurred throughout history and is an aspect of the human condition, which may await all human societies...

The British historian Arnold J. Toynbee, in his 12-volume magnum opus, A Study of History, theorized that all civilizations pass through several distinct stages: genesis, growth, time of troubles, universal state, and disintegration. Toynbee argues that the breakdown of civilizations is not caused by loss of control over the environment, over the human environment, or attacks from outside; rather, it comes from the deterioration of the "Creative Minority," which eventually ceases to be creative and degenerates into merely a "Dominant Minority" (who forces the majority to obey without meriting obedience). He argues that creative minorities deteriorate due to a worship of their "former self," by which they become prideful, and fail to adequately address the next challenge they face.

He argues that the ultimate sign a civilization has broken down is when the dominant minority forms a "Universal State," which stifles political creativity. He states:

First the Dominant Minority attempts to hold by force—against all right and reason—a position of inherited privilege, which it has ceased to merit; and then the Proletariat repays injustice with resentment, fear with hate, and violence with violence when it executes its acts of secession. Yet the whole movement ends in positive acts of creation—and this on the part of all the actors in the tragedy of disintegration. The Dominant Minority creates a universal state, the Internal Proletariat a universal church, and the External Proletariat a bevy of barbarian war-bands. Toynbee's use of the word 'church' through his books...referring to the collective spiritual bond of a common worship, or the same unity found in some kind of social order. There must be a structure in place to maintain order; what that structure is and how it works is yet to be determined!

HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT

(The answer is already known, if we want to use it)

Mt 5:13-16 -- You (we) are the salt of the earth..."But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Eph 5:11-17 -- "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them…But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shin in you. Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."

John 3:19-21 -- "This is the verdicts: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Scripture is clear -- if we, as Christians, disengage our society, society has no order and evil will triumph. If good men do nothing, we will have to live with the outcome. We must stop the ripping down of what God originally planned. It is time to stand up and be counted!

New Year 2008-2009

2008-12-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

As we all look to another year, some things certainly come to mind as we consider what God has planned for all of us in the future.

THE PARADOX: We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We also laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We try to clean up the air, but worry little about polluting the souls. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but seem to accomplish nothing. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less with others. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and with small characters, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything that should come naturally. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. We live in a time when our thoughts and voice can transmitted around the world by the Internet, but we can't say "I am sorry" to those we love who are sitting right next to us.

REMEMBER, The Past is Gone, but the Future is New Every Morning: SO … spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, to say a kind word to someone who looks up to you because they are shorter, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give from your heart that doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. Remember, a kiss and a hug will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember, to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak about Him who gives everything to you, and take time to share those precious thoughts and blessings with those in need. Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but who we share them with; so take each breath God has given and Praise Him; then go out and share His love with others.

Finally

LOVE IS ETERNAL AND THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL LAST
We wish you a Happy New Year and God’s Blessing as you

Share His love during 2009

Trusting God When Money Seems Scarce

2008-12-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

I came across this article recently. I claim know credit to how it is presented, but certainly wanted to pass it on as food for thought. Certainly we all find ourselves taking our eyes off of Christ and affixing them on our specific situation. We should not do this as stated within.

Money seems to be a common topic in many conversations in America today. Our economy is hurting and therefore many people are financially hurting as well.

As Christians we know that God is our source of security, not the economy. Nevertheless, many Christians have found that their finances have also been adversely affected as a byproduct of the negative economy. So how do we trust God in the midst of pay cuts, layoffs, rising bills, and declining home values in our own lives? How do we keep our faith strong in the midst of financial trouble? Here are a few ways God shows us in His Word to keep our faith strong.

Watch Your Focus
The biggest thing that has helped me in recent times of financial trouble is focusing on the right thing, which is not the circumstances, but rather God and what He’s doing in me. 2 Cor 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

I’ve come to realize that our circumstances are temporary, but our faith and trust in God is eternal. I’ve seen income both grow and shrink in my family over the past few years, and I’ve come to realize that I can’t bank on that income -- God is the only thing that really stays constant.

I’ve also realized that I haven’t really let my faith grow during previous times of financial trouble, as evidenced by the fact that I worry every time the income goes down again. This time, I’ve decided to focus on how our current situation can help me grow closer to God because that is all that really matters. After all, God knew this would happen and He knows when it will be over. And even though I don’t know when it will be over, whenever that is, I want to be stronger in faith and closer to God as a result of the situation.

Once we switch our focus to what really matters, then the temporary situation doesn’t seem all that bad because we realize it’s just money.

Have a Joyful Attitude

If we let our circumstances put us in a rotten mood, we are no fun to be around! When I recently found out about a large financial setback in my family, I turned into a huge sourpuss! I was sad and depressed, and I wanted to eat lots of ice cream. Not only was I not fun to be around, but I brought my husband down too. I was so sad that I didn’t even want to read my Bible because I didn’t want to feel better. I wanted to wallow in my sorrow (ever been there??)

But the morning after I learned of the setback, I decided I should read my Bible because pity parties get old after a while. The chapter I happened to be reading that day was Philippians 4, which was just what I needed. At the beginning of the chapter I read verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” God might as well have come down from heaven and written that for me personally that day! That verse not only lifted my mood, but helped me apply these next few points.

Be Thankful!
No matter what we have, it’s so easy to complain about what we don’t have. If we would just stop focusing so much on what we don’t have, we can see the blessings of all that we do have, like family, friends, church, and even the physical things that God has previously blessed us with. Paul reminds us in Philippians that prayer with Thanksgiving is the key to eliminating our worry and anxiety. “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Phil 4:6.

Don’t stop giving!
When we aren’t thankful for what we have, often times we’ll stop giving to our church and other charities when money is tight. In reality, generosity is what opens up our lives for God’s blessings. I once heard a pastor say that if God can get money through you, he’ll get it to you. As Christians, we are blessed to be a blessing, but if we hoard all the money we have because we’re afraid that we don’t have enough, then we aren’t a blessing.

Our church has recently been teaching on generosity and how difficult that is when we feel like we don’t have enough material resources. Our pastor showed us a website where you type in your income and it will show you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world: www.globalrichlist.com. The minimum wage in our area ranked in the 11th percentile of the richest people in the world. When we realize just how wealthy we are in comparison to the rest of the world, how can we hold back from giving to others?

Do What You Can and Trust God to do the Rest
Having faith that God will supply our needs is extremely important, but God never promised to supply our wants exactly when we want them. Just because God will provide during a time when money is scarce, doesn’t mean we should spend money the same way we did when money was plentiful.

Beyond believing for increase, there are practical things we can do as well. When money is tight in our family, we cut back on eating out and buying extra clothes and electronics that we don’t need. We get creative and find more inexpensive ways to have fun and enjoy life. If things get really tight you can cancel cable or magazine subscriptions or other monthly costs that aren’t necessary. These cutbacks will help the money you do have go further and maybe even give you more quality time to spend with your family. God is full of wisdom and He wants to give that wisdom to us (James 1:5), but we need to be sure to listen to God’s wisdom and heed what He says to improve our financial situation. God may provide a new job for you, but most likely He won’t drop it in your lap while you’re watching TV. We need to do the work of looking for jobs, sending out resumes, putting forth effort and on God’s end, He’ll give us favor, but we have to make the first step.

Don’t Make Excuses
God doesn’t make excuses, so you shouldn’t either. When told that God will provide for us, sometimes we respond with, “Yeah, but...” God will always trump our excuses (nothing beats “Yeah, but the cross”).

I was talking with a friend recently who had just found out she was going to be laid off. I reminded her that God had been there for her in the past and had never let her down and this wouldn’t be any different. She responded by saying “Yeah, but this is a big thing.” I responded (with sarcasm), “Oh yeah, you’re right. This is too big for God. He made the world in six days, but he won’t be able to provide for you in this situation.” Deep down she knows God is big enough for her situation, but she let her worry come out in her words.

Many Christians really do believe that their situation is too hard for God, or that He doesn’t want to help them. In Matthew 8:2-3 a man with leprosy asked Jesus to heal him if he was willing. He knew Jesus was able, but he wasn’t sure if he was willing. Jesus told him he was willing, and he healed the man. If Jesus wasn’t willing to help us with all our needs, He wouldn’t have died on the cross for us.

I don't share these principles to give you pat answers to life's problems. I have had to apply all these principles in my life recently due to a job layoff for me and a large pay cut for my husband. I know what it’s like to be concerned about the situation and to worry, but I’ve also learned that what God says in His word is truth. And His truth is more important than how I feel or what the circumstances say.

Paul said he learned how to be content whether he had plenty of money and resources, or whether money was in short supply. He learned that by relying on God’s strength (Phil 4:11-13). There will be times of excess and times of need in our lives and since we can’t take money and possessions with us when we go to heaven, the only thing we have to carry through this life and into the next is our faith in and relationship with God. Beyond that, remember that God promises to not only supply our every need, but to do so liberally (Phil 4:19).

http://www.crosswalk.com/root/finances/11596818/page0

Psalm 64

2008-10-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Oppressed by the Wicked, but Rejoicing in the Lord -- Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked; From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity. Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. They encourage themselves in an evil matter; The talk of laying snares secretly; They say. "Who will see them?" They devise iniquities: "We have perfected a shrewed scheme." Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Our nation is at a turning point; 2008 will change the way we handle things in the future. Certainly prayer is the key to what happens and when, so continue to pray like your life depends on it...it does! At least while you are here on this earth!

Blue and Red States

2008-09-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

I promised myself that I would never get involved to the point of judging those who rule over us, but we stand of the very edge of history within the Election of 2008. This election, unlike those in the past will shape our country's future history. Who will serve in the White House for the next four years is on the mind of every American.

We are not just a group of RED and BLUE states, we are Americans. Certainly, within the news, one side as an advantage over the other. Even in the local TV Programs we see it...SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

If we allow things to go down this path, what will tomorrow bring? Character Asscination, many times hurts our country more than a gun. It is time to grow up as a nation and demand justice for all!

Too Fast for Filo!

2008-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Life can certainly come at us faster then we really expect. Many things in today's working world, not to mention family life, move at lighting speed, where just one decision can be life-changing. Many depend on their PDA to get them through one more day, but too many times we find ourselves press-down to the point where we can't seem to move forward. During these times, we need someone who can work and think outside the box; someone who looks at life "eternally" verses "just getting through the next hour." PDA's are great...but if we really want to have the ride-of-your-life...we need to look to Him, "the giver of all life." Only He can strap us in to meet the challenges of life. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Don't depend on a seatbelt or you may end up like Filo!

What Does it Take to Fill up your Tank?

2008-07-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

Many of us are concerned about what it will take tomorrow to fill our gas tank, but did you ever stop to think what is required to fill up our Spiritual Tank. We are living in a Spiritual Energy Crisis. It is evident today that many of us are running on empty. I thought, wouldn't it be nice to see some type of a sign (like a bumper sticker) on each and every true Christian that might say: "Powered by Jesus!" Wouldn't that be neat? Shouldn't we be powered by Jesus?

Jesus Christ is the source of our power. What a vast difference it might make if every church member were one hundred percent powered by Jesus. That would be awesome. Not self-powered, but Jesus-powered. Far too many of us live on our own steam when there is available for our use the awesome almighty power of Jesus. Are you living with His Power?

I want you to look at 2 Peter 1:3. It says... "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." If your tank is dry and you feel like you need to stop and fill-up, try filling up with the only person who can truly fill you to the brim. It will not cost you $4.31/gallion; you are going to get the highest rated octane for the price of regular when you deal with Jesus!

What Makes You Click?

2008-06-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

There is a connection between endurance, perseverance, and hope. The stronger our hope, the more resolute we endurance and maintain our relationship with Him. The longer we endure, the more we persevere through the tuff times, but without hope it’s difficult to hang tough. The more we know of Jesus, and what He had done for us, the greater will be our endurance, even when circumstances seem to be saying that everything is hopeless. “The hope of salvation” protects our thinking, our minds, so that we’re able to resist giving in to thoughts of hopelessness. So, hope is central to what we’re about as believers, not just something we lean on in challenging times.

For most, however, they have placed money at the center of happiness, thus requiring ever greater amounts to gain greater satisfaction. During times of hardship, lost of a job or some costly family situations, funds lessen; they are forced to seek other means of acquiring wealth. Under such statements as: "we are only trying to make it better for our family," or "we need to work based on the economy" everyone soon suffers because of missing parents who are now working 24/7 just to survive rising costs.

God is "a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, a God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing." Psalm 68:5, 6

If we can regain our connection between endurance, perseverance, and hope, thus placing God at the center and not money, we soon realize that money is not as important as our kids.

