The Great Healer

Excerpt from Cries from the Heart

Johann Christoph Arnold

Twenty-five-year-old Rachel was an energetic and enthusiastic kindergarten teacher, when she was suddenly overcome by depressive thoughts and intense feelings of worthlessness. This progressed to delusional thoughts and bizarre behavior and speech, as well as attempts at suicide. Rachel was counseled, given both medical and spiritual support, and hospitalized. A few weeks later, she was discharged, although it was almost a year before she felt she was herself again. Significantly, throughout this whole episode, she insisted, even when she was delusional, that she was not going to be a mental patient. Her determination was amazing. Eventually Rachel recovered completely; she was able to discontinue all medications and resume a full-time job, and she has had no relapse. In her own words:
I had always enjoyed working hard and being with children, but I gradually became more and more exhausted. I couldn’t seem to cope with my work, and at night I could not sleep.
I was admitted to the psych ward on my birthday. I was desperate, and I remember thinking that this would be my last birthday – I was so sure I was going to die. But then I began to meet other patients, people who were suffering much more than I was, and that helped me to get my mind off myself. I tried to keep busy, no matter how rotten I felt. I made myself get up and do things. I even practiced my flute.
I’ll never forget how abnormal I still felt when I came home. I could not stick to anything for any length of time, because one of the anti-depressants made me very restless. I cried a lot and prayed a lot. I felt defeated one moment and angry the next, but I knew I would be able to come off all my medications eventually because I had never needed them before.
I can never be grateful enough that I was freed from the demon of that depression. For it was more than determination that pulled me through: I experienced a freeing. People were praying for it and God was there too, though at times it seemed like he was very far away. But I am also thankful that I went through this difficult time. It might sound crazy, but it has given me a new outlook on life. Now, when people are sick, I know what they are going through, and I can relate to those who are suffering. I know what people mean when they say, “You can’t do anything in your own strength.”
Despite our culture’s reputation for tolerance, there is still a stigma attached to suicide. Even as a topic of conversation, it largely remains taboo. Most people are reluctant to speak about death, and when it comes to suicide, they tend to avoid it altogether.
No death is more distressing than suicide, and it is frightening when a person seriously contemplates such a step. The prophet Jeremiah reminds us: “A man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Christianity has condemned suicide for a similar reason: because it negates the possibility of redemption. Suicide says, “I’m beyond hope – my problems are too big even for God to handle.” It denies that God’s grace is greater than our weakness. While such a view may seem understandable, it is deceptive because it leads a person to believe that death will end the inner pain, when in reality it is pain’s ultimate infliction. C.S. Lewis wrote the following to a friend who had recently lost his wife and in his anguish considered suicide so that they might be reunited again:
She was further on than you, and she can help you more where she is now than she could have done on earth. You must go on. That is one of the many reasons why suicide is out of the question. Another is the absence of any ground for believing that death by that route would reunite you with her. Why should it? You might be digging an eternally unbridgeable chasm. Disobedience is not the way to get nearer to the obedient.Kaye, a woman who wrote to me from California after reading an article I wrote on suicide, lost a sister through suicide, and almost took her own life, too – three times. When still an infant, she was almost killed by her mother; later she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a man she trusted.
For those of us who survive the ravages of suicide and learn from our experiences, abundant life is in store. We do not live lives that are lies. And the shards of what was can be molded into beautiful pottery. I speak for those who have experienced “the dark night of the soul” as I have, and have survived to tell about it.
I believed in God through every moment of my long, dark struggle, and he is the reason I am alive today. I listened to his voice that night when he said: “Don’t do it. Don’t commit suicide.” So although I had the syringe full of deadly drugs at my side, I did not do it. I obeyed God and am very grateful today that I did. But I was angry, very angry that I had to live in hell three more years…
We who are (or were) suicidal live with shattered spirits and souls. To exist with a shattered soul is excruciatingly painful because we live by going through the motions. We know there is more there, but we are trapped as if in a giant ice cube… Depression is a sickness of the soul starved for unconditional love – the unconditional love that only God can provide. All people have their dark side, and our love is only conditional; that’s why we need God. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and he is still the Great Healer. He has promised us trouble in life, but he has also promised us joy and peace in the midst of our trouble and grief. Yes, prayer is the best help for despair and for suicidally depressed people. At times, eating – or even just breathing – is the only prayer they can pray. But God understands that this is enough of a prayer! However poor and inadequate prayer may be, it is the only real help for despair. Even if we think we don’t know how to pray, we can turn to God. Praying with the psalms can be a help, since the psalmist often shares our innermost longing and voices it in prayer: “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing,” and “In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free.” Prayer can be a mainstay, even when we despair to the point of entertaining suicidal thoughts, or when God seems far away. Jane Kenyon writes:
My belief in God, especially the idea that a believer is part of the body of Christ, has kept me from harming myself. When I was in so much pain that I didn’t want to be awake or aware, I’ve thought to myself, If you injure yourself, you’re injuring the body of Christ, and Christ has been injured enough. In The Adolescent, Dostoyevsky emphasizes the importance of praying for those who are desperate. “How do you look upon the sin of suicide,” I asked Makar…
“Suicide is man’s greatest sin,” he said with a sigh, “but God alone can judge it, for only God knows what and how much a man can bear. As for us, we must pray tirelessly for the sinner. Whenever you hear of that sin, pray hard for the sinner, at least sigh for him as you turn to God, even if you never knew him – that will make your prayer all the more effective.”
“But would my prayer be of any help to him since he ’s already condemned?”
“Who can tell? There are many – oh, so many! – people without faith who just confuse the ignorant. Don’t listen to them because they themselves don’t know where they’re going. A prayer for a condemned man from a man still alive will reach God, and that’s the truth. Just think of the plight of a man who has no one to pray for him. And so, when you pray in the evening before going to sleep, add at the end, ‘Lord Jesus, have mercy on all those who have no one to pray for them.’ This prayer will be heard and it will please the Lord. Also pray for all the sinners who are still alive: ‘O Lord, who holdest all destinies in thy hand, save all the unrepentant sinners.’ That’s also a good prayer.” As my father wrote in his book Discipleship: “It is a great mistake to think that we can understand our own hearts. We may understand ourselves superficially, but only God really knows our hearts. Therefore, even if we suffer the severest temptations, trials, and attacks from the Evil One, we can always turn to God with trust and great hopes for victory.”
If prayer fails to comfort a suicidal person, we who are close to him must have faith and believe for him. When someone sinks in darkness and thinks he is separated from God, he must be assured that others will pray for him. There is profound protection in the prayers of others.
Much of the emotional isolation in modern society is rooted in our confusion about the real purpose in living: we forget that our first task is to love God with all our heart and soul, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we took these two great commandments seriously, much loneliness and depression could be averted. Loving our neighbor is prayer in action, and it is something each of us can do. I often wonder whether we do not rely too heavily on experts. When a person is desperate and suicidal, an “expert” may be the last person he wants to face: after all, who can cope with analysis or advice when he feels unable even to face himself? Naturally one cannot rule out the use of psychiatry or medication, but we should not forget that often the simple support of a listening ear – a friend or family member, pastor or priest – is the best help.

