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The KING’S OIL—Holy Anointing Oil (Exodus 30)

2012-01-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quote

There has always been a question in my mind about where the Holy Oil came from and how it was made, until recent years. This explains it better and gives a place to look it up for study.

Curt Landry Ministries

The KING’S OIL—Holy Anointing Oil (Exodus 30)

Now available at http://www.curtlandry.com/store

The KING’S OIL is made is accordance with the guidelines and instructions found in Exodus 30. This oil is prepared by a believing Israeli chemist, and made in according to the ancient art of the Biblical apothecary. It has a beautiful fragrance that will fill the air in a similar way to how it once filled the temple in Jerusalem where Jesus worshiped. Although it's dark appearance and grainy texture is not what one might expect we are excited that the Church is drawing closer and closer to her roots and her heritage as mysteries are revealed about our ancient faith.

The KING’S OIL is not only drawing the Church back to her roots it is also drawing denominations closer together to a place of common ground. As it says in Psalm 133:1-2, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down the beard, the beard of Aaron...."

The anointing oil can be used during personal or corporate times of prayer, such as when praying for others or anointing your home in the same manner that the priest would anoint the various items in the Tabernacle as a sign of sanctification or setting apart.

Based off some of the interpretations of Exodus 30, but we believe that we have been called to be part of the restoration of this holy oil. Below is a list of scriptural correlations that explain more in-depth about the purpose and symbolism of the oil in both the Old and New Testament scriptures available for your own personal research and study.

Exodus 30:22-33:
“Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.’

“’With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.’

“’And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: “This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on man's flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.”’”

Old Testament/New Testament Correlations

“With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.”—Exodus 30:26-28

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you”—1 Corinthians 3:16

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” —1 Corinthians 6:1

“...in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”—Ephesians 2:21

“You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.”—Exodus 30:26-28

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”—James 5:14-15

“And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.”—Exodus 30:30

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.”—1 Samuel 16:13

“…and [Jesus] has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:6)
It shall not be poured on man's flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition.”—Exodus 30:32

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”—Romans 8:5-9

“Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.”—Exodus 30:33

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Christ Our Cornerstone. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”—Ephesians 2:18-22

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Help me Holy Sririt.

2012-01-22T19:35:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

I have carried this little tract in my Bible since( I think) 1977. Every so often it catches my eye, as it did tonight, and I just have to stop and think about it and meditate on it. To think about how long that has been and the way the Lord has taken care of my family and me, the things He has done in our lives, the way He has proved to be so Faithful, much more than me, I'm afraid, I have let Him down so many times, and broke His Heart many times, but yet He gives me little trinkets like this to remind me that He still Loves me and He is my Abba Father, and that His Blood was spilled for me and It got on me, therefore nothing or nobody can take it from me. Hallelujah!!!! Praise His Glorous Name!!!!

This is speaking for me tonight.......

I want to talk like Jesus words of Truth my mouth to speak,

I want to walk like Jesus circumspect with Holy feet

I want to see like Jesus through the man into the heart

I want to be like Jesus Spirit filled and set apart

I want to live like Jesus faithful to my God above

I want to give like Jesus not of duty but of Love

I want to pray like Jesus Father, not my will, but Thine

I want to stay like Jesus in God's presence all the time

I want to dare like Jesus speaking out on wrong and sin

I want to care like Jesus seeking souls to win for Him

I want to preach like Jesus seeing captive souls set free

I want to teach like Jesus of the Blood He shed for me

Oh help me Holy Spirit live the way I want to live

Oh help me Holy Spirit learn the meaning of forgive

lift me up to things above that all may see

Christ and His redeeming Love exemplified in me.

Glenda Fulton Davis

But we all, with unvailed face beholding as a mirror the Glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from Glory to Glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18

RECALL NOTICE

2012-01-18T21:09:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

This is totally amazing. Be sure to read it. Talk about clever and to the point!

Never heard it put quite like this before
RECALL NOTICE:

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

This defect has been identified as "Subsequential Internal Non-morality," more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R.

Once connected, please upload your burden of SINthrough the REPENTANCE procedure.

Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.
  No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesuswill replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control
Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E.(BEST Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list, and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call onJesus.
  DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!
  - GOD
  P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!
  Because HE Lives!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Even one life, like Tim Tebow and others. How many could be saved,Remenber what day (January 22nd) is? if we insist that abortion be stopped.

2012-01-17T13:40:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

This is from the Gospel Greats Radio program and Paul Heil's Ministry. What a great message.

Paul's Epistle...
"Even One Life"

About twenty-five years ago, a young lady named Pam and her husband, Robert, were serving as American missionaries to the Philippines. God had already blessed them with four children — two boys, two girls — and now they were praying for a fifth child.

But then, unexpectedly, Pam contracted a life-threatening infection – amoebic dysentery. It's an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink. Pam lapsed into a coma and the doctors treated her with strong antibiotics and other medicines to rouse her from her coma.

But then doctors discovered she was, indeed, pregnant with her fifth child. The effect on the unborn child was immediate. Doctors said the pre-born baby experienced a "severe placental abruption." They expected a stillbirth. And they recommended an abortion – even though abortions were illegal at the time in the Philippines.

Pam refused the doctors' urgings. She was a Christian, and said God would intervene. Four times she almost lost the baby. Pam spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed. But still she refused to consider an abortion.

Pam says she and her husband made a pledge to God: "If you will give us a son, we'll name him Timothy and we'll make him a preacher."

God honored that pledge. Nearly a quarter-century later, Timothy is in extremely robust health and is, indeed, a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospitals visits and serves with his father's ministry in the Philippines. In fact, his ministry has become so well-known that seldom does a week go by – especially this time of the year – that his name is not in every major newspaper in America.

Of course, you may know him as something other than a preacher. You may know him as an extraordinary football player. You know him as Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos.

Recommended to be aborted before he was even born, God obviously had quite different plans for this young man. He gained a lot of attention for painting "3:16" – as in John 3:16 – into the black swaths under his eyes during his college career. In one recent NFL game (January 8), Tebow passed for exactly 316 yards and averaged 31.6 yards for each completed pass. Immediately, "John 3:16" was the hottest search term on the internet.

The world would be missing a powerful evangelist if abortion proponents had had their way. Then again, had they known God's plans for this man, they might have tried even harder.

God hates abortion. There is no other way to say it. Scripture is full of life. God created life. God created mankind — all of human life — to have a special fellowship with Him. This pro-life God is the author of the pro-life commandment, "You shall not murder" (Ex. 20:13). God said, "...do not kill the innocent...for I will not justify the wicked" (Ex. 23:7). Jesus, the Author of life (John 1:3), says that, contrary to those who come "to kill and to destroy," He came that we "may have life, and ... have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

Each year in the United States alone, more than 1.2 million children lose their lives at the hands of abortionists. That's 1,200,000 children whose lives are snuffed out before they get to take their first breath! Since the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973, more than 53 million pre-born children in the United States have lost their lives to abortion. 53 million is a huge number. In fact, I'm told that if you added up the population totals of the 25 states with smallest individual populations it actually totals less than 53 million!

Think of it: We've lost 53 million scientists, doctors, inventors, homemakers, educators, journalists, preachers, businessmen, skilled workers, etc., etc., etc. What effect do you think that has had on the nation's economy?

Would you pay for an abortion? You do. As a taxpayer, you (and I) helped pay Planned Parenthood Federation of America more than $487 million over a recent 12-month period. That facilitated 329,455 abortions by Planned Parenthood abortionists alone during that same period. And it netted Planned Parenthood a hefty $18.5 million profit. (They are the biggest – but not the only – abortion mill.)

Will this change? Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List – a pro-life organization lobbying Congress to stop tax dollars flowing to Planned Parenthood – says, "Despite an unprecedented effort by statewide and federal leaders to defund them, a wave of former employees willing to testify against them, and uniform agreement amongst Republican presidential candidates that they should be defunded, Planned Parenthood continues full-steam ahead."

And one must wonder — why are they getting tax dollars to help fund this ongoing slaughter in the first place? Or are those in government so rabidly anti-God that they've just blinded themselves to what's actually happening?

This Sunday – January 22nd – is "Sanctity of Human Life" Sunday, observed in churches throughout the United States. It marks 39 years – to the day – since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling legalizing abortion.

Please resolve to take a stand against abortion in all forms, and especially its involuntary funding by taxpayers. There are plenty of Christian counselors offering alternatives to abortion. And every life is extremely precious to God.

Even one life — the life you may help save — could be used of God in a mighty way. You might even help save the life of another next-generation unconventional Christian evangelist — like Tim Tebow.

- Paul

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Abba Father tells us not to be afraid, but He is always there when we are......

2012-01-15T19:51:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

When I Am Afraid

by Angela Thomas

My son William is thirteen. He is one of the all-time best kids on the planet. We call him Renaissance because he loves so many things. He follows Jesus with a tender heart, is great with school work, plays the tenor sax. He’s a little soccer star. And the kid gets in the car every day after school, swipes my phone, and checks the stock market, telling me which shares he should have bought yesterday.

Almost every other sentence out of William is about an invention. This morning he wanted to install some kind of device on teenagers’ cars so that they would not be allowed to drive more than ten miles above the speed limit, and this device would automatically know the speed limit where the student is, based on GPS tracking. That same satellite tracking would also alert the young driver to stop signs and traffic concerns ahead. Obviously, his mind is always whirling.

But my little Renaissance man has one fear. William, at this age, feels anxious when he is alone. He has grown up in a big family with lots of people, so he’s never really had to be alone. And as brave and smart as he is about almost everything else, my sweet William says being alone just makes him feel afraid.

This morning I needed to be at the airport around eight. The kids are out of school and everyone else is away with a friend except William. Last night, I knew what the answer was going to be before I asked, but I said, “William, do you want to sleep in tomorrow morning since you don’t have school, then Scott will come home after he takes me to the airport? Or do you want to get up and go with us?” Without hesitation, he wanted to get up early. My boy doesn’t like to be alone.

As I’ve thought about William’s fear, I have realized that my desire to parent and love him well is only a poor imitation of our heavenly Father’s matchless love for us. Anything good that I feel for William as a parent has been perfected by God and given to us as our Father. I want to give William comfort and peace for his tender heart. Even more perfectly, our heavenly Father gives to us a deep and soothing comfort that no one else in this world can give. As I think about how I care about William’s one little fear, it makes me more aware of the father -character of our God and teaches me so much about how He responds to us when we are trembling inside.

Some of the things I have realized as a mom who wants to give comfort are:

I am not mad at my son for being afraid.He is a little boy, not yet a man, and I am his mom. Even more perfectly, God is not mad at us when we tremble inside. He knows the limitations of our humanity. He created us with earthly minds and emotions. He is not mad when we come to Him with our fears. The Bible says God has compassion on our weakness and longs for us to turn toward Him for comfort.

When I sense that William is fearful, I go to him.He is a snuggle-bunny, and hugs make him feel safe. I am a lot like that too. Very touchy-feely, hug-hug. It’s my love language, and I think I’ve passed it to most of the family. Scripture says God is near to the brokenhearted. I believe that even more than an earthly parent would run to comfort his or her child, our Father runs to us, His children. He gives us a comfort we cannot receive apart from Him. He is present. He is our refuge. Our safety. Our hiding place.

Nothing William could do, no fear that he could have, would ever make me love him less.Romans 8 says nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, not our fears, not our trembling. Not even our confusion about the heartaches that come into our lives. Even when we push Him away with our cries, He does not withdraw his love or dangle it cruelly just out of reach. No honest feeling or thought will ever diminish the love of God for you.

God is comfort.

Excerpted from Do You Know Who I Am? by Angela Thomas (Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster). Used by permission. Hear more of Angela’s story this Tuesday and Friday on LIFE Today.

Live well do good work, and keep in touch.

Thank You For Our Messy Home

2012-01-12T10:05:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Wow, may we all be this thankful and grateful to All Mighty God for our Blessings, we have so much to be thankful for.....

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mess, soggy, grimy towels and the dirty lavatory; they are all so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today; it has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing and lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play. Many children cannot.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings... Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible...Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising...Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic with socks that are lost, toast that is burned, tempers that are short, and my children that are so loud...Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times not balanced...Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous...Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who are jobless.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest...Thank you, Lord, for life.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Two pledges of Allegiance. Do you remember the second one?

2012-01-08T11:30:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Lucky Payne

Two pledges of Allegiance that we really need to know and really mean when we say them.
Do you remember the second one?

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberity and Justice for all.

I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag, and to the Savior for Whose Kingdom it stands, one Brotherhood uniting all Christians in Service and Love.

