Because God Loves You

Wives Submit to Your Husbands

2011-08-15T08:03:00.002-04:00

During the straw pole debates, an interviewer asked Presidential Canidate, Michele Bachmann a question. "You are an evangelical Christian and the Bible says - wives submit to your husbands. As President will you submit to your husband?"

I have longed struggled with this passage of the Bible even though I have remained single for many years. I could not - or perhaps would not - believe that God meant for women to obey their husbands in everything or submit as a dog does to its master. I always believed that women were the soul of the earth and therefore mighty in their own right.

The answer from Congresswoman Bachmann brought me to a new revelation on submission. "Perhaps sir, you do not understand the meaning of this Bible verse. Submit means respect. I respect my husband and he respects me. We have pledged our lives together during sickness and health, richer and poorer until death do us part."

Although her answer moved me to the right ball field, the home run required a little more contemplation. The verse following wives submitting to their husbands states, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."

God created men and women differently. He breathed life into Adam through his head and created Eve from the side (or heart) of Adam. Men want to be respected. It is the most important emotion for men. Women want to be loved - this is their most important emotion.

What God was saying in Ephesians 5 is - give to your husband what is most important to him and husbands - give to your wife what is most important to her.

Why Do Bad People Go Unpunished?

2011-07-19T08:21:00.007-04:00

Last summer I had a large pine tree cut down on the side of my house. A small pest had done it's work on the tree and each year the damage became more apparent. Fearful that the tree may topple in a high wind, I paid an arborist for its death.

The stump was ground down leaving a circle of uncultivated dirt in my yard. The crime scene remained fallow for the remainder of the summer and through the winter, but when spring arrived, I eyed the blank space with envy.

My recent lay off kept my resources in check so instead of my usual trek to the local nursery, I opted for a bag of wild flower seeds from Lowe's selling for $5.99. I amended the soil and laid out the seed as prescribed on the back of the bag. I watered the planting faithfully and waited. Soon little green shoots appeared and as they grew so did my anticipation of beautiful flowers.

However, there was a problem with my plan. Along with my flower seeds, other seeds were germinating. Some of these seeds were well recognized weeds; others - well I wasn't sure. Since the bag of seed contained a variety of plants, I could not tell what was weed and what was flower. I let them grow together hoping for a resolution when the flowers finally bloomed.

My plan backfired. As the garden grew, the weeds intermingled densely with the flowers. When I tried to pull out the weeds, the flowers came out as well. Frustrated, I gave up, but I noticed something curious. When I viewed my flower garden close-up, the weeds were readily apparent. When I viewed the garden from my second-story, bedroom window, all I could see were the beautiful pinks, blues, purples and whites of the flowers. It occurred to me that this is the vantage point of God - high up - he sees only the flowers.

"Another parable he put before them say, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. So, when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then has it weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, 'Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' " Matthew 13:24-30

The Prince of America

2011-06-23T08:48:00.003-04:00

In Daniel chapter 10, an angel of the Lord appears before Daniel because "..you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard , and I have come because of your words." We see here that the Lord sent an angel, a messenger, to Daniel because he had set his mind on the Lord to understand.

The angel goes onto say "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of Persia..". This was spoken while Daniel along with the Hebrews were held in captivity in Persia or present day Iran.

From this passage we see that Satan, the prince of the world, sets his demons as guardians over countries and principalities to keep God's message or messengers from the people. This guardianship is not limited to other parts of the world - it is present even in America.

As seen in Matthew 4:10 Satan tempted Jesus by offering the kingdoms of the world to Jesus if he would bow down before Satan. Jesus did not refute Satan's claim to own the world, he told him only to begone. If Satan does indeed own the world, then we can be sure there is a Prince of America who stands guard to keep God's message or messengers from the people.

To keep the message and messengers flowing, we must be vigilant in what Daniel did. We must pray continuously and set our hearts to understand the Lord.

God Does Not Pass Out Paychecks

2011-05-20T10:09:00.003-04:00

"Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name?' and I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' " Matthew 7

The people described by Jesus above believe that they can earn God's love and favor. There are whole religions based on this premise, yet, Jesus says, "I never knew you." So what is the will of the Father?

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. this man came to Jesus by night and said to him, 'Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.' Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' " John 3

The will of the Father is that we be born anew by choosing to accept the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. Think of it God creates man along with a beautiful home where man can live safely. There is only one commandment - "do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil." One commandment and man does it anyway. The result should have been eternal death.

Instead our Creator - our King - dies for us. He loved us so much that He died for us and all we have to do is believe. And still, preachers and priests are instructing their parishioners on what they need to do to obtain God's favor! Where was the message lost? It was so simple - just believe and everything He has is yours. Our entrance into God's kingdom is not based on our works - but His works.

God does not pass out paychecks - he bestows gifts.

The Fig Tree Produces Fruit in May

2011-05-19T08:40:00.003-04:00

Jeremiah's vision of the first dispersion: "..and the Lord showed me this vision - behold two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs and the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten." Jeremiah 24

Further reference to the good figs and the bad figs. "On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs." Mark 11. Immediately after this Jesus drives the money changers from the temple.

It is estimated that the genus we know as the fig tree began over 5,000 years ago. It is accepted that Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves after their sin. Fig trees require at least eight hours each day in sunlight which is why they are usually grown in warm, dry climates. Figs have a long juvenile development (four to five years) before maturing and producing fruit. A mature fig tree will produce its first harvest in May (Israel, May 1947).

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as it branch becomes tender and puts forth its leave, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Matthew 24

So what is a generation? "For all our days pass away under thy wrath, our years come to an end like a sign. the years of our life are threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone and we fly away." Psalms 90

This month - May, 2011 - Israel turned 63 years old. The people who saw Israel's birth will soon turn 70 or 80 (7-17 years). Then heaven and earth will pass away. Repent, believe and be saved.

Pearls of Wisdom

2011-04-30T09:31:00.002-04:00

Pearls were the first gem treasured by ancient man. Refined by nature, this precious gem was gathered along with an important food source by coastal peoples - comparable to the prize found in a box of Cracker Jack's when we were young.

Pearls are commonly reserved for special occasions. Sadly, the iridescent qualities of pearls are discolored with a lack of use. Pearls need to soak up liquids and oils to retain their lustre. Packaged away, they will dry out fading and cracking. Just like muscles, you use them or lose them.

The Word of God are Pearls of Wisdom. You use them, or you lose them. Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 4:24-25 "And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Read the Word - understand the Word. If you cannot understand there are great commentaries a Google search away. Meditate on the Word and share the Word. Wear the Word - for by wearing the Word - more revelation will be given to you. If not - even what you do know will be taken away.

Son of Man

2011-04-22T07:54:00.006-04:00

I have often wondered why Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man in the gospels and not the title - Son of God or Messiah. So I did some research. I found - as with anything that God does - there was not a linear reason for this title, but one multifaceted reason.

Reason #1 Jesus came first for his chosen people, the Hebrews, so he spoke in phrases they would understand. The phrase 'Son of Man' refers to the Book of Daniel, the prophet of the Old Testament. " I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him." The Hebrews of the first century would have understood that the Son of Man was the Messiah.

Reason #2 Satan knew him, but didn't know why he had come to earth. In Matthew 4:1 we see that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness. It was here that Satan confronted him - while he was alone. Satan knew who he was - "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loves of bread." Satan knew who he was but did not know the purpose for his visit. If your enemy suddenly appeared in your territory, you would quickly go to your enemy to determine the purpose of his visit. Jesus wanted to keep the purpose of his earthly visit a secret. If he had referred to himself as the Messiah, Satan would have known the exact plan of God, and would try to thwart the plan. All the details of the Messiah (dying on a tree, the final sacrificial lamb) are prophesied in the Old Testament. Even Satan knows what is written in the scriptures, but he has no foreknowledge and cannot read our minds.

I think these two reasons are why Jesus was silent about his title, Son of God. The scriptures are the battle plans for the restoration of man and the earth. Many of those plans are written in code to keep the enemy confused. To decipher the code, a person must possess the Holy Spirit, and to possess the Holy Spirit, you must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Sophie's Journal Part 3

2010-07-10T16:51:00.001-04:00

I did not go upstairs in my dream, so I cannot give an account of the second floor. Animal sounds beckoned me outside. I walked towards the barn and adjoining paddock. Inside the paddock, five goats watched me with their vertical pupils and whitened goatees. Chickens scurried around the yard pecking at invisible insects. I walked through the front door of the barn and was surprised by the implements. These were not the machinery of the twenty-first century. The plow was a simple implement that would have been pulled by a horse. Alongside a rake-like instrument stood with like a giant hair comb with a bridle waiting for an animal to power. The air was heavy with the scent of hay and animal. A low moan from the rear of the barn revealed a large draft horse in a stall. I walked through the back door of the barn to find a coop surrounded by a cube of fencing where the chickens would spend their nights in safety. Another small building lay beyond the coop. The smell from inside and the hooks hanging from the rafters helped me to decide this building was used for smoking meats. To the right of the smokehouse a stone building straddled the small creek that ran from the pond out front, but it was the building on the left that drew me further. It was another house.

This house was smaller that than the great house, but still boasted two stories and a nice porch which wrapped around the outside. It was painted a muted red and scrolled gingerbread hung from the roofline and the windows. A lone rocking chair sat next to the door which I found unlocked, so I entered. The front room was a small sitting room with a couch, a few chairs, tables and a writing desk in the corner. The furniture had been placed in alignment with the fireplace as though to gather an advantage to the heat emitted by future fires. The next room was a kitchen, but without modern accoutrements. A fireplace, an iron stove and a sink with a hand pump were all the appliances afforded in this space. The rest of the slate floor was occupied by various cabinets, tables, chairs and counters. For a kitchen, the space was large and the many windows provided ample light, but there was no electricity as evidenced by kerosene lamps hanging from the rafters waiting for a lit match when dusk approached. I walked to the back door of the kitchen and found a primitive room with bare wood walls and various herbs and flower hung to dry. A washstand, wash tub and water pump stood by so I named this room the washhouse. A door led to the back porch and I was surprised to see an old butter churn standing next to a cane chair. Beyond the porch a well-tended kitchen garden delighted my nose with the smell of basil and rosemary. Corn stalks supported the pole beans and squash ringed each grouping. I had heard of this type of planting - utilized by Native Americans and taught to the colonial people centuries before. The corn stalks support the beans without staking and the squash vines cover the surrounding ground for weed reduction and water retention. Realizing that I was dreaming, I wondered whether I had moved from the present – the house with the solar panels, modern kitchen and computer – to the past. It was not so.

My last dream of this place convinced me that both houses – the new and old – occupied the same space of time, and I feared that space of time was the future. In my last dream, I moved from the red house and its kitchen garden up the hill. I could see that an orchard had been planted there. Apples and peaches hung heavy from some of the trees while other trees appeared to have nuts peeking from under their leaves. I walked to the crest of the hill and reached to pick a fully ripened apple from a tree when I heard a loud noise behind me. Frightened by the sound, I jumped and dropped my apple. It was curious, but I did not turn towards the sound, but stooped to pick up my apple from the ground. I rose and looked at the apple with sadness as though something precious was about to end. I knew if I looked behind me, there was no turning back. Whatever was behind me was no friend; no ease. So, I continued to study the rosy skin of the apple dappled with tiny yellow spots. I brought the apple to my nose to savor the pungent fragrance and to feel its warm surface against my lips. I wanted to bite into the apple and savor the juice running down my hand. But I didn’t. I knew the sight behind me would only cause me to regurgitate whatever was in my stomach, so I let the apple fall, and I turned around towards the south. I sighed and tears came to my eyes. It had begun for I saw the gray cloud rising and even at this distance; I could feel its hot wind on my face.