The apostle's had Honda's!

     In the book of Acts we are told they were all in one accord.  Must have been crowded!  Just what did it mean to be in one accord?  Does it matter to Christians today?  I think so.  I found a T-shirt that expresses my fondness of my chickens.  Whenever I'm in the back yard they "talk" to me.  Only when they want food, water or snack though!  We are not always in one accord.  Then there are my family of origin.  We aren't always in one accord as well.  Immediate family?  Same thing.  How about my friends?  We aren't always in one accord as well.  Does this sound like your world?  WHERE can we find fellow believers who are willing to be in one accord?  What would that look like?  I know their are some religious groups that try to do so and have some success.  This one accord thing must be dependent on a core belief in order for it to be workable.  A single minded focus that puts the will of God ahead of everything else.  That would be surrender to Jesus.  Giving up all that we are and think we are in order to be a part of God's plan without reservation.  Abandonment of anything that would distract us from Jesus.
     One accord.  Do people want that to be their focus?  I'm talking with the Christians now.  If so, why are there so many differences?  That's part of evidence that Christians today don't want to have all things in one accord.  We have so many denominations split from one another way back to the time of the first church.  Hence no one accord.  The world wants us to accept and embrace other beliefs even if they are in stark contrast to what the Bible says.  Why does the world want one accord while the Christian has no accord?  Here is one caveat we can look at.  Why is it that we're expected to follow the beliefs of different men and women who are supposedly doing what God wants us to do?  The Catholic church has the Pope and all his underlings and they certainly don't represent the Biblical dictates.  The Mormons likewise.  Then there are over 200 kinds of Baptists!  Not to mention so many other groups.  Christians have become a bit to much like cults making laws and requirements that do anything but encourage one accord living.  When the laws of man are held over the laws of God there is not one accord among the believers.
     The Bible tells us there is ONE God and ONE Son and ONE Holy Spirit that make up ONE God.  Do you believe that first and foremost?  Is that one of the tenants of the faith that you hold onto?  If so, why subject yourselves to the wants and desires of something man made?  Capitulating  you faith isn't the answer.  We are called out of the world to be Christ to the world.  We are not called out of being in one accord anywhere in Scripture.  Personal desires, beliefs, and agendas are not part of being in one accord with God and other Christians.  So much attention has been given to the rationalizing and justifying of the religions of the world that their attention to what God wants is superseded by those desire, beliefs, and agendas.  There is no room for God.  With God out of the equation, those claiming to follow God make themselves god of their own world and sometimes god of other's worlds as well.  Do we really want Christian life living in one accord?  Then we need to die to self and have Christ be the only life living through us.  Remember that it's always your choice.

Why there isn't a sense of urgency with Christians

     I'm in the middle of buying a house.  First off, I don't like pressure to make decisions that are going to taking money out of my bank.  I don't know anyone who does.  Second, I don't like all the deadlines and "drop dead" dates that contracts require.  Third, and most important, I don't like to rely on others to do what I can't and am uneducated to do.  Makes for a stressful situation for me.  Maybe others have gone here before.  I just don't have the expertise and education for all the complications of real estate transactions.  While our society has become more and more complicated (largely thanks to lawyers) more and more decisions are being relegated to the "system" than to the individual.  So, I haven't read the contract yet.  It's long and for the most part boring.  I trust my realtor to have my best interests at heart and to direct my path to make the best of decisions.  Because I am tenacious I ask many questions which I'm sure drives him crazy.  However, I not only want to know but need to know if I am going to be held accountable to the deal.  Someone else's urgency doesn't dictate an urgency to me.  So, how does this apply to being a Christian?
     For many Christians there apparently are no urgencies in the Christian part of their lives.  Lackadaisical attention to the Gospel seems to be the norm for many who call themselves Christian.  There, like real estate, are dictates, timelines, and the uncertainty to be addressed.  What happens with many not rising to the occasion is...well...nothing.  That's not right.  Should I not meet God's expectations and address those tasks he has given me to do, I sin.  Wow!  Did I just say that?  Yes, I did and for good reason.  When we look at Scripture (James 4:17), we are faced with our basic decision making and ramifications of that decision making.  The verse reads:  "If you know what is right to do and do not do it, you sin."  How much clearer do we need to make it?  It's not someone else's job.  It's yours.  It's not someone else's problem.  It's yours.  When will the Christian rise up and do what is right?  When there is a sense of God's urgency driving them.  I want to buy this house.  I want to be God's servant.  Both require me to not only be dedicated to the task but to also be consumed with the urgency that both demand.  What happens when we don't have either?  Nothing.
     Evil wins when good people do nothing.  I look around my world (your world as well) and see that evil is winning all over.  Evil is demolishing the world and people we know.  Evil is what Satan does.  He is the father of lies and lies to believers and non believers as well.  The obvious question is why do we let him?  Why do we believe that there is no urgency to see dead souls brought to life through Jesus grace and mercy?  Why do we do nothing?  Because it's convenient?  Because it's easier?  Because we simply don't care?  Whatever the reason we don't believe the Gospel's dictate to go and make disciples of all mankind.  We don't believe we need to care for the orphan and the widow.  We don't believe that all we are and everything we have belongs to God when we surrender our lives to Him who is able to save us.  Many Christians don't have urgency to seek and know Jesus and as a result don't see any need to hold to the truth of the Gospel.  All of my children heard about Jesus from an early age.  When they were old enough to understand I had the privilege of praying with them as they gave their lives to Jesus.  I didn't wait for someone else to do the job.  The urgency I felt remains as I speak Christ in their lives every time I talk with them.  And I pray for them with urgency as I do for others in my life.  Christianity is an action not a place to go on vacation.  It's always been and always will be your choice.