Hallelujah!!!! May every Christian say and really mean the second one, and every Americian say and really mean the first one (as they are listed) and then let them be combined as one.
Hallelelujah to the One and only true and Living God. Praise His Beautiful Name!!!!!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Acknowledgments of "A HIGHER BEING" from all 50 state constitutions

2012-01-05T11:13:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Be sure to read the message at the very bottom!
Alabama 1901, Preamble
We the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution..
Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.
Arizona 1911, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arizona , grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution...
Arkansas 1874, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arkansas , grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government...
California 1879, Preamble We, the People of the State of California , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...
Colorado 1876, Preamble We, the people of Colorado , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe...
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy.
Delaware 1897, Preamble Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences.
Florida 1885, Preamble We, the people of the State of Florida , grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution...
Georgia 1777, Preamble We, the people of Georgia , relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution...
Hawaii 1959, Preamble We , the people of Hawaii , Grateful for Divine Guidance ... Establish this Constitution.
Idaho 1889, Preamble We, the people of the State of Idaho , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.
Illinois 1870, Preamble We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
Indiana 1851, Preamble We, the People of the State of Indiana , grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.
Iowa 1857, Preamble We, the People of the St ate of Iowa , grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings, establish this Constitution.
Kansas 1859, Preamble We, the people of Kansas , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.
Kentucky 1891, Preamble.. We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties..
Louisiana 1921, Preamble We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.
Maine 1820, Preamble We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .. And imploring His aid and direction.
Maryland 1776, Preamble We, the people of the state of Maryland , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty...
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction
Michigan 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, establish this Constitution.
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings:
Mississippi 1890, Preamble We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.
Missouri 1845, Preamble We, the people of Missouri , with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . Establish this Constitution...
Montana 1889, Preamble. We, the people of Montana , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution ..
Nebraska 1875, Preamble We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom . Establish this Constitution.
Nevada 1864, Preamble We the people of the State of Nevada , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, establish this Constitution...
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.
New Jersey 1844, Preamble We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
New Mexico 1911, Preamble We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty..
New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of New York , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.
North Carolina 1868, Preamble We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those...
North Dakota 1889, Preamble We , the people of North Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain...
Ohio 1852, Preamble We the people of the state of Ohio , grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common.
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty, establish this
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I Section 2. All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance.....
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing....
South Carolina , 1778, Preamble We, the people of he State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of South Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties .
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI..III. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience...
Texas 1845, Preamble We the People of the Republic of Texas , acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.
Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.
Vermont 1777, Preamble Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ..
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other
Washington 1889, Preamble We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution
West Virginia 1872, Preamble Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God ...
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility....
Wyoming 1890, Preamble We, the people of the State of Wyoming , grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties, establish this Constitution...

After reviewing acknowledgments of "A HIGHER BEING" from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, the ACLU and the federal courts are wrong!
If you found this to be 'Food for thought' send to as many as you think will be enlightened as I hope you were.

(Please note that at no time is anyone told that they MUST worship God.)

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Is the Bible the Inspired Word of GOD, Explained. A very good read...

2012-01-04T21:24:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Awesome explanation!!

I’ve never heard the Bible explained this way.

Throughout our lives the Devil will challenge us all with Doubt or send someone to us that will challenge our believe in God and Gods Word the Bible. This will help you answer those that challenge you, and help you when you are looking to God for answers.

I rate this as a MUST READ.

Is the Bible the Inspired Word of God?

By Jason Carlson and Ron Carlson 5/25/11

During a question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement, a university student asked me, "Why do you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God?" Now this is a very interesting question; and probably one of the most important questions any Christian could ask themselves. What is so special, so unique about the Bible that Christians believe it is literally the inspired word of God?

In answering this student's question, I encouraged him to consider the
following facts about the Bible:

First, the Bible is not just one single book. This is a more common
misconception than many people realize, especially with people who do
not come from a Judeo-Christian background. Rather than being a single book, the Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, which is called the canon of scriptures. These 66 books contain a variety of genres: history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, letters, and apocalyptic just to name a few.

Second, these 66 books were written by 40 different authors. These
authors came from a variety of backgrounds: shepherds, fishermen,
doctors, kings, prophets, and others. And most of these authors never knew one another personally.

Third, these 66 books were written over a period of 1500 years. Yet
again, this is another reminder that many of these authors never knew
or collaborated with one another in writing these books.

Fourth, the 66 books of the Bible were written in 3 different
languages. In the Bible we have books that were written in the ancient
languages of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic; a reflection of the historical and cultural circumstances in which each of these books were written.

And finally, these 66 books were written on 3 different continents:Africa, Asia, and Europe . Once again, this is a testament to the
varied historical and cultural circumstances of God's people.

Think about the above realities: 66 books, written by 40 different
authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different
continents. What's more, this collection of books shares a common
storyline- the creation, fall, and redemption of God's people; a common theme- God's universal love for all of humanity; and a common message-salvation is available to all who repent of their sins and commit to following God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength. In addition to sharing these commonalities, these 66 books contain no historical errors or contradictions. God's word truly is an amazing collection of writings!

After I had shared the above facts with this student, I offered him the following challenge: I said to him, "If you do not believe that the
Bible is the inspired word of God, if you do not believe that the Bible
is of a supernatural origin, then I challenge you to a test." I said
to the student, "I challenge you to go to any library in the world, you
can choose any library you like, and find 66 books which match the
characteristics of the 66 books in the Bible. You must choose 66
books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, written on 3 different continents. However, they must share a common storyline, a common theme, and a common message, with no historical errors or contradictions." I went on to say, "If you can produce such a collection of books, I will admit that the Bible is not the inspired word of God." The student's reply was almost instantaneous, he emphatically stated, "But that's impossible!"

"But that's impossible!" It truly is impossible, for any collection of
human writings. However, the Bible passes this test. The Bible
contains 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents, with no historical
errors or contradictions. The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, bears the mark of Divine inspiration.

The next time you encounter someone who asks you why you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, try sharing this challenge with
them. Better yet, don't wait until you're asked, just go ahead and
share this challenge with a friend today.. You don't even have to
mention the Bible up front, just ask them if they think it would be
realistic to assemble such a collection of books After they say, "But
that's impossible!" you've got a ready-made opportunity for sharing the truth of God's word with somebody!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

ENTERING INTO A NEW SEASON, by Curt Landry

2012-01-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

ENTERING into a NEW SEASON—

Foundations for the Next 10 Years
by Curt LandryFounder, Curt Landry Ministries

As we crossover the threshold of time and enter into a new season—the Hebraic year 5772—I find myself echoing the Lord as He asks the Church this question, “Will you come-up Higher still?” The Lord is calling for His Church to rise-up in this hour, far beyond the reaches of familiarity, and begin to assume her rightful position within His Kingdom.

5772/2012 will be marked as a year of numerous catastrophic events throughout the world, from natural disasters, to financial distresses, wars and rumors of wars—everything that can and has been shaken will be shaken.

However, there is good news! If the Church will hearken unto the word of the Lord and remain true to His instruction, we will find ourselves witness to the greatest corporate awakening the Church has ever seen as she rises up into a season of unprecedented power and authority, assuming her rightful position in His Kingdom—the Kingdom of our God!

Weather Extremes are Coming…

This year, 5772/2012, the United States will witness numerous severe and record-breaking weather extremes. We will experience unparalleled droughts and floods of epic proportions. I believe that these storms are on the horizon as the world has, both literally and spiritually, been shifted off of its axis.

This warning comes to the Church, not to bring fear and panic, but in order that we can prepare and begin to learn to take dominion over the atmosphere—over our circumstances. We will no longer have the luxury of placing the responsibility of dealing with these issues upon the shoulders of other apostolic and intercessory groups (the forerunners). Instead, we need to rise-up and learn to pray and prophesy to the wind and the weather—to take dominion and authority over our own circumstances!

“… For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!’”—Luke 8:25

The Transfer of Wealth is Coming…

The world’s economies will worsen in 5772. Consequently, for those in ministries who rely on financial support from familiar sources, things will have to change.

God will remove many familiar sources of financial provision during this season, however, if we watch carefully, another source of money will begin to rise-up—a new source flowing from the hands of Believers who are found patiently waiting upon the Lord for this coming transfer of wealth!

When this begins to happen, it may appear to those without the knowledge of God as if the Body of Christ is suffering. However, this is far from the truth! The remnant Church will not suffer if she listens and obeys His word.

As this transfer of wealth begins to unfold, those who were not millionaires will become millionaires. Those who were millionaires will become multi-millionaires. And those who were multi-millionaires will become billionaires. This will be the new generation who will help facilitate a harvest the size the world has never before seen. It’s coming!

“’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.’”—Malachi 3:10

Earthquakes are Coming…

There will be an increase in worldwide earthquake activity in 5772—with a high probability of a serious earthquake occurring within the boundaries of The United States. While many have put their trust in the government to provide for them in these coming crises, it will be unable to do so. But this is all part of God’s design to prepare His Bride! He is asking us to prophesy and speak unto the mountain. He is asking us to rise-up in faith, exercising our authority over the land!

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”—Mark 11:23

The Lord will always reveal His secrets to His servants in order that we can prepare for that which is to come. I am sharing this with you today so that you can be prepared. It is wise for you to be aware of the fact that possible food and supply shortages may be coming our way as a result of these earthquakes and extreme weather. On a practical level we should all have a disaster relief program in-place in our homes, in our businesses, and in our churches. We should have enough food, water, and enough money (cash on-hand) so that if something does happen, we are prepared to go through a 30-day window of dysfunction. However, we need not panic: remember, this is not yet the time of “Armageddon,” but we do need to be prepared with a practical action-plan.

Wars and Rumors of Wars are Coming…

In 5772, wars and rumors of wars will continue throughout the world as we draw closer to the prophetic times Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:6:

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Israel will frequently make front-page news as she experiences increased political and military unrest in 5772/2012. Her borders will remain in constant turmoil, with peace no longer on the horizon. Therefore, the Church must stand up in support of Israel. She must, as never before, rise up and position herself on her knees in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and all of Israel.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.’”—Psalm 122:6-7

It’s Time Church!—

The Prophetic Word is Coming…

“THE ONE WHO DOES NOT REMEMBER HISTORY
IS BOUND TO LIVE THROUGH IT AGAIN”

(An aphorism by the famous philosopher, George Santayana found inscribed on a plaque found within the walls of the Auschwitz concentration camp.)

In 5772/2012 the Church is going to need to not only embrace the prophetic, but also to understand and activate the principles of the prophetic word with greater authority so as not to repeat history. For that reason, we must always look to scripture as our guide to the prophetic in these trying times.

One of the best examples on the fundamentals of prophecy can be found in Ezekiel 37. There, in verse 3, we find the Lord asking of Ezekiel, during his vision in the valley of dry bones, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And then in subsequent verses, the Lord instructs Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones—telling them to come together; and then to prophesy to the breath; and then to the sinew and skin; and finally to take full authority and prophesy unto the land. Do you see the process?

Pastor John Kilpatrick, of Church of His Presence, described the prophetic process best when he explained that God typically prophesies from mountain-top to mountain-top, never giving you the valleys. Until this time, the Church has not correctly understood how to deal with prophecy—it does not fully understand that you must go forward after you have gone through the valley of the shadow of Death!

The cause for confusion over how to prophesy in the Church often occurs when the Lord asks her, “Can this great thing happen?” We then respond and answer, “Yes, Lord, You know!” We are all in agreement, and the bones begin to come together, which is great! But then after the great commotion of bones flying around and coming together, we never seem to get to the place where we actually put lungs into it, or put skin on it, or even begin to position ourselves to prophesy to the land—to take authority and dominion over it!

It’s Time to Wage the good Warfare…

Paul spoke these words to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:18-19, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare…”

Pastor Kilpatrick has continued on to reveal how the Church must be taught how to wage the good warfare with the prophecies that have been spoken over their lives. For these prophecies to come to pass, we have to be able to see the dry bones coming together! We have to be healed. We have to be found living in the land. And, we have to battle until our prophecies come to pass! We no longer have the time to merely stop because we cannot find the lungs and the breath to put into it! We must continue to war for our prophecies! Therefore our prophecies must become our focus!

As we read the remainder of verse 19, Paul reveals the fate of those who lose faith concerning their prophecies:

“…Having faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.”

This is what subsequently happens as you begin to drift away from the prophetic word spoken over your life. If you lack the faith to continue to push it forward, you will shipwreck! So you must contend for the prophecies that were spoken over you!

It’s Time to Take Authority…

There is an anointing to awaken to a third-day in 5772. This is very important, because you cannot change things with the abundance of yesterday’s knowledge and activity! You will need to carry a new revelation into the third-day.