VietNam War Memorial_2008

2008-05-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Each year Americans remember the many who gave their lives for our country. This year, much like those before, we know several that road motor cycles to Washington "Rolling Thunder - Run to the Wall."

But whether you remember our fallen on a motor cycle or that time to pray for those lost and those still serving our country today, I would like to consider the concept of a "Memorial."

Throughout Scripture, God speaks volumes about remembering, thus placing a memorial for future generations. Different, but the same, the memorial concept is a remembrance of the past to help all of us make decisions in the future.

A spiritual memorial is simply any object, picture, or memory that can direct one's spirit towards the realization that God is good and faithful... When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land in Joshua 4, Joshua called each of the tribes to gather a stone from the river and, using these 12 stones, they built a memorial to the faithfulness of God. Joshua declared, "…When your children ask in time to come, 'What do these stones mean to you?' then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.'" (Joshua 4: 6-7) The first thing Joshua did when he entered the Promised Land was build a spiritual memorial to the faithfulness of God. He understood the transformative power of spiritual memorials. He understood that what some people might see as just a pile of rocks, others could be taught to see as a powerful testimony to God.

Another example of the transformative power of spiritual memorials comes out of the life of David in 1 Samuel 17. The young shepherd boy is thrust into a battle against a tremendous obstacle, the giant Goliath. As David considered the possibility of facing this giant in battle, he looked for hope in spiritual memorials of God's faithfulness to him in the past. When everyone around him, defeated and demoralized, trembled in fear of the giant, David chose to place his trust in God. David recalled occasions when God helped him defeat a lion and a bear while guarding his father's sheep.

These memories of God's faithfulness in the past provided David with the hope that God would be faithful in delivering him from the giant that he faced in this situation. So, armed with these spiritual memorials and a simple sling, David stepped into the valley and defeated the giant. David's act of faith infused hope and courage into the army of Israel. Suddenly, these men who'd been cowering in fear charged bravely across the battlefield to conquer the Philistines. Spiritual memorials not only serve as personal reminders to God's faithfulness, but at times they even bolster or ignite the faith of entire communities.

Spiritual memorials are all around us, but sometimes we just need to get people to see them with new eyes—to have a new experience with them.

National Day of Prayer

2008-05-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

"The future continually demands reorganizing of our thinking. Strategic thinking can be summed up quite simply: What seems to be happening? What possibilities do we face? And what are we going to do about it? It is about maintaining an acute sensitivity to changing conditions, a willingness to think in a variety of ways, and avoidance to traps formed by what we already know and an ability to decide."

Change comes when we pray for change. The future is always demanding reorganization, but God remains unchanged. "If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Change must begin with our relationship vertically if we want our horizontal relationships to be effected.

Benjamin Franklin spoke: In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection.- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.

We all need to pray for our nation; simply working things out through Strategic Thinking will only lead to addition needs. God wants to correct each situation, but we need to allow Him to do so...NOW MORE THEN EVER BEFORE!

The Search for Signficance

2008-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Every person is on a Search for Significance! We try to find significance through our personal relationships, work efforts, or the ability to achieve goals, but in every area, we always seem to come up short. Too often we spend our entire life looking for significance only to find that our diligent efforts have been placed in the wrong arena. I like what Stephen Covey says, "Sometimes we spend our entire life trying to get to the top of the ladder only to get to the top and discover that we had it leaning against the wrong wall."

In God, we have all the significance we will ever need! We where created in His likeness and image to have both an internal and external purpose. Too often we focus our need for significance in insignificant areas: such as our success that are based on personal goals that we will never achieve. Much of what our society has elevated to top priority positions is insignificant in light of eternity.

As I sit here sharing my heart, I suggest I am not so different from you all. We too seek the statements like: "job well done", but are we like you looking for it in the wrong place. I am reminded, we all need to "seek first the kingdom of God" verses simply expecting the acceptance from others after completing a task. By keeping Him and His eternal purpose first, we should be able to fulfill each daily priority better; by changing the priorities of life from centering on "me-first", we don't have to worry about the acknowledgements that will alway fade away with time. The Message New Testament says, "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You will find all your everyday human concerns will be met." No one ever missed out by putting God first.

The best information available says - that we will not regret the things we did wrong as much as we will regret failing to live life passionately based on a specific purpose in mind. Where do the things of God fit into your priorities? Is God and His eternal purposes first in your life? Each of us need to answer these questions personally. It is something that can't be fixed by someone else!

Since our significance comes from God; certainly, if given the chance, all the other areas of life will follow accordingly!

"You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments

that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others"

The Matrix

2008-04-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue-pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red-pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Did you ever feel that you have come to a turning point in your life; a cross roads that will take you to either the left or the right, but you where unsure as to which direction would be best. Many of us reach that point some time in our life were we must accept the blue-pill and simply go forward as we have always done or the red-pill to discover new avenues within our relationships, our families, and our service to Jesus Christ. If we choose Wonderland, we need to go down the rabbit-hole into an unknown territory. Like most rabbit-holes, it will lead to places were we haven’t been before or may have never considered if we just played it safe and took the blue-pill.

Serving in full-time missions -- it is like taking that red-pill. You don't fully understanding where it will take you, but you soon realize you will need guidance from a directional leader. Christ will always take you down a path where you least expect; to a Wonderland that far surpasses even your largest dreams. It is really up to all of you which pill to take. Choose wisely!

Fishing for Soles

2008-02-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

Fishing evangelism is different. Most Christian’s workers struggle with evangelism; therefore, so rarely dot it. Jesus said that evangelism is fishing for people. Fishing, not hunting. Instead of indiscriminate evangelism, you fish out seekers from among indifferent or antagonistic people. It is what Jesus did and what both Paul and Peter taught. You discover seekers by putting out bait to elicit questions; in your neighborhood, workplace, or campus. Bait comes in two kinds:

Your life: Personal integrity, you character, moral purity, graciousness, and truthfulness. Quality work for the employer, as thought he were Jesus Christ! Paul insists that a caring loving relationship cost time and energy, but your ability to give of yourself shows others that you truly care about them.

Your words: Brief, appropriate comments about God, tactfully inserted into secular conversation offers advancement in areas that normally are closed. Bait is tiny; you drop small spiritual bombshells in a casual, natural way, then simply stand back and watch how God makes the change. This leaves people free to ask questions, but only if they feel they are have not been places in the spotlight.

There is nothing but benefits to this approach:

For the fisherman...evangelism becomes enjoyable, because the seeker is asking all the questions.
For the fisherman...evangelism is patient and kind, allowing the seeker to pace the conversation as they are ready. We some times turn people off by saying too much.
For the fisherman...evangelism of this type shows respect. You treat the person, not as an object, but a real person who may be in need of help; help that only you can give.
For the fisherman...evangelism maybe right on target; not a stab in the dark to find out what their evangelic temperature is an any given time.
For the fisherman...evangelism is culturally sensitive. You are only answering questions that where asked, thus you are not pushing an agenda.
For the fisherman...evangelism is discreet. You have reduced the concept of a spiritual hostile environment that could blow up in your face.
For the fisherman...evangelism is Biblical. As Jewish hostility grew, Jesus simply taught in parables to offer new light on the same subject.

For the seeker there are also benefits:

For the seeker...they can take it all in within their timing, not yours.
For the seeker...they soon see that you really care and are there for them through each situation, not just specific ones.
For the seeker...they don't feel like they have been used; to check off that a Christian got another’s on his or her belt.
For the seeker...many times, like a fish, they are not aware that they are hooked until it is too late, or they really desired to bait and would risk everything to get it...it was their choice, not the fisherman.

Peter says, "Be ready to answer the questions." Paul says, "Know how to answer." We all need to give fishing a try, but remember -- Let the Holy Spirit finish the caught!

Breaking Bread Together

2007-12-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

As we rush to keep up with the speed of our busy lives, one of the first activities we tend to sacrifice is the sharing of a meal with other people. We may find ourselves eating alone at the kitchen counter or hurriedly drinking a cup of soup while driving in our cars. Yet taking the time to share a meal with family or a close friend not only feeds your body, but also it can nourish your soul. Companionship can fill the heart the way warm stew can satisfy your belly. Eating a meal with others allows you to slow down, while nurturing your relationships.

Breaking bread with others can be treated like a ritual where the gestures of sharing and togetherness are just as important as the food you eat. Planning, preparing, and consuming a meal are all stepping off points toward good conversation, bonding, and learning about someone else. Inviting a new acquaintance to share a meal can be the start of a wonderful friendship. A shared breakfast can be a brainstorming session between coworkers, or it can set the tone for a positive day for family members. Lunch with a friend can be a welcome break from the day's stress, as well as a chance to unwind. Dinner with loved ones can be a chance to talk about the day's events with people who truly care. Sometimes, there may even be no need for conversation, and you may want to share a meal with someone while sitting in comfortable silence.

The breaking of bread can be a fulfilling experience, especially when done among people you love and trust. So the next time you find yourself rushing through a meal in front of your computer, you may want to pause and reconsider. The warm feelings, sense of security, and enjoyment you experience from sharing a meal with others may be the kind of break that you really need.

Veterans Day_2007

2007-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2007
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom. The brave members of the United States Armed Forces have answered the call to serve our Nation, ready to give all for their country. On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great Nation.

In times of war and of peace, our men and women in uniform stepped forward to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love. They shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor. Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror. They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth.

Like the heroes before them, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world.

Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past, and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our Nation. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: " . . . let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle . . . ." On this Veterans Day, I ask all Americans to express their appreciation to our Nation's veterans.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2007, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 11 through November 17, 2007, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH

God, Please Help Us to Get it Right

2007-11-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

By Ron McGatlin

Urgent is the word to describe the season in which we now abide. Like a building in an increasingly potent earthquake swaying and cracking, the world is threatening to come apart at the seams. The economies, governments, and every aspect of human existence is stretched beyond its capacity to continue in the same form and direction of the past. The values, morals, and priorities that have structured past life are no longer sustaining the movement of mankind on the planet toward abiding in productive growth and well being.

Despair and despondency will become familiar realities among much of the population of the world. Driven to desperation man’s extreme solutions for sustaining meaningful life will greatly affect the social and political structure and endeavors of peoples and nations. Dramatic changes and extreme actions will alter life on the planet, first in the ruling cities and outward to the small towns and villages of the world.

Why is most of the world rushing toward this abyss of darkness? This is an individual and personal crisis as well as a national and worldwide disaster. First the people and their families are being shaken and coming apart at the seams then cities, nations, and the world soon follows. I hear from people almost every day that are at the end of themselves and the church as they have known it. They are worn down and tired from trying to get enough money to provide for a house, car, food, education, their personal wants, and for their children to have the "good life" so they can grow up to do the same for the next generation. The church routines and rituals have left them dry and without power and wisdom to find and fulfill the purpose and meaning of their lives. Self indulgence and pleasure seeking becomes a popular escape from the empty reality of life.

The following is a portion of a confession from a very private moment someone recently shared publically. This is typical of many Christians coming to an end of life as they have known it.

"What am I here for? I’m sick of the world, I’m sick of the Church, I’m sick of paying the bills and having an education and a career and a mortgage. I’m tired of feeling fat and old and ugly and dumb. I’m tired of hearing about the wonderful things that people with money are doing for the less fortunate. Why do they need attention? I’m sick of hearing about the starving kids and the widows who have nobody. Why are they still in need, when Your church is on this earth? I’m tired of worrying about the next terrorist attack. And I’m really sick and tired every time I hear of a new million dollar mega-ministry being built in this country while there are people being martyred in other countries for having a Bible. I’m tired of feeling like I am alone and I don’t have a heart and at the same time, I cry and grieve all the time about everything I just wrote. I’m sick of hearing about any of it, but won’t do anything? Why am I not doing anything? What can I do? I am learning that I will never do anything about it. Because I have to die, so You (Jesus) can. I want to feel love for mankind and I don’t. I’m almost numb. But I ask this question all the time: Why was Jesus here? Why was your son here?"

And another person writes: "I went through all of the "hoops" and the never ending "classes to equip" to be made ready for service.