What happens when you blow your witness?

     Now this is a subject I'm an expert on!  If there was or is a way to blow your witness I've probably already done so.  Not that I'm proud of this sin.  I'm just saying that maybe I've learned a lesson or two and could pass on those lessons to you so that you don't need to repeat my mistakes.  The basic premise to having a witness is that we belong to Jesus and he lives through us.  All of our life should reflect his living through us.  People shouldn't see me; they should see Jesus.  That being the basics we need to see our lives portraying as a witness for Christ.  It's not the little or big things, the things done in private or public, and certainly is not our internal thoughts, actions and words.  Portraying Christ means I should get out of the way so that He can live through me.  That is the witness...being Christ to the world all the time.  There's an old saying that bears repeating.  "If being a Christian was a criminal offense (will be one day) deeming capital punishment, would there be enough evidence to convict you of the crime?"  What I'm saying is do you let Christ live through you so that people have no doubt that you belong to Him?  I'm not talking about wearing crosses or having bumper stickers that make a point.  I'm talking about when you aren't looking.  What do people believe about you when they see how you think, act and speak?
     When we believe we are in private we are self deceived.  However, Christians use the private times to sin.  Sin reflects the condition of the heart.  I know that I struggle from time to time with my thoughts and what I call "stinking thinking".  It's so easy to go rogue and off track from what the "pure in heart" is really all about.  Reading the first three verses of Psalm 1 shows the decline leading to sin.  First you "walk by" those people, places or things and ignore them to the best of your ability.  Then you stop and observe those same people, places or things.  Then once your defenses have been cut away you sit down with those people, places and things that destroy our witness.  While it would be nice to live in seclusion from the rest of the world, our sinful nature would find us there.  What do we do to maintain our witness?  We are a particular people called out of the world by God who then lives through us while we are in the world.  So, as Paul says, "It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me."  We are also enjoined to be in the Word and fellowship with other believers in order to have the Word as a shield and others as pray warriors helping our fight with the world around us.  If you don't feel the attack of the enemy, you should really question first whether or not you are a Christian and secondly if you are doing anything for God.
     It's been said that all that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.  When we blow our witness we aren't good men, women or children.  Evil triumphs with the downfall of the Christian.  We need only look at the history of the church and of once Godly men and women to know this to be true.  There are people dependent upon you and I to maintain our witness with Godly integrity.  Your spouse, parents, friends, kids, grandkids, co-workers, and so many others are watching you whether or not you want to admit it.  What do they see?  Do they see the compromised life of someone who blows their witness or do they see Jesus.  For the Christian there are no other choices.  It's black and white.  You either have surrendered or you have not.  You either have Jesus living through you or you do not.  You either have the Holy Spirit directing your life or you don't.  Your name is either written in the book of life or it's not.  All of this begs us to examine what our witness is and to whom.  Your witness is always your choice.

Not much Christian talk about the cost.

     Perhaps you don't have any idea what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the cost of following Jesus.  First the misnomer is "following Jesus".  As a surrendered to Christ believer, we are led in his will and don't follow with our own will.  Did I just step on someone's toes?  Yes, we again have it backwards.  Jesus did say to follow him but only after counting the cost and leaving all behind to follow him.  He also said that we would be led by the Holy Spirit to Peter and the rest of the disciples.  The Word goes on to instruct us that being a disciple of Jesus' means abandonment of the world and all it contains.  The cost of the decision to have Jesus in your life is mostly focused on evading Hell and spending eternity in Heaven.  By this focus we are so heavenly minded that we are not worldly good.  We are to be in the world and not of it.  Again, the example of Jesus and those who were the 12 is what we should accept and not the status quo of the church today.  There is only one way to be saved and that is through the work of Christ AND giving up everything to do what he has sent us to do.  That would be to make disciples of all mankind, care for the orphan and the widow.  He said he would equip us for this through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, many of us don't give up residence of our lives so that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have anyplace to live.  If He isn't living within you, who is?
     I'm a project kind of guy.  I have several projects going most of the time which I engage depending on what God wants of my life that day and what I can physically do.  I have retired as a disabled man several years ago and constraints are there.  When I consider my day, the first thought goes to what does God want me to engage.  The second thought goes to what my body can put up with today.  The third thought is dual in nature.  I consider where things were yesterday and let them go.  I also consider tomorrow and some of the necessities that life contains.  Notice the hierarchy.  God first.  Mind you I do fail at this from time to time and am certainly not perfect nor the perfect Christian I wish I was.  I drive people (mostly Christians) crazy!  Why?  Because my life with Jesus isn't what many Christians engage.  Being Christians isn't about making it a priority after everything but a priority before anything.  If we can't surrender, we can't be led.  Since I'm a stubborn person by nature, this is difficult sometimes for me as well.  Daily Paul laid down his life so that Christ could live through him.  Daily we need to do the same.
     We are sojourners in this world.  We who call ourselves Christians are not at home here because it's not our home.  The decision to be separate once called out of the world is where we find our reason for God's creating us in the first place.  Without the focus of being who he created us to be, there is no ability to visualize that life.  Without that life, there is no following or being led by Jesus.  He is our purpose.  He is our life.  He is the Savior of the world and you.  Remember, it's always your choice.

