Merry Christmas

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away,

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday!

HT: Heart For the Lost

Constant Examination

There are times when I am reminded of my own sinfulness through the sinful actions and comments of others. I am greatly disheartened by those who proclaim Christianity but by their words and actions they completely deny our Lord and Savior.

Upon further scrutiny of my own character and because of the tremendous work that the Lord has been doing, I have to work extra hard at not adding to that sin by some distasteful thought or act of pride within myself. But I do know this, the more and more the Lord works with my heart the less that I want to satisfy my own flesh.

The difference is how quickly do we recognize the sin and what do we do about it?

This is why those who proclaim to be Christians and those that really are should be in a constant state of examination. Am I really a child of God? Am I sincerely portraying the character and holiness of Christ in my actions, words, thoughts and deeds? We may think that we own the ordinances of God but if we don't do them then we are no Christian indeed. Or, we lay out the excuses such as I know I'm filling my mind with this but it's okay I'm not actually doing any of it.

I am amazed how easily it can be for some "Christians" to change gears so quickly. They can talk about how they had a wonderful prayer group today and then in the next sentence describe a whole episode of Desperate Housewives. This kind of consistent behavior is not Christian. If we are not uniformly putting to death the deeds of the flesh and are not sickened by it then we are in need of examination of our ways. Consciously, we know that the items of the world and the items of living for the Lord do not belong together in the same bag. Yet, to our ultimate destruction we choose to ignore our conscience and continue in what satisfies our flesh.

M. Meade wrote in 1661 in his treatise titled Almost A Christian,

"Whatsoever a man’s state be, whether he be altogether a Christian or not, yet it is good to examine his own heart. If he finds his heart good, his principles right and sound, this will be a matter of rejoicing. If he finds his heart rotten, his principles false and unsound, the discovery may be in order to a renewing. If a man have a disease upon him and know it, he may send to the physician in time, but what a sad vexation it will be not to see the disease till it be past cure! So for a man to be graceless and not see till it be too late, to think himself a Christian when he is not; that he is in the right way to heaven when he is in the ready way to hell, and yet not know it till a death bed or a judgment day confute his confidence, this is the most irrecoverable misery. These are the grounds upon which I press this duty of examining our state. Oh, that God would help us in doing this necessary duty!"

How do we know then if we are the real deal? If we are truly conforming our lives to mirror that of Christ, if we loathe sin and things of the world and everything it represents, if we believe in the true gospel then so we will be living it. We make an effort to live in obedience. We know that the Lord's grace and sanctification is at work because there is tremendous change that grows daily and doesn't fade. We strive to obey all the commands and not just one or two and yet we understand that it is not the work of keeping the commandments that saves us but the grace of God who has done a supernatural work in us to change our hearts. This change compels us to live in holiness. We have a hunger and thirst after righteousness which reflects in our concern and compassion for the state of others; these are signs that we are living in true Christianity.

Meade concludes,

"Ah, my brethren, it is better to have a conscience never quiet than quieted any way but by the blood of sprinkling. A good conscience is the greatest affliction to the saints, and an evil conscience, quiet, is the greatest judgment to sinners."

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Let us not quench the conscience in our daily walk. Let us continually examine our lives and actions from top to bottom to make sure that we are remaining in the faith, or wanting no surprises on the day that we meet him face to face, that we are even walking in faith at all.

Witnessing About Wrath

Ingrid at Slice of Laodicea had a post up about Beth Moore commenting that she did not think that the wrath of God should be mentioned in witnessing. Here's a portion of her comment.

"Towards the end of her commentary she (Beth Moore) states that she does not think that using warnings about the wrath of God is the best way to witness. She feels that the love of God and what God “brings to our lives” in our failures, etc. is a better way to share Christ."

What? Isn't the gospel about the fact that God poured out his wrath on His own son so that our sins would be covered? How do our "failures" explain away the consequences of sin? We fail because we are sinners! We can't witness without explaining how we deserve God's wrath should we choose not to repent of our sins and believe and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. God does love us all. But his wrath will be poured out on those who do not walk the narrow way.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
So here's where all the naysayers can have hope...those that proclaim that all the evangelicals talk about is gloom and doom. The good news is this....even though we deserve God's wrath that fine has been paid! And it is a free gift. There is nothing we can do to try and make it work. It works because of God's merciful grace.