Sophie's Journal Part 2

2010-06-26T12:53:00.002-04:00

So it was more than a year ago that the dreams started. The beginning was pastoral– even pleasant. Each time I dreamed more was revealed. The dream always began with a gated lane. The packed sand and gravel of the lane were rutted with tire marks. Trees and undergrowth implied that the lane had been carved through the woods rather than carefully landscaped. The gate was set back from the road and might have been missed if you did not know where it stood. There were no markings, no mailbox to indicate the narrow driveway. In my dream, I walked up to the gate and found it locked. Intrigued by what lay beyond the gate and disappointed that I may not gain access to the sandy lane, I flung my arms to my sides. It was this action that revealed a bulk in the side pocket of my coveralls. I put my hand into my pocket and retrieved a large skeleton key - the kind used decades before my time. The key must have been composed of copper or brass for verdigris covered the ornate carvings. I tried the key in the lock of the gate. It was a perfect fit, and the gate opened easily. This ended my first night of dreaming.

Subsequent nights revealed more of the dream, but not to bore you with timelines, dear Reader, I will just continue with my description of the dream without interruption, but know that this dream was sewn over many months like a patchwork quilt during its construction.

After opening the gate, I walked through the vegetation on the sandy lane. I noticed flowers, wild onions, skunk cabbage, jewel weed and other native plants growing beneath the canopy of trees and bushes. It must have been late spring for the mountain laurel was blooming and its smell was sweet. I continued to walk forward as I could see a bright light towards the end of the lane. Anxious to see what lay beyond I hurried my steps, and was rewarded. The lane opened up to vast meadow. A small group of sheep were grazing on the grass before me. To my left I saw a sizable pond with sunshine glistening on its rippling surface. The farther side of the pond banked up to a rolling hill. At the top of the hill I saw a roof along with the partial second floor of a white house. Curious, I continued to walk the lane towards the house. More of the house was revealed as I walked closer.
The portion of the house facing the pond appeared to be a porch or sunroom as long windows dominated the entire expanse. The lane wound around the rising hill and I could see the side of the house had many windows on the first floor and a sleeping porch – a porch with no stairs – on the second floor. I could see that the sandy lane continued around to the far side and what I assumed was the front door, for no door had yet revealed itself. To my right I noticed barns and other outbuildings further a field that had not been visible due to the rise of the hill. The smell of hay and manure wafted, but I continued my path to the front of the house.

The door was set back on an open porch that wrapped around the far side of the house. Painted sage green, the door carried a brass knocker engraved with the words Rosemary Hill. I knocked. There was no answer. I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. I was dismayed. Then that I remembered the gate key still in my hand. Of course this key was too big for the door lock. A quick check of my other pockets revealed a smaller key in the breast pocket of my coveralls. This key fit and the door swung open.

The foyer was long, extending towards the back of the house beyond my sight. It was wide, light and airy due to the large windows over the front door. The ceiling of the foyer extended from the first floor to the second floor. A door to my left was closed and a stairway led upstairs to a balcony. To my right I could see into a formal living room tastefully appointed. Further into the foyer was a sofa table against the wall with a vase of pretty field flowers. As I walked on the slate floor to the sofa table, I noticed a door under the staircase to my left. Always curious, I tried the knob and the door swung open. A peak revealed stairs leading down to darkness. I assumed this must be the cellar. I closed the door and continued further into the foyer. I had been right, there was a sunroom. The foyer lead to the most beautiful sunroom full of potted plants. The sound of trickling water made me turn around. A small indoor fountain surrounded by more plantings trickled soothingly and the outside pond, sheep and woodland provided a beautiful view from the sunroom windows. The middle of the room was occupied by a large white table surrounded by so many chairs; I did not stop to count them. The only solid wall in the room centered a beautiful fireplace and hearth with sentinel bookcases at each side.

I moved to the next room; the kitchen. It was cook’s dream with double ovens, a brick bread oven, center island stove and a large side by side refrigerator. From the kitchen, I could see a smaller enclosed porch that must have served as a small greenhouse. Herbs grew on shelves hung between the window frames and the inside wall was covered with shelves supporting bottles of dried herbs. Hyssop, rosemary, lavender and sweet cicely had been dried and labeled in tightly sealed blue jars.
I wound my way back to the kitchen and came upon another room.

I realized this must be the room that opened to that door on the left as I came in the front door. It was a library, or perhaps a study. There were floor to ceiling books on most of the walls. A large desk was positioned between the front corner of the room allowing whoever sat there easy viewing of the sandy lane and the barnyard. A laptop was opened on the desk. Another long desk cornered the opposite wall with a CB or a ham radio on its top. A microphone stood there as well.

Sopie's Journal - Part 1

2010-06-16T09:17:00.005-04:00

My name is Sophie and I am writing this record of the past year’s events to bring you, Reader, up to date on what has transpired before our collapse. I beg forgiveness that the first part of this journal will be written in past tense and with knowledge of the outcome. I berate myself for not recording the past year as it happened, but hindsight always produces wisdom.

More than a year ago, I lived in a small city in Connecticut with my son. My life was ordinary. My daughter lived close by with her husband and my two grandchildren – my delight. I had a mother and father who lived less than an hour away and the families of my brothers and sisters scattered around the state. It was a close family; made closer now, but I digress.

I should first record that I am a Christian. Yes Reader, I realize that label has inspired fear and anger even before the collapse and that admitting my affiliation now is even more fearsome. Still, I cannot deny my thirty three year relationship with God for I know him to be real. He met me on my terms in the beginning. After experiencing one failed relationship after another and I needed a perfect love – a love not matter what – He showed up. He was like the wind. I could not see him, but I could see everything He did in my life. I would ask and He gave it. There were times I felt like a spoiled child, and still He gave. As my trust in Him grew, I did less praying and more talking. I talked to Him all the time as though He were my best friend. He was and still is my best friend.

Do you know His favorite color? No? I do because I asked him. I was driving down the highway on a beautiful September day. The trees had turned from the springtime chartreuse to the late season forest green. The sky was cloudless and a deep marine blue – not the sky blue of summer. I marveled at the two colors together – the tree tops seeming to scrape at the blue sky, and remarked aloud “Who would think to match those two colors together?” God did. It came to mind that I did not know his favorite color, so I asked Him. In my mind I saw a vision of leaving the ground moving higher and higher. As I left the ground, I could see the highway and then the city. Still I rose and from that vantage point, I could see the coastline, then our continent. Pulling further, I could see the whole earth. It was a large blue ball. Then I knew His favorite color is blue.

Who Do You Think You Are?

2010-04-28T09:40:00.002-04:00

Each morning I enjoy the comic strip, Mallard Fillmore by Bruce Tinsley.

The past few days, Mr. Tinsley’s writing has addressed the 2010 census. I too was offended by the racial profiling on the 2010 census forms. I wondered why our government needs to know my color and race while admonishing us all that we must judge people – not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Let me state that I do agree with Dr. King’s statement, but this led to a dilemma.

Frankly, I was not sure which box to check. My skin is neither black nor white. I was not sure about familial Hispanic origins. I also had doubts about every other race listed on the census form. It was a quandary. As a fan of the NBC show – Who Do You Think You Are? – I wondered how to answer truthfully.

Desperate, I sought help from a very learned man, Noah Webster. Based on his assessment, I checked the ‘Other’ box and wrote in Native American.

National Day of Prayer

2010-04-24T10:27:00.003-04:00

Spring heralds a rebirth. We see this rebirth in the flora and fauna, the trajectory of the sun and the activity of man. The spirit of man is also reborn and some choose to commemorate this rebirth with a National Day of Prayer. On May 6Th religious leaders will stand beside secular leaders with one spirit to pray for our country.

I agree that our country needs these prayers - perhaps more now than at any other time in our history. I see no reason why religious leaders and secular leaders cannot pray publicly together whenever or wherever they choose. It is our right to pray publicy as afforded by God and our Consitution. However, I disagree with any government that makes attendance at these prayer vigils mandatory. I may point out to detractors of the National Day of Prayer that our government does not make prayer mandatory.

Still, many take issue with the prayer venue. Fine! Then let our secular leaders leave their government-sponsored offices and pray on the steps of a local church.

Social Justice

2010-04-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

Th Bible States:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. " Genesis 1:27

The Declaration of Independence states:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

We were already created equal - so why do we need the creation of Social Justice through this 'Hope and Change" guy?

Like The Wind

2010-04-04T08:35:00.004-04:00

Some say that the miracles of the Bible do not exist in today's world. The miracles performed by the early church followers provided revelation of your existence to the masses. Today those miracles are no longer needed because we have your word. I know better.

The people of the the first century were living in the enemy's territory - same as we are today. Satan tempted Jesus in the desert with power of all the world's governments. Satan would not have used that temptation unless he was the ruler of this world. We bring your power and miracles into this world by asking.

When someone asks me for 'proof of God', I can truthfully answer that I have seen you. You are like the wind. I cannot see the wind, but I can feel the wind. I can see how the wind affects all that it touches. The wind can caress a small crocus petal making it dance playfully in the garden. The wind can blow dry leaves from one yard to another and down the street clearing a path. The wind can down a tree or devastate a community.

Your movements are like the wind. Your gentle touch to a mourning soul or the clearing of old ways to make way for new. Your movements inspire compassion for communities that have long been neglected in their poverty. Your movements remind a people caught up in day to day living that they need you.

Lord, you are like the wind - for now - and I know that one day all will finally see the face of the wind.

A Cracked Pot

2010-03-28T09:15:00.003-04:00

Dear Father -

Let me be a fool for you without appearing to be a fool.

I pray that your light will shine brightly through the cracks in this pot.

God's Promises

2010-01-01T11:10:00.003-05:00

Dear Father -

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my neighbor's house was dark at night. Although still early in the evening, no light streamed from the kitchen window, no back lit shadows came from the kid's bedrooms. The bikes were still stored neatly under the back deck, the rack with firewood was still secured against the side fence and and the pool pump still stood sentry next to the covered pool awaiting another summer of fun. Although I took note of the darkness, I reasoned they were out Christmas shopping or attending a pageant at their children's school. Alas, subsequent nights of darkness dispelled my reasoning, and yesterday I drove past the front of the house and noticed a 'For Sale' sign.

I did not know these neighbors well, Father, but you did, and I wondered why this house, their hope and promise, had been abandoned, and I wondered what occurrence caused them to give up their dream.

Just like Abraham and Sarah, you made a promise to me many years ago. A promise and a hope for my future. Decades have passed since I first heard your promise and there have been many times I was ready to give up because my hope had died while the years pressed against my patience. Yet, you continue to remind of your promise in little ways when I feel my belief waning. I want you to know - I am still waiting. I will not despair, but I will surrender to Your Promise.

Government Charity is a Ruse

2009-09-20T09:54:00.003-04:00

Last week I sat with a good book and a large salad looking forward to some quiet time during my lunch hour. It was not to be. A group of men were seated at the table next to me having a vigorous discussion which interferred with my solitude. In a act of defeat, I closed my book and eavesdropped on their conversation while munching my salad.

Two of the group were discussing Obama's healthcare plan and the discourse revealed they had opposing views. One gentleman maintained that it was the moral obligation of the government to provide charitable outreach to those who could not afford the essentials in life - including health care. The other gentleman argued that charity should be a private affair - an unselfish act of the individual based on the ability and moral compass of each person.

What really raised my concern was the parting shot from the man who believed in government charity. "Even Jesus said that we must love our fellow man." This statement ended the discourse as the opposition had no apparent argument. The men finished their meal and left, but for me the argument continued.