Christian AD/HD

     What is that?  You might be asking yourself.  It's fairly common and actually most who call them Christians have this disorder.  It is treatable and people can be free from this disorder if they really want to be.  Let's not mistake this from the world's definition of AD/HD.  They are similar but quite different in the end run.  Attention deficit is the first part of the equation.  Books have been written on the subject over the years but basically say the same thing in regards to symptoms and treatment.  When someone has attention deficit they are not zoning out.  They are overwhelmed with all that's going on in their minds.  One book is titled: "You mean I'm not lazy stupid or crazy?"  That's the world's take on someone with AD/HD.  Fortunately, this stereotype is untrue.  There is more to say on this later.  The second part of the equation is the hyperactive part of the disorder.  Some people who have AD don't have HD.  Unfortunately, there are many who do.  Hyper activity is present even if it doesn't show in a person's actions.  One can be HD in their minds as well.  I've likened AD/HD to a bingo selection device that rotates around and the balls only touch the top of the order one at a time for very brief sections of time.  What has all this have to do with being a Christian with the disorder?
     For beginners, the world has programmed us to look at things like this as a negative.  The exact opposite is true.  This can be and is a very positive thing in the lives of those who recognize what is going on and know how to utilize that very thing for their and others benefit.  The Christian is no different.  Paul says we are all part of one body.  One person for that and another person for this.  Kind of like the balls in the bingo bin.  For any given moment the Christian must be willing and available to do their part in the body.  Yours is going to be different from mine and vice versa.  The Christian has been categorized and regulated to specific tasks by mankind.  For instance there are Sunday school teachers, choir members, deacons, and on the list goes.  No one bothers to take the time to realize that they are all part of the same body and capable of doing more than just what the church has dictated.  This is where we get busy and HD but do nothing for Jesus.  AD/HD for the Christian works only when directed by the Holy Spirit.  In order for that to take place, one must be surrendered first to Jesus and then to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Once in place, the AD/HD can be used for the glory of God.
     What to do?  Well, there are only two choices.  Engage in the world's view of AD/HD and remain helpless and deceived into believing that there is nothing you can do or you can engage in God's view and become "all things to all people."  Wow!  Now that's a revelation.  The more I engage the world the less I engage God.  The more I engage God, the less I engage the world.  Makes complete sense to God so why doesn't that make sense to Christians?  This time on earth is not just for ourselves.  This time on earth is to bring glory and honor to Jesus by being his disciples in the truest sense of the word.  Being not only available but also willing to die to self that he might live through us is the only way the Gospel can be brought to those who are perishing.  Surrender isn't a "partially" trait for the Christian.  Surrender is breathing life into our dead bodies.  Surrender is breathing Jesus in while breathing his love for mankind out.  What do you do with your life?  It's always your choice.

How should a Christian view politics?

Question: "How should a Christian view politics?"

Answer: If there is anything that will spark a spontaneous debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics—even among believers. As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics? It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer is no, we cannot. The Bible gives us two truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.

The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can thwart His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men abuse their political power, meaning it for evil, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, we must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices via the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire's unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the gospel’s transforming power.

There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1–2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13–15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1–8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exercise that right by voting for those who best demonstrate Christian principles.

One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for us today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be (Matthew 5:16).

Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, his economic strength, his military might, or his politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope and joy—and the salvation of mankind—is accomplished only through His work of faith, love, and grace.

Some Christian humor!

    
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married?
A. Ruthless.


Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.


Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.


Q. What was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.


Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.


Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.


Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.


Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.


Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.


Q. Who is the greatest baby sitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.


Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.

Fear of Transformation

Fear of Transformation
From The Essene Book of Days by Danaan Parry

     Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I'm either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments in my life, I'm hurtling across space in between trapeze bars.
Most of the time, I spend my life hanging on for dear life to my trapeze-bar-of-the-moment. It carries me along a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I'm in control of my life. I know most of the right questions and even some of the right answers. But once in a while, as I'm merrily (or not so merrily) swinging along, I look ahead of me into the distance, and what do I see? I see another trapeze bar swinging toward me. It's empty, and I know, in that place that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness going to get me. In my heart-of-hearts I know that for me to grow, I must release my grip on the present, well known bar to move to the new one.
     Each time it happens to me, I hope (no, I pray) that I won't have to grab the new one. But in my knowing place I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar, and for some moment in time hurtle across space before I can grab onto the new bar. Each time I am filled with terror. It doesn't matter that in all my previous hurtles across the void of unknowing, I have always made it. Each time I am afraid I will miss, that I will be crushed on the unseen rocks in the bottomless chasm between the bars. But I do it anyway. Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience. No guarantees, no net, no insurance policy, but you do it anyway because somehow, to keep hanging onto that old bar is no longer on the list of alternatives. And so for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes, I soar across the dark void of "the past is gone, the future is not yet here." It's called transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place that real change occurs. I mean real change, not the pseudo-change that only lasts until the next time my old buttons get punched.
     I have noticed that, in our culture, this transition zone is looked upon as a "no-thing", a no-place between places. Sure the old trapeze-bar was real, and that new one coming towards me, I hope that's real too. But the void in between? That's just a scary, confusing, disorienting "nowhere" that must be gotten through as fast as unconsciously as possible. What a waste! I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing, and the bars are illusions we dream up to avoid, where the real change, the real growth occurs for us. Whether or not my hunch is true, it remains that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places. They should be honored, even savored. Yes, with all the pain and fear and feelings of being out-of-control that can (but not necessarily) accompany transitions, they are still the most alive, most growth-filled, passionate, expansive moments in our lives.
     And so, transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to "hang- out" in the transition between trapeze bars. Transforming our need to grab that new bar, any bar, is allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening, in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void, we just may learn how to fly.

The end of the world.