This is why the God loves you message isn't sufficient information for our sinful natures. It doesn't tell people that they are sinners much less what sins to repent of!

The book of Romans is one of the best places to get an understanding of the wrath the Lord has in store.

"But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds." (Romans 2:5-6)
The Bible is full of verses regarding how the Lord is going to pour out his wrath on the unrighteous. There are even descriptions of how the Lord pours out his wrath on believers to chasten and discipline us. Just read the Psalms...it is full of heart wrenching prayers to God by David to lighten the wrath and discipline on him due to his sinful activities.

I love to use the courtroom analogy when witnessing. It paints the perfect picture of a loving and just judge of righteousness. Say that you committed a crime and you are standing before the judge about to receive sentencing. Before the sentence is proclaimed, you are pleading with the judge and saying how sorry you are for the crimes that you committed and that you truly are a good person. Would the judge be "just" if he let you off the hook because you are sorry? No, he wouldn't. Somebody has to pay for the crimes that were committed. This is the just and fair punishment that is deserved.

So there you are about to receive your sentencing. In walks a stranger that you don't know. He says that he will give up his life and everything he owns to pay your fine for you. What would you think of that person? You would owe him your life and want to get to really know who this person is! And, that is what Jesus did! He gave up everything to take our ugly sins so that we could be forgiven and free from the chains of sin forever!

And to accept that gift we have to die to self...we have to be born again into the kingdom of the Lord.

Let's remember to keep the whole gospel when witnessing and not give half of the story. This is how false converts are bred. We know that the true gospel offends. But it's better to be offended than to lose your soul forever.

Let us keep praying for our lost friends.

Read full post here.

Try Jesus For 60 Days

Recently, Rick Warren proclaimed on the Hannity and Colmes program that everyone needs to try Jesus for 60 days and if he doesn't do something for them that he will give them their money back.

So, Rick, what are we to do when it really doesn't work out for these people in 60 days?

God did not come to deliver us into health, wealth and prosperity. He came to deliver us from hell.

Where is the gospel? Where is it?

This is why people are "trying" God and when he doesn't work out it's so long Jesus.

Why can't we just encourage people in the gospel? Why does our God have to be shaped and formed into everybody's "friend"? He is a holy God who demands our obedience and submission! He is not standing around giving hand outs to whoever wants a sample.

Our hope is in the gospel for a lifetime....not for 60 days.

Naughty or Nice?

I love this tract to pass out during Christmas time. I have all ready started handing out to everyone at the mall, stashing on cars and anywhere!

Front of Card: Which list are you on? Place your thumb on the red bulb and leave it there for five seconds. If you've been good the red will fade. Back of Card: Sorry . . . you're just like the rest of us. The dictionary says "good" is to be "morally excellent." Let's check the standard the Ten Commandments, to see how far we fall short: Is God first in your life? Do you love Him with "heart, mind, soul and strength?" Have you made a god to suit yourself? Have you used His name in vain? Have you always honored your parents? Have you lied (including "fibs"), stolen (the value is irrelevant), or coveted other people's possessions? If you are honest, you know you will be guilty on the Day of Judgment. God, however, doesn't want to send you to Hell. Jesus Christ suffered and died on the Cross, so you could go free. That's how much God loves you. We broke God's Law, but Jesus paid our fine. Then He rose from the grave. If you repent (turn away from all the things you know are wrong) and trust in Him, God will forgive your sins and grant you everlasting life. Begin by reading your Bible daily (start with the book called John) and obey what you read. God will never let you down. For more information please visit: www.YouGotOurTract.com

You can order this one through One Million Tracts and they are on sale right now!

Don't pass up the holidays to reach others for the Lord. It is the best time especially in these challenging economic times. People are crying out for Jesus.

Let's get to them while there is still time.

Is Your Evangelism God Centered?

Sally Sunshine

NOTE: I originally posted Sally Sunshine over a year ago! Wow! Since then I have been thinking of making it or something like it into a tract. Obviously, a gospel message needs to be added. What do you think??