I have read just about every book and taken every class there is to "add to my portfolio" that the system has dictated I should have to be relevant. I think I will be sick if I see one more program concerning being ‘seeker sensitive’ while being totally impotent to the needs around us." And these comments are some of the lighter ones from God-loving Christians. Others deal with families spliting up, children going astray into everything from immorality to suicide. Church leaders are giving up everyday, unable to cope with their own problems much less that of a congregation. What is going on? What is wrong? Can you feel Him weeping? Is your heart weeping? Mine is.What happened? Where is the church that He said He would build to bring forth His ways on the earth? Christ Jesus came from heaven to earth and provided all that mankind will ever need to live in such a way that there could be peace on earth and good will toward men. The obvious thing is that we, for the most part, have not got it yet. We have not found and carried out His way, His plan, and His purpose for His people on earth. Is it now time to turn back to God with our whole hearts and lay down what is not working to pick up what Christ Jesus said to do? Is it time to reconsider our lives in light of the reality of the words of Jesus and change our priorties of life to what He said? Yes, I believe it is that time. I believe there is no other way. Obviously this will involve changing what we have believed was the way and what we have been taught were the priorities of life and finding His way and His priorities.Much could be said and many points covered in a search for the way. Yet, I believe God is revealing the core issue or predominant initial error that has led us into the grevious state the world has come to. We (the church) have not known that we were supposed to be the bearers of the way of life into the world, the light and the life of Christ Jesus to rule and reign in every area of life in the world. Here it is in one verse:"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Mat 6:33).

Plain and simple the church for the most part does NOT know what the kingdom of God and His righteousness really is. We have not even known what the first priority of life is about. Oh, yes, I know each denomination or group has given some interpretation to defining the kingdom, but almost none have known the reality of the kingdom of God. Therefore, the church and the world have sought after many things. However, we have not sought the real kingdom of God as our top priority. We do not even really know what Jesus was talking about. Therefore, discovering what the kingdom is and seeking it first is the answer for our world an mankind.Praise God, there is hope.

There are those among us receiving the revelation of the real kingdom of God, the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus really taught and preached as the top number one priority of life. When we get it, we can move into the reality of the power and love of God to redeem and change the world.Not everyone is ready to hear the word of the kingdom. Only those who are given ears to hear can hear the word of the kingdom. Jesus said that those with hardened hearts and rock-hard religious convictions or cares of this life cannot hear "the word of the kingdom" (Mat 13:19).WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD?The phrases "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" mean exactly the same thing and are used interchangeably in Scripture. People have different thoughts about the kingdom of God. Some see it as a generic term for anything relating to God. Much the same as one might say "the animal kingdom" when referring to everything about animals. Some think the church and the kingdom are one and the same. Others relate kingdom to heaven someday. Some think of the kingdom negatively as a human attempt to impose religious rule over other people. Others think of it as a means for men to gain personal wealth and self-gratification. Some think it is only within believers and has nothing to do with governing in the world. Some others think of cults or false extremist sects when they hear the words "kingdom of God." The enemy desires that doubts and confusion would enter our minds when we hear the word "kingdom," because he greatly fears the kingdom of God coming forth in God’’s people. The enemy knows that when the kingdom matures in God's people, his inordinate rule on earth is completely over.So what was the kingdom Jesus taught so much about? The Greek word "basileia" is translated "kingdom" in English. Jesus spoke of the kingdom (basileia) over one hundred times in the Gospels.

One wonderful man of God who began to hear the gospel of the kingdom in the 1980s, said he had trouble with the word "kingdom." He asked God for another word to replace kingdom and heard the word, "government." A kingdom is a government ruled by a sovereign. Perhaps it will help us to think of the kingdom of God as "the government of God." Most of Jesus’ teachings were aimed at explaining the kingdom (government) of God, how it works, and how to enter it. The thread or general theme of the kingdom of God runs through all the teachings of Jesus and much of the rest of the Bible. But the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul in Romans 14:17, gives us perhaps the most clear, concise, spiritual definition of the kingdom of God. Romans 14-17: ... for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The word translated "kingdom" in the New Testament is the Greek word "basileia" which comes from the root word "basis." "Basileia" means "foundation of power, realm, rule, or royalty." "Basis" has almost the same meaning in English or Greek. It means to walk, to pace, or foot in Greek.KING / DOM "King" means "ruler or sovereign." "Dom" is the root from which we get words like "dominion, dominant, domain, and dome." Thus, the kingdom of God means the sovereign ruler/dominion walk of God, the ruler/dom of God.The kingdom of God is a realm or walk. It is a lifestyle, sovereignly ruled by the basic foundational power of God through which God’’s ruler/dominion is established on earth. The kingdom walk or lifestyle is produced by the appearing or manifesting of Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit within God’s people. When the character and nature of Christ is developed in the hearts of God’s people, they become the purified Bride of Christ. God’s love flowing in and through His bride produces obedience and righteousness prevails. Righteousness always leads to peace and joy. The bride or wife of Christ carries out her part as pictured in Proverbs 31:10-31, and the ruler/dominion of God is functioning in the world. The secrets of how to rule our planet God’s way are locked up in the revelation and understanding of the kingdom of God. They are extremely potent and can produce the overcoming of any negative force in the world. There is nothing impossible to those who possess the reality of the practical working of God’s government on Planet Earth.

The kingdom is only revealed to those with a pure heart. Most people are not in a position to hear even what was just written here, and there is much more that is vitally important to moving into the kingdom of God/Kingdom of heaven lifestyle. The Kingdom Growth Guides are filled with the revelation of the kingdom and begin with practical reality of getting into position to hear the gospel of the kingdom and empowering us to truly seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The kingdom Growth Guides are available free of charge...go Here:

http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_topics.asp?FID=14&PN=1

We are at War!

2007-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

We are at war, but unlike the battles you see every night in the news or read within our local paper, this is a battle that goes beyond any technology known to man. It is a battle that seems to touch everyone, both rich and poor, single or married, and it is not extrusive to male or female; it is a battle for the hearts, minds, and souls of mankind. Many call it "the culture war" euphemistically, but it really is a clash of two antithetical worldviews.

This clash manifests itself in a couple of area, but the overriding question still reflects What is truth and is there a truth...what does it mean to be human? These questions certainly apply to every issue you see today, whether associated with the environment, challenges of one generation over another, or simply questions of how we are to get along with each other.

A Christian worldview is a set of presuppositions and beliefs that are used to interpret and form opinions about humanity, purpose in life, duties in the world, responsibilities to family, interpretation of truth, social issues, and most important, their relationship with God. The Bible has much to say about the nature of man, the world, purpose, truth, morality, etc., and so does the world in which we live. The world asserts that man evolved, the Bible says he was created in the Image of God. The world says that morals are relative, the Bible says they are absolute. Where the world says that there is no need of salvation and redemption, the Bible clearly states that all people are in need of deliverance from their sin. The contrast is obvious and profound. Both cannot be true.

As we observe society, it is evident that not all is well. Television has degenerated into a bordello of violence, occultism, and disobedience to parents. It often portrays pastors as psychotics, priest as pedophiles, and religious people as insecure, ignorant, and bigoted. The News is extremely biased and when speaking in areas where religious and secular moral collide, it uniformly present information with loaded words. Instead of "pro-life" we hear "anti-abortion rights." Instead of "conservative" it is "right wing fundamentalist." Other words are used such as "Bible thumpers," "censorship," and "intolerance." According to the Center of Media and Public Affairs, the average TV watcher sees 14,000 references to sex and the average child "watches 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence by the end of elementary school." Illegitimacy is on the rise. In 1970 babies born out of wedlock were 10% of all births. In 1991, it was 30%; certainly much higher today. Rape is increasing as is violent crime, venereal disease, drug usage, and prison populations. When 30 Texas High School Students gathered to pray at the flagpole before school one morning, the principal politely, but forcefully told them not only to leave, but to pray out of sight.

Christians must adopt a Biblical Worldview in all aspects of life; we must have biblical perspective that we can offer to the world, if we want to make a true difference. This includes everything: education, medicine, the arts, politics, science, contemporary issues, ethics, and more. We can no longer sit back and let someone else run the show.

We are certainly in a War! How can we, as a nation, present our way of life to others when we don't have it together? We want to take our society and transpose it to fit into the needs of other nations, but unless it works right here, should we even try?

Please Lord...help me!

2007-08-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Come with me to a third grade classroom.....

There is a nine-year-old boy sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat." He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, "Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.

She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz! Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good. Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. Pray the following; there is no cost, but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.

The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. Amen.

A New Declaration for Us!

2007-08-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

Certainly our Founding Father had specific thoughts when composing such a declaration; thoughts that should transcend time and space. It is not a question of "throwing off the old guard to accept a new one, but changing the one we have to be more aligned with what God originally intended."

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill it lusts (Romans 13:11-14).

Governments change with time, but God's declarations will always remain the same!

It is time that our country and the rest of our world get with God's original program and stop trying to do it on our own. Putting on our Lord Jesus Christ, (for believers) should be clothing ourselves with Christlike Characteristics such as truth, righteousness, and peace. We like many nations have lost our first love and are looking to within to fix the problems of society. It is time for a new look at an old declaration...we hold our truths to be God's truth.

Faith of the Heart

2007-07-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Star Trek Theme

Certainly "faith of the heart" goes much further then a theme song from Star Trek Enterprise. True faith comes from a deep love of the one who freely gives us that faith. Troubles may come and situations develop that we have no control of, but only through faith can we move forward with our lives. We don't know what tomorrow will bring; we don't know whether we will even be here to offer some input to the outcome. What we do know, as Christians is...our life doesn't end with death, for death is yet a new season of life in Him; faith of the heart for what tomorrow brings is faith in Him who continues to give us each tomorrow.

We all need to base our faith in what really counts...

Old Glory

2007-07-05T06:46:00.001-07:00

Remember Me!

Some people call me Old Glory; others call me the Star Spangled Banner. But whatever they call me, I am your Flag; the Flag of the United States of America.

Something has been bothering me. So I thought I might talk it over with you, because it is about you and me.

I remember some time ago people lined up on both sides of the street to watch the parade. Naturally I was leading every parade, proudly waving in the breeze. When your daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder so that the hand was directly over his heart. Remember?

And you; I remember you; standing there straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember little sister? Not to be out done, she was saluting the same as you with her right hand over her heart. Remember?

What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I have a few more Stars since you were a boy and a lot more blood has been shed since those parades of long ago.

But now I don't feel as proud as I used to. When I come down your street you just stand there with your hands in your pockets. I may get a small glance, but then you look away. I see the children running around and shouting. They don't seem to know who I am. I saw one man take his hat off, then look around. He didn't see anybody else with theirs off so he quickly put his back on.

Is it a sin to be patriotic anymore? Have you forgotten what I stand for and where I've been; Anzio, Guadalcanal, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Iraq? Take a look at the Memorial Honor Roll, sometime, of those who never came back to keep this Republic free…One Nation Under God. When you salute me, you are actually saluting them.

Well, it won't be long until I'll be coming down your street again. So when you see me, stand straight, place your right hand over your heart. I'll salute you by waving back. And I'll know that...YOU REMEMBERED!

The 4th of July is not just a holiday, it is a life style

Reflecting the Character of God

2007-06-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

The first three chapters of Genesis give us a detailed account of the creation of this world and the creation of man. What is quite clear is the perfection of God's creation; everything was good. Man being created in God's image was good, sinless and in harmony with his Creator. What we then proceed to witness is the degeneration of the human race from perfection to moral abasement. This is called "The Fall of Man".

One of the goals of the Christian life is to get to know God, to know and impregnate oneself with His character, to learn how to resemble to Him, to forge oneself to and become His image. A Christian person will have succeeded his life if he arrives to incarnate the characters of God.

When we talk about "Reflecting the Character of God", in the beginning that was not a problem, but with the fall of mankind in Genesis, reflecting God's character became a little more difficult. For us to reflect God's character we first need to know God's character...

First - God's nature defines moral values. He did not merely "invent" them. Nor are they something we are "free" to define for ourselves. A righteous or upright moral character is a reflection of God's character; a depraved or corrupt moral character is anything that goes against, or is contrary to, God's character.

Second - Our values influence conduct. What you believe will influence what you do. You may be able to hide your true values, character and motives for a while; but when you do so, you merely introduce another character trait into your life - hypocrisy! And you cannot hide it forever: In the end, the day will come in which your true character will be exposed and known to all (1 Timothy 5:24).