Revelation 1:6 says, “and [He] has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

This speaks of the renewal of hope! This scripture tells us that He has made us kings and priests! Who are you waiting for to prophesy unto your mountain? You must rise-up as a king and a priest, and speak to the issues in your life. You must obtain the revelation and awaken to the Kingdom in this third-day! It is about “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done!” The Kingdom is for kings and priests!

In order to activate our authority, hope needs to be renewed. Otherwise, we will always look to others to pray for us and to speak for us. We must speak forth dominion over our own prophetic word—over what we are each called to do.

My own personal job is to do everything I can in order for the Gentile Church and Israel to come together and open up the gates. I have been prophesying into this vision for 22 years—and I know that I will see it! I will either see it as one coming back, or I will literally see it—but I will see it. I have prophesied this so much that I believe it—I know that I am a king and a priest! It doesn’t make any difference if others don’t believe—it is about what I believe when I speak it.

This is all about knowing exactly who you are in Yeshua the Messiah!

It’s Time to Prophesy with Breath…

Deuteronomy 11:26 says, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.”

5772 is about prophesying breath. Are you going to prophesy for the four-winds to come? Are you going believe? You must begin to walk with your lungs full of the four-winds, declaring, “I have a choice; blessing or cursing!” This is your choice—you must choose, because God will always give you a choice!

Many people tend to fight against their prophetic word with excuses. But you can choose to say, “No! I am born-again and washed in the blood of Jesus who died to bless me!” You must say, “I choose blessing because I am blessed of the Lord!” And when you do, the skeletal system will begin to come together; the ribcage and lungs will begin to operate, and breath will begin to come out. Your prophecy will begin to come to life!

It’s Time to be Released into Your Destiny…

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Many in the Church today are perplexed as to why they have been held back, many have battled rejection, and many have had several false starts. There have been many with big plans that have suddenly ground to a halt. These plans were stopped because it was not yet your time! But the Lord wants me to prophesy this to you for 5772/2012:

“It’s time to be released into your destiny!”

For this to happen you must be clothed spiritually—you need to put on your new identity. You need to put on that covenant relationship and know that your God loves you. You are not second-rate—you have not been grafted-in as an afterthought. God knew what He was doing from the foundations of the Earth, and He is ready to release you into your destiny!

It’s Time to Walk in Authority…

“’I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,’ says, the LORD.”—Ezekiel 37:14

A part of this new release involves the transfer of land. This is exactly what the battle over Israel is for. More than ever in 5772 the battle for Zion is going to be fought over her land.

What the Lord is about to do in Israel will be miraculous! There will be prophets who go into Israel this year who will speak to the dry bones from the mountains of Zion. They will release the breath—the Ruach HaKodesh of God (the Holy Spirit). They will speak to the sinew—the strength.

And the Jewish people in the land of Israel will rise-up, not as I.D.F. soldiers, but in the spirit of Elisha! They will rise-up in power. They will rise-up in the dominion that they were called to. They will turn from caterpillars into butterflies. They are going to come out of their cocoons this year! They are going to operate in power and speak unto their land. And when they do this, the LION of the TRIBE of JUDAH will ROAR!

We, as the Church, have been standing in the gap interceding for many years, and prophesying unto the mountains of Israel. But now the Lord will raise-up His own indigenous Sabra—Jewish prophets—Jewish Believers who will rise-up and begin to speak unto the land. As these satanic ley lines are broken, you are going to start seeing ley lines broken in your own properties—in your land—and over the United States of America. So I speak release into the land—into the ley lines of God!

Yes, 5772/2012 will indeed be the beginning of a new season. A season when the Church begins to emerge out from the familiar and step into the third-day revelation of our LORD! A year when the Church rises up to take dominion and possession of her rightful inheritance in His Kingdom—the Kingdom of God!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

A beautiful New Year message by Kelly Willard

2012-01-01T13:20:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Kelly is a beautiful person inside and out. She is a Godly woman with a tremendous talent to Worship our God with, and she does such a great job with it.

Kelly Willard

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

On this first day of our new year, 2012, a little story is on my mind...

We raised our children on a road out in the country, about 30 miles east of Nashville, called "Tater Peeler Road", in Lebanon,TN. (I usually go ahead and tell people that Tater Peeler Road was just off of Chicken Road, where, at the corner lived a three legged dog named "Tripod", who continually chased cars, despite losing his limbs!)
Well, the drive to "town"(Lebanon) was up and down and all around many a twist and turn in the road..about 8 miles. While most of the houses were pretty nice and decent looking, with a few VERY nice ones in between, there was one which stuck out like a sore thumb. It was one of those 'rare' places where things were stacked up on sidewalk, driveway, and yard and all in between. Broken down lawnmowers, buckets, bicycles, pieces of cars, pieces of chairs, washing machines, and just about everything else you could imagine was strewn from the front door to the very back of their property. Now, I'm not even going to BEGIN to try and understand people of this mindset, but there it was to behold, EVERY time we went to or from town by that path. It was certainly nothing less than an eyesore.
But one winter's day I was driving to town, and it had just snowed a real good snow. Everything was beautiful...the hills, the trees, even the roads...were all beautiful. As I rounded the bend that faced "the eyesore", I was taken aback. I could not even find the house that had so much junk piled up in it's yard. I did not even recognize it, because it,too, was covered by the most completely beautiful blanket of snow you have ever seen. NO junk showing...NO trash showing...NO eyesore, just a beautiful shape of a roof, house and landscape covered in beautiful white snow. At that very moment I had somewhat of an epiphany. Or, at the very least, I saw a dramatic parallel between this scene, knowing what was "underneath" it all, and our lives, as Christians, and all that Jesus' precious, Holy, sinless, spotless blood has "covered" in our sin-filled lives. It was a stunning physical visual of the stunning spiritual reality that we live daily "by faith" in.
Jesus has "covered our junk" just as beautifully as He covered that junky eyesore of a house with a gorgeous blanket of snow that day on my ride to town, and I treasure the reality of what He has done for me, personally, and for all of us who believe.

"For The Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. Let the saints be joyful in the glory and beauty which God confers upon them; let them sing for joy upon their beds." Psalm 149:4,5

* * * H A P P Y N E W Y E A R ! ! !

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

YESHUA—THE LIGHT of the WORLD. A HAPPY, LIGHT-FILLED HANUKKAH TO ALL!

2011-12-27T20:10:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

The LANDRY’S and the MARCELLINO’S HOPE that YOU and YOURS
are ENJOYING this FINAL EVENING of HANUKKAH CANDLE LIGHTING, and we PRAY that in this COMING SEASON YOU are BLESSED and found drawing EVER CLOSER to the MAGNIFICENT LOVE of YESHUA—THE LIGHT of the WORLD...

A HAPPY, LIGHT-FILLED HANUKKAH TO ALL!

Eighth Candle, HET — ח — SUPER ABUNDANCE into a NEW BEGINNING
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”
—Philippians 4:13

Seventh Candle, ZAYIN — ז — SPIRITUAL PERFECTION
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”—Genesis 2:2-3

Sixth Candle, VAV — ו — MAN
“…having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace…”
—Ephesians 2:15

Fifth Candle, HE — ה — REDEMPTION and GRACE
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”—John 3:16-19

Fourth Candle, DALET— ד —GOD CREATED
“So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.’”—Genesis 1:19

“So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’" —Genesis 1:21-22

Third Candle, GIMEL — ג — SPIRIT
“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”—Ecclesiastes 4:12

Second Candle, BET — ב — SON
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”—Amos 3:3

First Candle, ALEPH — א — FATHER
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD IS one!” —Deut. 6:4

By: House of David Ministries

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

This story is better than any greeting card.

2011-12-25T21:42:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.

Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.

He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.

"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.

George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.

"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln . They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.

As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."

George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.

"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."

The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.

He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time you’re gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.

The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"

The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.

"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."

George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.

"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."

The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George ..... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

Merry Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Why would my King relinquish His Throne in Glory?

2011-12-24T10:38:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

He Came

Two thousand years ago He relinquished His throne of sovereignty. He didn’t just walk away from it, nor did He relinquish it to another. He knew that He would return, but in obedience to Father God, He resigned all His majestic realms.

As co-equal in the Triune Godhead, He had been the instrument of the creation of the universe. It was through Him that all creation came to be, that time came to be measured, and shape and light replaced nothingness. Through Him the Milky Way was splashed into being and through Him a tiny acorn learned how to become a mighty oak, and a lowly caterpillar would learn to become a beautiful butterfly. Through Him a nurturing sun was precisely set in place to give the exact warmth and light needed for His creation – earth, and by Him man was given breath. He created the oceans and then filled them with such an intricate community of fish and fauna so as to evermore sustain each other. He was Himself Awesome and Mighty God, the omnipotent King to whom the cherubim and seraphim bowed low and knew as LORD of Lords.

He was continuously and perpetually serenaded in holy worship and praise by an innumerable host of angels. From His heavenly throne He ruled in glory and majesty. He was all powerful, magnificent, and wonderful. He was Divine.

Before there was such a thing as time, He shared a throne with Father God and as the apostle John would proclaim, “He was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2) There has never been a ‘before’ Him, and there will never be an ‘after’ Him.

He would refer to Himself as Alpha and Omega, Son of Man, Son of God, The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He would call Himself the Bread of Life. We would give Him names like Messiah, The Christ, Jesus, Savior and Redeemer, The Word, Lamb of God, and so many more. Father God would say of Him for all to hear, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

He would do something no other king or ruler had ever done. God would abdicate His Holy Throne on High to assume life as a common man, just as those He had created. He would knowingly and willingly surrender His sovereign majesty for the sake of all mankind. He would exchange sovereignty for humility and thus allow mankind to exercise their hate and pride upon Him.

The Prince of Peace would be suckled by a teen aged mother who was barely beyond puberty herself. Mary, probably fearful and yet surely curious, would change God’s diaper; teach Him how to feed Himself, to stand on wobbly legs, and all the many things we teach our own children. Mighty God would suffer skinned knees, a runny nose, and puberty. He would know hunger and thirst, perhaps toothaches. Joseph would attempt to teach God carpentry and perhaps begin teaching Him Holy scripture. At some point we envision that Joseph would find himself the student, now taught by the God-child.

He was as human as you and I, complete with physical, emotional, and relational problems, much as we endure. He was tempted just as you and I. Satan tried his best to seduce our Lord. That he didn’t succeed is testimony to His sinlessness. He gave us the example – the model to mold ourselves to.

He would not choose to avail Himself to comfort, luxury, or prosperity, though certainly He could have. He would seldom know serenity or ease. Who could comprehend the magnanimity of His sacrifice; no one could appreciate the depth of the love both He and the Father exhibited in this grand gesture of grace and mercy. The One God gave the Gift – The Gift gave His everything.

The first to come to worship Him at His ‘grand nursery’ were men who were considered the dregs of society in their day – sheep herders – smelly, dirty, uneducated, unwanted shepherds. His best friends in His short life would be anything but the ‘in crowd’. He came for those that were sick – sick in their spirit – sick in their beliefs. Sick like you and me.

In Hebrew society of that day the most accomplished men became priests, scribes, or servants of the temple. Merchants, politicians, and even skillful craftsmen were secondary trade choices; choices determined due to their inability to excel at learning the entirety of scripture. Only those who had proven themselves in learning all of scripture were allowed to enter a study with a rabbi and thus to continue on, perhaps becoming a rabbi themselves. The men chosen by our Lord Jesus were not among these intellectual or educated elite. Their lot was relegated to fishing and tax collecting, and farming.

My point - my theme, if you will allow – is the unbelievability, the incredibility of this whole story of a King who PURPOSELY and INTENTIONALLY gave up a throne in Heaven and became a man, knowing His destiny, knowing before He ever determined to make this move, that it would end in an earthly disaster. It was not a disaster from a Heavenly perspective. It was planned victory; victory over sin, death, and disparity. It was His mission. His sacrifice was Heaven’s victory; His obedience was mankind’s redemption. He knew the role and He accepted it.

Why would my King relinquish His Throne in Glory? Who is man that this Mighty God would sacrifice His Life for? Man is sinful, man is prideful, man is deceitful. I lie, I lust, I covet, I worship idols that are not God. Who am I that this Holy King, my King, would die for me? Who am I? Who are you?

Rick Warren opened his well known book, Purpose Driven Life with the quote, “Its not about you.” Well my friends, this time it is about us. Its all about you and me. It is not about anything we’ve done. Nothing we have become, or accomplished, or accumulated is relevant. It’s that our God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all as one, just simply loves us. He knows our shortcomings, our sinful nature, the temptations we’ve succumbed to, all the transgressions, everything. He knows our secrets, our attitudes, our intolerance of others that He loves, our judging of those He loves. And knowing all that – He still loves us so much that He came. (Romans 5:8)

He came for you and me. If we would only believe in Who He is, profess it to our neighbor,and turn away from all those things with which we weren’t particularly happy with anyway. Three simple acts to gain a relationship with a God who intentionally died for us. No one murdered God. He gave up His life purposely. He took the bullet that was meant for me; it had my name on it. And He took one for you too.