Sally Sunshine had a pretty normal life. Nothing too great and nothing too bad. She was happy with how things were going. Nothing much to worry about and not many fires to put out. She figured that she had a pretty good perspective on life and what she thought the future would hold for her.

The days and weeks that went by were filled with the normal things, work, marriage and an occasional night out on the town.

And so was the life of Sally Sunshine.

On Monday she got up excited for another day at work to get things done. She put on her Jesus shirt and got ready for work. This morning she was out of milk for her coffee. Oh well, she would grab a cup of coffee from 7-11 on her way to work this morning. All in all it was a great day even though she had to work a little later than usual.

On Tuesday, she was a little tired and stole a few more minutes of sleep before she crawled out of bed. She burned her toast for breakfast and still didn’t have any milk. She had forgotten that she had a dentist appointment later this afternoon. She may have to just cancel it – too much work to do. She put on her Jesus shirt and headed to work.

Wednesday was welcomed by a loud thunderstorm and sheets of pouring rain. Great, she thought, it will take me forever to get to work today. She hurriedly put on her Jesus shirt and rushed to get in her car – only to find that she had a flat tire. Terrific, this day just couldn’t get any worse. Her husband was out-of-town again so she called a neighbor to see if she could get some help. Luckily, she was able to get the tire fixed and off to work even though she was quite late. Today, maybe it was the weather, but she felt lonely and tired. All day she just felt miserable. She couldn’t put her finger on it but something was out of place.

Thursday was a terrible day for Sally Sunshine. Nothing seemed to go right. A client called very annoyed with something that wasn’t even her fault. Her boss blamed her too and told her so. She went home exhausted. When she got home she discovered that her dog was not feeling too well. He had thrown up all over the carpet. Her husband called and said that he would be late again and not to wait up. It seemed like he was never home anymore. She wondered what was going on. She wondered what was happening to her normal, happy life.

Friday couldn’t come fast enough. She was so glad it was almost the weekend. She put on her Jesus shirt once again. When she got to work her boss met her at the door. “We need to talk.” Sally went into her office and was horrified to hear that her position with the company may be cut. There was some financial difficulty and she may only have a matter of days left. She could go ahead and take the rest of the day off. They would call her soon and let her know if she would be able to come back. Sally was upset. How could things turn out like this? Nobody cares she thought. Where was this perfect, happy and peaceful life that was promised to her? Sally was sad. Some things are going to have to change. She even thought that she might change her name.

Sally Sunshine went home. When she walked in the door she saw her dog on the floor. He was dead.

Sally slowly took off her Jesus shirt and threw it in the trash. It just wasn’t working. There was no way that he would let this stuff happen to her. She didn’t believe he loved her anymore. She was angry. It just wasn’t fair.

Poor Sally. She was not identifying with Jesus. She didn’t know that Jesus came not to give her a better life but to save her from the wrath to come. To save her from hell.

She was only putting him on hoping for a better life…when he didn’t work for her…she just threw him away.

Poor

poor

Sally.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but righteousness delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4)

Laugh Of The Day

There is something rather humbling about giving a million dollar tract to the cashier guy that just rang up two boxes of feminine pads!

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because you defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
Psalm 5:11

Keeping Christ In Christmas

I am entering a contest posted by my friend Sunny at A Damsel No Longer in Distress and even though I am entering the last day I am thrilled that the Lord has all ready moved me to be sharing the gospel!

I hope and encourage you all to pray about doing the same thing!

The rules are for me to answer the following questions:

At what age did you recognize you were in need of a Savior?
Very young, don't even remember my age!

Who shared the Gospel with you (you don't have to share names unless you just want to)?
My parents!

What was your first reaction when you heard the Gospel for the first time?
I was happy!

How long did it take you to understand Jesus is the only Savior, repent and trust Him with your life?
Minutes I tell you minutes!

How often do you share the Gospel with others?
Every day!

What plans do you have to become more committed to sharing salvation in Christ with others?

I have no plans in my fleshy flesh.....but the Lord does and his plans are for good in this area that is for sure and I look so forward to it!

What scares you the most about sharing the Gospel and what Scriptures have helped you overcome those fears?

It is funny the things that I have fear about and this is not one of them! Praise God!!