Third - To truly understand the very Character of God, we then need to base our life on the following attributes:

God is love (1 John 4:8). God is the great lover of people - even people that have been corrupted by sin. He cares about us, He is patient and kind with us, He has good plans for us. (Jer. 29:13)
God is Holy (Ps 99.3). Holiness is spiritual beauty. It is also total moral uprightness and separation from all that is unclean or evil. Like a diamond in the light with many faces, each of God's attributes shines out in perfect balance. There is no defect in God's character or nature.
God is righteous (honest, impartial, fair). (Deut 33.24; Ps. 116.5). What he does is always right and fair from a moral point of view. As Judge of all the earth, God is a just judge. He judges with fairness, knowing all the facts and all the intentions of the heart. (Rom 2.16)
God is good (Ps 136:1). He wants good things for people and for the universe. Jesus did the will of the Father, doing good and healing those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38). However, God does not force people to be good, and it is because of the evil in people that there is suffering in the world.
God is truthful & has integrity as does His Word (Num 23.19; John 17:17).
God is faithful (keeps his promises). 2Tim 2.13.
God alone is wise in Himself (Rom 16.27) - that is, he knows what He is doing and is doing it in the best way. Any wisdom we may have received comes from God, not from our own independent creativity. Wisdom is knowledge correctly applied to achieve the right purpose.
God is forgiving and kind by nature (1 Jn 1:9; Pr 28:13; Matt 5:45). He blesses even His enemies at times and longs that his kindness will lead them to repentance so that He can forgive them. (Rom. 2:4)

CONCLUSION: To relate with God properly we must understand that He loves us, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11.6). We should not believe the world - not the world's view of God, the teachings of religious tradition or our own philosophies or imaginations. We should always strive to seek God's direction for our lives and in turn "Reflect His Character" to others.

God is into "Home Improvement"

2007-06-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me at the houses people build in the most insecure settings. Who among us has watched as homes (often large and luxurious), have been swept off their foundations by the power of a hurricane! How many of us have seen houses slipping from the cliffs along the Southern California coastline due to mud slides or during an earthquake! Even in our own inland regions we find sink-holes that consume entire homes in just one afternoon. Do you really want to build a million dollar home on top of a mountain with a skimpy foundation or build a vacation home right at water's edge; of course not, but people do everyday!

God is certainly into Home Improvement, but from a different perspective then most General Contractors or Structural Engineers would consider. Although foundations are critical to support the upper structure, His interests don't stop there; He is also interested in the interior design. The Bible says that "we are God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10) and promises that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Philippians 1:6).

In addition to new construction, God specializes in renovation projects (fixer-uppers) of the human heart. So often people think they have to clean up their act before God could ever accept them. Nothing could be further from the truth. God loves and accepts you just the way you are; although He doesn't intend to keep you that way. He has a design for your life. All He's waiting for is a "building permit" that will allow Him to be a master builder. If you say "yes" to God, He can commence His home improvement project right away and always bring it in on time.

You were created according to God's design. The Bible says you are fearfully and wonderfully made when He knitted you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139). Most of us would have to admit that we've done significant damage to the design of our life over the years. True change is beyond our ability. The Good News is that, in Jesus, God has given us all that is required to complete the job. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation..." (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus is the foundation on which our life must be built. The Bible also warns against building our lives on unstable ground. Too often we put our hopes in money, power, fame, or earthly desires. If we ignore God's plan, Jesus says that we are like the foolish man who builds his house upon the sand (Matthew 7:24-27).

If you want a sneak preview of how God intends to renovate your life (from the ground up), look at Jesus. He's the model or show home that God wants us to resemble when His redesigning work is complete. In God's blueprint, our new life is to be fashioned after Jesus' character. Like Jesus, we were created to carry out good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

Fortunately, we don't have to renovate our life alone. When we permit God to work, His Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in our hearts until the work is completed (1 Corinthians 3:16). Each day the Spirit provides a fresh supply of resources and building materials such as love, joy, peace, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit continually works to restore us.

So the next time you look inside yourself and don't like what you see, remember that God can redesign or renovate any life. Get a life...in Christ! It's one home improvement adventure that will truly change your life from the inside out.

Fellowship in the Body

2007-06-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

John Calvin wrote, "Christ . . . once for all offered a sacrifice of eternal expiation and reconciliation; now, having also entered the sanctuary of heaven, he intercedes for us. In him we are all priests (Rev. 1:6; cf. 1 Peter 2:9), but to offer praises and thanksgiving, in short, to offer ourselves and ours to God. It was his office alone to appease God and atone for sins by his offering."

Christ prayed for all Believers in John 17:20-26. There He offers us assurance that the glory God has given Jesus would be given to us as royal priests that has been made perfect in Him. "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. and the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one. I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have love them as You have love Me" (verses 20-23).

Jesus not only prayed for those the Father had given Him, but for all future believers - for their unity and their future glory. If you are a believer, these words are Jesus' prayer for you. "All may be one" is a present tense of the verb "to be" indicating that Jesus was praying for the unity that takes place through the sanctification of believers. This mutual indwelling of the Father in the Son and the Son in the church is also the means to unity, the ultimate expression of God's love.

Now let's get down to the real root of Christ's prayer. The Christian life was certainly not meant to be lived alone. God intends for each of us to spend precious time together with others who have Jesus Christ in their hearts. Often, however, Christians have either a wrong impression of what fellowship is, or how it helps them in their walk with God. Churches that don't associated with other churches in the neighborhood just because they believe something a little different in a doctrinal statement. Christ prayed that future believers would show unity, to allow God's love to flow freely between all who love Him. Of course there are some religions out there that are not part of the Body of Christ and/or will never be part, but why do Baptists stay away from Catholics and Catholics stay away for Independents; I thought we are part of the same team, or at least that is the way it was planned originally. It is mankind that put up the boundaries, not Christ; and it will be Christ who will break them down and set the story straight when He comes again; but do we really need to wait that long?

In order to have fellowship together we must meet together. When the early Christians got together they did more than just talked about doctrine. When we get together we should do things that are beneficial for the Body of Christ. Our fellowship should consist of prayer, time in the Bible, singing, encouraging each other, and getting to know on another. The goal of fellowship is to build each other up to become more like Jesus. This is not a short-term project, but a long-term life experience. Through fellowship, let us seek to help each other along the way.

Christ's prayer was for unity; unity that can still cross man made boundaries. We need to stop thinking about how we sing a song or do worship and start thinking how we need to join together to combat tomorrow's tomorrow. If not, we will be the losers, and we will loose more then what we lost on 9/11 as a nation, because that will happen again and again if we don't band together. Remember...tomorrow is just around the corner...

Self-Centered Society - A time for Change!

2007-05-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

We are a self-centered society that typically considers the well being of our self before others. What would happen if we place others before our own self-interest? Certainly such word phrases as "please and thank you" should be heard often. Is that the only thing required to change our society...certainly not...but it is a good start.

Show genuine interest - I believe this is by far the most effective way of encouraging others, but it has to be genuine. To be genuine means...you place their self-interest over your own; please keep in mind...you expect nothing in return.

By acknowledging what’s important to them first, your allow them to talk about their needs, while you have a chance to formulate a response that offers them a positive solution. Don't talk when you can be thinking and certainly don't talk if you haven't thought though a concept.

Say “well done” and “thank you” is a great start to help people when they feel there is no one really out here who cares. Reciprocate the favour - if someone does something nice for you, a great way to show your appreciation is simply to reciprocate the favour.

Respond with something unexpected - another effective way to encourage others is to respond with something totally unexpected. Out of the blue. That’s when the maximum impact is delivered. Such acts can reach them at an emotional level and our brains are hard wired to respond to emotional things.

Ask for advice or confide in them - This is like flattery. Haven’t you felt like you were on top of the world when your peers asked you for advice or confided in you about something personal or important to them? Did’t that make you want to help and do everything you can to ensure their faith in you is well founded?

Waiting for someone to ask you for advise - be proactive by offering to lend a hand. If that person sees that you are willing to commit your own time and energy in their interests, they will be more committed to seeing it through and less likely to give up themselves.

It is time for a change..."We serve God by serving others. The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept."

Rick Warren

This is a 'fallen', broken world that isn't always what God wants it to be. Humans get damaged. We do hateful things, we distrust, we lie, we trick ourselves and each other, and we seek after our own interest. We don't grow, because we grow up twisted without God's direction; hence the need to reconcile. This is true within each person, between people, in marriages and families, at the level of small groups, of towns, of peoples and nations. It is also true of our relationship with God, but at least God did something about that, through Jesus. Through Jesus we also can find what's most needed to heal, but that takes some of our own efforts to do so. Change is an action word...it is time to get going and do something; something that will last the test of time.

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

2007-05-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of god is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man -- and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:18-25)

Mankind is an unique creature! Sinful people can't mentally perceive the revealed truth of God, but they have chosen instead to suppress it. They are without excuse...and God's anger will be revealed against sin and the suppression of the truth one day.

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things; for you know that the judgement of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. (Romans 2:1-2)

We judge our neighbor (right or wrong), for their deeds, but commit the same deeds against others and receive praise (humanities double standard). We justify untruths and accept lies to suite some given political agenda. We convince ourselves that it is for the betterment of mankind that we act the way we do; then force that action on other countries. Most want you to believe this Scripture addresses homosexuality, but be careful...for those who throw stones will soon have stones thrown at them... "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment" (Romans 2:3).

So, how do we change? Certainly if we allow mankind to right the rules, change will never come about. Only God can make the difference...our hearts need to be changed from the inside out.

Fighting for the mind of Man

2007-05-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8).

We live in a world of ideas and philosophies, and whoever wins the mind is part of the way to winning the heart; it is much more difficult for the world to win the heart if they cannot enter through the gateway of the mind. One of the great needs today is to have Christians who are able to defend the faith and refute those who oppose it: either publicly, by debate or in print via books, articles or the Internet.

The idea that we leave our mind behind when we become Christians is blatantly unbiblical. We are to be salt and light to the world; salt both preserves and prevents decay; it also adds flavor. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) once said 'The only necessity for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing' - passivity in the midst of evil is sin. Let us also remind ourselves that "All authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to Christ not to the devil (Mat 28:18). Think about that the next time you are asked to stop praying in your class room, to remove the Ten Commandments, or accept the Koran verses the Bible in a Court of Law.

It is the duty of every Christian to be prepared to "give an answer (apologia to defend or speak or plead for oneself before a tribunal or elsewhere) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15-16 see also Col 4:5-6). Apologetics (from the Greek apologia, 1 Peter 3:15) refers to the branch of Christian theology that seeks to provide rational justification for the truth claim of Christianity. Paul also uses apologia in the sense of a legal defense (Acts 22:1, 25:16, 1 Cor 9:3, 2 Cor 7:11, 2 Tim 4:16). One of the qualities required of an overseer or bishop is that he must be able to "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:7-9).

Paul talks about 'deceptive philosophy' in the Scripture above - if we allow ourselves to be deceived, we are accepting the wrong message as fact. If we are to 'see to it' and see through it, then we need to use our mind (our heart may give us a gut feeling that it is wrong, but our mind will tell us why it is wrong). We should also use our mind to avoid false teaching - the current failure to use our mind leaves us wide open to false teaching. 1 Th 5:21 tells us to 'test (discern, examine) everything' and to 'Hold on to the good'.

While the mandate of the Great Commission is to make disciples, we are still to plunder the kingdom of Satan and 'open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light' (Acts 26:18). We can see from Paul that he debated, reasoned, persuaded, and defended the gospel in order to accomplish this purpose (Acts 9:29, 17:2, 17:17, 18:4, 18:19).

It is time for Christians to stand up and be counted for God’s Kingdom. Never before will it count more than now. Time is short…

Waking with a Limp

2007-05-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Did you ever feel that life is not fair? No matter what you do, say, or pray about, you always seem to be impaired; you walk through life as if you had a limp. Many of us feel that way when we really take time to sit and analyze our present situation. We question “why is this happening to me”; “what did I deserve to be on the wrong side of God”; “why is it, the more I try, the more I seem to regress backwards.

God never wanted us to walk with a limp; that is not how He designed us to live out our lives. Even when we’re committed to God and we’re doing what’s right, we will experience pain, injustice, and hardship. Some times it’s because of our Christian faith that we suffer. The world isn’t very user friend as a Christian. At times some of us can develop a negative attitude; we get angry with God or turn away from Him altogether. To them it all seems so unfair. God seems far away and His blessings seem unreachable. Yet others persevere through these hard times maintaining a positive attitude and trust in God. It is those who survive to play another day; to work through the situation by looking at it through God’s eyes.

Beth Moore suggests -- “We are to walk as people who have encountered God, and some of the most transforming encounters are wrestling matches. The lost do not wrestle with God nearly as much as we who belong to Him. The profane and ungodly don’t care enough to wrestle. We, who are His, often wrestle with Him most, and at times we also seem to hurt the most.

You probably know this. But we need to say it anyway: life isn’t easy. Most of us must struggle through life, believing that God’s blessings are but a prize to work for. Like Jacob of old, we expect to wrestle with God in the dark and to keep struggling until you prevail if you want to take a hold of the blessings you need. Our faith will be tested; for this there is no doubt. To grow in Him, we need to take risks. We have to think and act and relate in ways that are unappealing and unpopular for most to truly find what and how God wants us to live. Like Jacob we may end up walking with a limp, because we receive God’s blessings best when we’re wounded. (Genesis 32:22-32).