     I wonder if you have noticed the attention one man is getting for predicting the start of the end of the world this Saturday?  Never mind that I have so much to get done by then, I'm not really ready for the end of the world.  The nerve of some people.  I don't really believe that the tribulation will begin on Saturday the 23rd of September.  The Bible is clear that no one but the Father knows the day and time.  I do believe that we are in perilous times and need to get our house in order.  For Christians that means living for Jesus fully in every aspect of our lives.  Here is the kicker for Christians.  We have the kingdom of God within us in the person of Jesus Christ.  Once dead, the end of the world won't kill us.  Our lives began the moment we chose Jesus to live within our hearts, souls and minds.  They won't end.  They can't end.  That's what the Bible says.  The world is dead.  It has been ever since that fateful day in the garden.  The world died that day and it's only through Jesus that life can be breathed into anything dead.  That requires surrender.
     I met Melissa a couple of weeks ago.  She was asking for help with firewood for the winter.  She has cancer and is 34.  Since then I have learned that she is having her second bout of the same cancer except this time it's invasive.  She will have surgery on the 26th.  She is alone except for some friends and family.  Her husband has left her unwilling to be there through sickness or health.  I offered to give her some wood.  She was surprised because she didn't believe that would happen.  She has no money.  Yesterday she texted that she needed help with a clogged drain so I went and unclogged the drain.  She was still a bit dumbfounded as to why I'm helping.  She doesn't get it (yet) that this is what Christians are supposed to do.  She doesn't know my last name, but does know that I am praying for her.  How many times over the past year has she considered that her world was ending?  For those without Christ that thought must always be lingering in the background.  If we don't let Jesus live through us, others won't be able to see him and believe.
     For today, the end of the world has always been in place.  Without hope there is no future.  Without faith mankind perishes.  Without salvation there is no means to live in Heaven when the end does finally come.  Questions should pepper our minds like raindrops on our windshields.  Like, "Do my kids know Jesus?" "Does my spouse know Jesus?"  Does my extended family know Jesus?"  Do my neighbors and co-workers know Jesus?"  "Do my enemies know Jesus?"  That's the only important question to have answered today.  If others don't know Jesus ask yourself if it's because you haven't been Jesus to them.  You will never know what being Jesus to others creates unless you actually do something.  If you don't do something, think something, say something then your life is no different than the dead persons life.  Ever think of that?  Remember that when you are done thinking you still need to choose to do something.  It's always your choice.

Things aren’t always what they seem

     Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead, the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bedroom the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied…. “Things aren’t always what they seem.”


     The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good nights’ rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.


     The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel “How could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him,” she accused. “The second family had so little, but was willing to share everything and you let their cow die.”


     “Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied.”When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. “Things aren’t always what they seem.”


     Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way you think they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later. “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

Judge Me by the Footprints I Leave Behind

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam.

He called his parents from San Francisco.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.”

“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Can you imagine? Neither could I!

     The news is shocking if nothing else.  Laced with half truths and full lies the news is meant to get people to WANT to read or listen to the story.  It's very seldom that the "good news" type story is printed, transmitted through TV or put up on the net.  I'm not even speaking about the social media outlets where manufactured and exaggerated news is the norm.  Not only are we then hooked into what happened; we  begin wondering why and what will happen down the road.  We want the grisly nuts and bolts similar on how we want our coffee on Monday morning.  We yearn for that news that is "proof" that there are those out there who are so bad that we look good.   In the book of Jeremiah the news is printed like this: "It's something I never thought they would do."  The speaker?  God.  The audience? Jeremiah.  The people had sacrificed their children to a false god.  Then I though of the 1.6 million abortions that happen in the United States every year.  Most of them, not all, are for reasons of selfish origin.  Inconvenience, messes up individuals lives and responsibility.  Never mind that they are taking another's life for the god of self.  Yet, we live alongside this and no one thinks much of it.  The news is shocking.  So are we.
     The news we don't acknowledge show how much we tolerate this evil world we live in.  We have had the blessing of God's presence in much of our lives years ago only to have thrown it away over the years for self.  People want to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, and how they want to do it.  Also, people want to have the rest of the people acknowledge that what you are doing is okay with them.  So, instead of standing for something, all have fallen for anything.  Just because a nation or a people legalize something that act doesn't change from God's designation of sin.  You can say, "The people changed the law so it would be legal."  In this world it may be legal but in the spiritual realm, it's still sin.  "Have no other gods before me."  You mean like TV, possessions, life styles, and such?  Yes, that's exactly what I mean.  It's exactly what God means.  If you are a Christian, having no gods before the Lord God is exactly what God means.  Not the coffee stand, not the club, not the other distractions and luxuries of the world.  None.  No god before God.
     Jesus was all about catching people with self as their god.  He did so with me.  He probably did so with you as well.  You, like me, have probably held onto little gods telling ourselves that it's alright to do so.  Then when confronted by the Holy Spirit, we have pleaded our case, begged to get off the hook, lied to ourselves, others and God because we wanted to remain god of that "little" part of our lives.  We didn't make it to Paul's declaration: "It is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives within me."  What can we do except to fall upon our knees and beg God to forgive us, repent from our being god and to die so that Christ can live through us.  The world wants everyone to retain a bit of the self made god so that we aren't totally given to God.  Why is that?  Because the devil knows that the guilt remains and we are not really free from that which binds us with the world.  He knows that we are not effect as if we were surrendered to Jesus.  Can you imagine the world with Christians who were surrendered to Jesus?  I can.  Jesus has already won over the enemy.  We can as well.  Can you imagine if all of the Christians were to believe that everything they possessed were God's possessions and for him to use as he pleases?  I can.  The widow would be cared for, the orphan would be cared for, and the world would hear the Word and believe.  You can imagine and make that a reality if you'll remember that it's always your choice.

When I Say…”I am a Christian”

When I Say…”I am a Christian”

When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I am saved”
I’m whispering “I get lost!”
“That is why I chose this way.”


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need someone to be my guide.


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on.


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and cannot ever pay the debt.


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
my flaws are too visible
but God believes I’m worth it.


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartaches
which is why I seek His name.


When I say…”I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I’m loved.


Used by permission
copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

As for that personal pronoun...