I found that parting statement a ruse on the same order of the racist rhetoric of the past week. The chain of thought that has permeated the press is - if you disagree with our President and our President is black, then you are a racist. On that same tack - if you do not support government sponsored entitlement programs, you are not a Christian.

Now, let us look at what Jesus really said. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

Now, my argument - these two requirements are indivisible - you love God first; then your neighbor. If Jesus charged these two commandments together, then one commandment must support the other.

So I ask you, does Washington love God with all their hearts, souls and strength? If not, then let us show the love of our neighbors through those who do.

Knowledge or Wisdom

2009-07-19T10:08:00.001-04:00

Knowledge can be purchased, but wisdom must be lived.

Our Servants Are Becoming Masters

2009-07-17T07:05:00.003-04:00

Dear Father

Centuries ago your servant, Joseph, saved Egypt from financial ruin through your visions and Spirit, and Egypt was grateful vowing to serve Joseph and his descendants. Joseph's descendants flourished and prospered, and because of this service, your blessings were heaped upon Egypt.

Centuries passed and those who remembered Joseph had passed as well. The Egyptians no longer remembered their salvation by your hand and instead turned envious eyes toward the richness of Joseph's descendants . Eventually, the Egyptians stole the riches of the Israelites, enslaved the people.

Father, America was blessed as Egypt was blessed so long ago because they followed your Spirit. Somehow, we have lost your Spirit, and now our servants are working to enslave us. Slowly, the blessings that you have bestowed on your people are being taxed away, and our servants are becoming our masters.

Father, you promised that no longer will the fruit of our hands be recompense for the enemy. You promised that those who gather it shall eat it and those who garner it shall drink it in the courts of your sanctuaries.

I pray that those servants who strive to become our masters will be forever removed from your courts and sanctuaries. I pray that you will raise up new servants who know you and your Spirit. I pray that these servants will restore the courts and sanctuaries according to your will and once again America will be "God blessed". In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen

You Carry The Witness With You

2009-07-10T07:12:00.002-04:00

Many Christians lament their lack of witness to others. Others forcibly witness to the detriment of the unbeliever.

I say, stop. Stop worrying about your lack of witness and stop the forced witness of men. You carry God's Holy Spirit inside of you wherever you go, therefore, where you go; so too goes God's Spirit.

The prophets, leaders and apostles of the Old and New Testament were all given one command - "Go!" When Moses fretted about what he was to say or whether the people would believe him, God's answer was - "Go!" When the prophet explained to God that he could not speak to the people because of his impediment, God's answer was - "Go!" After Saul's conversion, Paul went wherever the Spirit led.

Whether you spend your day in an office, teaching a class room full of children, behind a counter helping customers, or fighting in a foreign land, you are a witness to that which is in you. Believe me when I say that the people around you know that you are different. Some will reach out to that difference and some will reject that difference, but no one will be oblivious to that difference.

Do not fret that you cannot bring Bibles to the people in foreign lands or that you are forbidden to speak about God at the workplace. God is bigger than them. God is bigger than you. He only needs us to show up.

Pray a simple prayer - "Please Father, let me be a witness to someone today." or "Please Father, save -----." Then go knowing that God is in charge of the spread of His Word. He was always in charge. How else could one seemingly insignificant Man spread the Word of God throughout the world in two centuries? Paul was saved without any human witness, and so have countless others.

Our charge is to Let God work through us. If we strive to work ourselves, then we have succumbed to the enemy's pit of salvation, religion and pride in our own works. Salvation was purchased by the works of our Savior; not by ours.

Bush vs. Obama

2008-11-05T20:34:00.006-05:00

John McCain opined to Obama during one of the debates, "Senator Obama, I am
not George Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have
done that four years ago." But Obama did run against President Bush, or more correctly, he ran against the perception of Bush held by a majority of Americans, and no one perceived this truth better than Obama.

So, is perception Truth? Let us examine other Truths.

Perceive the truth of energy independence by forbidding nuclear energy, coal mining, clean coal or drilling for off-shore oil.

Perceive the truth of healthier capitalism by spreading the wealth among all members.

Perceive a balanced budget by utilizing increased spending and lower taxes.

Perceive an affordable health care plan for all without increasing payroll deductions.

Perceive 'cleaning up' Washington politics by a man who has been part of the 'Chicago political machine' for the last decade.

Perceive a 4,000 page bill posted on the Internet for "The People's" approval before signing into law.

Perceive a "Fairness Doctrine" that will shut down one news station and allow all the others to stand unopposed.

Perceive our next presidential election when illegal immigrants vote by virtue of their shiny new drivers' license.

There is one perception that is a fact - or truth. We will get change, but is it a change with which we can live?

History is no more than the passage of time, and this new administration of "Change" will too pass. With the passage, history will amend perception into truth about both our President and our President-elect.

Yes Bill Maher, There is a Talking Snake

2008-11-01T08:44:00.003-04:00

Billy, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Billy, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.*

Billy, Satan does exist, and, for now, he is in charge of the world.

God created the heavens and earth for his creatures, and heaven was created for his first creatures - the angels. They are beautiful creations, Billy, endowed with intellect and free will. The pinnacle of of these created beings was Lucifer - the angel of light.

Lucifer discerned that he was better than all of God's creations and pride grew in him. However his pride was not for the Creator, but in the creation - himself. He determined that he, Lucifer, should have the same power as the Creator and he led a rebellion. A war ensued and Lucifer lost. He and his followers were banished from heaven, but this banishment was never meant to be permanent. You see Billy, God still loved his creation. So, he banished them with the hope they would repent. Though Lucifer was banished from heaven, he is still allowed to approach the throne of God as we see in book of Job because God still carries the hope that Lucifer will repent. In the meantime, Lucifer has no kingdom or home of his own.

So Billy, God tried again. He creates a new place and a new creature. Instead of a spiritual place with spiritual creatures, God creates a physical place and physical creatures. You see Billy, God has an order to his creations - the first is last and the last is first. So these new creations were even more spectacular than the first; ending with man and finally the most beautiful creation - woman. Just like the angels, man and woman were created with intellect and free will.

Lucifer saw the man and woman - Adam and Eve - and became jealous. In his mind these new creatures were inferior to him and yet God gave them a kingdom - earth. Lucifer decided he would wrest this kingdom from Adam and Eve for himself, and he would work on the best of God's creations - woman.

Keep in mind, Billy, Lucifer is a spiritual creation and Adam and Eve are physical beings, so Lucifer had a problem. How can he wrest the deed to earth from Eve if she can neither see nor hear him? Lucifer decides he must use a physical vehicle to approach Eve, and that vehicle was the snake.

Lucifer wants the deed to the earth, but he also wants to humiliate God and God's new creation. When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden, there is was only one area of prohibition (or as we call it, sin). They were told not eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would surely die. Lucifer, disguised as a snake, used this one prohibition to tempt Eve. Eve knew the prohibition for we see that she stated that she would die if she ate the fruit of this particular tree. Yet, when Lucifer told Eve that if she ate the forbidden fruit, she would be like God, she decided to go for it. I find it amusing, Billy, that Lucifer did not use a little more imagination for he used the same sin on Eve, pride, that cause his own downfall.

So Billy, what did Lucifer get from Eve in return for the information that the fruit of the forbidden tree would make her a god? He got the deed to the earth. Now he had a kingdom; a home.

To finish the story, Adam ate the fruit and both he and Eve experienced spiritual death. Though God mouned the loss of his finest creation, he must keep his Word. So, God issued a caveat. The sin can be expunged by a living sacrifice.

Billy the plan of salvation is this. One sin - you die a spiritual death or separation from God. To expunge this spiritual death, you must perform a living sacrifice. As every man and woman has sinned at least once in their lifetime, we are all walking around dead, so anything we do will not meet the requirements of salvation. Only one man - Jesus - lived without sin. He was the living sacrifice and by choosing his sacrifice, we have been expunged.

So you see Billy, God made everyone equal - salvation is not who you are or what you do; Salvation is a Choice. Salvation just like Sin is a product of our Free Will, and if I may parapharse Francis Church one more time. Jesus Lives!

* Paraphrased from Francis Church, The Sun Newspaper, 9/21/1897

God's Big Bang

2008-09-21T07:45:00.002-04:00

In the French village of Crozet, a group of scientists are searching for the God particle. To do this, they constructed the Hadron Collider, a seven mile underground circle housing a powerful accelerator which will shoot two opposing beams of particles at the speed of light. These two beams, hypothetically, will crash into each other releasing the original particle of creation - or the God Particle.

Science has long searched for the origins of our beginnings in a 'natural' context exclusive of a Creator. The finger of science points accusingly at those of us who believe that God created the world as slaves to our belief, but I ask who is the slave to their beliefs?

Einstein's theory of E=mc2 tells us that Energy=Mass x the speed of light - squared. However, science tells us that the speed of light is fixed at 300 million meters per second, and that by squaring the speed of light, you can produce 10 (with 15 zeros trailing behind) of energy when multiplied with mass. That is a tremendous amount of energy as we have seen by atomic bombs.

Pursuit of the God Particle with still produce a particle. No matter how many times you split the particle, there will still be a smaller particle, and from where did it come? Also, if there was a big bang through Einstein's theory, then would'nt be conceivable that the origins of the universe were created in a relatively short time; perhaps in a flash of energy?

Am I a slave to my beliefs when I explore all of life through the prism of an all powerful God? Or, is the scientist a slave to his beliefs when he explores the natural world exclusive of Him - The Creator?

Which Pot Will You Stir

2008-06-28T07:59:00.002-04:00

Everything is going fine. Your walk with God has reached new levels, and your spirit is filled with his Spirit. Feeling confident, your peace is unshakable and you know you are blessed and strong. Then, an event occurs, a word is spoken, and suddenly, you are sliding down the mud-soaked, slippery hill of strife once again. What happened?

There are always two pots cooking on your stove, and at some point in our lives, we chose both of them. Decades ago, when we chose our first sin, Satan's pot was placed on our stove and set to cooking. This pot contains an odorous gruel that simmers on the back burner, and when the smell reaches our consciousness, we stir the pot releasing even more of its foul odor. The stench fills our kitchen and permeates the walls of our souls.

At some point we may have chosen another pot for our stove. When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, we placed His pot on the front burner. This pot simmers with a pleasing aroma which we can stir to release its fragrance, thus, overpowering the stench from the offensive pot.

Although the fragrant pot is on the front burner, the pot hiding on the back burner continues vying for our attention. By releasing its odor, jiggling the lid or by threatening to boil over, this foul pot tempts us to approach. Then, worry, pain, anger and fear will cause us to remove the lid and stir it up hoping to avoid a spill over. Its odor is now released requiring more stirring, and releasing more odor.

Instead, we should turn down the heat on the back burner by ignoring our worry, pain, anger and fear and continue to stir the pot on the front burner. This will release the savory smell and overpower the stench.

In Luke Chapter 6, we see Jesus entering the synagogue to teach. A man with a withered hand approached the Lord and immediately the Pharisees questioned whether it was lawful to heal on the sabbath. Jesus turned down the heat on the boiling pot by asking, "I ask you, is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do ham, to save life or destroy it?" Then Jesus stirred the pot on the front burner by healing the man's withered hand. The back pot spewed angrily, but Jesus left the stove and continued his ministry with a pleasing fragrance.

So, how do you stir the pot on the front of the stove?

Luke 6:27-31 "But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on the cheek , offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not withhold your coat as well. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And, as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."

Christians Are Weak Willed

2008-06-01T07:33:00.005-04:00

Since birth - we have all submitted to something. As babies, we submit to our mothers for our sustenance and care. The mothers submit to their babies by responding to their cries. Men submit to their families when they go off to work each day. New homeowners submit to the mortgage company and their local towns by agreeing to pay their mortgage payments and property taxes. Yes, we all submit to someone.