As we engage this celebration of the Birth of Christ season, these days of Christmas, let’s all reflect on the fact that His birth was equally a divine act and an earthly event. Our Lord Jesus is the only 200% person – 100% man and 100% God – and by His choice, by His obedience, and His sacrifice – He saved us all from ourselves.

He came.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason

2011-12-22T19:10:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

The Tablecloth

TRUE STORY......

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned
to their first ministry, to reopen a church
in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October
excited about their opportunities. When they saw
their church, it was very run down and needed
much work. They set a goal to have everything
done in time to have their first service
on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,
painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving
rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.
His heart sank when he saw that the roof had
leaked, causing a large area of plaster about
20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall
of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit,
beginning about head high.
The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,
and not knowing what else to do but postpone
the Christmas Eve service, headed home.
On the way he noticed that a local business was
having a flea market type sale for charity, so he
stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,
handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth
with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross
embroidered right in the center. It was just
the right size to cover the hole in the front
wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older
woman running from the opposite direction was
trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor
invited her to wait in the warm church for
the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor
while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put
up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor
could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and
it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center
aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor,"
she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"
The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check
the lower right corner to see if the initials 'EBG' were crocheted into
it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had
made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor
told how he had just gotten "The Tablecloth". The
woman explained that before the war she and
her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .

When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.
Her husband was going to follow her the next week.
He was captured, sent to prison and she never saw her
husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;
but she made the pastor keep it for the church.
The pastor insisted on driving her home. That
was the least he could do. She lived on the other
side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn
for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas
Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the
spirit were great. At the end of the service, the
pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door
and many said that they would return.

One older man, whom the pastor recognized
from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the
pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he
wasn't leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on
the front wall because it was identical to one
that his wife had made years ago when
they lived in Austria before the war and how
could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he
forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was
supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and
put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home
again in all the 35 years between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to
take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten
Island and to the same house where the pastor
had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of
stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on
the door and he saw the greatest Christmas
reunion he could ever imagine.
T rue story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
who says God does work in mysterious ways.
I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for
you today, to guide you and protect you as you go
along your way. His love is always with you. His
promises are true, and when we give Him all our
cares we know He will see us through.

So when the road you're traveling seems
difficult at best, just remember I'm here
praying and God will do the rest.
When there is nothing left but God, that is when
you find out that God is all you need.

Father, G od, bless all my friends and family in what
ever it is that You know they may be needing this
day! May their lives be full of Your peace,
prosperity and power as they seek to have a

closer relationship with You. Amen.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: thats all there is to it.

2011-12-21T20:32:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

To My Liberal Friends: Please accept, with no obligation, implied or explicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012 but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country, nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Conservative Friends: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Live well, go good work, and keep in touch.

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

2011-12-21T18:56:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share,

HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Have you often thought you'd like to create a web based memorial for someone in your family, or just a great friend but realized you didn't have the skill or the money to make it happen? Well you can now do it for FREE. Just click here, make your name the subject and I'll tell you how to begin.

My opinions...not daily, but frequent: oldreamer.blogspot.com

I used to have a handle on life...but it broke.

Micah 6:8 (paraphrased)

Acknowledging God to be stronger and wiser than you

Do the right thing.

Remembering that you will be held to the same standard you impose on others

Lean more to mercy than justice.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

The First Person to Worship Jesus

2011-12-17T20:49:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Michael Stark

New Beginnings Baptist Church

Sermon by: Michael Stark

Luke 1:29–45

“[Mary] was greatly troubled at the [angel’s] saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’

“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’

“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’” [1]

Today, we are witnessing a revival of pagan attitudes toward newborn and unborn children. To the Roman mind, life did not really begin until the father of a child accepted the child as his own. In judicial language, the child was not a “person” until accepted by the father. A nurse would bring the newborn child to the father and attempt to lay the infant on the father’s lap. If the father received the child, the little one would be allowed to live. If the father spread his legs, allowing the child to fall to the floor, the child was not accepted. Children were disposable.

Today, whether an unborn infant lives or dies is exclusively a mother’s choice. The woman who chooses life for her unborn child will fight to carry the child to term. However, if she believes the child to be an unbearable inconvenience, she will argue for her “right” to have an abortionist slaughter the child in utero. As terrible as it is to witness mothers doing all within their power to murder their unborn child, it is perhaps more terrible still to witness the power of government arrayed against the unborn, as politicians and governmental bureaucrats endeavour to facilitate the slaughter of the innocent. And that is precisely what is happening throughout much of the western world—politicians and bureaucrats united in an unholy war on the unborn.

Even now, physicians in Great Britain are calling for a debate on euthanasia for disabled infants. [2] Even the Prime Minister has taken up the cause of killing infants who are disabled, claiming that such action demonstrates compassion for parents and for society at large! The same discussion has now been opened in Canada. [3] The situation is reminiscent of the “compassion” of the Nazi regime that employed the notorious “T4 Medical Killing” program to rid the nation of the burden of providing care for “useless eaters.” [4]

Were it not shocking enough that physicians—healers who subscribe to the Hippocratic Oath—should call for the murder of disabled infants, the Church of England joins in advocating that sick newborn babies be neglected and allowed to die! [5] In a concession to modern social views, the bishops’ argument, cloaked as compassion, is based solely upon economic considerations for society and for the families of the sick infants. It is appalling that supposed men of God blatantly deny scriptural teaching; but in a communion that is rapidly drifting from adhering to the Word of God as authoritative for faith and practise, perhaps we should not be surprised.

The trend toward murdering our own children is evident also in our own nation. As an example, consider a report from the Alberta Provincial Health Ethics Network. That report, published in 2001, says, in part: “Although the Canadian homicide rate in general has declined to its lowest level in 30 years, there has been significant increase in filicides … that coincide with the positive publicity for justifying filicides… Between 1994 and 1998, the number of children under the age of 12 murdered by their parents increased by 45% to 7.1% of all homicides in Canada (compared to 4.9% for 1974-1983). This sharp increase followed a decreasing trend from 1974 through 1993.

“…This epidemic of filicide appears to be uniquely Canadian. While filicides rose contrary to the general drop in Canadian Homicides, the American filicide rate dropped along with other forms of homicide. As a result, the most recent figures report that 80% of children murdered in Canada were killed by their own parents.” [6]

In Rome at the time of Jesus’ birth, unwanted children were often cast onto the garbage heaps or thrown onto the side of the roads. There, the infants might be eaten by roaming dogs, die of exposure, or be taken in by charlatans of the vilest, most despicable character. Castaway children thus “rescued” might have their limbs broken or suffer other cruel bodily deformation at the hands of their “rescuers.” Such severely crippled children would be the more effective as beggars throughout their toddler and childhood years, their deformities tugging at the heartstrings of compassionate donors who felt guilty at their own good fortune. The short lives of these unfortunate children were destined to serve only as a means of enriching their benefactors!

Those who anticipated Messiah’s birth considered the unborn human—potentially and actually. The people of the Book were conversant with the mind of God. Throughout the Old Covenant are those verses that speak eloquently of the humanity and personality of the unborn. God affirmed the personhood of the Prophet Jeremiah.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

[JEREMIAH 1:5]

The Word of the Lord recorded in ISAIAH 49:1, 5 has relevance to this issue.

“The LORD called me from the womb,

from the body of my mother He named my name…

…

“And now the LORD says,

He who formed me from the womb to be His servant.”

PSALM 139:13-16 presents powerful statements revealing the person of the unborn.

“You formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there were none of them.”

Since mortals are evidence of God’s handiwork, and since each human being is “fearfully and wonderfully made,” how much more marvellous is the knowledge that God became man! How incredible to know that God chose to share our fallen condition, and to know that He did so willingly!

Though the Lord Jesus was worshipped by angels, the unborn John was the first person to worship the Lord Jesus, and his mother, Elizabeth, was the first to lend her voice to praise of the Saviour. These were the first people in a never-ending multitude to worship Christ the Lord. Join me, together with John, in worship of the Son of God.

THE REASON FOR CHRIST’ ADVENT — Why should it be necessary for the Son of God to be born into this sinful world? Why was it necessary that God must become man? Wouldn’t it have done for the Lord Christ to stand in His unveiled glory and accomplish His will? Questions such as these are legitimate; they deserve an answer.

On one occasion, Jesus did appear in unveiled glory and His disciples who were with Him were unable to stand before Him. You will recall that it was “as He was praying” that “the appearance of His face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white” [LUKE 9:29]. Peter, James and John, the Apostles that accompanied Him at that time, were startled out of their sleep; before His glory, they found themselves face down on the ground. We can infer from this incident that had Jesus appeared in unveiled glory, everyone would have fallen to the ground at His glory. It is impossible to stand in the presence of God in His glory. Each time the glorified Saviour comes into the scene in Heaven, the saints, though in their glorified bodies, fall down before Him and worship [e.g. see REVELATION 5:8]

However, it is a sorrowful fact that merely falling before the Saviour does not necessarily imply worship of Him as God. We know a day has been appointed when “Every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” [PHILIPPIANS 2:10, 11]. Either we worship the Son of God as our Saviour now, or we will be compelled to bow before Him as our Judge at His return.

How awesome is the scene that John witnessed and which he described. “The kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand’” [REVELATION 6:15-17]? That misplaced prayer in that day, the falling before Him as He comes in wrath, is but a harbinger of what is coming, for all the lost must one day appear before His Great White Throne.

As I prepared the message, I read again REVELATION 20:11-15. I saw something I had never noted before. Listen to the Word of God. “I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Notice that Death and Hades are “thrown” into the lake of fire. No one steps into hell; no one leaps into hell. At the last, all bravado is absent, and sinners are flung into eternal separation. How frightful is that thought!

We forget that Jesus was born to provide the means to redeem fallen creation. He came to provide atonement for sin. Here is a question to challenge your conscience. “Are you a sinner because you sin?” Or “Do you sin because you are a sinner?” Without question, we sin because we are sinners. In other words, what we are dictates our behaviour. Since we know that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [ROMANS 3:23], it must follow that man is inherently sinful. If man is to please God, and if he is to enjoy sweet communion with God, God Himself must provide a means to put away man’s sin—sin that is an integral part of man.

We are taught that “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” [cf. HEBREWS 9:22]. Those who knew the prophecies of Messiah’s birth were familiar with Isaiah’s words. You have no doubt read his prophecy in the 53rd CHAPTER of the book that bears his name. Jewish scholars had read and still could not understand what was said.

“Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned every one to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.”

Again, take special note of VERSES TEN THROUGH TWELVE.

“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for sin,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

[ISAIAH 53:4-6, 10-12]

Seven hundred fifty years before His birth, the purpose of Jesus’ coming was prophesied—He would provide His life as a guilt offering. His soul would be “an offering for sin”; but through that “offering” He would justify many by bearing their iniquities while making intercession for them as transgressors. Though the angels would sing of peace on earth, peace would only be purchased with the death of babe.

We must remember that Jesus was born to die. How startling must Simeon’s words have seemed to Joseph and Mary! “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” [LUKE 2:34, 35]. With the coming of the Son of God, the purchase of redemption was set in motion; but the purchase price was to be the life of that child. God must taste death to redeem fallen man. This babe, “By the grace of God must taste death for everyone” [HEBREWS 2:9]. I caution you lest the gaiety of the season obscure the solemnity of His advent, to remember that the Son of God became a man “to give His life as a ransom for many” [MATTHEW 20:28]. If He does not present Himself as a sacrifice, His coming is futile.

Have you thought of this? If Jesus did not present His life as a sacrifice, we have no reason to worship Him. If He did not bear our sin and take upon Himself our wickedness, our iniquity, our transgression, our sin … we are still under condemnation and we have no reason to worship Him.

Though He “was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead” [ROMANS 1:4], there would have been no resurrection without His death. Without His death and without His resurrection, there is no reason to worship Him. If He did not take our sin upon Himself and bear them away, why worship Him? If He has not provided atonement, why worship Him? He was divinely appointed to bear away our sin and purify for Himself a people, and by faith in Him we are that people.

THE REACTION TO JESUS’ ADVENT — The entire world is divided into saints and ain’ts. Either an individual is submitted to the reign of God’s Messiah in his life, or an individual is in rebellion against the Lord God of Heaven and earth. Those who looked to God for righteousness and mercy were prepared to worship at Messiah’s advent. Those who thought themselves sufficient to provide for their own righteousness despised His coming. Either one is prepared to worship the Son of God now, or one has rejected Him and is determined that he would slay Him if he could.