     For many people this is a very serious issue.  For me, it's not.  I'm a Christian and my personal pronoun (if it's a pronoun) is "His".  I am saying that because it appears the PC world has gone nuts with self identification.  The Christians life is (or should be) about Jesus and being His.  There I said it and the world didn't end!  In this world there are really only two identifications that mankind can be placed under. The first is God's creation.  The second s Satan's defining us as "self".  Two very different focuses.  Imagine standing before Jesus and trying to tell him that you are "self" instead of His.  That's what Christians who don't practice what the Lord has deemed us to do.  What is that you may ask.  Jesus has told us to 1.  Love God.  2. Love others as we love ourselves.  Not quite the difficult subject many make it.  What would the world do if Christians actually denied self and lived a life focused on Jesus?  Would there be so much controversy?  Would "self" survive?  Perhaps the non-Christians would still live for self but the Christian shouldn't.  For the Christian being PC correct means we are "His."  That's our identification as we died and Christ began living in us.  Dead in our sins he came to us and we made a decision on the facts.  We chose Him.  So, why don't we live like we mean it?
     The world is all about self identification.  We surround ourselves with beliefs, people, and whatever is important to support our idea of self identification.  Maybe you are defined by the full size advertisement of your favorite team on the side of your car.  Perhaps you are defined by having the best lawn on the block.  Then there are those who self identify by being either the bad guy or the good guy (whichever suits you).  None of them are fulfilling and none will reach beyond the grave.  You may be identified by your income or even lack of income.  You may identify as a cult follower or even what position you have at work.  Some even self identify as invisible.  You can choose who you self identify as.  For me, the self identification issue has long been settled by my choice to let Jesus live through me.  Okay, I've strayed from that over the years and been a hypocrite.  However, should it come down to my dying for self definition or His, I'll chose His every day.  Can we say that in the churches we attend?  Can we believe that going to church or infant baptism really can save you?  That kind of self identification will only cement your choice to reject God and spend eternity in hell.
     Do you remember when you first found out that Santa Claus wasn't real?  How about the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny?  What did you feel when that truth hit home?  Then you grew up and carried on the charade with your children and the grandchildren.  Maybe you knew what was right to do but didn't do that because it was "harmless fun".  Having done that in my past, I now see how wrong I was.  Going along with the masses for the sake of getting along with the masses isn't what Christians are supposed to do.  We are called to be different.  We are called to be in the world but not of the world.  We are expected to die to self (and self identification).  What would happen in your life if you gave up the self identification?  Would those things and that stuff you hold onto become non-issues in your life?  Perhaps priorities would change and people could see Jesus instead of you and I.  Wouldn't that be nice?  The chance to be His centered is here today (began at 4 AM for me).  You have every moment to choose your personal pronoun.  I suggest that choice be His.  However, as usual, it's always your choice.

If I Were The Devil

If I Were The Devil

By Paul Harvey

If I were the Devil.....

I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world.

I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings.

I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around.

I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue.

I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership.

I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies.

I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent machines to make it convenient.

I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals are valued more that human beings.

I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a law suit.

I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them.

I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind of every family member for my agenda.

I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation.

I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does the nation.

I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and movie screens, and I would call it art.

I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles should be accepted and marveled.

I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically correct.

I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive.

I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional.

I guess I would leave things pretty much the way they are."

My pathetic excuses!

     It's been said that "if you are looking for an excuse, any excuse will do."  How true!  I've been making excuses in my life since my earliest memories.  I've also been accountable and stopped that process many times.  Feeling we need an excuse is nothing more than justifying our sin.  Here are just a few:

I haven't had my coffee yet.
There doesn't seem to be a rush.
Someone else will do it.
It's not my call.
You take care of it, it's your problem.
I don't feel well.
I haven't had my coffee yet.
She/he made me take this stance.
I don't have enough knowledge.
I don't want to do it.
It's too much work.
God knows that I love him.
I need to relax and watch TV not interact with people
What about me?
I don't want to offend anyone.
I haven't had my coffee yet.

     Were there any of these that are yours?  We choose to determine what is necessary and what is not in our lives.  None of the excuses takes responsibility.  Taking responsibility is  something responsible people do.  If you are making excuses you too are not a responsible disciple of Jesus.  Instead of excuses we should be listening and then doing what God wants regardless of the consequences.  Would you rather be known as that person who denies their faith to keep that relationship, work position, or status quo?  Or, would you rather be known by God to have not made an excuse.  We look more to the negative consequences than we do the positive and thus put ourselves in the position of choosing to sin and miss out on the positive.  Our definition of positive and negative are usually worldly based.  What would happen if we looked at our excuses from God's definition of negative and positive?  Would you and I make less excuses?  Would we find our need for love, acceptance and approval from God trumps pleasing the world?
     I'm sure that I will continue to make excuses here and there.  You will too.  Being able to see more of God and less of me is exactly what the world needs.  They may not recognize that they have this need until something better is put before them.  That's what it took for God to get my attention so many years ago.  Without God there is no life.  With God there is life abundant.   We just need to get past our excuses and find out what God has planned.  Remember it's always your choice.

Just where did the summer go?