There are other submissions we make, as well. Some submit to their sexual impulses, some to tobacco; some to heroin. People submit to money and things, for as we soon realize, each possession requires that we care for it if we want to continue that possession. This is why we call them possessions for they possess us.

Their are two types of decisions - active decisions and passive decisions, and both types are made every day. When a person actively decides to purchase a car, they have also passively decided to fill the car with gasoline and change the oil. When we marry, the active decision may have been that we wanted a life partner that will remain faithful to us. The passive decision is that we will remain faithful to them, as well.

We all submit to people, things, governments and situations every day, whether actively or passively yet, when Christians submit to God, we are called passive. But, I challenge you to find a stronger decision than submitting to God. It is a choice - The decision to submit to those things of the world are a less active decision than submitting to the Creator of all.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30 RSV

So you see - by actively choosing God, I have passively chosen Life.

Laura Ashley

2008-05-26T07:26:00.003-04:00

The movers had left and Janice stood in the hallway of the "cute cape cod on a quiet cul-de-sac", holding her breath. "It happened, it really happened," she thought. "I have my first home." The enormity of this life change hit her when she realized that today her two children, Andy and Sarah, would be coming home, not to their two bedroom apartment on Dover Street, but to their new home on Grove Court.

"Well, I had better get started.", she sighed realizing that the boxes of their life would not empty themselves. Janice walked into the kitchen and immediately her nose was assailed by a soured odor. "What is that smell?" she said aloud. In the kitchen sink, she found the culprits, several tea towels had been left behind by the previous owner; still damp and growing a goodly crop of black mold. "The previous owners must have used these for their final clean-up." Digging through the boxes marked, Kitchen, she located a plastic garbage bag and stashed the offending towels, tying the bag with a satisfying twist.

The doorbell rang. Her first guest; her best friend, Stacy. " I just had to pop over to see your new home.", said Stacy breezing past Janice without greeting. "Oh, I love the kitchen, it is so quaint." It was indeed quaint as Janice's new home was built sometime in the late 1930's with tiled counter tops and mahogany cabinets. The sink was low and the faucets were dated. The only apparent upgrades had been the appliances. "Oh, Janice look! The wallpaper, it is Laura Ashely!"

"Really?" replied Janice examining the wallpaper for the first time. "I guess I never noticed. I was going to remove the wallpaper and paint the walls.

"I wouldn't.", said Stacy flatly. "I think it suits the house well."

After Stacy left, Janice set herself on getting the kitchen into order. The children would be home soon wanting a snack and later, dinner. She started emptying boxes and finding new homes for her old things.

As she opened one box, she found her grandmother's towel holder, and she smiled. The towel holder had a wooden plaque with a hole at the top for attaching to the kitchen wall. The wood was dark with age. The hardware at the bottom of the plaque held three wooden rods attached to spring allowing the rods to be positioned horizontally when in use and vertically when not in use.

Holding the towel holder, Janice remembered Sunday dinners at her grandmother's farm. She remembered the clinking of the dinnerware when they cleared the dinner table, the smell of Ivory dish washing soap in her grandmother's sink and her grandmother's muslin tea towels. Janice dried the dishes while listening to the wonderful stories her grandmother would tell, and when they were done, the wet towels were placed on each of the three rods to dry.

Holding a hammer and a nail Janice moved to the wall closest to the sink to hang her grandmother's towel dryer. As she positioned the plaque, Janice again noticed the Laura Ashley wallpaper. It look familiar somehow, with its buttery background and tiny red roses. "I have seen this before." she mused to herself. Suddenly, she remembered the offensive towels left in the sink. Retrieving the plastic garbage bag and bracing herself for the stench, Janice opened the bag and pulled out the towels. Examination revealed that the towels' pattern matched the wall paper perfectly.

Later that night, Janice checked Andy and Sarah as they slept in their new rooms. It had been an exhausting day, and she look forward to her own bed housed in her new room. But, there was one more thing she wanted to do before she went to bed.

Janice descended the basement stairs to retrieve what was in the dryer. With anticipation she opened the dryer and grasped the three tea towels left by the previous owners. They had come clean! The black mold and the odious smell were gone leaving the beautiful buttery background and tiny red roses intact. Folding them carefully, Janice returned to the kitchen and hung the towels on her grandmother's towel dryer. With satisfaction, she read the words engraved on the wooden plaque. - "Jesus Washes White As Snow."

Grave Stones

2008-05-11T07:57:00.003-04:00

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb." John 20:1

People have long performed ceremonies for the passage of loved ones. The death of our family and friends is not only painful, but it is the most humbling experience of our lives. For, it is their passing that helps us to realize, though we may differ in life, we are all equal in death. Everyone will die-yes even you-will die.

So, we honor a person when they die not only to mourn their passing, but as some resolution to our own impending death. Early man buried their dead along with the implements of their life. The pharaohs did the same, though more elaborately than their predecessors. Monuments of stone have been constructed for those who were deemed greater in life than the rest of us, but death is the great equalizer for our bodies perish and our energy (spirit) leaves. In the end, we are no longer present on this earth.

The Hebrews buried their dead as well, though without the aplumb of their Egyptian neighbors. After burial, they would pile stones atop the grave as a monument to the departed. Visiting the gravesite was encouraged and with each visit more stones would be added to the heap as a tribute of rememberance. Evidence of this tribute is still present around the globe as we find small stones or pebbles placed atop the grave marker on Jewish graves. This tradition, passed from generation to generation, is still an act of tribute and rememberance.

Knowing this gives great significance to what Mary found at Jesus' tomb that early morning. The stone was missing from the grave. Surely, the Son of God could have left the tomb without moving the stone, thus the removal of the stone must have been a sign that the occupant was no longer dead. As a Jewess, Mary would have recognized this sign - of course the empty tomb was her next clue, and she ran back to the apostles with a message that crowned her as the first evangelist. "He has risen!"

That stone (death) has separated us from God since the Garden, but death no longer requires homage with our monuments of stone. The open tomb of resurrection is ours for the asking -

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7

We Are All Created Equal

2008-05-04T08:54:00.004-04:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Our country was founded on this simple premise - that we were all created equal. Wars have been fought, speeches delivered, marches walked, prisons filled and laws passed to ensure that this gilded idea would survive through the centuries. Though the words have faded from the original page shown here, the words have not blanched from our social or political landscape.

There have been conflicting theories put forth by other men since the signing of the Equality Declaration, and people have vainly tried to compromise their theories with the 'self-evident truth' stated in the above document. For instance, Darwin's theory of evolution and the survival of the fittest opposes the theory that we are all equal; for, equality cannot exist if only the strong survive.

If we embrace the concept of equality here on earth, then what about eternity? Are we all equal after life as we are in life? Religions are based on good works, or being good. Paganism required altars and bloody sacrifices to 'appease the gods' and guarantee the fertility of the earth. Even after adopting the single god theory, animal sacrifices were required for the remission of sins. Good works were counted as naught and lapses of acceptable behaviors required restitution. Moving forward, religion required penance (monetary and/or punishment), steps of enlightenment, years of study, attendance at ceremonies, and even an afterlife holding tank to ensure our place of pleasure in the hereafter.

Those man-made religions required a man-made resolution to our eternal problem-sin- and in creating a man-made resolution resulted in another sin - arrogance and bigotry. For, if we can 'work our way to heaven' then we are not all equal. If only the eternally strong survive, then the weak in spirit can never attain heaven. "For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.'" ICorinthians 1:26-31

So if we do not attain eternal bliss by our own worth, how do we ensure our equality in the afterlife? "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 RSV Our afterlife is not based on our wisdom, our sacrifices, our wealth or our good deeds. Our afterlife is based only on our CHOICE. If we choose to believe in the sacrifice of Jesus, we will have eternal life. We all have a choice - yes or no - and that ability to choose makes us all equal.

Faith vs. Belief

2008-04-27T07:49:00.002-04:00

I was having breakfast with a group of friends sometime ago and as women will do when they converse, we discussed our trials with family, work, etc. As we are all Christians, solutions included prayer and biblical precepts. Then all became quiet as we sipped our coffee and finished our eggs.

Presently, one of my companions broke the silence with an insightful question, "What is the difference between faith and belief?" Without a pause, I blurted, "Faith is believing that God can do all things; belief is believing that he will do them for you."

Some weeks have passed since that breakfast and as my eyesight has mended enough to use the computer, I decided to validate the words that had spewed from my mouth.

Faith comes from the French root, Fidere-to trust- sometime around the year 1250. This word was commonly attached to religious duty in fulfilling one's trust.

The history of the word 'Believe' surprised me. The word origin is from the Saxons meaning to hold dear or love. The word evolved in 1549 as an attachment to Christian believers, howevcr, the word was used as 'Believe On' rather than our present day 'Believe In'.

So we see that faith encompasses the corporate belief in God and our adherence to his precepts, but belief is the personal devotion and love of that faith.

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Romas 3:21-25 RSV

Faith is Not Blind

2008-02-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

"Was blind, but now I see." Amazing Grace by John Newton

Since January 7, 2008, I have been blind in my left eye. Two operations and sedentary rest has not restored my sight or my housebound status. With a third surgery and another seven days of lying face down looming in my immediate future, I want to recount here what I now see.

I see that family is not who shows up for birthday parties and holidays, but who shows up to cook breakfast and clean your bathroom.

I see that sisters in Christ could learn a valuable lesson in ministering from the sisters in my family.

I see that even lying face down, I can still minister to others with a phone in my hand and God's words in my mouthpiece.

I see that it is not independence, but dependence on each other, that binds us together.

I see that children survive on love, but thrive on being needed.

I see that the stares from strangers are not aversion to my infirmity, but the beginnings of empathy.

I see that a giving spirit not only gives graciously, but receives graciously.
I see that even in the darkness, we can intercede prayfully for those around us.
I especially see God's blessings in the cessation of an independent life.

May God Bless You, Indeed.

Freedom From Religion

2007-12-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

Freedom from religion is the mantra of the aetheist, but I tell you beloved reader, I have adopted their mantra as well. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17 RSV

This is a call to freedom for all who believe that their salvation comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ did not die to release us from the tyranny of Satan into the emotional and spiritual tyranny of man. As faith is a choice and belief, it is seated in our soul; the emotional portion of our being. Satan has devised a plan of controlling our salvation by standing ready with organized religion to control and restrain the spiritual freedom purchased by Christ on the cross. "For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5:13-15 RSV

Make your way with God first and guard your soul against the manipulations of man-made religions. Study God's word (Bible), talk and listen to God (prayer) and give him praises (worship) as a sign of your commission to Him. "Beware of false prophets (those who profess to speak the word of God), who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:15 RSV

Are those who profess to be from God - servants to their flock, or are they the masters of their flock? God called the shepherds to become servants, and as a shepherd moves the flock from green pasture to green pasture for physical sustenance, so shall our shepherds leads us for our spiritual sustenance. As a shepherd protects the flock from the attacks of wolves, so our shepherds shall protect us from the attacks of the world. A minister's first duty is to minister to his flock.

Guard your spirit, the new spirit that Christ purchased for you on the cross. As you chose Christ as your Lord and Savior with fear and trembling, choose a shepherd with the same care.

You Are The Salt Of The Earth

2007-10-11T06:08:00.000-04:00

The year is 1828 and Mrs. Child's book, The American Frugal Housewife, has been published providing sound household advice gleaned from generations of women before her. She cites: "It is good economy to salt your own beef as well as pork."