Consider the world into which God sent His Son. The Apostle John wrote of that darkened world into which Jesus was born. John writes, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” [JOHN 1:10, 11]. John had earlier written of Him, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” [JOHN 1:3]. The world ignored the coming of God’s Son. Even when they were assured that this was the Son of God, they acted as though He was not present.

There is a reason for the world’s calculated ignorance of the Messiah. The Word cautions, “This is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” [JOHN 3:19, 20].

John’s words present the most astounding truth—very God became man, and people did not recognise Him. The failure of the world to recognise Him was deliberate, however. Very God shone His glory on the soul of fallen mankind, and men rejected the divine light because they loved darkness. Like rodents and insects, fallen mankind has become so accustomed to the murky blackness of darkened lives that they resent the divine light. Knowing that they are wrapped in chains of their own lusts, they resent even the threat of exposure of their bondage. The pain resulting from exposure of their pitiful condition is feared more than is the thought of divine judgement. Thus, they choose to die in their sin rather than face their own slavery.

It is the silly season. Courts in the United States have ruled that nativity scenes must contain secular elements in order to be legal. Hence, gnomes, Santa Claus figures, whitetail deer and other assorted lawn ornaments now jostle for space alongside of shepherds, wise men, sheep and camels to peer into a manger containing a replica of the Christ Child. I suppose it is a matter of time until flamingos and hedgehogs will be mandated to ensure neutrality. Does this mean that we need to rewrite the accounts that Matthew and Luke have provided? Atheists displays, including a skeleton Santa nailed to a cross, are displacing nativity scenes in various venues. [7]

More commonly, the assault on Christmas and anything even remotely Christian consists of instructions to sales clerks, people taking phone orders for “Christmas” presents or school district employees to avoid saying, “Merry Christmas,” [8] less it offend someone. Increasingly, people are compelled to say “Happy Holy Days,” or some variant. The Holy Day is never specified, so you can accept whichever holy day suits your purpose. Or perhaps the assault on the Faith consists of the the erection of a “Holiday Tree” to celebrate … whatever anyone wants to make of the tree, removal of a nativity scene, [9] or replaces a Christmas concert with February fest or a Winter Festival. [10] One cannot read such accounts without realising the palpable hostility toward God’s Son.

No one is truly neutral concerning the Son of God. Either people hate Him, or they worship Him. Scholars ignored His advent, though they knew not only the time He would appear but also the place of His appearance. Nobles determined they would kill Him, but He came to give His life as a ransom. To the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus affirmed, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again” [JOHN 10:17, 18]. Religious people were ignorant of His coming. Together they blended their voices in a cacophony of calumny exposing hatred that would be satisfied only with His death.

To this day, and until His return, it will be evident that mankind remains united in hatred toward Him. But what can mankind do to rid themselves of Him? If you attempt to stone Him, He slips through the crowd and walks away. If you try to drown Him He will walk on the water. If you try to destroy Him in a storm, He commands the storm to hush and it lies down at His feet like a chastened puppy to lick His hand. If you try to crucify Him, He refuses to stay dead and the stone will be rolled away from the mouth of the grave. Try to ignore Him and you will hear a still, small voice that whispers, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” [REVELATION 3:20]. You can’t get rid of Him!

There is coming a day when He will have returned to assume His rightful place as Judge of all. All who are willing to heed the Word have received the warning that says, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” [PHILIPPIANS 2:10, 11]. Why would you wait to worship Him? Why would you wait to confess His Name? Why would you wait to bow before Him? He is Lord. I’m not waiting; I’ll confess His Name now and gladly honour Him by bowing before Him to give Him the praise that is due His Name.

Perhaps many did reject Him at His coming, but it is comforting to know that there were many who rejoiced at His coming and received Him as the promised Lord of Glory. In the verses cited moments ago we see another response. It is true that the world did not recognise Him and His own did not receive Him; nevertheless, “All who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” [JOHN 1:12, 13]. It is true that men loved darkness, but there was another response to His presence. “Whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God” [JOHN 3:21].

Mary submitted to the will of God and became the one by whom the Son of God was brought into the world. Joseph responded with deepest humility before the message of the angel to obey the will of God. At His revelation, many of those whom the forerunner had prepared turned to Him, and the Baptist rejoiced in this knowledge. John testified, “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The Evangelist continued with the testimony, “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” [JOHN 3:29-36].

Long before the forerunner spoke those words, he worshipped the Son of God. John was the first to worship the Son of God, worshipping within his mother’s womb. The unborn child “leaped for joy” at the sound of Mary’s voice, and though his tongue was yet mute, he worshipped. I love to sing praises to the Son of God. I delight to lift my voice in praise to Him. I am confident that few instruments of praise are more beautiful than the voice of one who has been redeemed by the grace of God.

When unable to lift my voice in praise, I can worship the Lord, as did John in Elizabeth’s womb. In the midst of my trials and sorrow, I can leap for joy, as did the unborn child in the womb. I can always reveal the joy of the Saviour in my life.

The world can’t stifle worship in the Christian’s heart. Silence me as I perform my appointed tasks, and I will nevertheless make “melody to the Lord with all [my] heart” [cf. EPHESIANS 5:19]. Command the Christian to refrain from singing aloud and her heart will yet soar with joy. Joy is the precious gift of God to all who receive Christ as Lord, and the joyful heart cannot help exulting in joyous song.

Threaten the servants of God and they will go back “to their friends,” and together they will “lift[] their voices together to God” [cf. ACTS 4:23, 24]. Place the children of God under a judicial ban and they will leave the courts “rejoicing that they [are] counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name” [cf. ACTS 5:41]. Beat the followers of Christ and put their feet in stocks, and at midnight they will pray and sing hymns [cf. ACTS 16:25]. You can’t silence a “people who know their God,” for they will “stand firm” against those who oppose Him [cf. DANIEL 11:32], and they will continue to worship Him who has given them life. As a Christian, I must worship the One who loved me and gave Himself for me.

What was true two millennia past remains true to this day. The presence of the Son of God compels us to position ourselves. Either we stand opposed to Him or we worship Him as the Lord of life. Either we reject Him or we embrace Him. Either we are dead in trespasses and sins or we are alive in Him. Either we walk in darkness or we are in the light as He is in the light. Either we are lost or we are found. Either we reject Him or we receive Him.

THE RESULT OF JESUS’ ADVENT — If time was divided at His First Coming, time shall cease at His Second Advent. If mankind was divided at His First Coming, mankind shall be judged at His Second Coming. Throughout the years since His Advent, God has been at work visiting “the Gentiles, to take from them a people for His Name” [cf. ACTS 15:14]. That divine work has been accomplished through the creation of the Body of Christ. “Obtained with His own blood” [cf. ACTS 20:28]; the church of the Risen Saviour is responsible to gather a people for His Name. We are charged to be faithful to His Name until He calls us to Himself.

In the smallest detail of life we are responsible to glorify Him. Our worship is not to ensure that we feel good about ourselves or even to assist us to feel good about Him. Our worship is to equip us to serve Him until He comes. We are called to devotion to fidelity to His cause—to declare His Good News to the peoples of this darkened world. There are many still in darkness that will respond to the light of His Word, if we will honour Him and remember the purpose of His coming.

Because the Son of God has come, there are now churches declaring salvation to all who will receive it; peace is offered to all who will receive Him as King of life. Soon, He shall return in great power to receive His chosen people to Himself. Until that day, the people of God are charged to prepare themselves to serve Him through worship of the Living Son of God; and having prepared themselves, His people are responsible to proclaim His salvation boldly to the lost and dying world in which they live.

We have permitted ourselves to be conditioned to avoid unpleasantness in our relationships with others. Consequently, we avoid speaking of Christ and deny His claim upon the life of those who are lost. We don’t want to offend, so we look for an easy way to witness of His claim. Our puerile efforts are silent evidence that we have failed to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Our fear testifies that we are not Spirit-controlled.

We rationalise by saying that our lost friends and family members are not so bad. We console ourselves by thinking that perhaps they have secretly trusted Christ as Lord. We don’t know and we dare not risk this shaky relationship by asking of their relationship to the Lord Christ.

What would you think of a dentist who looked in your mouth and said, “Yes, you have a bad tooth back there in a corner, but you have a lot of good teeth and I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so we'll leave all of them alone?” Though we recognise that a dentist that acted in such a fashion is negligent and unethical, we fail to see that we are negligent and unethical because we fail to confront the lost in their sin lest we make them uncomfortable.

I might apply the same illustration to the preaching the Word and the requirement to confront the lèse majesté of the saints. If it is wicked to permit people to die in their sin, it is wicked for the minister of Christ to fail to confront the people of God about their sinful condition. We do not want our minister to deal with sin in the church lest he make people feel uncomfortable. There were good people in the church at Corinth but Paul did not overlook the evils in the fellowship. He dealt with them one by one, and only after that did he get around to the positive notes of giving, love and the resurrection.

What better time to confront the people of God about our failure to worship, about our failure to be obedient, about our failure to seek the lost, then at Christmas? Christ came to seek and to save the lost, and His coming, commemorated at this Holy Season, speaks powerfully of His Second Coming to judge those who are refuse His mercy now. If the joy of His presence is seen in me, I will be compelled tell others. If the joy of His First Advent now resonates in my life, I will not be silent before those living about me. If the joy of His salvation baptises my life, I will speak of Him and I will worship Him. Having worshipped, I will serve.

Do you know Him? Does He reign in your life? Does your life give evidence of having worshipped Him? Have you any jewels to present before Him at His return? Because He has come once, we now live in anticipation of His return. Because He has come once, we must be busy doing the work that He has assigned. Amen.

[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] “Allow Debate On Euthanasia For Seriously Disabled Infants Say Experts,” http:www.medicalnewstoday.comhealthnews.php?newsid=55885, accessed 26 November 2011; Adam Wishart, “Are doctors defying nature by keeping premature babies alive?” MailOnline, 8 March 2011, http:www.dailymail.co.ukhealtharticle-1364007Are-doctors-defying-nature-keeping-premature-babies-alive.html, accessed 13 December 2011; Ian Drury, “Cameron: Why I wouldn’t stop women having abortions if their babies were disabled,” MailOnline, 16 August 2008, http:www.dailymail.co.uknewsarticle-1045839Cameron-Why-I-wouldnt-stop-women-having-abortions-babies-disabled.html, accessed 13 December 2011; Benedict Brogan, “Cameron to back late abortions for babies with minor disabilities,” MailOnline, 17 March 2008, http:www.dailymail.co.uknewsarticle-536554Cameron-late-abortions-babies-minor-disabilities.html, accessed 13 December 2011; Steve Doughty, “We must debate mercy killing of disabled babies, say top doctors,” Mail Online, 5 November 2006, http:www.dailymail.co.uknewsarticle-414701/We-debate-mercy-killing-disabled-babies-say-doctors.html, accessed 13 December 2011

[3] Dick Sobsey, Ed.D., “Altruistic Filicide: Bioethics or Criminology,” Health Ethics Today, Volume 12, Number 1, FallNovember 2001, http:www.phen.ab.camaterialshethet12-01c.asp, accessed 13 December 2011

[4] “T4 Medical Killing Program,” http:www.remember.orgwitnesswit.vic.med.html, accessed 26 November 2011

[5] “Outrage as Church backs calls for severely disabled babies to be killed at birth,” The Mail Online, 121106, http:www.dailymail.co.uknewsarticle-416003/Outrage-Church-backs-calls-severely-disabled-babies-killed-birth.html, accessed 26 November 2011

[6] Sobsey, op. cit.