Is it worth it? For many it’s not. What some want most out of life are things like health, wealth, success, popularity, and pleasures. But the true blessings of God are all matters of the soul - emotional well-being, loving relationships, godly character, and, most of all, God Himself. These blessings bring eternal joy and meaning.

So we may feel we walk with a limp, but that may not be all that bad. He makes us strong through our weakness; we depend on Him more during times of struggle; during times that we can’t see clear sky ahead. It is at those times we question Him, but only through our questions can we receive answers that grow us stronger. A word of caution…there are times when the answer does come. It isn’t that He does care, it is that we need to learn something first before He can grant us the desires of our heart. We may have to limp a little while to run the race according to how He views our life.

God's Woodshed

2007-03-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Waiting on God is the special process through which the Lord causes our eyes to turn to Him for help in time of need. By extending the duration or distress of our trial even a little bit, our weaknesses become apparent.

It is at this point our hearts become desperate, our faith is proved, and our hope is purified. The process is so common that the phrase "Wait upon the Lord" or "Waiting on God" is regularly used in most Christian cycles. We need to wait on God for a spouse, for a job, for healing, for wisdom, for ministry, etc. We might say that it is Satan tempting us, and in some cases it is, but at the same time it could be God testing (proving) us. By doing so, He is bringing us a step closer to Himself through our dependence. Waiting; therefore, is a crucial step in which our dependence upon God grows. Without this deeper awareness of God in our lives, God restraining Himself from giving us grace, we learn to grow more depended for His guidance. Blessing without humbling brings increased susceptibility to temptation. This is the reason growth comes with tests. Humility keeps us from pride which makes us selfishly ambitious where we would otherwise forget the Lord.

Certainly waiting for the Lord is not easy. Our heart is often crying out in agony. We feel oppressed and constrained. We yearn for freedom and provision. Waiting upon the Lord for needed supplies is one common area in which He trains us. We have to be needy so that we are forced to look to the Lord for help. Our other resources are stripped away. Someone yesterday said to me, "But I don't like what the Lord is bringing me through." How true this is. We squirm, squiggle and squeak.

Waiting upon the Lord are times in which we do not have resources, or answers. Instead we are often confused, poor, broken and limited. Our hope is focused on what happens after that season of humility, where we will experience a period of God's blessing. If we live by confidence in our own resources and abilities, will we not become self-confident? What glory does that bring to God?! But through this process, God enables us to depend upon Him so that we know it is only He who does wonderful things in our lives. Ultimately then, waiting upon God protects us, deepens our trust in Him, forces us to seek His ways and brings Him the most glory. They are times the Lord is testing whether we are really seeking Him and His ways.

I can remember experience after experience, where I have cried out to God for help and deliverance. When going through those times, I think that if I could just get out of this one pit all would be well. However, not long after the Lord delivers me from one set of problems, I find myself in another whole set of problems. And again I am seeking His help with the same kind of desperate prayer. It began to dawn on me that God has carefully planned out these 'pauses' in life in order to renew, strengthen, humble and focus me on Him.

Certainly all of us experience waiting. Many times there is no alternative but to just trust Him to work the details in His timing. Frustration can be good only if we view our frustration...believing that He will remain beside us...before, during, and after each season. That is when waiting becomes worth while...knowing that in everything there is a season and seasons do change.

Facing the Giants

2007-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

Who is your Goliath and where does he live? If you listen carefully you can recognize his walk... the thunder of his voice...the taunting with bills you can't pay...people you can't please...habits you can't break...failures you can't forget...and a future you can't face. But how do we fight his approach, his attack, and his ability to disrupt our lives. We all face personal giants at one time or another in our lives; giants that seem overwhelming, invincible, and unmoving.

A few words of caution...we need to have a spiritual balance between acting like a Goliath in the eyes of others...able to overcome every situation...to having an underdog mind-set that fights against everything that seems to be outside of God's will for our life.

Giants come in many different Sizes and Shapes...

Sometimes the giants are people - there are people who are obstacles which we seem to be able to make no progress whatsoever. They stand in our way and we don't know what we are going to do to deal with them. Who is it in your life, who seems to dog your every step? You can't get rid of them; they are there, right in front of your every turn. Just like the armies of Israel, such people can paralyze us!
Sometimes the giants are situations - think about situations that arise in our lives that rise up like mountains; seemingly impossible to deal with; so enormous, so huge, that we don't know what way we're going to turn.
Sometimes the giants come from within - fear about a situation can stop you dead in your tracks faster then a physical person or situation. Fear of the unknown, God's will, or the uncertainty of a decision.

Each of us must face our giants...maybe the following will help! (1 Samuel 17:1-11, 41-50)

List out all your personal giants you are presently facing.
Look to God for the answer your concerns? (Psalm 19:14)
Believe that "God is a God of the impossible." (Ephesians 3:20) (Luke 1:37) (Mark 9:27)
Be open - surrender to the outcome; praise God no matter what happens. (2 Corinthians 12:9) (Philippians 4:12-13)

I pray you will be able to overcome your giant...I pray that I will too! We don't have the strength to do is on our own...it takes He who is greater than all of us.

The Purpose of Community

2007-02-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

I am always inspired by people like Paul; people who proclaim and sustain hope. You see, there are times when I tend to see the glass as half empty, rather than half full. I tend to be the kind of person who can focus on what is not working rather than on celebrating what is; I guess it is the engineer in me. At times, there is a part of me that can become cynical and switched off to hope. When that happens, I aspirer to pray harder for others and my problems seem to gradually get smaller.

Community is not just a sum of individual parts; there is a synergy grounded in patterns of relationships and interactions that are all connected and affect each other. How people interact in one part of the body certainly has a ripple affect to other parts whether we know it or not; something like these gears and how they interact.

To be a healthy community, a healthy body, Paul says the gifts of all parts are needed. And each part needs to respect and value the gifts that are not their own. Just because an eye thinks that seeing is the most important thing because that is all it knows and has ever done, does not mean that the body does not need ears to listen, hands to heal, a heart to offer compassion, a mouth to speak truth, a mind to see the bigger picture. One part cannot pretend that it is more important, or less important. When that happens it divides. The word in Greek means literally “tears to pieces.”

Paul reminds them that they are better together. Paul asks the Corinthians to orient their differing gifts in unity. They are not asked to eliminate differences but to coming together and interact, to recognize their interdependence and cooperate so that they can be the body of Christ as a community.

We can’t talk about a living body, without talking about health and maintaining health. I know that keeping my body healthy entails paying attention to the mind, body, spirit connection. When my mind is caught in negative critical patterns of thinking, it drains my spirit and my body energy. When I am not attending to my spiritual well-being, I find my mind moving into those very negative, critical patterns which in turn affect my body. We also need to think about how we are affecting our family, our community, and our work place. You know from experience that some patterns and interactions help to create health and wholeness for all the parts and for the system as a whole; and some interactions encourage disease, disintegration and dysfunction.

I think we all could strengthen our attitude of gratitude since it is such a key marker in health. What if we appreciated and thanked people for what they do in community instead of looking for what missing or not done according to our expectations?
What if we each offered our gifts to build up the whole community and its mission of being the body of Christ?
What if we were to pay close attention to the information loops in our community...the way information is carried from one part to another. What if we all worked to keep these loops healthy and information flowing freely amongst them, building one another up in trust?
What if we made sure that each person felt connected with the loop of communications that allowed spiritual grow by sharing our gifts to others without the fear of rejection.

It does not mean that there will not be conflict or troubles in a healthy community. That is part of dealing with diversity and growth, and change. But a healthy community is one that does not run away from, but actively and responsively address or heal its disturbances, and grow through them.

BE THE EYES, FEET, AND HANDS OF CHRIST

Christ has no body now on Earth but yours...no hands but yours,no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which is to view Christ's compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless people now.
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a

Finding God's Will

2007-02-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

Are you wrestling with a career decision, not sure which path to take? Are you wondering which direction the Lord desires you to go? If so, you are not alone! Many Christians struggle with making career decisions at various points in their lives. As Christians, we desire to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. We want to do His will in all aspects of our lives. We long to make the "right" decision--the choice that proves to be good for us and that is the one we believe God would have us make. So what can we do to make wise career decisions that are within the will of God for our lives? Although the Bible is not a manual on career planning and decision making, it does teach some important principles that can assist you in becoming a wise decision maker.

Our first priority in life must always be to develop an increasingly intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In our society, we are concerned with accomplishments: what we do, how we perform, what we produce, how busy we are, etc. We may judge the fruitfulness of a pastor's ministry, for example, by the size of his or her church, the number of books written, tapes produced, the presence of a television ministry, etc. Yet Jesus said that all of this doesn't matter unless the person is intimately connected to Him: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:5-6). There are some warning signs - does your job require you to act in unethical or immoral way such as not revealing certain information about a product or service to a prospective customer? Does your work require you--or seduce you--to spend so much time at work that you have little time for anything else including your friends and family, your quiet times with the Lord, church, etc.? Does it tempt you to become prideful, greedy, manipulative, etc.? In other words, is your work leading you away from Christ rather than leading you toward becoming more Christ-like? If so, you would be right in questioning whether this is a career path the Lord would have you to pursue. As Jesus says, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Mt. 16:26).
God has created you with the aptitude for particular skills and abilities, and with the inclination toward particular interests. Your design is the most important factor to consider in making career decisions. You are God's handiwork. He created your inmost being, and knit you together in your mother's womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14). You have been given work-related gifts that have been chosen specifically for you (Romans 12:6-8). God desires for you to use the gifts He has given you. Working out of your design will bring you satisfaction, will bless and enable you to serve others effectively, and will bring glory to your Designer. To make good career decisions you must have a thorough knowledge of your personality, skills and abilities, interests and values. Without this knowledge, you are not fully equipped to make good career decisions.
Being a Christian does not exempt us from the responsibility to become wise decision makers. Therefore, it is your responsibility to use your God-given mind to learn how to make good career decisions. Learning how to make decisions is a part of developing wisdom and maturity, both of which God desires for us. The book of Proverbs is full of admonitions about the importance of gaining wisdom to live a life that is pleasing to God. The proverbs are given to us "for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life..." (Prov. 1:1-3). God desires for us to have not only spiritual maturity and wisdom but also wisdom that relates to making decisions in this life.
Living out God's will for your career and life will require that you take risks. Learning to take risks is an essential part of following God and living out His will for our lives. Without risks, a person's life becomes a process of digging an ever-deeper rut in which he or she stagnates and cuts himself or herself off from all that God intends life to be. As Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We know that, as God's sons and daughters, we have already won in this life--we are victors! God calls us to live courageously--to take risks in order to use our gifts and bring salt and light to this hurting world. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain! "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)

Moving forward is not easy, take my word for it. I have been searching through Scripture for the past several years; searching and searching to ensure how long to stay within my present season of work and when to move on. God gives us seasons of life; each season has a specific purpose and calling.

I believe seeking wise counsel is primary for any seasonal change...that is scriptual. The more I read, the more I get confused...each writer has a little different slant to the situation, but what comes through the overall concept is...placing God first in everything and just let Him work out the details. If you place Him first...He will not allow you to make the wrong decision.

So as you walk forward...walk softly and don't carry a big stick. Allow God to speak so you can listen. If you are stomping around making lots of noise, you will not hear Him. Don't be a heavy foot person stomping through life.

The Perfect Storm

2007-02-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

The decline of America should be obvious to any rationally thinking American. The explosion of crime, gang warfare and drive-by shootings in our cities; the disintegration of the American family, with proliferating divorce, infidelity, child abuse, single parent families, and teenage rebellion; the explosion of drug usage (the highest in the world); abortion on demand that kills millions of babies in their mother’s womb in the name of progress; the rampant spread of promiscuity, pornography, homosexuality, and sexually transmitted diseases; the dummying down of American children in the public school system; high taxation; the ignoring of our Constitution; exploding governmental controls over every aspect of the American peoples' lives; and gross immorality and corruption at the highest levels of the U.S. government are all irrefutable evidence of a country whose culture, morality, traditions, and spiritual life are in a free fall.