Deep In Love With You

I recently got the new Michael W. Smith CD "A New Hallelujah". This is one of the songs on it. It couldn't be more of a description of how I want to please my Lord and Savior who saved me and makes me whole. I love you Lord! My Abba! Father!

"God Moves In A Mysterious Way"

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

"God Moves In A Mysterious Way"
(William Cowper, 1774)

Just A Tractin'

(Above is image of Mind Game tract available at Living Waters.)

My Father in heaven, today I pray for the several people that you created that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and give tracts to this week. I pray for the cashiers at McDonalds, the young teenager who was behind me in line at the drive-thru that I paid for her breakfast, the cashiers at the mall, at the grocery store, and the other tracts that I placed around for others to find.

Lord, use them to open the eyes of their hearts to the saving and loving grace of your gospel. Use them to bring them to true repentance and to cry out for you.

Please continue to use me to do your will. Help me to keep my eyes on you and not go by what I see.

Thank you for your lovingkindness and mercy.

Just Words

I read this post a while ago on Steve Camp's blog: CampOnThis. I hope to have more on this subject but wanted to preface it with this excellent post.

Here's a piece of it:

"A few years ago I was ministering in concert at a prominent Midwest Christian college. During the concert of about 2,500 people attending, a young man stood up in the middle of the auditorium and shouted to me, "Brother Steve, I have a word from the Lord for you." Taken a bit back by his rudeness, but impressed with his courage, I asked him politely, "OK, what Bible verse did you want to share with me?" He said, "Oh no, this is a word directly from God for you personally." I said back to him, "I know every verse is penned by the Lord--it is all directly from Him to us... So what Bible verse did you want to share with me?" Becoming more and more frustrated at his inability to 'woo' me to his words of "divine revelation," I finally agreed to let him speak with one condition (and believe me, I was being generous in letting it go this far); I told him, "Everything you say must agree perfectly with God's final revelation in His Word. If anything you say, no matter how trivial, disagrees with Scripture, then I will have to rebuke you in front of all these people and then we will all have to take you outside and stone you to death!" With those ground rules stated, he thought for a moment and then said these profound words, "Maybe it was a feeling I had?" I said, "Good answer man--now sit down."

Read full post here.

The Time Is Here

Ever thought about something that you know would be happening in this country eventually?

Well, the time is here. It's happening now.

How much longer will we tolerate?

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, chaving a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

A Thought For Today

In the midst of a thousand bombarding thoughts today that just don't want to seem to end I am teary-eyed. Teary-eyed for souls. And it's really not any different from any other day lately. My heart cries out for the lost. For the unsaved. When God begins to work He doesn't do it in a small way. In fact, He has literally been breaking me. Breaking me from my earthly lusts and filling me with a hunger for Him. In the midst of this brokenness He is growing an unspeakable love for others the kind that He has.

It is most indescribable.

I continue to ache and to hurt for those that just don't see it. My eyes well with tears and concern for the countless lost souls that don't know my God. Those that love Him with their lips but their actions are far from Him. Those that sit in the church pews thinking everything else but about our precious Lord and Savior. Those that have turned away because He just hasn't done anything for them lately.

My heart aches for the people that I have encountered that refuse to have anything to do with me because I dare to tell the truth. Am I so big of a person that nothing will phase me, nothing will bring me down? No. I am not big. But my God and my Savior is and it is His work that I so long to be done through me. I long for freedom from fear and I cry out for the endurance to keep the faith and continue to set out to do what He has commanded and to warn the lost no matter the cost.

He shapes me. He molds me. His work is not complete.

Tagged, Again!

A friend just informed me that I've been tagged! Okay, so it's been a while since I was tagged before which is probably a good thing but I do welcome the "break"! Let's see now if I can come up with eight new things but I may have to borrow a few from previous tag!

And, I won't be able to follow the rules totally! See, same as last time I was tagged nobody I know except my great college friend Lisa and those that all ready tag me have a blog! And, nearly every one I tagged didn't respond anyway. What party poopers!! So, Lisa sorry to do this to ya again! You can skip it if ya want....but Lisa you are tagged! And if some other readers want to do this....please feel free! We would love to know more about you!