For centuries, man knew that salting provided preservation. The Egyptians used salt in the mummification of their dead, wars were fought over salt rights, history shows that salt was used as currency and it was the first disinfectant. Every living plant and animal on earth requires salt to survive, and yet when Matthew 5:13 is quoted, Christians are called the seasoning of the earth, as though our main purpose is to make life more palatable. Belief in Jesus does make life more palatable, but I believe 'our salt' provides a greater purpose.

We are the Preservation of the Earth. Each Christian carries God's Spirit within them; the Holy Spirit. His Spirit, carried inside of us, protects the earth from evil. When Christians pray, they bring the Kingdom of God to earth. The Kingdom of God is contained in our songs of worship and praise. We bring His Kingdom to earth by carrying His Spirit wherever we go.

We are the salt of the earth it is true, but in addition to seasoning, our main purpose is to hold evil at bay through the Spirit that we carry inside.

In the Beginning

2007-09-15T14:05:00.000-04:00

“I am a good person.” Most of us believe this statement as we measure ourselves against the world, for when we measure ourselves against what we read in the papers or see on the screen – big or small – we are good people. We grade ourselves on a sliding scale, and frankly, most of us measure up pretty well. We were raised with a set of values, and we carried those values into our schools, work and perhaps our marriages. We work to provide for our families, raise our children with the same values we hold dear, and help others who are struggling to do the same. We may regularly attend a church of our choice and closely follow the theology of our religion. Yet intimately, we know the constant struggle to maintain our goodness.

We curse the driver who cut us off on the way to work. Pent up stress from our workday will unload on our spouse or children in a verbal tirade. Internet surfing or late lunches steal precious time from our employer. Procrastination and the care of our material possessions steal our time. Envy rises when our neighbor has installed a pool, and jealously rises when someone pays too much attention to our spouse. There are family members we only tolerate because of a past hurt, and our ‘white’ lies stack up like building blocks around our souls. Comparatively, we are good people, but we are not the person God created.

Sometime ago, I volunteered to lead a Bible Study for a small group of women. They were a diverse group with empty nesters, young adults, established and new Christians, along with unbelievers. The Bible study followed national events that had turned our security into horror, our trust into fear and our love into questioning. In addition, my inner life paralleled the nation with turmoil, misunderstanding and long buried pain. After prayerful consideration, I chose spiritual warfare as my topic.

I wanted to better understand the existence of evil, how it works, how it affects each of us and more importantly, how can we combat the evil we see around us each day. I questioned why God gave us a free will knowing that we would use that will to turn away from him. I examined the disparity between living under the laws of God and living under his grace. I was confused by the letdown felt by new Christians after the first joyous flush of salvation had mysteriously left them. I could not understand the difference between judgment and discernment or the conflict between forgiveness and self-protection. Although I had witnessed the power of prayer in my life, I wanted to move beyond the ‘genie in the bottle’ type of prayer, and finally, why did God place so much emphasis on praise and worship?

There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom for knowledge can be learned, but wisdom must be earned. Although I had chosen the topic for my Bible study, God had imparted the knowledge and the wisdom. Each week as I studied the scriptures in preparation for my class he revealed to me meanings that I had not before perceived. God also brought me through experiences during that time, and since, that only clarified and confirmed what he was trying to show me.

So again I say the knowledge and the wisdom belong to God and so does the title; for they are God’s Weapons of Mass Construction.

The Terrible Twos

2007-08-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

I have not studied child psychology, nor am I a pediatrician, but I am the mother of two children
and my experience has taught me that your two year old cherub can become a nightmare of emotion without warning.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 24:45-51 NIV

A person accepts God's plan of salvation through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus, and just as a newborn baby, ecstasy follows as they are held fast by loving arms. The whole world looks and feels different, and that person knows true love for the very first time in their lives. This is not just the type of love the world offers - "If you look, act or think as I, I will love you" - but more akin to a motherly love - "I will love you no matter what."

Just as a baby is coddled, held close and cherished, the new Christian is the focus of the church and/or other Christians. Unfortunately, this period of being loved and cherished may pass quickly in some churches, and just as the baby grows to a toddler, the 'baby' Christian starts to mature. Some churches may begin the "Don't do that." phase of their training, and as a toddler who now hears one 'NO' after another, this period can instill anxiety, fear and depression in a new Christian. This most critical time may be when most Christians fall away from the church believing that Christian life is too hard to bear.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. " Philippians 2:12-13 NIV

God's plan of salvation was always about his holiness - not yours. Just as he saved us by his plan of salvation, so too, he will work out your salvation under his plan. Do not succumb to men's idea of who you should be for only God knows your destiny and what you will need to learn before fulfilling that destiny.

As for the rest - "In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." I John 4:17-18 NIV

The Religion of the Fig Leaf

2007-07-14T08:26:00.000-04:00

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Genesis 2:16-17

Adam and Eve had one commandment for living a perfect life, and yet, they failed to keep that one commandment issued by God. Later, Moses came down from the mountain with ten commandments; our edict of stone for living the perfect life. If we break one of these, we have failed as surely as Adam and Eve had failed. Different circumstances, but the consequences are the same; death. This is not just a physical death, but a spiritual death that will last for an eternity, so if we have broken just one commandment throughout our journey on earth, then we deserve to die. "For the wages of sin is death...." Romans 6:23

So, how do we ever redeem ourselves? Man has been trying to redeem himself through religion since the Garden.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." Genesis 3:6-7

This covering over sin was the very first religion - the Religion of the Fig Leaf. Although the theology of this religion sounds ridiculous to us today, it is no less ridiculous than any other religion man has invented since. You can recognize a man-made religion by three words - Do, Do, Do. All religion is based on what man can do to cover his sin.

But, God had a different plan. "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. " Genesis 3:21. Remember God's edict - If you eat of the fruit, you will surely die. God did not want to kill Adam and Eve, yet something had to be done. So, God found a substitute death for Adam and Eve's sin. He killed two animals in their stead and used the animal skins to cover man's sin. This substitue and temporary redemption was repeated throughout the Old Testament with the animal sacrifices starting with Abraham.

The substitue death for sin was finished with Jesus dying on the cross. One pure, sinless man who would die for the sins of the world. Every man, woman and child who ever and who will ever live. Every single sin of their 80+ years on this earth. "When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. " John 19:30

The path to redemption is accepting and believing that Jesus paid the price for your sins, and like all things that come from God, it is easy and simple. No complicated doctrine, no self mutalation, no complicated tasks - Just believe!

Unlike man's redemption plan which reads - "Do, Do, Do"; God's plan is Done, Done, Done.

Celebrating the Fourth of July

2007-07-04T07:55:00.000-04:00

Four centuries past in the year of our Lord, 1607, the first Pilgrims landed on the banks of what is now Virginia, founding the first American colony, Jamestown. I know that our history lessons teach that the first landing was in Plymouth for political correctness, but the landing in Plymouth (or Plimouth as it was so named) did not occur until 1620; some thirteen years later.

Whatever landing you choose, the reason these people endured months in tiny ships, unspeakable hardships, and the fear of the unknown, was religious persecution in their homelands. This freedom was so important to the authors of our Constitution, they made Freedom of Religion the First Amendment.

If religion is primarily a belief system, then the First Amendment has allowed us the right to think as we wish; not collectively, but individually. This freedom not only affects those with a belief in a Supreme being, but those who choose atheism, humanism, socialism and every other 'ism' that can be contrived by man. As with any freedom, there comes a responsibility. Our beliefs should never impinge the same right of another for even God has allowed man to choose him and his plan of salvation - or not.

Yet, once the our choice has been made, God does direct and admonish those who have chosen his path. In the book of Revelation, the angel of the Lord comes to the Disciple, John during his time of prayer and tells him to write what he sees for seven churches located at that time in Asia minor. John is then presented before the risen Christ and directed to record the issue Jesus has with these seven churches. But, before Jesus speaks to these churches, he shows John seven lamp stands - already housed in the throne room of God - so despite the shortcomings stated below, they are still promised for salvation.

I have listed each of the churches below. They are numbered as they are mentioned but listed from the best to the worst.

6. Philadelphia A church of brotherly love

2. Smyrna A church of martyrdom, persecution and poverty

1. Ephesus Apostolic, desirable, but they have left their first love - Jesus

3. Pergamos Married to the world. A church of mixed doctrines

4. Thyatira Continual sacrifice. Ungodly doctrines

5. Sardis A dead church although a few are not defiled.

7. Laodicea Lukewarm in their spirit - spewed out

I am employed in a very regulated industry, therefore, I must conduct my employment within the scope of my employers rules and regulations if I intend to keep my employment there. I do have the freedom to deviate from their decreed 'Best Practices', but my consequences would be the forfeit of the rewards (salary, bonuses and benefits).

So it is with God. As our Creator, he laid out the pathway to his rewards. We have the freedom to accept his plan or forfeit his rewards. Choose wisely and may God bless you, indeed.

Arise My Love, My Fair One, and Come Away;

2007-05-01T14:12:00.000-04:00

What do Noah, Moses and Peter have in common? They each were vehicles for ushering in God's new economies.

God's covenant with Noah, symbolized by the rainbow, promised that God would never again destroy the earth by water.

God's covenant with Moses, symbolized by the Torah, promised that God's laws would be written on the hearts of his people.

God's covenant with Peter, symbolized by the tongues of fire, promised that we would achieve salvation by grace.

Three different events for three different economies separated by hundreds of years - yet - THEY ALL OCCURRED ON EXACTLY THE SAME DAY.

That day is called Pentecost by Christians and Shavuot by Jews. It is the Feast of the First Fruits. It is also called the Feast of Weeks because it is seven weeks (49 days) from Passover, and the Festival of Reaping because the first of the new wheat is harvested on this day.

Shavuot is also called the Festival of the Matchmaker. Homes and temples are decorated with a canopy of greenery and flowers hung over a large banquet as for a wedding. During the festivities, The Book of Ruth is read recounting Ruth's desire to become a member of the Jewish community. The reading is ended with Ruth's genealogy stating that David is Ruth's great-grandson.

God's next economy will remove the Holy Spirit from the world. This economy will be symbolized by the Rapture. Will his next economy occur on the same day as the previous economies? This year Shavuot will begin at sundown on May 22nd, and will end at sundown on May 23rd.

"For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 RSV

Know Your Enemy

2007-02-15T07:57:00.000-05:00

Satan, a mythical creature standing tall on hoofed feet with a bottle of wine in one hand and the world's riches in the other, or is he the little red nymph who runs around waiting to unleash his pranks on unsuspecting humans? Before we can fight the enemy, we must study his personality. When we learn to discern the attacks of evil, we can then counter-attack using God's weapons.

The Torah names Satan, Azazel, which means Accuser and we see a product of his accusations in the Book of Job both in the Torah and the Old Testament. "The LORD said to Satan, "Whence have you come?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nought? Hast thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse thee to thy face." Job 1: 7-11 RSV

Christians call him Lucifer, the bearer of light. According to tradition, Lucifer was created by God as his light bearer, and as God's wisdom is frequently referred to as 'light', then we can see that Lucifer probably held a high office in God's kingdom; but Lucifer wanted more. Which was his first sin - lust or envy? Only God can know for sure, however, we do know that Lucifer lusted for more power and envied the power of God. Then, in his own pride, he incited other angels to follow him into a revolt against God. So we see 'the creation' fighting against the Creator for the Kingdom. Lucifer and his minions lost and were cast from heaven to the earth.

Lucifer makes his next appearance in the Garden of Eden. "Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5 RSV

We see in this passage that Satan is subtle; covert in his temptations. This subtly displays intelligence and planning in his temptation strategy. He will weave one tiny untruth in a whole field of truth, but that one untruth will be the key to our downfall. He is also described as a wild creature. At first glance, this may be interpreted to mean that the character outlined in Genesis is not Satan, but in fact an actual serpent or snake, but let us remember that Satan is a creature; that is, he was created. To describe him as 'wild' highlights his previous rebellion.