Our Lord allows storms to come into our lives for a variety of reasons. For unbelievers, some storms are sent to force them to cry out to God for salvation (i.e. September 11, 2001). In the case of believers, God some times will use a storm for correction, to bring back to His side as a parent would a child. Judgment can take on many forms; massive earthquakes, storms, floods, and fires (i.e., accelerating physical disasters); the removal of our financial prosperity; the proliferation of deadly diseases and plagues (i.e., consider AIDS, Hanta Virus, the flesh-eating virus or bacteria, or the Gulf War Syndrome); increasing oppression of the people and their freedoms by an all-powerful, collectivist government; the ascendancy of wicked, evil leaders who reject our traditional values, morality, history and culture; and eventually via attack by foreign powers (whether a New World [UN] Army, a reborn Russian and world Communist movement (including China), by radical Islam, or some combination of these groups). Is it just possible that these events are not just happening by coincidence, but are warnings from God? Americans are now either practicing or tolerating lifestyles which the Bible clearly states will remove God's blessings and bring the wrath of God. God has warned in the Bible that He will destroy any nation which openly practices fornication, adultery, homosexuality, sexual perversion and the shedding of the blood of innocent children including abortion and partial birth abortion.

The Perfect Storm -- When our country was in the grip of the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, all of us where reminded how easily certain conditions bring us close to a total melt down. Certainly each of us can and do experience minor "storms" at different levels; the loss of a job, a loved one, a break-up, moving, health issues and other traumatic transitions can "knock you off balance" and make you feel that everything in life is coming apart. But when you combine several issues together; we see how quickly society breaks down.

Certainly our elections in 2008 can set the stage for more things to come; therefore, choose wisely. On the surface, things may look like they are improving, but remember, what is stated in a campaign doesn’t necessary come forward into policy.

The President of the United States sent a letter of congratulations for the Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration, 1998 at Disney World. In the letter the President stated: Our ideals and our history hold that the rights guaranteed us as Americans are inalienable. They are embedded in our Constitution and amplified over time by our courts and legislature, and I am bound by oath of office and the burden of history to reaffirm them... And we stand to lose when any person is denied or forced out of a job because of sexual orientation.

God's judgment is not a popular topic among most people, even among most Christians. The Church in America today shares in the responsibility for the decline in this once great land. Americans have become fat, dumb, lazy, apathetic, and complacent, in part due to being spoiled by 50 years of nearly uninterrupted prosperity since the end of World War II. Many can no longer discern the difference between good and evil, nor do they in any way take a stand against evil. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13: Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.

There is a Perfect Storm looming on the not to distance horizon that will make our present situation look like a social hiccup; a storm that will make us all wonder how, where, and why did we allow our country (not to mention the world) get this way. We need to be ready for it; turn your hearts toward Him!

Safe Harbor

2007-02-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Safe Harbor

Many assume that the weather merely obey the laws of science. But mariners have always known that there is another power at work. "They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed."

Psalm 107:29

There are also metaphorical storms in our daily life. When those planes flew into the towers in Manhattan, many in the United States and Canada felt the impact of the storm. Right now in Pakistan Christians are facing a vicious storm of persecution. There are storms that can hit our place of work, and suddenly all is in confusion. Some of you are facing financial storms, and there seems no hope of paying the bills. There are also medical storms that engulf us and our family. All is going well, and then suddenly cancer or a heart attack hits us or our loved ones. Some of the toughest storms are when a family is being torn apart and is in danger of breaking up by the force of the wind.

We all need to know how to weather the storms of life. Christian faith is about much more than just surviving shipwreck. It's about believing, with confidence, that whatever and wherever our journey takes us, Jesus will always remain at the helm.

Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

The Cross of Christ

2007-01-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

The cross stirs up persecution -- even in America. A rising number of brave uncompromising Christians can testify both to the "offense of the cross" and to the joy of sharing Christ's suffering.

Few of those heaven-minded saints demonstrate Biblical conviction more humbly and kindly than Patrol Sergeant George Daniels. Yet, in September 1998, this honored "Officer of the Year" -- a 13-year veteran of the Arlington, Texas Police Department -- was fired. While other officers could wear symbols that expressed their beliefs and values, Sergeant Daniels was denied such freedom. Afraid that his tiny cross-shaped lapel pin "might offend someone,' Police Chief David Kunkle refused to grant him permission to wear it.

George Daniels agonized over his decision. He had given his life to God, and he couldn't ignore Scriptures such as Acts 5:29. His conscience told him "to obey God rather than men," and as an American citizen, he had that right. Should he not, by faith and with his life, exercise that right? In the end, he did. Willing to suffer for and with His Lord, he took an unpopular stand and faced the consequences. But in his heart, he agreed with the words of the apostle Paul,

"what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...."

Philippians 3:7-10

Sooner or later, we all are faced a turning point...do we just "go-with-the-flow" or stand-up for what we believe. Taking a stand for Christ will cost you something...it maybe your job and/or in some nations, even your very life. If we allow a small cross to be removed from our person, what are we going to do when we are asked to give up our Bible. Times are coming when each of us need to make a choice about where we stand.

Put on Christ

2007-01-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision of the flesh, to fulfill its lust.

Romans 13:12-14

I often hear people ask, "Which form of government is the best? Which is the one God wants us to have?" We Americans would love to think that democracy obviously is the most God-honored form of government. But I don't think you can establish that from the Scriptures. In fact, the Scriptures reflect various forms of government. So when you ask, "Which government is the best kind? Is it a monarchy? An oligarchy (i.e., ruled by a few)? Is it a republic? A democracy?" The answer of Scripture is not necessarily any of these. It is whatever God has brought into being. That is best for that particular place and time in history. God has brought it into being, considering the makeup of the people, the degree of truth and light which is disseminated among them, and the moral conditions that are prevailing. For that condition, for that time and place, God has brought into being a particular government.

Not long ago I read about a man who was hauled into court because he had stolen a loaf of bread. When the judge investigated, he found out that the man had no job, his family was hungry, he had tried to get work but couldn't, tried to get funds for relief but couldn't, and so in order to feed his family he had stolen a loaf of bread. When the judge found out the circumstances, he said, "I'm sorry, but the law can make no exceptions. You stole, and therefore I have to punish you. I have to assess, therefore, a fine of ten dollars. But I want to pay the money myself." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a ten dollar bill, and handed it to the man. As soon as the man took the money, the judge said, "Now, I also want to remit the fine." That is, the man could keep the money. "Furthermore, I am going to instruct the bailiff to pass around a hat to everyone in this courtroom, and I am fining everybody in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a city where a man has to steal in order to have bread to eat."

The problem is not with the court system, not with the government or how we are govern. The problem is in the hearts of mankind. If you want to change the system, you must first change the heart.

So the next time you complain about how our government is not doing something you thought they are required to do, look at yourself. God has -- brought it into being, considering the makeup of the people, the degree of truth and light which is disseminated among them, and the moral conditions that are prevailing. For that condition, for that time and place, God has brought into being a particular government. We are the cause of each situation we find ourselves...do we continue to blame the government or take the responsibility for the makeup and the degree of truth in place. It is time for a change and the change must come from within.

God's Secret Weapon

2007-01-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Left to ourselves we will assert our will contrary to God. It is the nature of mankind to believe he is in charge and better equipped than anyone else to make life's important decisions. But if we look at the problems of life from God's perspective there is a definite pattern. Every time we violate a biblical principle we reap a problem. And even if we work to eliminate the problem, unless we deal with the core issue, we are merely trading one problem for another.

The KEY is to live in such a way as to not hinder the grace of God. God's grace is power. It is mediated to us by prayer, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. It is summed up in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Here is God at work in us giving us the desire as well as the power to do what pleases Him!

The master illustration is in the life of Jesus. He lived in harmony with God because He understood about God's Secret Weapon. Philippians 2:5-11 tells the story. Existing in the "form of God" Jesus had a position in the universe of equality with God. At a point in time Jesus willingly took the "form of a servant." Now we view God in terms of "The Father, " "The Son" and the "Holy Spirit." In this God illustrates a submissive relationship. At no time does the Bible imply The Father and The Son are anything less than equals. But in their relationship to One Another there is submission. The Greek word translated submit (and subject) is hupotasso. This is a term indicating order rather than ability. It is used in a military context to illustrate chain of command. Junior members of a military unit "submit" to senior members.

The biblical idea of submission means "arranging under the authority of another." This is not the life of a doormat! It is a recognition that God has ordained a certain order in the universe and exhibiting a willingness to work in harmony with that order. The significance of accepting this concept cannot be overstated in terms of our spiritual and social health. Many problems are traceable to a violation of this principle.

We need to accept God's direction and not depend on our own. That certainly sounds easy, but it is not; we really have to work on it. That is the only way we can move forward in life and not trade one problem for another.

Teasures Beyond Belief

2007-01-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Movies, books, and television programs tend to excite our imagination when they present stories about hunting for buried treasure. Pirates, of the old mast, obtained fortunes in gold, silver and jewels, many of which are still hidden to this day. But there are treasures far more valuable than anything you can find in a buried chest or a sunken pirate ship and these treasures are available to each of us.

The Bible is a treasure chest of divine promises. One of the most precious, yet often-overlooked, is found in the book of Philippians. If you want peace of mind, you will want to act on this promise. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6–7).

Scripture also compares God’s kingdom as a valuable pearl. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:45–46). The pearl of great price represents spiritual riches.

Human beings are still learning a hard lesson that no amount of material wealth will provide lasting happiness. We see this in the lessons King Solomon learned. He had it all, but throughout the book of Ecclesiastes we find the theme repeated, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon was the wealthiest man on earth, but his wealth did not bring him contentment. After searching for happiness in so many ways, what did he conclude? "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all" (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Those who seek physical, material treasures often fail in their search, but if we seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, you will find the greatest treasure of all…HIM.

Shoes of Righteousness

2007-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Bible speaks volumes about how we are to approach our Heavenly Father.

In Exodus 3:5, Moses was to approach Him by taking off his sandals. In Acts 7:32, we see again this same encounter..."Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

In Joshua 5:15 Then the Commanders of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandals off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Certainly it is not a question of shoes, but a personal attitude, how we approach the holiness of God during our life. Steve Green sings about leaving footprints behind that others may follow; thus they will see our faithfulness; how we approach Him and honor His authority in our lives. The life we live needs to light a way for others, that through our walk, others will come to know God's love. The fire that burns within our life, to share Him with others, should offer a burning desire of others to also share. We need to be an example. The question is -- what does your footprints look like.

Certainly all of us want to put our best foot forward; use only formal shoes that leave the best imprint, but all imprints are good as long as to express God's love towards someone else. Certainly you wouldn't wear a formal shoe when working in the bush; you would wear a common shoe like this one shown here. It is not about the shoe, it is about the heart. Moses only took off his sandals (shoes) when God asked him too. It wasn't about the shoes, it was about the man...God's man standing on God's holy ground and God wanting to share His love direct. We need to stand firm, with or without shoes; it is all about a relationship with Him, but most important, it is all about what we leave behind for others to follow. We need to offer a good imprint, one that shows the fullness of a love relationship. What kind of footprint do you offer; is it one that you want someone to follow. Think about it the next time you sit down to put on a pair of shoes as I will.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

2007-01-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

One size doesn't necessary mean it still fits... Noah certainly had a big task; he had to gather two of each kind and get them into a boat.

I am reminded of what Bill Cosby suggested in his reflection about Noah -- Who is this really?...Am I on Candid Camera? Little did Noah realize that the task was a little larger then he expected, well over budget, and someone should have though this through before placing all different animals together in a confine space. Did you ever feel that God doesn't do things on a small scale, and when He talks, everyone listens.

Certainly God asks many of us to do some strange things, whether it be for just a season or a life time. Little did I know that at 50-years of age I would be asked to give up my career, go back to college (which turned out to be seminary), and move East Texas to serve in full time missions.

Being an engineer I typically can't just take things on face value; I need to measure all available options that will produce the best outcome. Engineer's are like that; weight the costs before spending the money. If I was asked to build Noah's boat and gather in some animals, I would want to know the final outcome, the purpose of the task, develop a cost analysis for the project, and determine the correct manpower allocations for the project before moving forward. To stop everything and just pick up a hammer...start banging on some wood without any formal blueprints (other than verbal direction) would not be logical. Talk about a "walk in faith"...and that is what we had to do!

I have been asked several times..."are you retired"...on the surface it may seem that way, not having any corporate income, no 401k plans, not even a long term goal written down in a day-timer. God simply wants us to walk in faith and allow Him to plan the future. Whether that was going through Noah's mind when he accept the position, only God knows, but it would certainly be an issue if I had to build a boat to transport these animals. All of us need long term planning, but when you deal with God...it is His plans...not ours - that we should follow.

Now, getting back to Noah...certainly the boat took more then a few years to build. If Noah is anything like me, there would be lots of time to think about the task and/or question the outcome. Being over budget, consuming all his spare time and efforts, being questioned from every Tom/Dick and Harry...what do you thing you are doing...building a boat that is too far away to launch, etc., certainly would raise some doubts. Whenever God wants something done in our lives, it may not be logical to the world, but most certainly have a purpose, even if we can't see it...He can. It shouldn't stop the forward progress of the task, but certainly it should make you question the mythology. Such was the case within Cosby presentation that is so real -- "no wait a minute, there got to be a better way." God always weighs the cost, knows the outcome, and looks at the big picture, even when we can't.