Here's the rules:
-- Post eight random facts/habits about yourself. Choose eight others to "tag", and include the guidelines in your post.

-- Let your "taggees" know they've been tagged!

-- Enjoy learning more about your cyber-sisters/brothers.

Here we go:

1. I love to leave tracts everywhere I go. One of my favorite places lately is in credit card machines at restaurants (Sonic is a good one), gas stations, and bank ATM's. You don't have to get creative about leaving tracts! Just put them where ever you are. Yesterday I ran out of one of my most favorite tracts that fits perfectly in the ATM's. It's called the Smart Card and you can get it, as well as countless others, at Living Waters. It makes my day brighter to know that someone may be brought closer to coming to the Lord just by reading a tract!

2. I believe this nation is at a pivotal point. The outcome of this upcoming election I think will reveal a lot about where the Lord is with patience towards us. We all should be on our knees praying that God heals our land and opens the eyes of our people. Our hearts should ache for the countless souls headed to hell.

3. I absolutely love this video that was posted at The Lawman Chronicles. It is a great indicator of where my heart is right now -- to seek and save the lost while there is still time. I definitely look at faces a lot more know. The love that I have for people and the condition of their souls is very important to me. Please watch:


4. While I still have a strong desire to evangelize, God recently has, for a time, been slowing me down from this task. There are several of my acquaintances that are in this same position. Why? Because He is in the process of teaching ME how to be a Christian. While this task will be ongoing until the end, there are some things that I am having to relearn per se. I hope to be doing more posts on this topic eventually.

5. Spiritual warfare. It is out there. Let's train ourselves to be on the alert for the prowling enemy. I am astonished at how much discipline this takes and how inept I have been at pinpointing this as an issue in my daily battles. We are either giving the enemy too much power or we or not focusing on training ourselves to be victorious with the tools that the Lord has provided! More to come on this topic too, I hope!

6. I have given away about 15 - 20 copies of one of the greatest books I have ever read called Way of the Master. I am about to order more and will be handing these out freely again to those that desire to know more about the Lord and His Gospel message and truly want to seek and save the lost. If you haven't read this book I suggest that you do! What is more important to you, your well being with the Lord or an episode of the worldly Desperate Housewives?

7. I just got a new BlackBerry (thanks Mom!)! Wow, how did I ever function without one of these! And, I didn't even sign up for the email capabilities (yet!). Thank the Lord for his wonderful blessings!

8. And last but not least, I wanted to let everyone know that I have the greatest Mom in the world! She raised me to seek after the Lord with my whole heart and I wanted to thank her for planting that seed that is growing strong due to her constant support, prayers and encouragement. What a great thing to see a Mom that loves the Lord with her whole heart through every blessing and struggle. Thank you for standing firm. I love you Mom!

Blessings to all!

Losing Control

Today I am losing control.

I am letting go and letting loose. Finally, I'm seeing it. The control that I want to have of my own life. I see how I want to grip it and squeeze it and shape it into what I think it should look like. I want to wake up and have every day go a certain way. I don't want any hardships, struggles or conflicts. I want it to look perfect even when it's not.

But not anymore. I am losing control.

Discovering new things about yourself can be surprising but sometimes it is not. You know that thing about yourself is in the closet but I don't want to take it out and wear it...even though really I am wearing it. Each day I cinch it around my waist tighter and tighter. I don't want to take it off because it's seemingly holding up my life. I am comfortable with it. I can make it do what I want but I don't dare take it off.

Sometimes God can use the simplest things to reveal the strongholds in my character. A spark of a revelation that takes you somewhat by surprise. You knew something was there that was hindering your closeness and fellowship with the Lord but you couldn't quite put your finger on it. When the revelation comes it's like a new dawn has opened up your heart and exposed it for what it is. This is what I wrestle with. Knowing that there are so many things left to be exposed and I shudder at the thought of it. My fear of God moves me on to be thankful that He is exposing these weaknesses and areas of control.