To validate his subtlety, Satan approaches Eve with a rhetorical, but leading question. "Did God say you shall not eat of any tree in the Garden?" In choosing a question instead of a statement, Satan is fomenting doubt in the mind of Eve. He hopes that this doubt will lead to her confusion. Once he creates doubt and confusion, he can easily lead into his temptation. So, though his device was confusion, his temptation to Eve was the promise of power.

Not only did Lucifer's temptation create doubt in Eve's mind about what God had commanded, but he also created doubt about her own value and worth in God's eyes. Lucifer implied that Eve was not complete as a final product of God's creation, and the implication was that Eve needed something more . By eating the fruit, she would be more knowledgeable - more worthy. Doesn't Satan still use this ploy on today's Christians?

As we move through Genesis, we find the need for spiritual warfare. " I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15 RSV This statement made by God is a declaration of the war that exists between man and Satan.

God's Weapons of Mass Construction

2007-02-14T11:16:00.000-05:00

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. " Ephesians 6:12 KJV

Man-made laws set a standard for acceptable behavior within society. Deviation from that behavior requires societal judgement and sometimes punishment. However, problems arise when what is perceived acceptable by one group is unlawful to another group, or what was once unlawful now becomes lawful. Does truth waiver? Are the boundaries between good and evil black and white, or are they ever-changing shades of gray?

Most people will concur that evil exists. There are those whose actions are so heinous, so remarkable, they prompt a consensus of aversion around the world. This is the face of evil. Evil is organic; it lives and left unchecked, it grows. As evil grows it blurs our perception of the boundaries between good and evil by creating confusion.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan asked Eve a question - "Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" Genesis 3:1 RSV His question intended to cause confusion; a stirring up of Eve's inner peace about what is right and what is wrong. It is the same way he operates today.

People today are confused about what is right and what is wrong for the rules to the game continue to change. What was wrong fifty years ago is embraced today, and what was correct then is now condemned. We live in a world where animals have more rights than our own children. Outrageous hatred is given a wide berth by appeasement, and an act of kindness is returned with opportunistic violence. Humanists have lost their humanity and theists are demonized. Democracy has silenced our voices with political correctness, and socialism has made us all slaves for the first five months of every working year. Something must change.

When Moses brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, the people asked God for his laws hoping to obtain salvation by compliance. God had a different plan of salvation, but because the Israelites insisted, he gave Moses the law with the instructions that breaking just one required death. The Israelites failed. Centuries later, God sent his Son to complete His plan of salvation by grace. God allowed the Israelites to try it their way, but it is by grace - God's way - that we achieve salvation.

Today, we are making the same mistakes the Israelites made centuries ago. We want to fight evil our own way. Frankly folks, we are failing. I call on you to fight God's way, according to his plan outlined in his word. To prevail, we must use God's Weapons of Mass Construction.

You Will Know Them By Their Fruits

2007-02-01T07:52:00.000-05:00

In the 7th to 8th Century BCE

The God of war worshipped by the Ammonites requires a sacrifice to combat chaos and provide victory to his worshippers. The Ammonites, people living east of the Dead Sea, named this god Moloch. The Assyrians named this god Ashur. They fashioned their god from metal, and it was hollow inside. A fire set at the feet of the statue would heat the entire metal structure. Then, an infant wold be placed on the outstretched arms of the statue as a sacrifice. While the infant screamed and cried, the priests would chant and sing to their god. Finally, at the end of the ceremony, a lever would raise the arms of the statue dispatching the infant into the fire.

In 1979

During the Iraq-Iran war, the Ayatollah purchased 500,000 plastic keys from Taiwan. Children as young as six years old were given the gaily colored keys and told that they are the keys to Paradise. The children would then be forced to walk ahead of the Iranian army to act as human triggers for the Iraqi laid land mines. The small stature of the children were a convenient trigger as the explosion usually left little to bury.

January, 2007

The holy day of Ashoura was celebrated by the Muslim world. This is the day that the Islamic saint, Inman Huessein was decapitated. In remembrance, Shite infants, children and adults slash their foreheads three times with razors or knives. While the children undergo this procedure, the adults break out into a chant commemorating the venerated saint. The children are then given juice and cookies to quiet their cries.

All Men Are Created Equal

2007-01-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

"God's ways are not just and fair." I have heard this statement batted around many times, and each time I hear it, I hurt.

This statement comes from our own misunderstanding of God's ways. We assume that God operates on a worldly system rather than a heavenly principle. We assume that God will judge us by our actions, and just as an employer will reward the diligent employee and fire the incompetent employee, we believe that God will also reward and fire based on the same criteria. This perception is a lie perpetuated by the ruler of the world, Satan.

God did not give us a free will so we could love him; he gave us a free will because he loved us. We were never created to live in the world - we were created to live in the Garden; Paradise.

It was by the free will of Adam and Eve that Paradise was lost, and it will be by our free will that Paradise can be reclaimed.

Jesus made the only acceptable payment for sin, and that is death. Once he paid the bill, he was resurrected. Now, our only payment for Paradise is utilizing the thing that brought us into sin - Our Free Will.

If God were truly unjust, we would gain Paradise by our actions. Under this plan Bill Gates would receive a higher place by giving millions to charity, while my twenty dollars would buy me little. People who chose to become a minister would not only receive their annual salary, but would also obtain a higher place in Paradise than a truck driver. A shy, retiring personality would find more of God's favor than an ambitious and assertive person. This was never what God intended.

By accepting the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross - making a choice - we gain Paradise for eternity once again.

Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:10, Romans 10:13

Lady in the Water

2007-01-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

Humans are fickle about their heroes. Favored heroes are applauded for their single-mindedness and self-involvement. Unfavorable heroes are criticized for those same traits.

If you watched Lady in the Water and believed that its author is self confident, you would be wrong. If, however, after watching Lady in the Water, you believe that the author is arrogant, you would be correct, for this work of M. Night's is truly autobiographical.

A bedtime story or not - this movie is a cry of fear from an author who has been both celebrated and vilified. Criticism, or even worse, apathy, are the constant fear of each writer, and Lady in the Water portrays the frightened soul of it's creator.

The author portrays himself in the movie as a writer incapacitated by rejection. Yet, a hovering movie critic delivers a tirade of criticism while lacking the courage to face the person of his disdain.

So why am I commenting on this movie here? When we watch this movie we see what was intended; a tent of arrogance covering a desperate fear. When we can discern the fear beneath the arrogance, then we can love the hero.

Merry Christmas - God

2006-12-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

Dear Father,

The presents are purchased and most of the wrapping has been done. I still have the grocery shopping and cleaning to do. The cooking will be done tomorrow. Everything is on my list, and I am right on schedule.

But, this morning as I sat to write to you and read your Word, I thought, what would you like for Christmas?

The Holiday preparations have kept me bound to the world. Shopping, wrapping, parties, cooking and cleaning have all occupied my mind on physical things instead of spiritual things. The wrappings will be destroyed in less than a week along with the food I prepared. The gifts will perish long before their receivers, and even the memories I am creating will fade in a generation.

But, my relationship with you, my Love, will last forever. So, what would you like for Christmas? What can I give to the Master of the Universe? What would the Lord of time and space ever need from me? You who move with a thought and create with a Word, what would be worthy of such a King?

I will give you me - it is all I have to give. So, take me Lord. Take my hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. Take my thoughts, my words, my laughter and my tears. When you created me my spirit already belonged to you and will return to you. My body belonged to earth and will return there - but it is my soul that is the battleground. I must decide who owns my soul.

Will it be me who owns my soul or will I give it away to world? No Father, I give my soul to you. Unwrap my soul; tear off the bow and discard the colored paper for it is my gift to you. Use it for your purpose and Merry Christmas.

God Takes Notice

2006-12-19T07:27:00.000-05:00

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:29-33 RSV

Many perceive God as a mighty figure dressed in white with a white beard and long flowing hair. He sits on a throne of gold and as we approach the throne our stance is just a little larger than his big toe.

I know at one time, I had this vision of God for it is a vision of his majesty, his judgment, his wrath against all that is evil. However, when I accepted his mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus, my perception of God altered dramatically.

As a new Christian, I envisioned God sitting centrally on a small hill in the middle of a beautiful garden. His back was facing me and he looked out at all the world from that hill. He was still dressed in white with white hair, but he was small and unimposing. I would come to him through the garden delighting in the scents of fresh earth and greenery. I would climb the small hill and sit next to him. I perceived that I was not to look upon his face, but I could feel the comfort, love and peace radiating from his form to mine. I would speak to him and he would speak to me, but at other times, all I could muster was to sit there with him and drink in his love.

Today, a more matured Christian, my imagination has changed this vision of God depending on my spiritual well being. Sometimes he sits beside me like a friend. Other times he is above me whispering in my ear like a sprayed vapor. But, no matter how my imagination interrupts his countenance, I feel the same Spirit of peace and love.

In Matthew, Jesus said that God has numbered all the hairs on our head. When I wake each morning, I find that there may be hair on my pillow from my nocturnal tossings. After my shower, I must remove the hairs that have fallen from my shampoo. We are constantly losing hairs and just as constant, new hairs are growing.

If God knows the number of hairs on my head at any given time - then surely he must notice every little thing that I do.

Generational Curses Through Disobedience

2006-12-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

"It is my life, after all." How many times have I said this statement? Probably a little less than the times I thought - "It is my life", but it is a lie. Our rationalizations affect not only our lives, but the lives around us. It can even affect centuries of generations.

"And Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore hearken to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish what Am'alek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Am'alek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'" 1Samuel 1:1-3 RSV

So God set Saul as king of Israel and ordered him to destroy Am'alek sparing not a woman, child or even their livestock. At first glance, this passage portrays a ruthless and hard hearted God possibly leaving questions and unrest in the mind of Saul.

" And Saul defeated the Amal'ekites, from Hav'ilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amal'ekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; all that was despised and worthless they utterly destroyed. " 1Samuel 1:7-9 RSV

So we see that Saul did not obey the Lord's command to destroy everything and we should question - What did God know that Saul did not?

"After these things King Ahasu-e'rus promoted Haman the Ag'agite, the son of Hammeda'tha, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. " Esther 3:1RSV

"Then Haman said to King Ahasu-e'rus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not for the king's profit to tolerate them." Esther 3:8 RSV

Haman was a direct descendant of the spared Agag and we find him in the book of Esther coercing the king of Persia into ordering the execution of all Jews in their land. So we see that Saul's disobedience centuries before now threatened the people of Israel.

God knew the future, and knowing, he wanted to protect his people by ordering Saul to destroy all of the Amalekites. However, even Saul's sin was covered by the mercy of God. Esther was now the Queen of Persia and she called the people of Israel to fast for three days. She then presented herself before the King at great peril to herself as no one comes before the King unless summoned. The King finds favor in Esther and accepts her presence in court. So Esther invites the King and Haman to a banquet.

"Then said the king, "Bring Haman quickly, that we may do as Esther desires." So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther had prepared. And as they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled." Esther 5:1-7 RSV

"Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king." Then King Ahasu-e'rus said to Queen Esther, "Who is he, and where is he, that would presume to do this?" And Esther said, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!" Then Haman was in terror before the king and the queen." Esther 7:3-6 RSV

"And the king rose from the feast in wrath and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king. And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was; and the king said, "Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?" As the words left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face. Then said Harbo'na, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, "Moreover, the gallows which Haman has prepared for Mor'decai, whose word saved the king, is standing in Haman's house, fifty cubits high." 10 And the king said, "Hang him on that." So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mor'decai. Then the anger of the king abated." Esther 5:7-10 RSV

God saved the people of Israel from death and destruction in spite of Saul's sin, and since we know that God is consistent, he will save the people of Israel once again from the descendants of the Amalekites - Iran.