Now the question at hand...how would you handle such an assignment? Question it and analyze the outcome before moving forward or just walk through it in faith. I believe it is the walk that will get you there and not the analysis. Try it for a while and let God run the show. You won't be disappointed...trust me and certainly trust God. You will not go wrong...He will not let you.

TIME IS SHORT

2006-12-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, thinking about the need to write our end of year Anchor of Mercy Newsletter, my mind began to wonder towards several areas around the world that are presently experiencing upheaval. Everywhere you look...newspaper, television, and magazines...you see a struggle; whether it is between people or countries…whether it is through natural causes (earthquakes or other forms of environmental calamity); there is always something going on. No country seems to be exempt; no country is without turmoil; unfortunately some more than others. Each day it seems to worsen; children killing children, countries threatening to kill their neighbors with unspeakable technology, and it is growing at a mega-scale.

The Bible gives many signs that should warn us of the coming end of the age. Six such signs are given by Jesus, two characteristics are given by Paul, and eleven other occurrences are given by the prophets to occur prior to or soon after the end of the age. While we are also told we will not know the time of the End, God obviously wanted us to know His timing and how to prepare as it got closer.

Unfortunately, Christians read Scripture and ignore many of these warnings; yet others have fallen into the trap of not wanting to be labeled..."conspiracy theorist" or “the radical right”…should they display an interest in the Biblical Prophecies. My philosophy is simple. God included future events in the Bible for a reason and, since God is all knowing...we should trust that it is true and study it along with the rest of His words.

As we all look to 2007 and hopefully beyond (Lord willing), we all need to remember what is important. Family, friends, and other very unique relationships that you have developed through the year; all should be at the top your list. For only through personal connection can we feel that we have contributed to our world’s indifferences...one person at a time.

Several years ago there was a commercial that suggested “you tell someone…they tell someone…and some on.” We don’t all need to go to a foreign field to serve, but we are all called to visit the guy next store. That is what it is all about…sharing Christ to the nations, but not at the expense of not meeting the need of the guy next store.

Time is short and our world is not getting any better…so the question is…what are we doing about it? Each of us needs to answer that question; each of us needs to listen to His calling for where He wants us to spend our time, our efforts, our energy and our assets. Time is short and certainly each of us wants to make our life count for Him.

Remember -- New Year’s Resolutions are only as good as our ability to act upon them; Faith is an action word, because each of us needs to walk in and by faith. Make a resolution that makes a difference, for time is short. If you ask me about my resolution for 2007 and beyond...I just want to serve Him more as He gives me strength. I also want to be there for others and to meet their needs in a timely fashion. Being in full-time missions...all I can do is give of myself...thank God for all of you...and pray for each of you, as I know you are praying for us. May God richly bless you in 2007.

Anchor of Mercy

2006-12-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

SEASONS GREETINGS

FROM THE HENSMANS AT

MERCY SHIPS

Christ Born of Mary

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they cam together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a jus man, an dnot wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-24

To truly understand the birth of Christ, you need to understand the culture of that day. In Jewish culture, a marriage covenant is typically arranged years before the consummation of the marriage. It was during the one-year period of betrothal that Mary was found to be pregnant. The fact that Mary was a virgin at this time is clearly implied by the phrase "before they came together;" therefore, Joseph was not the physical father of Jesus Christ. That means...there had to be another donor.

Conceived...of the Holy Spirit; Verses 1-17 establish Jesus as a legal son of Joseph; vv. 18-25 deny that Joseph was Jesus' physical father. The first was necessary to establish Jesus' lineage to David and His royal right to be King. The second was necessary to establish His qualifications to be the Savior of all people; Jesus was God's Son and not merely Joseph's. Matthew elaborated on Jesus' kingship while Luke detailed His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-56).

Certainly most if not all facts about the birth of Christ is known by many, but what I want to express within this posting is -- what would have happen if Christ was not born into the culture and time frame that He was? For example - take His birth and move it forward in time to our century. Although still Jewish, the culture of today would certainly look at this pregnancy differently. Would Mary consider or be forced into an abortion and if that happen, what would it mean to us to not have a Savior?

Whether you are Pro-life or Pro-choice really comes into a new way of thinking when you consider Christ as the baby. Calling yourself a Christian also changes when you consider Christ is a possible abortion situation. Joseph certainly had the right to make an example of Mary back then, but how would he handle it today. How would Mary handle the situation, even after being told the baby she was carrying was the Son of God.

What about Aunt Meg or Uncle Bob...how would they handle it to know that their neice was pregnant and could only offer this a story of being visited by the Holy Spirit. First, Mary would have be placed in a rubber-room, not to mention quietly removed from society and place in a home somewhere. Thank God they where in the culture that didn't have the opion of ending life so easily.

As we all move into yet another year...we as a society need to consider some things about where we are going as a society.

Why blame God for your present situation?

2006-11-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Did you ever take time to think about what God feels when He looks down from Heaven at the mess we have created?

We question His presents, His involvement, based on how we view His involvement in our lives, but at the same time express a true desire to want to do our own thing; believing we are fully in control of ever situational outcome. We only ask Him for help when we physically run into a brick wall and have no solution to our dilemma. We blame Him if the answer doesn’t meet with our time frame or what we thing the answer should reveal.

What would or should God do to correct the world’s situation and not jeopardize His present direction, hope, and love to us? Would He include the desires of our heart or simple do His own things and not consider our input? How would He handle it and would we be pleased with the outcome?

God could let things drift on as they are with the present mixture of pain and pleasure we all experience. He could adopt the pose of the absentee, disinterested God. In doing so he would, of course, deny his love. He would publicly, as it were, give up on his creation - giving up on loving it, give up on desiring its healing. The cry of the martyrs How long, how long O Lord would go unanswered except with a shrug of the shoulders from the almighty indicating that they - and we - are just going to have to live without hope. That's not an encouraging scenario.
The second possibility would be for God to re-engineer us so that we became those automatons that we prefer not to be. That too would be a denial of the love principle embedded in creation. Just as we cannot have meaningful relationships with a bunch of robots on the factory floor, neither could God have meaningful relationships with a rewired humanity.
The third option would be to wipe it all out and start again - wipe the slate clean - re-visit the Flood - but do it more thoroughly. But that too is to admit defeat and, moreover, it is the path he said he would not go down.
That leaves the fourth option which is to judge the world as he finds it. Respecting our freedom and the choices we make, he could nevertheless decide to preserve what is good and to purge what is bad - in other words to judge - to discriminate - and to separate.

Certainly based on the compassion of God, He would only want to pursue the fourth option, and that is exactly what He is doing. So the next time you blame God, understand the problem is not with Him…it is with us. Just something to think about!

Mission Support

2006-06-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

"Mission is the very lifeblood of the church. As the body cannot survive without blood, so the church cannot survive without mission. Without blood the body dies; without mission the church dies. As the physical body becomes weak without sufficient oxygen-carrying red blood cells, so the church becomes anemic if it does not express its faith. The church . . . establishes its rationale for being—its purpose for existing—while articulating its faith. An unexpressed faith withers. A Christian fellowship without mission loses its vitality. Missions are the force that gives the body of Christ vibrancy, purpose, and direction. When the church neglects its role as God’s agent for mission, it is actually neglecting its own lifeblood.

Gailyn Van Rheenen, Missions
Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Strategies 1996:31

So how should a mission, wherever he or she serves, handle the concept of raising support? There are really only two ways to look at it. First, as a business that would require networking to conduct several campaigns to seek out and/or convince others that their mission efforts are worthy of support over other missionaries. This attitude is no different then corporate America where persons are hired based on skills/performance…the rat race is alive and well in this arena and/or competition between missionaries is at the forfront of any church decision. You would think that the primary thrust in any church is to support missions. “Mission is the very lifeblood of the church. As the body cannot survive without blood, so the church cannot survive without mission.”

Most churches believe that the mission field is to fill a building just to pass the plate so they can administer support to field logically. Unfortunately, based on a poor definition of what missions are true offering, most budgets are being cut to the point where mission efforts are being critically injured as to allow bigger and better facilities to be built. Thus, missions around the world and this includes missionaries right here at home, have to seek other means for income.

The second methodology for support comes from a well known person…George Mueller, which doesn’t use the services of any group to get the job done. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. In addition, during his life time, he started 117 schools, which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death. Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.

Now, of these two methodologies, which one is better? Certainly Mueller’s attitude of depending on God for everything proves beyond a shadow of doubt he was a man of God who truly walked by faith, but without church intervention, only Mueller saw God’s blessings. The church or other individuals could have certainly had a piece of the action, but they declined to build bigger and better buildings to their own glory.

"Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great and small. Depend upon it, God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supplies." (Hudson Taylor)

It certainly would make life easier if churches and other individuals would get involved as partners, but the work will continue, with or without their intervention.

Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God states, “Christians need to find out where God is working and get there.” All any missionary could ask…be apart of our team and see how God blesses.

Old Sailors

2006-04-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

The old sailor looked at the skies and saw a dark storm coming. As the sea became rough and choppy, the old salt calmly lowered the heavy-chained anchor link by link, battened down the hatches and went to bed for the night. He knew the storm would be rough. But he had faith in the grasp of the anchor. He knew his boat would be there in the morning.

Like that sailor, we have an "Anchor" for our lives that can help us stand fast through the storms of life. It's called hope.

Liberia 2006

2006-03-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

Liberian President Sirleaf thanks U.S. Congress

Speaking before a joint meeting of the United States Congress on Wednesday (3/16/06), Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf asked for American support to help her country "become a brilliant beacon, an example to Africa and the world of what love of liberty can achieve."

Mercy Ships M/V Anastasis will be completing her second outreach into Liberia this year. Over the past several months the Anastasis has been physically right there to see the rebirth of Liberia; assisting her people in Healthcare Services and Sharing the love of Christ. We stand firm, as a ministry, to pray and support Liberia in the days, weeks, and years to come.

Although the Anastasis will be decommissioned at the end of this outreach, her sister ship -- The Africa Mercy -- will surely be visiting Liberia in the near future. The Africa Mercy, comes into service Apri 6, 2006. Her first field assignment will be to serve 10 months in Ghana. Please continue to pray that her launch is not delayed and she will be able to prove herself worthy of the name Mercy Ship M/V Africa Mercy...servicing the poor and needy of West Africa.

If you would like to view President Sirleaf speach, please open the following link:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200603150786.html

Be a blessing to others

2006-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

It has been said that God’s people possess God’s provisions to accomplish and fulfill God’s purposes in the world. Indeed, according to Christian financial advisor Ron Blue, “Eighty percent of the world’s evangelical wealth is in North America – and the total represents way more than enough to fund the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”

A majority of people alive today do not know the Savior. This includes 1.19 billion Muslims, 811 million Hindus, 360 million Buddhists, 228 million ethno- religionists, 23 million Sikhs, 14 million Jews, 768 million agnostics, and 150 million atheists. Of all the people who have ever lived, it is believed that half of them are living today. More than 1 billion people live in absolute poverty. This includes 700 million people living in slums, 500 million people on the verge of starvation, 93 million beggars, and 200 million children exploited for labor.

If you think that is unbelievable…try this on for size. The church has grown more in the 20^th century than in all the previous 19 centuries since the time of Christ combined, with almost 12 billion adherents worldwide. Every day 166,000 people hear the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time. Every year, 27 million people profess faith in Christ as Savior for the first time. The current ranks of 81 million believers in China are expected to swell to 135 million by 2025. The 50 million faithful in India could mushroom to 125 million by 2050. And today’s census of 90 million Christians in Africa is likely to explode to 1 billion by 2050.

The total Christian income in the United States is 5.2 trillion annually, nearly half the world’s total Christian income. The average donation by adults who attend U.S. churches is about $17.00 per week. Certainly the need is great, but the giving is not! Among evangelical churches, 90 cent of every donated dollar goes to cover operational functions within the local church. Of the remaining 10 cent of every donated dollar, less than 2½ percent goes to support full time missionaries serving abroad and 1 percent to those serving within the boarders of The United States.

Rick Warren states, “One of the most misunderstood areas of life is the area of giving, particularly the question of how God wants us to handle our money.”

“Tell people to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven – it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” (1 Timothy (6:18-19).

These verses make it clear that money is to be used, not loved. You are to use money, and you are to love people. If you get that reversed, you are in trouble because if you start loving money (and what it offers), you will start using people to get more money. Money has a tremendous potential for good if you use it as God intended. It is a tool that the Bible tells us to use for good in order to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.