     For beginners, I really don't know the full answer to that question.  My focus, it seems, has been to move from one thing to the next and try to not drown is everything swirling around me.  I'm here and it's the beginning of fall whether I like it or not.  The Proverb says, "Idle hands are the devils tools." and from the looks of it the devil hasn't had much access to my personal life.  Heaven knows I've given him lots of opportunities.  It seems like yesterday that the rains of winter here in Washington were coming day after day after day.  Then we began to relish the lack of rain and the sunshine.  Now we are desperate for rain.  Are we always this unappreciative?  The world is going to hell in a hand basket and we're worrying about having rain?  My yard has survived and so have I.  Maybe I have been so busy that I haven't worried about the next day.  Maybe my busy life has consumed me to the point that I don't focus on yesterday much at all.  Maybe I've been about the Lord's work and been content in doing what he wants...well most of the time.  The summer is gone until next year and I need to get on with life.
     I have had hand surgery twice this summer and have substituted other's postings or writings when I was unable to type.  Been out of state twice.  Once to be with and minister to a friend.  The other to spend time with my sister and her husband helping them out as he has late stage cancer.  There were projects worked on and of course others started and now in process.  I've shared the grace of God where I could and screwed up other opportunities given to me.  The summer is gone and there is nothing I can do about any of it.  I can get up and live this day for Jesus.  That would mean spending time with Him, listening to Him, and being obedient to His will for my life.  Not always easy when I still want control of so much of my life.  My youngest child turns 17 in a few days.  Where has the time gone?  I don't feel the 64 years that I am.  I don't think like I'm that old and certainly don't act like it!  You see, if you don't pay attention to yesterday and don't worry about tomorrow, all you have left is today.  Today.  That's it.  Today.
     I've read about people who have their schedule planned out for the next 3-5 years!  I'm not that way.  I know that there will be activities, events and appointments from time to time.  But to put in ink our lives for 3-5 years is insane.  Did you remember to schedule time for what Jesus wants you to do?  Probably not.  Jesus is the kinda guy that acts in the moment.  Whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do whenever he tells you to do it, and however he tells you to do it comes by in a split second and is gone almost as quickly whether you act upon that instruction or not.  There are no seasons and time doesn't exist for God.  There is only NOW.  What we do with that now is either a testimony for the love of God or a testimony for the love of the world and the devil.  Don't believe that?  Try reading the Bible.  Better yet, schedule some time with God and ask Him.  Remember that it's always your choice.

The Paradox Of Our Age

The Paradox Of Our Age

By Dr. Bob Moorehead

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, but more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, pray too seldom, and watch too much TV.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life, we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space, we've done larger things, but not better things, we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've split the atom, but not our prejudice, We write more, but learn less, plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not wait, we have higher incomes, but lower morals, more food, but less appeasement, more acquaintances, but fewer friends, more effort, but less success.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, tall men, and short character, steep profits, and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare, more leisure and less fun, more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce, of fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands,overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom.

Today, many want to gain the world at the "mere" expense of their souls.

Evil is contemplated and performed with both hands, yet we cannot lift a finger for our fellow man.

May God have mercy on our souls. Pray without ceasing. Let each of us examine our own ways.

Gettysburg Address Text...rembering 9/11

Gettysburg Address Text

The The Gettysburg Address full text delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery at the scene of the Battle Of Gettysburg of the American Civil War on November 19, 1863.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Brownies With A Difference

Brownies With A Difference

by Annette Nay

Many parents are hard put to explain to their youth why some music, movies, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them to bring into the home, for their youth to see, or hear. One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute.

He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was just the normal stuff. It wasn't very bad.

Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."

It was a little bit later that evening, that this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the families favorite recipe and added something new. They asked what it was. He calmly replied that he had added dog poop. He stated that it was only a little bit. All the ingredients were gourmet quality. He had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb.

Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one.

The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them to act so stubbornly. He assured them that they would hardly notice it if at all. They all held firm and would not try the brownies.

He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Satan tries to enter our minds and our homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter. With the brownies, just a little bit makes all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. He explained that even though the movie people would have us believe the movies which are coming out are acceptable for adults and youth's to see they are not. Test your movie and see. Would you be comfortable taking Christ with you to see the movie?

Now when this father's youth want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special dog poop brownies and they never ask about that item again.

Logic 101

Logic 101

Author Unknown

A college student was in a philosophy class which had a discussion about God's existence. The professor presented the following logic:

"Has anyone in this class heard God?"
Nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class touched God?"
Again, nobody spoke.
"Has anyone in this class seen God?"
When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, "Then there is no God."

One student thought for a second, and then asked for permission to reply. Curious to hear this bold student's response, the professor granted it, and the student stood up and asked the following questions of his classmates:

"Has anyone in this class heard our professor's brain?"
Silence.
"Has anyone in this class touched our professor's brain?"
Absolute silence.
"Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?"
When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!"

(...The student received an "A" in the class.)

An Unspoken Bible

An Unspoken Bible
Author Unknown
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally is wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian recently while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and So Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and, when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, an Elder is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the Elder is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying To themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane.

All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the Elder does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read."

There is the need to be known.

     But, by whom?  Check out your list of people in and around your life.  Whom would you bare your deepest and darkest secrets?  If you are like me, there aren't many!  People have motives.  You and I have motives. Sometimes those motives direct our sharing with others.  Some people use who the are as a power over others.  Others use their knowledge to do good.  Still the question remains for us.  Why do we do what we do in social circles?  The "needs" we have are presented in our daily lives.  Most of the time we are concerned about having our needs be met rather than meeting the needs of others.  I was recently asking myself if people could truly see Jesus in me.  I came to the conclusion that sometimes that might be true while other times my sin has covered Jesus so people can't see him in me.  Maybe you do the same thing.  I've known people who have long been the bastion of uprightness and reflected Jesus in their daily life.  I've also known people who haven't.  So, we come to the crossroads of this discussion with the issue of trust relegating us to share ourselves only where trust has been established.  That doesn't always prove true.  There are wolves in sheep clothing waiting to deceive the very elect.
     I used to be quite shy believe it or not.  I hated to be around people due to my discomfort level with myself.  When I was inducted into the US Army I found other people who loved to ask questions of others.  The most innocent was "Where are you from?"  Even that took on a note of disdain if you weren't from the right place.  People judge cruelly and harshly.  I decided then that I wouldn't be intruded upon and began to be the first to ask others questions.  When I did so the attention was on them and not on me.  People became known to me but I wasn't known to them except for those where trust had bloomed.  That exercise ended my shyness.  It also set me on the path of the vocations that I would engage in.  I became a "wounded healer" to others according to one supervisor.  People would and still do open up to me a complete stranger with their lives.  I found myself giving people attention they needed to be able to let go of the "stuff" in their lives.  God used me to do good with those who needed it most.  In the process my interactions with others helped me to overcome self focused life and to Jesus to others. 
     Today I want people to see and know Jesus through my life.  That's part of the purpose of this blog.  I've disclosed much of my life through this blog and am okay with that.  What I want people to see is Jesus leading me and directing my life.  It's what all Christians should do.  Christians should live their lives in such a manner that people become hungry for what we have...Jesus.  How can they be hungry for Jesus unless He is being lived out in our lives.  Should the world try to direct who we are by restricting Jesus, we need to be Jesus to the world all the more.  Personally, I'm tired of what Christians are acting like just to make others comfortable with them and not Jesus.  Want to not make waves?  Change your life and church to what the world looks like.  Want to be Jesus to the world?  Let Jesus live through you at all times. The day is coming when we all will have to give account of every idle thought and every word we have spoken.  Will God find my life filled with thoughts focused by Jesus or the world?  Will God find that my words and actions have presented Jesus to the world or has my stand for the world covered over Jesus in my life.  It's a question for you as well.  It has been, is now and forever be your choice.