I Am

2006-11-09T07:32:00.000-05:00

"God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:15 RSV

You told us that your name is I AM. This I AM shows that you are the Alpha and Omega; a presence without beginning or without end. This I AM shows that you are everywhere and everything from the smallest atomic particle to the largest celestial body.

This I AM shows that you are every part of our existence, yet separate, for anything can be added to the end of I AM, therefore, you are:

I AM God
I AM Lord
I AM Creator
I AM Destroyer
I AM Teacher
I AM Father
I AM Savior
I AM Judge
I AM Mercy
I AM Joy
I AM Peace
I AM Righteousness
I AM Love

So Father, I want you to know - I am yours.

Your Love

2006-11-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

Dear Father,

I am surprised and delighted every time you show your love to me.

Love from,

Your beloved

Abortion in the First Two Stages

2006-10-26T07:37:00.000-04:00

If salvation is the free gift of God through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus, then why is the plan of salvation rejected by so many?

To answer that question, let us look at the stages of salvation. "...Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ..." Romans 3:23 RSV. We see that the first stage of salvation is condemnation. This is the first stumbling block; that we must confront our own short comings. Many people never get past this first step, and just as a woman who finds that she is pregnant wrestles with the knowledge of what is to come, many people choose to abort at this point.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 RSV Confronting our own mortality is the second stage of salvation. At no other time in history has the American man and woman been less accepting of this one fact - We are going to die! There are whole industries centered on the denial of death and the maintenance of our bodies, and although the morning mirror continues to reflect the truth of our mortality, our minds are still closed to that truth as if denial will make it go away.
It is a reflection of our arrogance to believe that we are special and we will not die.

It is in these first two stages that many abort. These two stages are as uncomfortable and painful as pregnancy and labor, but unlike giving birth to a baby, you can change your mind at any point and lose what is to come.

"If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17 RSV This is the birth of the child; the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus.

If we can endure the pain of condemnation and our own mortality, we can give birth to our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Unwrapping Presents

2006-10-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

A cold winter's night and the children are finally asleep. Scurrying, their parents uncover the Christmas tree from its hiding place and begin the decorating. When the tree is festooned with lights and glass balls, the gifts are wrapped with colored paper and pretty bows. These are placed under the tree in anticipation of morning delight on the children's faces.

Imagine, if you will, the excitement of the parents as each carefully chosen gift was wrapped and a name attached to each package. Will Billy like the fire truck? I can just see Sally playing house with her new doll.

Before we were created, God created the world. He decorated the sky with the joyous lights of the sun, moon and stars. The oceans were given a sound that would caress away our anxiety, and the land was festooned with greenery beyond compare.

Hidden under creation were wonderful gifts all waiting to be opened and enjoyed. Some gifts were practical - for instance fire and the wheel; some were fanciful - music and paint. But, I am sure that God created each gift greatly anticipating the moment when that designated recipient would opened the package.

Some received many gifts (Leonardo, Einstein and Edison) and they shared their gifts with the rest of the world. Others received only one gift. Some gifts were lost - the ancient battery found in Iraq - so God carefully rewrapped the gift and gave it to another, while others survived from the beginning.

Unfortunately, some gifts are not used as intended, and just as Billy's parents would be horrified to see him throw his new fire truck at his sister in anger, God is, at times, horrified at the way we use some of his gifts.

There are still gifts waiting to be opened. Each one is beautifully wrapped with a future name on the name tag. But, the best gift is what we learn about our Creator every time we unwrap a new Present.

There Is But One God

2006-10-12T07:37:00.000-04:00

It is with a heavy heart; I hear that the world believes that Christians worship three gods instead of one God. Let me say emphatically - it is not so.

From the Word - "'You are my witness,' says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Isaiah 43:10 This is what we believe; God existed before and will exist after without ending and that there is no other God.

So, how does the trinity fit into the One God belief? "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 RSV So as my word goes out on these pages, but still remains a part of me, so too, God's Word went out from him, yet is still a part of him. So what is the Word?

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" John 1:14 RSV Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. Remember, when Jesus walked the earth, many could not read or write, nor was there mass broadcasts. So, God sent his Word out in the body of a man, and just as my words go forth from my hands to this page for you to read, God's Word went forth from his mouth for all to hear through Jesus.

Though my words have left my fingers and are now a part of this page, they still belong to me. Even our copyright laws recognize this fact. However, if you read my words - taking them into yourself - and believe them, they also become a part of you.

So too, as God's Word (Jesus) went forth into the world The Word was still a part of God. When the people heard and believed, that Word then became a part of them.

"With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." Matthew 13:15-16 RSV

A Prayer Against Fear

2006-10-05T07:13:00.000-04:00

Dear Father,

Your people are overcome by their enemies and the enemies' name is FEAR. Fear is the opposite of FAITH, therefore, fear is a sin. Fear mutates through pain, shame, depression and withdrawal from others; followed by anger, hatred and destruction. We have concentrated on the fear instead of our faith, and by doing so, we have participated in the fear and its spread. Please forgive us; restore us to faith in you.

Though we have lost many battles, we can still win the war. This is the Word of Faith. You asked that we pray for our enemies, but how can we pray for those who would harm us and our families? How can we feel any compassion for those who seek our destruction?

If our enemies are filled with hatred and destruction then working back towards the cause, they must have felt anger, withdrawal, depression, shame and pain.

An arrogant man is a fearful man. A confident man is a man of peace.

We are not fighting men, but who is inside of them. So, I pray, Father, for our enemies. I pray against the hatred, destruction, anger, depression, shame, pain, and mostly I pray against the fear. I pray for their righteousness through the plan of salvation laid out by our Lord, Jesus. I pray for their confidence and peace. I pray for their joy.

All mankind was made in your image, a triune being, with a body, soul and spirit. We were born of the earth and destined to return to the earth; a result of the decisions made by Adam and Eve in Eden. But, with the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can choose for ourselves where to spend eternity. For by choosing our salvation through his death and resurrection; we have chosen eternal life in Paradise.

So Father, I pray for our enemies. I pray for their salvation. Deliver them from the clutches of evil, destruction and fear. Return their bodies, souls and spirits to your kingdom. I pray in the name of our redeemer, Jesus. Amen.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 RSV

"Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear." Matthew 13:40-43 RSV

In Agreement

2006-09-27T07:43:00.000-04:00

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 RSV

Christians know this quote from the Bible, and some may have experienced the power of two spirits in agreement during prayer. However, do you realize that the gathering of two or more people can lead to destruction, as well?

A scene:

Two Christian women agree to meet over coffee to discuss an upcoming project. Their instructions from the project leader is to organize the logistics of the upcoming event- that up until now has faltered in disorganization. Their intentions are pure, but the downward slope occurs when one woman starts to criticize the project leader for the mess. Then, the other woman starts to nod her head in agreement, and the ball is now rolling toward destruction.

Satan also wants us in agreement. Just as our agreement in the Holy Spirit can multiply God's Spirit in others, so too, Satan's spirit can be multiplied by agreement. Satan's spirit can multiply into fear, anger, judgment, pain and pride by spreading to more and more people like a tightly wound ball of yarn. Detangeling that ball can take days, weeks or months; or possibly eternity. The division this evil spirit spawns will be carried by all those who participated in the 'agreement' and will be perceived by those around us who know we are Christians.

If you need to vent, go to God; then wait. He will help you clarify and give you direction on what further action to take. He may tell you to forgive, or he may tell you to bring the criticism to the church leadership. Whatever he tells you, at least you will be in agreement with God and not with evil.

Studying the Word of God

2006-09-19T08:03:00.000-04:00

God's Word is written in concentric circles with layers upon layers of meaning. This is why we study His Word, for each time we read a passage, more will be revealed.

"So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it." They said to him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house which he enters, and tell the householder, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there make ready." And they went, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover." Luke 22:8-12 RSV

The outer circle of this passage appears pretty direct. Jesus charges Peter and John to prepare the Passover feast and he gives clear instructions on where and how they are to prepare the feast. Now let us look at the message drawn in the inner circles.

Peter and John were entrusted with preparing the Passover feast for the other disciples. Again we see the idea of leadership by servitude. We also see that each of us is charged with preparing the Way for all people to the final feast - or evangelism.

Jesus foretells that the Holy Spirit (the man with water jar) will guide the disciples to the room (places in Jerusalem, Judea and around the world) where they will prepare the Passover feast (the Kingdom of God).

For just as the blood of the Passover Lamb painted on the lintel of each home caused the Angel of Death to pass over, the blood of Jesus on our hearts will keep us from the eternal death earned by sin.

A Struggle Won by Submission

2006-09-12T07:31:00.000-04:00

In the previous post, I outlined some of the differences between the three major religions of the world, but the main difference between these religions is Jesus, the Son of God. Judaism does acknowledge a 'coming Messiah' and Islam awaits a coming Inman, but it is only Christianity that acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God.

The term 'Son of God' appears at least forty times in the four Gospels of the Bible, however it is curious that Jesus never refers to himself as the Son of God. The first to proclaim this title was Satan; for he not only recognized the personage of Jesus, but wondered why that personage was walking the earth in a human body. Other references to the 'Son of God' were all made by men; his apostles and disciples. The term 'Son of God' acknowledges his Father.

Seventy-eight times Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man in the four gospels. I wondered why and found the answer in Genesis.

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5 RSV

The 'rift' between God and man started there in the Garden, and as the rift between God and Lucifer began as pride, so too, the rift between woman and God began as pride.

When Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man (which he was) instead of the Son of God (and he also was), he was acknowledging his relationship with his mother - not the Father. By doing this, Jesus came to reconcile woman's sin of pride by submitting himself to a woman. Think of it - God submitted himself to a woman by conception, birth and the nurturing/discipline of a mother. By showing God's final and most perfect creation - woman - that leadership is obtained through service to others, he reconciled all of mankind to God.

Judaism, Islam or Christianity?

2006-09-05T07:15:00.000-04:00

There is a spiritual battle raging all around us. The physical manifestations of this battle can be read in every newspaper, heard on every radio and seen on every television around the world. When our leaders tell us we are "at war", they speak volumes, but the prize is not oil, land or an ideology. The prize is the soul of the Earth.

At the battle lines are three religions so closely related, and yet their differences create a chasm between God and man and hatred between men. The chasm and hatred were planned in the War Room of our greatest adversary. We cannot see this adversary, but believe that his soldiers are ever present, and although they escape our consciousness, they are close by influencing every person alive today. Their goal is simple, they want your soul.

There are three religions proclaiming that they can ransom your soul from this enemy. Let us examine each:

Judaism - This religion proclaims that the Torah and the Talmud was given by God to the Jews. It is an exclusive club, for only the Jews are the chosen people. The five books of Moses and the oral Torah are the way to God's promise of salvation. These books are studied and expanded by interpretation by the Rabbi and adherence to the law is required. Admission to this religion is largely based on heritage, and although converts are accepted, they are not sought out.

Islam - This religion also claims the right to the five books of Moses, but it is the Koran that is studied and followed. Muslims believe that they have the one true book of law from God and that salvation is obtained by strict adherence to this law. They believe that the book itself is sacred and must be treated as a sacred object. Admission to this religion is based on choice, but can also be imposed by force.

Christianity - This religion incorporates the five books of Moses and the books of the prophets into their doctrine. Added to this are the teachings of Jesus, believed to be the Son of God, or God made man. As the Jews believed that there must be an unblemished sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, Christians believe that Jesus provided the last sacrifice required for salvation and entry into paradise. This religion is open to all people and is based on the grace of God. Converts are accepted on their choice to believe that Jesus died for their sins.