Think about this concept the next time a missionary asks you to become a partner in his or her mission. Become a partner today and see what God has in store for you as you bless others.

The Plan of God

2005-12-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2006

Each of us looks forward to yet another New Year; a chance for change, to resolve old habits through new promises in hopes of making this New Year better than the last. Did you ever stop to think if your promises where aligned in "The Plan of God" for your life.

Many of us just worry about making it through another day; fighting the next traffic jam that always seems to confront us when we are late for work, or missed meeting that should have been modified from the very beginning. Promises to do better in the year to come -- we can't even get past the major promises of loose weight, read God's Word more, or even have some quiet time with Him. Making new promises that include His plan for our life certainly sounds like a promise that will fail before it starts. But why is that? (Psalm 40:8 - "I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.")

Wanting to get right with Him should be our top priority, but normally it is farest thought from our daily tasks. Isn't it important to know that what we are doing is aligned with what He wants for us? Then why don't we take time to really make the change when given a chance? God must certainly understand our need to make intelligent decisions about very practical concerns, so why doesn't He help to get our personal life arranged to align with His will? He wants us to keep the big picture in mind and concentrate on our relationship with Him, but He is also a God of the details. So how can be balance our day to include Him? If you can honestly answer that question, you could make a promise that may work in 2006 and beyond.

Paul wrote - "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:9-14)

As we begin 2006, promise what you know you have the ability to complete...God will honor it. As to the rest..ask Him for strength and let Him supply it. If you really think about it...if we could do it on our own...we wouldn't give Him the credit; therefore, depend on Him for the strength to move forward. Happy New Year...

Politically Correct Christmas

2005-12-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

A community declines when the majority of its citizens become selfish, and under this influence it slowly dismantles all the restraints upon self-indugence established by manners, customs, traditions and laws. As each subsequent generation of selfish citizens inherits control of the community, it takes its opportunity to abandon more of the irksome restraints that genius and wisdom has installed. The proponents of this social demolition achieve their irrational purpose by publicly embracing absurdity through slogans, while vilifying any who do not support their stance. The purpose of the slogan is to enshrine irrational fears, or fancies, as truth through the use of presumptuous words. Now, early in the 20^th century, the results of being bourgeois (retaining traditional notions), is being labeled racist, sexist, radical right, etc. with the risk of losing a job, your reputation, being jostled in the street, being subject to judicial penalty and death threats. And it is this extremity of reaction that has won media attention and the name Political Correctness, though the reaction will become even more unpleasant with the next generation.

AUSTIN, TX – Attorneys for the complaintive, filed a suit in the Austin Federal Court today seeking to prevent Santa Claus from making his list and then checking it twice. In addition and as part of this same suit, the complaintive added a secondary point to this immediate injunction against this well known Christmas icon asking that the court…

Effectively bans all traditional practices of Mr. Claus claiming..."such practices determine behavioral patterns that produce irreversible trauma to the individual's self-esteem when labeled good or bad.” The suit goes on to ask the federal judge to hereby order, “Mr. Claus to cease and desist all repetitive and duplicative list-checking activity, and certify the original list is to be submitted, without amendment, alteration, deletion, or other unnecessary modification." “There are no standards for deciding who is naughty, and who is nice. Actions are totally arbitrary and capricious. How many more times does he need to check? This checking, checking, and re-checking over and over again must stop now."
“Mr. Claus to stop referring to this December Holiday as ‘Christmas’, declaring that “people need to say “Have a Happy Holiday" in all public areas,” thus separate and/or remove any suggestion of Christ from Christmas" on the ground for separation of church and state.

Senator Edward Kennedy continued the arguement citing...“the potential for unauthorized list tampering suggests improprieties that are certainly questionable” and “that needs to fall under Homeland Security.” Senator Kennedy goes on to state..."Their security is really awful”, said Mr. Kennedy. "My mother just walked right in, told 'em she was Mrs. Claus and they didn't check her ID. No wonder there is questions associated with a list."

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was quick to respond to this latest development and plans to lead his protesters from Florida to the North Pole via dog sled. Jackson said. “Santa Claus could not be reached for comment”, but a Spokes-elf said he was "deeply distressed by news of the pending legal action against him.” "He's losing weight, and he hasn't said 'Ho Ho' for days," said the spokesman-elf. "He's just not feeling jolly." As for the concept of Christmas, the elf spokesmen stated that “Mr. Claus will continue calling this season Christmas until the court rules otherwise.”

Although this article is just made up for the purpose of this example...it maybe very closer to the truth in today's society. Some times “political correctness” just simply goes too far.” It seems like our country is being bombarded daily by extremist affixed with one agenda...to disrupt our faith based society and our normal way of life. The major question at hand...when will the Christians stand-up and be counted? Maybe it will take something larger then just questioning Christ in Christmas. Maybe it will take another physical attack like 911 to get people thinking about their relationship with Christ. Persecution can come in all sizes; it seems like only after it gains strength and becomes nation news do people really notice that their rights are being changed.

Taking Christ out of Christmas is yet just the beginning...tomorrow, you may not be allowed to attend church or even carry a Bible. O' we tell ourselves, "that can't happen here in our country"; but tell that to the many other countries around the world whos people are being persecuted; ask them how it got started!

Setting a Goal for Life

2005-11-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Emmett Kelly Sr. was born in Sedan, Kansas on December 9, 1898. His father worked the railroad, and his mother ran the family-owned boarding house. He grew up, not in Sedan, but on a farm in rural Missouri. He worked at various jobs, finally seeming to settle down working as a cartoonist for a silent film company in Kansas City. It was there that Emmett Kelly first drew the tramp clown character that he would later portray, Weary Willy.

Although gainfully employed, Emmett had dreamed of joining the circus since he was a young boy, as many of us did. Emmett, however, worked to make that dream a reality by purchasing a trapeze, and learning how to become a circus ... aerialist. His first performing circus job (he had previously worked painting circus wagons) was as a trapeze artist with Howe's Great London Circus -- with Emmett doubling as a clown. Emmett agreed, and began performing, not as Weary Willie, but as a white-face clown.

With the Great Depression, work became harder to come by -- Emmett worked at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, later joining the Cole Brothers & Clyde Beatty Circus in 1935, and joining the Mills Circus in England in the late 1930's. While performing in Europe, he performed for the Queen of Spain and Winston Churchill, among other notables. It was in London that he came to the attention of John Ringling North, who eventually signed Emmett in 1942 for the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus -- after Kelly had turned The Big Show down twice.

Emmett remained with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus for fourteen seasons, taking the 1956 season off to perform as the 'mascot' for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Emmett was active on Broadway ("Please Keep off the Grass") and movies (notably the circus classic The Greatest Show on Earth and Fellini's classic The Clowns). Beginning in 1957, he worked with the Shrine Circus and made personal appearances worldwide. Emmett Kelly Sr. died of a heart attack on March 28, 1979, at his home in Sarasota, Florida, USA.

Why am I telling you all this? Years ago I had a friend who made no plans, set no goals, aimed at nothing. His reason? He wanted always to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Before he decided anything, he prayed. He asked the Lord whether he should go to work that day, brush his teeth, and use deodorant. (I wish he had asked me!) Needless to say, he didn't keep a job very long. Many believe that life is for just clowning around and to have a good time (if it feels good, doesn't hurt anyone, just do it!). If a clown can develop a goal for life, so why are we not setting our goals?

My friend made three faulty assumptions in determining God's will:

He thought that his feelings were an infallible guide for sensing the leading of the Spirit and wanted to be open and unencumbered as to not miss the Holy Spirit’s direction.
He believed that the Holy Spirit leads people only in a spontaneous way. That is, he does not move them to make plans.
He subconsciously rejected the idea that he could hear the Spirit's voice through the Scriptures. But by abandoning the Word of God as his normative guide, he was assuming that the Holy Spirit usually circumvents the Word when he speaks to men.

James calls such rigidity arrogance ( v. 16). But he does not say that we should not set goals. Rather, we should make plans, but submit them to the Lord: "Instead, you ought to to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that'" (v. 15). I n reality, James 4:15 balances out both extremes. We should use our minds and set goals, but we must do so in humility, recognizing that God alone controls our destiny.

Setting goals is serious business. We ought not to be so anxious about life that we make rigid plans which are beyond our capacity to keep, nor should we be so lazy as to make no plans at all. Rather, with all humility, let us submit our plans to the Lord, and work for his glory.

Working in full time ministry doesn’t exclude us from the need to set goals. Just because we have accepted God’s calling, doesn’t stop the forward progress for each life within that calling. God is not through with any of us; in fact, as Christians, we should be really seeking and setting goals that further the kingdom. “Men are to dream dreams” I believe that is within Scripture. Just because we serve full time, we are not retired for the business of moving our life forward in Him.

As a personal note - many of us at Mercy Ships are in transition; with the laying up of the Caribbean Mercy and the Anastsis, allowing Mercy Ships to focus on the launching of the Africa Mercy in 2006, full time staff have been force to move around. If we focus on what God called us to do, it doesn't matter where we do it. We still can set goals and dream dreams, as long as God and our service to Him is in the center of each task. I not saying that Emmitt Kelly was a Godly man, but we can all learn from him...he knew in his heart that he was to be a clown and when for it. When it comes right down to it...The question then is – how are you setting your goals?

If our Lord is not in the very center of each agenda, maybe we need to think about why/how they where set to begin with. I think it is about time to get moving for Him! So, what are you waiting for?

True Friend

2005-10-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

When we honestly ask the question, which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advise, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. (Henri Nouw)

Certainly each of us desires such a friend; one that we can consider a brother in Christ; one that hangs tuff when the battles of life intensify to the point that no one knows which end is up. King David had such a friend; one that stood by him in the good times and bad. Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword, and his bow, and his belt (1 Samuel 18:3-4).

In today’s fast track society with the hustle and bustle of our world, many of us don’t stop long enough to just talk face-to-face. We send emails and voice over internet transmissions to convey our thoughts and needs. We tend to try to work out our problems without others, asking no one for help until it is too late or too distressing for us to handle. Our relationships (if there are any), tend to be superficial or non-committal based on a fear that someone will get too close and see our true nature. Without a long-term relationship, problems rarely get fixed, they just get bandaged.

This is not the way God planned it...The body is a unit, thought it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12). If one body part hurts, each part should be there to help support that member.

The question then is…who is your friend? Do you have anyone close to you that you could consider a brother or sister? If not, why not! God put us here on this earth to comfort one another. Stop thinking of yourself and start thinking about someone else. Your problems will decrease as you get involved with someone else whose problems are larger.

God's Word tells us that a friend sticks closer than a brother, and that in order for one to be a friend, one must show themselves friendly (Proverbs 18:24). The question is: what type of friend do you desire to be? What type of friend are you to someone else?

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.

It’s been one of those Days!

2005-07-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

From calm to chaos; from peace to perplexity; within a matter of moments our world can be turned upside down. Did you ever have one of those days that you truly believe you should have stayed in bed; for everything you did just made things worst? Certainly each of us have had those days, but it is how we allow them to effect our life is how you go forward into tomorrow. Here is something to think about…

It's been one of those Days! My forgetter's getting better, but my rememberer is broken. To you that may seem funny, but, to me, I’m not joken. For when I'm “here" I'm wondering, if I really should be "there", and, when I try to think it through, I haven't got a prayer! Often times I walk into a room and say "What am I here for?" I wrack my brain, but all in vain! A zero is my score. At times I put something away where it is safe, but, gee, the person it is safest from is generally me! When shopping I may see someone, say "Hi" and have a chat, then, when the person walks away I ask myself, "who was that?" Yes, my forgetter's getting better, while my rememberer is broken, and it's driving me plumb crazy and that isn't any joken.

I am sure Job could relate to having a bad hair day…then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He just lost his property, children, and now his health. The interesting, God didn’t take away his wife and friends that physically made things worst; many of us have people in our life that certainly contribute to our situation. The words of Job’s wife – curse God and die, were probably Job’s most severe trial. Ironically, her question…do you still hold fast to you integrity employs almost exactly the same wording the Lord had used in Job 2:3 during His conversation with Satan about Job.

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

The wording emphasizes Job’s perseverance, which his wife misconstrued as religious fanaticism; she thought he was blindly refusing to face the reality of his desperate situation. Job’s response to his wife was certainly right on the money.

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity? (Job 2:10).

We live in a world that makes life difficult; we rejected a world that was freely given to us for a world of chaos. We like Job we should look at each situation, both good and bad and see God’s hand in it. Listen to Him; for He is the author and finisher of your life. So when bad days come, look through them to what lies just around the corner.