Mrs. Brown's cow.

     Do you know the story about Mrs. Brown's cow?  Maybe you know about the great Chicago fire then?  It's history that Mrs. Brown's cow kicked over a lantern which started the great Chicago fire where many died and there was great destruction to the city.  That fire created the brick and mortar buildings you see in Chicago proper today.  But!  Do you know the rest of the story?  Dwight Moody, founder of Moody Bible College was an evangelist who's preaching was bringing revival to Chicago.  One night he preached a powerful sermon and many were convicted.  Many wanted to accept Jesus but Mr. Moody told them that this was a life changing decision and they needed to be sure.  So, he sent them home.  That night Mrs. Brown's cow started the fire.  Mr. Moody was shattered.  He continued to preach though he always gave an altar call and prayed for those wanting new life in Christ.  Never again would he send them home to think about it.  We all may have decisions that we regret in making.  I know that I do.  How many times has the opportunity come and gone with me doing little, nothing or simply not enough. 
     We live in a world that is constantly telling us to wait, think things through before we act and generally to procrastinate.  That same world is now distracted beyond belief.  Watered down preaching and lack of Holy Spirit prompting have reached an apathetic level amongst many Christians and their churches.  Inferior products and service have come to the point of being expected and tolerated as part of "just the way it is."  Our pubic schools have become a training place for worldly standards forcing Christian children to deny their faith because it might offend some.  Parents have stood by while With God there is no secret sin.  He knows all that we think, say and do before it even takes place.  So, who are we fooling?  Has our self justification and self rationalization brought us to that place where we no longer care?  Apathy is a choice.  Disobedience is a choice.  What's your choice?  Remember, it's always your choce.

Lots to think about but only one thing to do.

     I once was witnessing to a man who was the father of a close friend.  He was open to hearing the gospel and knew that what I was telling him was true.  He admitted his not knowing Jesus.  I asked him if he would like to pray and receive Jesus as his Savior.  He said,  "I'll have to think about it."  I replied to him, "When you are done thinking you still need to make a decision."  He laughed and commented that he just wasn't sure he wanted to give up on his life just yet.  There is no bad time to surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Over the years I've had the privilege to share the Gospel and to pray the sinners prayer with many people from children to the elderly.  There were those who didn't want to pray.  They weren't done doing what they liked.  I tried to explain that in Christ they would be free from "things to do" and have so much more taking place in their lives.  Here I am still witnessing to people and praying that they receive Christ.  There is not always time to think about it but when you are done thinking you still need to do something.  You need to make a decision of either embracing or rejection your Savior.  You make the choice whether you spend eternity with the God of the universe or whether you spend eternity with Satan in hell.  Remember it's your choice.  You can't blame the lack of decision on anyone but yourself. 
      "Don't spoil their fun." I heard the woman tell her husband as she dressed the kids in demon costumes for Halloween.  The man told his wife that this wasn't what God would like them to teach their children.  "It's harmless."  she said.  You see, the world has taken our thinking and replaced it with rationalizing and justifying.  "Everyone else is doing it."  Really?  The decision to marry and to have children is a sacred gift from God.  Both of the choices.  We are then charged to help the Christian couple raise their child in the family of God with Godly principles based on the Bible.  The Bible gives us the chance to stop thinking and begin doing what God wants instead of what man wants.  So, you want your children, spouse, friends, co-workers and strangers to choose hell because it wasn't or isn't convenient for you?  When you are done thinking about the choice you make, think about the cost of being Jesus' disciple.  This is not a life for the weak of heart.  The is for the ones surrendered to the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Don't think, do something.  Jesus warns us in several Scriptures that the lukewarm he will spew out of his mouth and say, "I never knew you."  Well done thou good and faithful servant." won't be heard by many who have taken the time to think and choose to live as the world rather than as a man or woman of God. 
     The world is full of messages that we know to be untrue.  Like, "God won't send anyone to hell."  No, he won't.  He has given you the free will to make that choice yourself.  Remember that no one can make the decision for you.  "God is in all of us and we are one in him."  Nope, the Bible doesn't say that either.  What it does say is that there is but one God and you and I aren't him.  We are to be part of the body of Christ in whatever capacity you find yourself.  For my sister who is confined to here apartment, she worships there.  Every day I might add.  For many on the mission field, where they are with the people is where they worship.  Some people like to think they are part of the body of Christ but live so separate from the message of the Gospel that they only fool themselves.  When you are done thinking, you still need to do something.  No one will stand with you before the Father when you are being judged.  No one will be there for me either...except Jesus.  Will your, your children's, your spouses, your family, friends and co-workers have their name written in the book of life because you believe in Jesus?  When you are done thinking...remember, it's always your choice.

The Son

The Son

Author Unknown

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had Everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package.

"I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the portrait.

"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this portrait of the son. Who will bid for this painting?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the painting of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel.

"I'm sorry, the auction is over. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"

The Enemy's Perfect Plan

The Enemy's Perfect Plan
Author Unknown
Let's not allow the enemy to distract us...

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds" he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."

"Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."

"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his schemes? You be the judge.