What we know: Satan was created by God. Satan rebelled against God and was cast down to Earth. God created man and placed him in the Garden to live in communion with Him. When man rebelled against God, he too was cast out into the Earth. When God cast out man, he promised to provide a way for repentance, salvation and admission back into paradise.

The Question: Do we choose to seek salvation by our own hand or by the hand of God? The choice is yours; the results everlasting.

Who Does the World Hate?

2006-08-20T07:33:00.000-04:00

If God is good and Satan is evil, then it only takes a quick perusal of today's headlines to confirm that Satan is in charge of the world. The world is Satan's dominion, and this is confirmed in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus retires to the wilderness for forty days and nights to fast and pray in preparation for his ministry. It is when Jesus is at his weakest that Satan comes to tempt him.

"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Matthew 4:8 RSV

Satan knew Jesus, and he knew that Jesus had come to earth to ransom humankind. He may not have known the plan of that salvation, but he knew that if he could persuade Jesus to do it his way instead of God's way, he could foil God's plan. So, Satan offered to 'give up' the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow to him. Satan could not have made this offer viable if he did not already own the kingdoms of the world.

So, I ask again, "Who does the world hate?" Why is this question so important? Because what the world hates either belongs to God or is one of God's tools. Let us look at the list.

Children - historically, children have been perceived as the weakest among humankind. They require care and nurturing for a long time, they carry a responsibility for their creation and because they can be easily ignored with little consequence, they are easily used and abused. It is no wonder that they are easily discarded even from the point of conception; for who will speak for them? "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:10 RSV

Women - throughout the ages, women have been considered inferior to men. Even today, in nearly half of the cultures, women are considered chattel - to be dominated and owned by their fathers and husbands. If there is one area that Satan can obtain a foothold in the church, it is through the subjugation of women. This was not the way Jesus perceived woman - nor how God created women.

Eve was God's last creation - his final triumph. She was not created from the dirt of the earth, but rather from flesh and bone.

Also, Jesus choose his female disciples as the first witnesses to his resurrection. They were the first to proclaim God's plan of salvation through the belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Even the apostle Paul gave honor and credence to women of the church. "Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. " Acts 17:12 RSV

Jews - I have always wondered at the world's unsubstantiated hatred of the Hebrew nation. This group, more than any other, has been maligned throughout history. Their only offense, that I can see, is that they keep themselves separate from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, by keeping themselves separate in an effort to remain anonymous, they are pushed to the forefront of prejudice and hatred. Christians and Muslims alike have tried to annihilate this group of people. Their lands and homes have been confiscated; their children taken from them and baptized Catholic, and still they have endured.

God does not change. When he said that the Jews are his chosen people, he means it still. "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." Genesis 12:2-3 RSV

"And an argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great." Luke 9:46-48 RSV

The Bookkeeping of Evangelism

2006-08-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

We love to count and measure our performance. At home we carry lists - either on paper or tucked into the back of our mind for the tasks we intend to complete. At the office, everything is calculated and recalculated to determine the success or failure of an employee, product line, or the entire organization. Yes, humans love to count and I would venture that even as Adam was naming the animals in the Garden - he kept count.

But, when does counting cross over the line into sin?

We are all charged to evangelize the world in the name of Jesus. Jesus used many parables to describe this evangelism, but my favorite is the farmer 'broadcasting' seed across his field. Some seed fell on rocky soil. Some seed was snatched away by the birds and some grew among the weeds. But, the good seed germinated, grew and blossomed.

When we broadcast seed to create a lawn, do we count the seed before it is thrown down? When the seed germinates and starts to grow, do we crawl over it with a calculator to count the blades of grass? No. Then why do we feel the need to count those who have come to God?

In the thirty plus years of sharing my faith, I seldom saw the fruits of this labor. I believe this was no accident; it was God's design lest I become prideful in my own eyes. Evangelism is seldom started and completed by the same person. One person will plant the seed, another will water the seed and still another will provide the light or sunshine to allow that seed to grow.
Yet, even this is still too simplistic explanation for there is another force that is required - The Holy Spirit.

Every seed needs the Holy Spirit to germinate and grow. This Spirit does the real work of evangelism, and we are merely the helpmates. By planting and then praying over the seed we provide what God has instructed, but it is the Spirit of the Lord, through conviction, realization and then acceptance, that finally brings forth the birth of a new Christian.

"So the king said to Jo'ab and the commanders of the army, who were with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people." But Jo'ab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it; but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" 2 Samuel 24:2-3 RSV

Pray Big

2006-07-24T07:31:00.000-04:00

Jesus' disciples asked him how to pray. In response, he gave them a prayer as a model for their own petitions.

"Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:9-15 RSV

Jesus prayed big. What do I mean - pray big? First let me start with what I do not mean. I am not saying that we should pray for only big things; for Jesus instructed us to pray for the little things, as well. The prayer above does pray for little things such as; our daily bread.

What I am saying is that we need to pray in the most general sense. For instance, instead of praying for a raise at work, pray that God will bless you with prosperity. Instead of praying that your husband will apologize for his actions, ask God for a change in your relationship. Rather than pray that your child will make the honor roll, ask instead that God will bless your child with a love of learning. Or, instead of praying to lose ten pounds, pray that God will keep you healthy.

When we are specific in our prayer, we are directing God on how to achieve a certain outcome. This is arrogance. Instead, we should pray for the desired outcome and leave the details to God's judgment. Our focus should be on the desired destination - let God choose the pathway.

Planting Seeds for a Harvest of Blessings

2006-07-22T09:17:00.000-04:00

"Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32 RSV

The Gospels contain many parables about seeds and we rightly consider these seeds and their growth as evangelism, however, I have come to know that God never says anything with only one layer. His words are like diamonds with many facets that bring light with every twist and turn.

The planting of seeds also refers to our blessings. "Keep on sowing and the harvest will come. It is the little things that bring a harvest. Every harvest starts with a tiny seed."

So, what do you want? Do you want to lose weight? Then make one small change in your eating and exercise habits, and pray for God's blessing and increase on this small step.

Do you want to balance your budget? Again, make one small change and ask for God's blessing and increase.

"If you cannot see the fruits of your seeds, be confident that they are there. Perhaps the weeds have grown over the fruits of your labor and all you need to do is weed the garden."

Law or Grace?

2006-06-29T07:41:00.000-04:00

"For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." Romans 3:20 RSV

A baby knows nothing of wrong or right and we call this innocence. True innocence is a state of being that precedes knowledge, but quickly the 'ways of the world' impresses itself on that innocence. That impression is called knowledge.

Slowly the child learns either to trust when its needs or met or to distrust when they are not. A child learns love when it is loved and hatred and anger - either anger thrust outward or anger thrust inward - when it is not loved. As the child grows and experiments with its world, he is taught the rules in various, and at times, harsh ways. The world has made its impression on the child and the payment was innocence. The bill of sale is called Original Sin.

God created us, not for the world, but for the Garden; Paradise. By eating the apple, Adam and Eve invited the world into the Garden, and innocence was lost. Replacing innocence was hatred, anger, shame, guilt, criticism, blame and judgment.

The world cannot coexist in the same place as the Garden, and as Adam and Eve now carried the 'ways of the world' inside of them, it was necessary to remove them from the Garden. We each carry the Original Sin because we are each born into the world. There is no choice as the world will eventually impress itself upon us.

Jesus changed that. With his death and resurrection, we now have a choice. We can do nothing and continue to belong to the world, or we can choose Jesus and claim Paradise.

What would you choose?

Why Did God Let This Happen?

2006-06-27T07:19:00.000-04:00

Most people travel through the days of our life with little or no consciousness of God. The God who created everything we touch, the space we occupy and the time we move through is either not real to us, or he is sitting passively on a throne in some distant place watching our struggles and accomplishments with a kingly apathy. Then, disaster strikes; either corporately or personally, and when that happens their first thought is why did God let that happen?

I shall tell you a secret - WE WERE NEVER MADE TO LIVE IN THE WORLD.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 RSV. God created the heavens, they did not exists before God's creation. He also created the inhabitants of the heavens; the angels. Lucifer is included in the angel count, and was in fact one of the highest ranking angels. But he rebelled with the first sin ever recorded, pride. Jealousy and rebellion followed and with slander, Lucifer persuaded one-third of God's angels to follow him into revolt.

God could have destroyed Satan then, but remember, Satan was one of God's creations just as we are his creation. So, in mercy God allowed him a time for repentance, however, Satan could not remain in the heavens in this compromised state. So, he was banished to earth.

"...then, the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. " Genesis 2:7-9

God created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, or Paradise. So you see, we were made to live forever in Paradise. Today, scientists are frustrated in their research on aging. By their own admission, it appears that our body cells were constructed to live forever, yet we are still aging and dying. Why?

There is another clue. Every evening, the Lord came into the Garden to commune with Adam and Eve. Genesis specifically says that the Lord would walk and talk with Adam and Eve in the evenings. This strongly suggests a face-to-face meeting.

Now we move to forward to Moses. He is on the mountain accepting the Law from God. Before Moses moves down the mountain, he makes a request.

"Moses said, "I pray thee, show me thy glory. And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live."

And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand upon the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen." Exodus 33:18-23 RSV

Something happened to humankind between Creation and the Law. For in the Garden, Adam and Eve could behold the face of God and live, yet Moses was told by God that if he saw the face of the Lord, he would die.

The original sin changed us. It changed us so much that God had to banish us from the Garden - just as he banished Satan from the heavens. Now we both occupy the earth with its trials and tribulations; with its uncertainties and natural laws.

But remember, this is not our home.

A Prayer For Husbands and Fathers

2006-06-18T09:25:00.000-04:00

Dear Father God,

I pray that you will restore our men. Please restore their sense of responsibility to their wives, children and country. But most of all, Father, please restore them to their responsibility to you.

When you created man, you charged him with tilling and keeping the Garden. After the fall, you charged him with tilling and keeping the earth. You gave him dominion over the earth. These tasks were not an honor of entitlement, but a charge of responsibility and sacrifice.

I pray that the men of the world will once again embrace their charge of responsibility and sacrifice in love and humility. I pray that they will love their wives and cherish their children. Return their spirits - not to pride in themselves - but to acknowledgement to the one who created them.

I pray that they will once again protect all that you have placed in their hands. Father, we need their reverence for the responsibilities you have placed on them. Restore their spirits, Restore their strength and restore their resolve. Their wives and children are counting on them.

In Jesus' name - Amen.

Because God Loves You

2006-01-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

You came to this blog spot searching for a reason. Why was a kindness extended to you by a stranger? Well, I will tell you why.

I wanted to get your attention. I wanted to verify and remind you that I do exist, and more importantly, I want you to know that I love you. My love is not conditional. I know that the world would have you believe otherwise; that you must do or not do something to receive my notice. Even churches that carry my name would bind you with "do's and don't's" to receive my love. It is a lie. Know that I love you unconditionally - no matter what. I did not send my son to bind you up, but to set you free.

No matter what you have done - no matter what you are still doing - call on me. I will answer with no strings attached. Speak my name in anger or joy, I will still answer. Give me a chance to prove myself to you.

There is no need to hide from me. I already know every one of your actions, every word you have ever spoken, and even every thought you have had. Still, I tell you now with no restraint, I still love you.

I invite you to talk to me at any time and anywhere. If you are so inclined, you may share your story with others that come to this blog by clicking on the word "Comments" below. You can write anonymously or post a fictious name - whatever is most comfortable to you.

Just know that I love you.

God