[7] “Atheist Group Ousts Church Christmas Displays From Santa Monica Park,” KCAL 9 News, 10 December, 2011, http:losangeles.cbslocal.com20111210atheist-group-ousts-church-christmas-displays-from-santa-monica-park, accessed 14 December 2011; Rick Rojas, “Atheists get Santa Monica Nativity’s display spaces in park,” Los Angeles Times, 12 December, 2011, http:latimesblogs.latimes.comlanow201112atheists-takes-santa-monica-nativity-scenes-spots-in-park.html, accessed 14 December 2011; “Atheist display: Skeleton Santa nailed to a cross,” msnbc.com and NBCWashington.com, 6 December 2011, http:usnews.msnbc.msn.com_news201112069247743-atheist-display-skeleton-santa-nailed-to-a-cross, accessed 14 December 2011; Sara Israelsen-Hartley, “Atheists’ holiday displays add controversy to Christmas,” Deseret News, December 8, 2011, http:www.deseretnews.comarticle700205237Atheists-holiday-displays-add-controversy-to-Christmas.html, accessed 14 December 2011; Austin Cline, “Loudon County: Atheist Displays Will Outnumber Christian Displays,” http:atheism.about.comb20111209loudon-county-atheist-displays-will-outnumber-christian-displays.htm, accessed 14 December 2011

[8] Todd Starnes, “Nevada High School Stirs Controversy Over Ban on Christmas Greetings, Decorations,” Fox News, http:www.foxnews.comus20101221nevada-high-school-stirs-controversy-ban-christmas-greetings-decorations, accessed 14 December 2011; Katherine T. Phan, “Oklahoma University Reverses Ban on ‘Christmas,’” Christian Post, Dec 22 2007, http:www.christianpost.comnewsoklahoma-university-reverses-ban-on-christmas-30613/, accessed 14 December 2011

[9] E.g., Christine Bouthillier, QMI Agency, “Nativity scene removed from Montreal-area town hall,” 5 December 2011, http:cnews.canoe.caCNEWSCanada2011120519070881.html, accessed 14 December 2011

[10] Matthew Pearson, National Post, Dec. 2, 2011, http:www.nationalpost.comtodays-paperSchool replaces Christmas concert with February fest5799609story.html, accessed 14 December 2011

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

The Power to Deliver: by Rusty Russell

2011-12-14T19:41:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Micah 5:2–5

In his book, Living with Eternity in Your Heart, Mark Buchanan writes about what I call the “Christmas Paper Blues.” It’s what happens on Christmas morning. Mark says that he even saw it in his children when they reached the age that Christmas morning became the “Day of Getting.” There were mounds of gifts beneath the tree, and his son led the way in that favorite childhood (and, more subtly, adult) game, How Many Are for Me? But the telling moment came Christmas morning when the gifts were handed out. The children ripped through them, shredding and scattering the wrappings like jungle plants before a well-wielded machete. Each gift was beautiful: an intricately laced dress Grandma Christie had sewn, an exquisitely detailed model car Uncle Bob had found at a specialty store on Robson Street in Vancouver, a finely bound and gorgeously illustrated collection of children's classics Aunt Leslie had sent. The children looked at each gift briefly, their interest quickly fading, and then put it aside to move on to the Next Thing. When the ransacking was finished, his son, standing amid a sea of boxes and bright crumpled paper and exotic trappings, asked plaintively, "Is this all there is?"

That’s it! The Christmas Paper Blues. We adults still experience it too. We get to the end of the unwrapping and ask, “Is this all there is?” Now we might not way that out loud, but the chances are good that we feel that way. In a very real way, that question is more than the avaricious cry of an unsatisfied, pampered pouter. It is the longing cry of every human heart. At the end of desire lies a vast desert of unsatisfied longing which will always feel empty at the end of our frenzied gift - opening, and want to ask, “Is this all there is?”

BACKGROUND

And in a strange kind of way, that question really is what Christmas is all about. For centuries the Jewish people, 5, “Is this all there is?” Yet, it was never asked completely in despair. In the back of every Jewish heart was a hope. They had a promise from God: A “soul-satisfier” would be born; a deliverer would appear; the Messiah would come.

Many of the prophets talked about that day when the question would be answered. Isaiah told us that a virgin would conceive and bring forth a son who would be named, “Emmanuel, God with us;” David, the Psalmist alluded to his own offspring who would “be blessed and come in the name of the Lord,” and the prophet, Micah, even specifically noted the town in which this hope would be born when he wrote:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace.

Now the immediate context of this scripture was the oppression of the Jewish people by the Assyrians. The prophet Micah is prophesying that a deliverer would come to put down the Assyrian threat, but his prophecy must be contemplated beyond his immediate time. God intended this to also apply to the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. I know this because the Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to quote this passage of scripture in Matthew 2:6 in reference to the Messiah. He condenses it a bit writing: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

NEED

Wow! Quite a leap isn’t it? To believe that the great omnipotent God would stoop to such a humble birth in such a humble place, and do it all to deliver people who, for the most part, care so little for Him. It is a pretty incredible proposition, yet it is exactly what the Bible teaches. A humble infant King can deliver you from whatever hopelessness you face and give you a reason to really celebrate Christmas. This little infant King can deliver you!

And I know that, when we hear this, we receive it in different ways. Some of us doubt. We find this “God becoming man” thing too much to swallow. Or, even if we claim to believe it, we leave it on the level of theory and don’t allow it to get down into our lives where it can bring to us the miraculous life of faith God intends. Listen! God meant for you and I not just to live a meaningful life; He intended for us, because of this infant King, to live a miraculous life. He wants to bring a delivered life. I know you think that you’ve been so often defeated by that sin that besets you that there is no hope; I know you believe that God must have given up on you and you may even doubt that you are saved. You are wrestling with doubt, and I want you to pay attention. I want to tell you why you can fully trust that this King can deliver you, even if you doubt.

And then there are those, not who doubt, but who pout. They’re not questioning whether God can deliver, they are angry that He hasn’t delivered in the way they expected. They know He promised to provide, but they struggle with the fact that they are still, well . . . struggling. The sickness they thought would be healed is still there; The financial need they hoped would be handled is greater than ever; the job they had expected to arrive is nowhere to be found and their experience has left them bitter. They’re expecting a disappointing Christmas because how do you celebrate this baby as your provider when He doesn’t seem to be providing. Listen! God does provide, but you must see how His provision is meant to work.

You see, you can trust this infant King to deliver you for at least three reasons:

DIV 1: BECAUSE OF THE POWER HE HAS

EXP

Todd Agnew writes:

In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived

Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried

But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth

In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth

It’s beyond our imagination to think of it, but the idea that God came wrapped in flesh is so true. This infant King possesses all power, and yet His arrival is so quiet. How like God that is. In fact, His humble beginning accentuates His power. Micah writes, But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel. Jesus wasn’t just born poor, he was born in obscurity. He was born in the “little town of Bethlehem.” Micah says that “though you are little among the thousands, yet out of you shall come forth to Me “The One.” This in itself is an example of the merciful grace of God! He allows the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem because He is making a statement. In the time when Micah wrote this, the nation of Israel was on its heels. The grand power of Solomon was gone. Through compromise after compromise, the people of Judah had given away their standing and had finally been reduced to abject captivity. They were the smallest of the small and the weakest of the weak. But God’s prophet has a message for them! Great things happen through the small things that God uses. Bethlehem, the smallest of the small would give rise to the greatest of the great. God, Himself, wrapped in humanity would come out of this humble town. The sheer audacity of such an event only makes God’s power more awesome and the Messiah’s coming more blessed. His humble beginning accentuates His power.

And, then, His Heavenly origin validates His power. Micah says that this Ruler coming out of Bethlehem was to be extraordinary. In fact, he makes a curious statement. He says that this Ruler is One “Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Literally, it can be interpreted, “Whose goings out are from of old, from days of eternity.” Micah tells us here that this Messiah did not originate from earth. He has been around “from the days of eternity.” John, the Apostle would later write, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. His heavenly origin validates His power.

But that is not all. Not only does his humble beginning accentuate His power and His heavenly origin validate His power, His delivering promise focuses His power. You really have to understand the situation of Micah’s audience. They were scattered and defeated. Many of their brothers and sisters were still away in captivity. Micah says, in 5:3, Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel. These captives would return in the divine timing and providence of God. His power would be revealed in deliverance. What seemed like God’s abandoning of Israel would prove temporary. The Messiah would come; She who was “in labor” would give birth and that birth would signal the end of the nation’s oppression.

When you take it all together, the humble beginnings, the heavenly origin, and the delivering promise of this Messiah show us that He isn’t just a special baby, No! He is the God-man. He is the unique, one and only Son of God and He has complete power! That’s why I say He can deliver you.

ARGUMENTATION

Which, of course, leads to the obvious question: If this Messiah can so deliver us, why doesn’t he then? Why is it that our babies are sick? Why is it that our health fails? Why is it that those we love so much, even though we pray earnestly for them, still die. If God has such power, why does He allow us to suffer so much. We, if we aren’t careful come to the agnostic’s conclusion. Either God is not all powerful, or God is not all good, for if He is all powerful and He allows evil, He must not be all good and if He is all good and He allows evil, then He must not be all powerful. Which is why God often gets blamed when things go wrong.

ILL

In fact, it is quite common to shake their puny fists at God in the middle of tragedy and suffering. Nebraska State Senator, Ernie Chambers took his complaints to court.In October 2007, Sen. Chambers sued God for "causing untold death and horror" in the form of "fearsome floods…horrendous hurricanes, [and] terrifying tornadoes." Furthermore, says the senator, God has wrought "widespread death [and] destruction" and terrorized "millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers filed the suit to make a statement about the American court system. Outraged by a recent lawsuit he considered frivolous, the senator intends to demonstrate that "anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody." His motion against God, then, is tongue in cheek; Chambers, who has a history of antagonism against Christians, has no vested interest in his suit against the Almighty.

Nevertheless, the case raises important questions about God's activity in this broken world. Is God to blame for poverty, warfare, and natural disaster? Chambers seems to think so. To him the facts are clear: there is suffering everywhere, and God is everywhere.

But his reasoning makes one giant presumptive leap: He assumes that God plays by his rules; that He sees things from our perspective and, therefore, should reach our conclusions. He does not! God does not move in the ways that we anticipate. It has been that way from the beginning. Abraham, tired of waiting for the promise and nagged by Sarah, his wife, had a son with Sarah’s servant, Hagar, and lived to regret his intrusion into the prerogative of the Almighty. The Pharisees of Jesus days expected a conquering King, not a humble servant, and so they crucified the very Messiah that God had sent. God does not play by our rules. His power will not be harnessed by our desire.

APP

So as you try to discern how God might be moving in your life, remember at least three things: First, God cannot be stopped! He is not anxiously wondering what the outcome of His efforts will be. He Knows, and nothing can thwart His perfect will. He can and will act in your life!

“Well, you might say, that’s great, but I don’t really see Him working in me! I have prayed and nothing is happening. You say God cannot be stopped, but He is not doing what I think He should be doing in my life. How can you say He cannot be stopped?”

Well, you must also understand that while God cannot be stopped, He can also not be programmed. You see, He is absolutely in control, and He will not give up that control to another. He will not be your genie in the bottle. You know, rub three times and out He pops to grate your latest wish. He is God and you (and I) are not. He cannot be programmed.

O, but here’s the most important principle. While God cannot be stopped and he cannot be programmed, I also tell you that HE CAN BE LIMITED (when it comes to His work in YOUR life. Yes that’s right. James told us as much when he said of prayer that “We have not because we do not ask for it. We are limited by what we do not ask.

But, the opposite is also true: We are limited by what we do ask. For one thing, we often think TOO SMALL. We ask God for what we consider to be safe, and do you know how we usually define safe? What we could have done anyway! That’s right! We ask for something we can do afraid that, somehow, our Messiah just can’t pull it off. We limit God.

And we also limit God because we ask for what is out of His will. Part of the whole mission of prayer is not for us to dream up stuff to ask God for, but to come into His presence and experience Him to the point that we begin to think as He thinks and will what He wills, and when we begin to think as He thinks and will as He wills, we find that His power is released in our lives.

So let me ask you: Are you angry with God because you He is not doing as you think He should? Remember: He cannot be programmed. Are you asking God for the impossible, or are you asking only for what you know that you can achieve anyway? Remember: He can be limited when it comes to His work in your life. Let Him loose. And are you using your times of prayer to just throw requests upward, or are you truly seeking to discern God’s will and line yourself up with Him so that He may release His power in you? Remember: He is the Messiah; He is the infant King. You can trust Him to deliver you because of the power He has. But you can also trust Him to deliver you

DIV 2: BECAUSE OF THE PROVISION THAT HE MAKES

EXP

This Messiah comes not to be served, but to serve. He has come to provide for His people. That provision is manifested in at least four ways. For one thing, this Infant King provides by delivering us from lack. Micah 5:4 says, And He shall stand and feed his flock. That sounds like Psalm 23 where David says, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (or lack). Jesus began to fulfill this during His earthly ministry. He went about healing the sick, cleansing demoniacs, and providing the physical needs of people. In fact on a couple of occasions, he fed several thousand people. He literally “stood” and “fed His flock.”

And, as our Messiah, he still delivers us from lack. Now I know that when I say that, you may have some real questions. You’ve been struggling to pay the bills. I know that there are some of you listening today who have struggled for the past several years now just to hold onto your house or your job. There have been many times when you’ve felt as if you have “lacked.”

Well, to say that our Messiah delivers us from lack does not mean to say that we will have a comfortable life. That was disproved in the first century. All but one of Jesus’ very own Apostles died violent deaths for their faith. Deliverance from lack certainly does not mean comfort! What, then does it mean.

What it means is what Jesus promised in His parting words to the disciples. When He ascended into Heaven, do you remember what He told the crowds gathered there. He told them to go into the all the world and bring others into the same relationship with Him that they had enjoyed and then He concluded by saying, And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. You see, His promise to supply our need and deliver us from lack is always within the context of doing His will. As I am “going” to make disciples; as I am seeking and accomplishing His will for my life, I will always find that He is there to supply the need. If I need to be healed from cancer in order to accomplish His will in my life, and if I will trust Him and ask Him, He will heal me. If I need a million dollars to accomplish what He wants for me, and if I trust Him and ask Him, He will supply the need. I will be delivered from lack as I follow Him in obedience. His provision means he delivers me from lack.

ILL

EXP

He delivers you from bondage. This was literally true for the Jewish people. Micah, their prophet tells them that this Messiah is going to return those who were in bondage to their homeland. Micah 5:3 says that the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And v4 takes it further. After telling them that this Messiah will . . . stand and feed His flock, it says that He will do so in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; The word “majesty” come from the root of the word which means “to rise up.” It is used after the Red Sea has swallowed up the Egyptians and the Isrealites are praising God, they say He “triumphed gloriously.” That’s the same root word as majesty and says, in effect, that God has risen up over His enemies like a wave and “triumphed gloriously” over His enemies. You could render this phrase, then, like this. And He will stand and feed His flock, rising up in the name that will be recognized for it’s power and authority because of the Lord His God. And you can trust this Infant King because He provides for you by delivering you from bondage.

And what does that mean for you and me personally? What does it mean to say that we are delivered from bondage? Well, obviously, we are not in political bondage as some of these Jews were, but all of us are born in bondage to sin. The bondages from which we must be delivered, then, are two: The eternal condemnation for our sin actions and the practical domination of our sinful nature. In the first place, Christ’s death paid our penalty for sin and we are delivered. In the second, Christ’s resurrection frees us from our bondage to our sinful nature and we receive the power to live a life that pleases God.

What does that look like in our lives? Well, if does not mean that you live a completely sin-free life at all times. Perfection is something we find when we cross over into eternity. But while it does not mean a sin-free life, it does mean that you can live a sin-conquering life. This infant king guarantees that you can be set free from the domination of sin.

ILL

One missionary told of their experience on the field that illustrates this so well. One day they said that an enormous snake—much longer than a man—slithered its way right through their front door and into the kitchen of their simple home. Of course, they were terrified and ran outside looking for one of the natives who might know what to do. Before long a neighbor with a machete showed up, calmly marched into their house and decapitated the snake with one clean chop.

The neighbor reemerged triumphant and assured the missionaries that the reptile was dead. But there was a catch. He warned them that it was going to take a while for the snake to realize it was dead.

A snake's neurology and blood flow are such that it can take considerable time for it to stop moving even when its head has been removed. For the next several hours, the missionaries were forced to wait outside while the snake thrashed about, smashing furniture and flailing against walls and windows, wreaking havoc until its body finally understood that it no longer had a head.

Sweating in the heat, they had felt frustrated and a little sickened but also grateful that the snake's rampage wouldn't last forever. And at some point in their waiting, the missionaries realized the spiritual meaning of what was going on. They realized that Satan is a lot like that big old snake. He's already been defeated. He just doesn't know it yet. And Satan is defeated because this Infant King has defeated him. Jesus provides. He delivers us from lack and delivers us from bondage. But then,

EXP

He delivers you from fear. Micah says of this Infant King, And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace. If you had been one of the captives returning to Israel after your time in Babylon or Assyria, I am sure that you would have had the same question on your mind that many of these returnees had: Will this last? Will some other power rise up and take me away again.

Micah answers this question in 5:4b. He says And they shall abide. Literally, they will “live securely.” No one is going to come in upon them again. This infant king will assure their safety for, as the 5:4 goes on to say, He shall be great to the ends of the earth. No one will rise up to challenge His authority throughout the ends of the earth, and for this reason Micah says that that this one shall be peace. The word “peace” is shalom in Hebrew and means security, prosperity, general well-being, and even internal spiritual peace.

This Messiah, this Infant King is going to bring about outward and inward security and peace. He will take away fear, for He will remove all legitimate threat. Having defeated Satan, all remaining threats are just the temporary thrashings of a beheaded snake, just waiting to die. You can trust this Infant King because He provides for you. He delivers you from fear.

APP

And what does that mean for us in our lives? Well, it does not mean that you will never have any confusion nor doubt. There will be times when you’ll have questions. There will be those times when the phone rings and your relative says, “I’ve got bad news;” There will be those times when the grim-faced doctors says, “You need to sit down for a minute. I got your test results;” There will be those moments when your child walks out the door and you have no idea what they’re into. They’ve told you one thing but you don’t really believe them, and yet you don’t know exactly what to do. Saying that this Infant King delivers you from fear does not mean that there will not be times of confusion and even doubt.

But I will tell you what it does mean. It does not mean a doubt-free life, but it can mean a faith-filled life. It does mean that no matter how bad things get around us, we can always refocus our faith on the one who promised to never leave us nor forsake us. And it does mean that we can always remember that the same one who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died a substitutionary death also came forth in a victorious resurrection. It does mean that we can say, along with the Apostle Paul, O death, where is your sting; O grave where is your victory. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because this Infant King conquers death and hell and the grave, surely He can conquer our fear. You can trust Him because He provides for you: He delivers you from lack; He delivers you from bondage; and He delivers you from fear.

VIS

Listening to Atheist Richard Dawkins convinced him. He had been a Mormon, but as Richard Morgan read Dawkins’ book, The Blind Watchmaker, his faith was shattered. He became convinced that all he had been looking for through his faith was social acceptance. The book made it clear that there really was nothing “out there” to look for, so he should stop looking and get on with his life.

So he did. He said he didn’t feel like he became an atheist, he just realized that’s what he had always been. He began to communicate with other atheists on Dawkins’ website. But while he was on that website, he encountered David Robertson. Robertson was a Scottish pastor who went on the website and began to answer, chapter by chapter, Dawkins’ book called The God Delusion.

While that surprised Morgan, what surprised him even more were the responses to Robertson. They were filled with much anger, derision, and hate, even though Robertson always answered with respect . Morgan was so impressed that he began to post to the pastor’s site, telling him that, he was not an atheist because he wanted to be, but just because he could not believe in God.

The pastor responded with 2 questions that changed his life; 1)Why don’t you believe in God and 2) What would make you believe in God? Morgan dismissed the first question as dumb, but responded to the second by saying, “certainly not proof and evidence.”

At that moment, Morgan's instinctive response conjured up to his memory, probably from his previous Mormon days, the verse, “We love because he first loved us.” And in that instant, Morgan understood the expression “amazing grace.”

“I was certain without having any rational explanation that God existed, that he loved me without waiting for me to love him, that he loved me unconditionally without waiting for me to deserve it.”

“Science and philosophy are wonderful manifestations of the enormous capacities of the human mind, but the Word of God is truth, and truth is what it took to set me free,” Morgan stated. “Only a personal relationship with God can bring us to any kind of meaningful, personal, transcendental truth.”

In his renewed experience with God, he went back on the Dawkins site and posted about his newfound faith to which many replied with vile insults and commented, “You need counseling” and “This is a temporary brain infraction.”

But now, three years later, the “temporary brain infraction” Morgan was affected with continues to persist. Morgan is still amazed and feels the love of God even more now every day, being plugged into a church, which Robertson referred him to.

“I didn’t cease to know everything I knew before and I didn’t forget everything I learned about evolution or all of a sudden lose interest. I was [just] aware of how limited it was, how it could not answer man’s deepest needs.

“There’s a famous French quotation that says, ‘In every person’s heart there is a God-shaped hole.’ I am aware of the presence of this God-shaped hole and that only the love of God can fill it.”

That’s the meaning of Christmas: God didn’t send us an answer. He came Himself to be the answer and He says to you, “I can deliver you. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will dine with him and he with Me.”

I love that second verse of our song:

As His mother held Him closely It was hard to understand

That Her baby, not yet speaking, Was the Word of God to man

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

The Call to Discipleship

2011-12-12T19:41:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind

Luke 9:20–25, 51–62
by Timothy J. Keller, D.Min.
Founding Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City, NY

Special DiScipleShip

iSSue 4

C.S.LewiS inStitute

Winter 2011

There is a growing recognition in churches today about the need for discipleship. In what follows, I would like to describe from the Gospel of Luke what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Luke has some helpful insights about discipleship. The first eight chapters are fo- cused on “who is Jesus?” But there’s a shift in chapter 9, where Peter with the help of the Holy Spirit realizes that Jesus is not one more in a succession of prophets and teachers. Peter says, “You are the Christ of God.” You are the Messiah, the one who is bringing the ruling power of God back into the world to heal and repair all the broken- ness—whether it’s spiritual, psychological, social, or physical.
From the time Jesus’ identity is revealed, he begins to say, “Follow me.” If he is who he says he is, what does it mean to follow him? Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means setting a new priority, finding a new identity, and living a new mercy. All three are critical; they all fit together. Let’s look at them.
Setting a New Priority
Being a disciple means setting a new priority. In Luke 9:57–62 Jesus meets three

eager men, all willing to follow him. Jesus’ responses to them are surprisingly blunt.
The first man says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus says, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” It’s as if Jesus is saying, “There’s nothing wrong with what you just said, but I dis- cern a wrong attitude underneath your statement. Do you know what kind of Sav- ior I am? I’m not the kind that rallies con- stituents, pulls together armies, and then triumphs. I am a Savior who saves through being condemned, through dying, through giving my heart to be broken. Let’s apply this to one area of your life: I see that you have a home, a nice standard of living. Are you willing to put me before that? Are you willing to lose those things for me?”
Then Jesus addresses two other men, similarly concerned with their families. One says, “I’d love to come with you, but first I have to bury my father.” The other says, “First let me go back and say good- by to my family.” There is nothing wrong with having a funeral for your father or going back to see your family, but behind these requests Jesus sees a wrong attitude of heart. He’s saying, “For

The Call to Discipleship
(continued from page 1)
you to go to your father’s funeral—or back home—would be a bad idea. I must come first.” Notice their language. In both cases they say, “Lord, first, let me do this.” Jesus says there can’t be any but first. “I must be your first priority.” That’s what he means when he says: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Anyone who plows a field must be com- pletely focused on plowing. And following Jesus is no different, “My disciple has to be utterly focused on me.” By the way, “fit for the kingdom” is an unfortunate translation; the word there means “useful.” You might think he’s saying, “Unless you’re totally committed, you don’t qualify for my king- dom.” Of course no one qualifies for Jesus’ kingdom. It’s all by grace. He’s saying: Un- less delighting Jesus, resembling him, serv- ing him, and knowing him is your highest priority, the healing power of the kingdom of God will not be flowing through you. You will not be a useful vehicle for it.
The second and more cryptic line is, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” Obviously physically dead people can’t dig graves, so the first noun must refer to the spiritually dead. To be spiritually dead means to be as blind and insensitive to spiritual reality as a physical body is to physical reality. You may be saying, “Well, I believe in Jesus, but I can’t put him first right now. I’ve got my career; I’ve got to wait till my parents die, because they would be unhappy if I became a Christian... I see who he is and what he’s done, but I’m not going to put him first just yet. Someday I will.” When someone says, “I understand Christianity. I’m just not ready to put it at the central place in my life,” then that person really doesn’t understand it yet! Jesus says: Putting anything before me re- veals spiritual deadness. Let the dead bury their dead. If you put your father before me, there’s a spiritual deadness in your life.
Talking this harshly is not my style, but I’m afraid to mute the smelling–salts-ness of

Jesus’ message: Let the dead bury the dead! No one who looks back is fit for the king- dom of God! Foxes have holes, birds have nests... But “I have to be the first priority in your life, or you’re not a disciple; if you don’t put me first in your life, it’s not that you’re just uncommitted or lazy, disorga- nized or undisciplined. No, you just don’t get it! You don’t really see who I am and what I’ve done; you don’t understand the meaning of my life and work. You need to wake up!
Let me illustrate. In 1971 I heard a talk— two illustrations—that changed my life. The woman, named Barbara Boyd, said, “If somebody says to me, ‘Come on in, Barbara, but stay out, Boyd,’ it’s a bit of a problem, because I can’t separate them. It’s not like the top half of me is Barbara, and the bot- tom half of me is Boyd. So if you won’t have Boyd, you can’t get Barbara. If you’re going to keep the Boyd out, I can’t come in at all!” She continued: “To say, ‘Jesus, come into my life, forgive my sins, answer my prayers; do this for me, do that for me—but don’t be the absolute master of my life; Jesus, Sav- ior, come in; but Lord, stay out,’ how can he come in at all? Because he’s all Savior, and he’s all Lord. He’s Lord because he’s Savior. He’s Savior because he’s Lord.”
I remember her second illustration: “If the distance between the Earth and the sun, which is 92 million miles, was the thickness of a piece of paper, the diameter of our gal- axy would be a stack of papers 310 miles high. And our galaxy is less than a speck of dust in the part of the universe that we can see. And that part of the universe might just be a speck of dust compared to all the universe. And if Jesus is the Son of God who holds all this together with the word of his power, is this the kind of person you ask into your life to be your personal assis- tant?” Then she asked us all to go outside and for one hour say nothing. “Just think about what this means to you.”

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

God has something He wants to tell you directly. That's why you've got to learn how to hear from Him for yourself.

2011-12-11T12:03:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

The Secondhand Revelation
of Spiritual Pygmies

by Dr. Kenneth C. Ulmer

Too many people are satisfied with what they learn for an hour or so a couple of Sundays each month from their church pulpit. They celebrate and rejoice about how much they "grow" from what they get from the preacher. But what they are hearing (while it's certainly legitimate and no doubt important teaching from the pastor) issecondhand revelation. Rather than having the desire to invest the time to get in position to hear God for themselves, these people go to church every now and then and let somebody else tell them what God says.

Too many Christians also go to self-proclaimed "prophets" because they want a shortcut. They'd rather pay a soothsayer to tell them what they think God has to say. Why do people do that? I believe that it's not necessarily that they don't want to know what God has to say. It may be that they're simply not willing to pay the price to get His word for themselves. If the only word you get from God is the word you are spoon-fed the pulpit once a week or less, then you will never quite be the person who God wants you to be. You won’t be as spiritually strong as He wants you to be. You won’t gain the level of wisdom He wants for you. You may not be as emotionally mature as He wants you to be. You will never be as victorious as He wants you to be.

God does not speak only through a preacher and only for one hour out of the 168 hours each week. Many times, God has something He wants to tell each of us individually, and He doesn't always want it transferred by somebody else. We must each learn how to also get His word for ourselves. Your spiritual growth will be stunted if you tried to thrive off secondhand revelation. You will remain a spiritual pygmy if you only look for somebody else to speak God's word to you. You cannot thumb through the pages of the Word of God, browse the internet and surf TV channels, hearing what God told somebody else and claiming it for yourself. You can't build a life on a word God may not have meant for you. You can't celebrate somebody else's testimony without having lived the test that they took to get their testimony.

If we don't learn to hear from God for ourselves, we also set ourselves up to fall prey to charlatans who build huge ministries telling people that unless they come to theirchurch, hear their "spin" on God's word, listen to their interpretation of Scripture, then we aren't really hearing from God. There are preachers in pulpits who insinuate that unless God's word comes from their mouth, it might not really be a word from God. Following people like this is one of the best ways to create a stunted, spiritually anemic people.

One of the motivations of Martin Luther was to bring down the wall of separation between the clergy and the laity. Before the reformation of the 1500s, laymen had no direct access to the Word of God. Only the priests were allowed to handle, teach and preach the Word. Luther stood on the principle of the priesthood of believers and was driven by the concept of Christian liberty. One of the liberties God has given the believer is personal access to the Word. In his book The Church in History, B.K. Kuiper notes that although the average person did not have access to the Scriptures, "both people and priests were almost unbelievably ignorant of religious truth. Most priests were totally unable to preach." Luther's position was that every believer could – and should – hear the voice of God through Scripture.

God has something He wants to tell you directly. That's why you've got to learn how to hear from Him for yourself. It is valid to come to church to receive a word from the Lord, but always understand that what you will hear is a corporate word for that church (hopefully, that's what you'll hear). Often, however, that corporate word will have personal application. But it is the will of God that you also spend one-on-one time with Him, allowing Him to speak to you through His Word.

From Knowing God’s Voice © 2011 by Kenneth C. Ulmer. Published by Regal Books,www.regalbooks.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Watch LIFE TODAY this Monday as Dr. Ulmer joins James and Betty Robison to talk about hearing the voice of God.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

~ A Baby's Hug ~

2011-12-08T09:04:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

WOW, this just blessed my socks off, aw, if we could just get this down deep in our soul, what a different world we would be living in........

We were the only family with children in the restaurant.
I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and 
talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded 
his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in 
laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled 
and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment.
It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his 
toes poked out of would-be shoes.
His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed.
His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so 
varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands 
waved and flapped on loose wrists.
'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to 
Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'

Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the 
man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.
Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya 
patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed.
We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his 
repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated 
with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband 
went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.
The old man sat poised between me and the door.
'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I 
prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to 
sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik 
leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' 
position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my 
arms to the man.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their 
love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission 
laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes 
closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes.
His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's 
bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply 
for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and 
his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding 
voice,
'You take care of this baby.'

Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were 
in pain.
I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've 
given me my Christmas gift.'

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.
With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I 
was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, 
my God, forgive me.'

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a 
tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a 
soul,
and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind,
holding a child who was not.
I felt it was God asking,
'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?'
when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me,
'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'

If this has blessed you, please bless others by sending it on. 
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important.

Remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we 
feel about others.
The clothes on our back or the car that we drive
or the house that we live in does not define us at all;



it is how you treat your fellow man
that identifies who you are.

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Is God ever wrong? Something to think about.......

2011-12-05T15:30:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

God is never wrong!
A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in
all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because
everything God does is perfect, He makes no mistakes!
One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty from losing a finger.
Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."
The slave replied only "My king, despite all these things, I can only
tell you that God is good, and He knows the "why" of all these things.What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!"
Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.
Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made
human sacrifices.
In the altar, ready to sacrifice, the noble savage found out that the
victim did not have one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, he
was not complete to be offered to the gods.
Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave
and he received him very affectionately.
- "My dear, God was really good for me! I was almost killed by the wild
men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a
question: If God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"
- "My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been
sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger."
"Therefore, remember: everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong."
Often we complain about life and things that happen to us seemingly
negative, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.
Every morning, offer your day to God.
Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your
feelings. Do not be afraid. God is never wrong!
Do you think this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows,
because he never makes mistakes.
The path of God and His word is perfect, without impurities. It is the
way of all those who trust in Him, as He says in 2 Samuel 22: 31
Surely this message arrived at the right moment. May God put in your
heart the desire to send it to someone else.
God is never wrong!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

A Season Of Joy

2011-12-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Randy Robison

As we plunge into another holiday season, complete with obnoxious commercial distractions and endless debate about the appropriateness of religious symbolism, let’s not forget one simple truth: when we help others, we create happiness for ourselves and those we help. Whether it’s by serving a meal to hungry people, giving a new coat to one in need, or any other act of human kindness, Christmas is a wonderful time to demonstrate the love of Christ. As we do, we “rejoice” in the sense that we create joy, both for the giver and the recipient.

Helen Keller said, “Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain.”
Working to alleviate the suffering of others not only serves their needs, but it takes your focus off of yourself. It’s hard to complain about your problems when you’re personally involved with someone else’s problems. This shift in perspective should foster a sense of happiness.

The beauty of this path to happiness lies in its simplicity. All of us can help someone in some way. It just requires stepping outside of ourselves as we give time and effort to improve someone else’s life. No measure of service or sacrifice is too small.
It should be noted that helping others involves sympathy (compassion for someone) or empathy (sharing in their pain), but not a complete assumption of their burden. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you..." (NAS) Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28, NAS)

Helping others means meeting some of their needs while pointing them to Jesus. We are clearly told to allow Jesus Christ to take our burdens. Taking others’ burdens can do more harm than good if we are not careful. We shouldn’t compound our own suffering with the suffering of others, but join with them in casting all of our cares upon Him. God can handle it; we cannot. Presuming that we can may invite additional and unnecessary hardship. It is only through obedience and an overflowing empowerment of the Holy Spirit that we can share in and alleviate the suffering of others without being overwhelmed by it.

One simple, but easily overlooked, way to help someone is through prayer. When people run out of practical options, they sometimes say, “All you can do is pray.” It’s treated as a last-ditch effort when our human ability fails. Even Christians fall into this trap because prayer deals with the unseen. It wars against “principalities and powers.” It focuses on changing people’s hearts and minds. But the natural human inclination is to measure effectiveness by immediate, visible results. So we consciously or unconsciously consider prayer an option only when we’re out of options. Still, it’s one of the most powerful forces in the world.

Praying for others always changes someone, but it’s not always the “someone” we expect. Whether the person for whom we pray responds as we wish is out of our control, but that doesn’t mean we should not pray. At the very least, our act of bringing another person’s concerns or condition before God changes us. As we take another’s burden to the Lord, He touches us as He takes that burden upon Himself. That touch is worth the experience of intercession. It’s an open invitation for God to bless us as we share His concern for someone He loves even more than we do.

Make this month a true season of joy – God’s joy. Pray for others and help them when you can. Then you will live out the truth that helping others is as much about finding God’s happiness for yourself as it is about impacting the life of someone else.

Randy Robison is the author of God Wants You To Be Happy (Harvest House). You can follow his “happiness tweets” at twitter.com/jamesrrobison

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

PLEASE BE AWARE: 90# on your telephone

2011-12-03T19:34:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

Don't be caught on this one, it will cost you. Lets face it, with the crazys out there now, be suspicious of everyone one that phone, well maybe your mother is okay, but everyone else, be careful !!!!!

I dialed '0' to check this out, and the operator confirmed that this was correct,

  so please pass it on.. (l also checked out snopes.com <http://snopes.com/>   and truthorfiction.com <http://truthorfiction.com/> This is true, and also applies to cell phones!. )



  PASS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

  I received a telephone call last evening from an individual identifying

  himself as an AT&T Service Technician (could also be Telus) who was

  conducting a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test

  I should touch nine (9), zero (0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up.

   Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.

  Upon contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#,

  you give the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which

  enables them to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.

  I was further informed that this scam has been originating from many local

  jails/prisons. DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE...

  The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information with

  EVERYONE I KNOW.

After checking with Verizon they also said it was true, so

do not dial 90# for anyone !!!!! PLEASE HIT THAT FORWARD

BUTTON AND PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

I posted this on my other blog, but I felt like I wanted to get it to as many people as possible.

2011-12-02T19:28:00.000-06:00

Inspirational Quotes

To All My Valued Employees,

This was written by the owner of an engineering company, I won't list his name, but you can bet, he knows what he is talking about.....

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job.

What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. Of course, as your employer, I am forbidden to tell you whom to vote for - it is against the law to discriminate based on political affiliation, race, creed, religion, etc.

Please vote for who you think will serve your interests the best. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interest. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story.

This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You saw my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 12 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living space was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.

My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business --- with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9 am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5 pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, ****, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to me like a 1 day old baby.

You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail out all the people who didn't.

The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what?   I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check?

Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand .. to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what?   Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart?   Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the mud of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine.

Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers.   You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more. Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire.

You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

While tax cuts to 95% of America sounds great on paper, don't forget the back story: If there is no job, there is no income to tax. A tax cut on zero dollars is zero. So, when you make decision to vote, ask yourself, who understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of saving your job. While the media wants to tell you "It's the economy Stupid" I'm telling you it isn't.
If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the Constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me in the South Caribbean sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, Your boss,

Live well, do good works, and keep in touch.

Luckyone's filings

The KING’S OIL—Holy Anointing Oil (Exodus 30)

Help me Holy Sririt.

RECALL NOTICE

Even one life, like Tim Tebow and others. How many could be saved,Remenber what day (January 22nd) is? if we insist that abortion be stopped.

Abba Father tells us not to be afraid, but He is always there when we are......

When I Am Afraid

by Angela Thomas

Thank You For Our Messy Home

Two pledges of Allegiance. Do you remember the second one?

Lucky Payne

Live well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Acknowledgments of "A HIGHER BEING" from all 50 state constitutions

Is the Bible the Inspired Word of GOD, Explained. A very good read...

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A beautiful New Year message by Kelly Willard

Kelly Willard

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

YESHUA—THE LIGHT of the WORLD. A HAPPY, LIGHT-FILLED HANUKKAH TO ALL!

This story is better than any greeting card.

Why would my King relinquish His Throne in Glory?

He Came

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: thats all there is to it.

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

The First Person to Worship Jesus

The Power to Deliver: by Rusty Russell

The Call to Discipleship

God has something He wants to tell you directly. That's why you've got to learn how to hear from Him for yourself.

The Secondhand Revelationof Spiritual Pygmies

by Dr. Kenneth C. Ulmer

~ A Baby's Hug ~

Is God ever wrong? Something to think about.......

A Season Of Joy

Randy Robison

PLEASE BE AWARE: 90# on your telephone

I posted this on my other blog, but I felt like I wanted to get it to as many people as possible.

To All My Valued Employees,

The Secondhand Revelation
of Spiritual Pygmies