Lately, one of my prayers has been for strength and endurance. Sometimes the Lord answers in a way that you least expect. While I waited for strength and endurance to come I expected it to crash over me like a wave so that I could feel it, soak it in and rest in it. Instead, God brought trials, although as simple they may seem to some, they ravished me exposing the rotten core on the inside. See, when I was praying for endurance the trials are what he used to bring that to fruition. This of course would not have been my plan of action. That's where I wanted full control.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(Romans 5:3-5)
I am discovering that not exulting in tribulations can bring unwanted stress. Instead of concentrating on rejoicing through my trials I tend to concentrate on the problem. After all it is human nature to do that isn't it? When I can't control it the way I want it to I begin to worry about how I am going to "fix" the problem instead of relying on God to carry the burden. It can be very difficult when I'm in this situation just to throw it all out there and let God handle it. I am still learning about this process. Although I know to do it sometimes I just don't know always how to do it and this is where feverish and unceasing prayer surface. What I do know that keeps my hope alive in Him is that He will not let his work go unfinished in me!

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
I look forward with open heart and humbleness to that completed work in my life!

What a joy it is to have my Lord and Savior
directing my steps!

The Supremacy of "ME"

I think this video is the most incredible five minutes I've ever seen. I am so grateful that the Lord is showing me his omnipotent, sovereign and merciful character and that I get it!

Please watch this by Voddie Baucham:

Open Mind Means Closed Bible

I don't have an open mind regarding the book "The Shack". I stand by my suggestion and pleading that professing Christians should not entertain this book.

Here is a thorough review on it:

Tim Challies Book Review of The Shack


HT: Heart For The Lost

And the Wind Doth Blow

***REPOST of post dated February 2008***

The kids have missed two soccer practices and half of another because it has been really windy here in the past couple of weeks. You could barely get out of the car without the wind blowing the car door back on you and crushing part of your body. While I was picking up Beth from school one day I noticed a bird that was lazily “enjoying” the wind. First he would fly a little forward only to be pushed back by the wind. Then, he seemed to give up and be content floating along wherever the breeze would take him. His wings stopped fighting what he couldn’t resist long enough to just float along.

It reminded me of something the Lord has been showing me. Something that is still sinking in. Something that if left untethered can become dangerous.

A while back some of you may recall a post I did on my allergies (I removed this post months ago). I had decided to see a doctor that I thought the Lord was leading me to. I had felt clearly that this is what the Lord was going to allow to help me in this area that had become quite a “thorn in my side.” The methods she used were interesting, not utilizing medication, which I did not want to consider. Things moved along okay. It was getting expensive but I felt it was helping...until she suggested I watch a DVD called The Secret. Then, instantly, I knew that I had made a mistake. I knew that God and not told me to see this doctor. I had listened to my own thoughts, my own ideas, my own agenda of how I wanted it done. And, I was deceived. I immediately stopped going to this doctor. Looking back I see now that I was going down the road associated with New Age doctrine and mysticism. It was clearly not directed by the Lord.

I was extremely grateful the Lord had placed this caution on my heart. As the weeks moved on, it didn’t stop there. I realized how easily one can be swayed by teachings, books, and even today's Bibles that are manmade paraphrases of what they think the Lord is saying. I began praying for wisdom and discernment. I began research on doctrines, book reviews and false teachings. I was alarmed at how easily, for a time, I could have been seriously swayed by false teachings and doctrine. Since then, I have thrown several books that I owned into the trash. When I compared what some authors are writing with the Word of God it did not add up. It sounds good on the surface and made me “feel better” for a time. I have since learned that what I read needs to be carefully assessed to see if it lines up with the word of God. There are some mindsets of mine that I am still working on the Lord changing because it was everything that my flesh wanted to hear.

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:11-14).

...I will no longer buy books by "famous Christian" authors without careful prayer and research into what they truly believe.

In scripture, we are warned that there will be false doctrine by people who say they are Christians. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). This is why I will no longer buy books by “famous Christian” authors without careful prayer and research into what they truly believe. This can be hard when it seems everyone is in agreement with everything that is out there. If it is mainsteam and tickles the itching ears then it is probably not the full gospel of the Bible.

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths"(2 Timothy 4:3-4).

So how do you know? Pray for discernment. Pray that the Lord would give you a heart like the Bereans in Acts who carefully studied the scriptures to make sure everything Paul was preaching to them was true (Acts 17:11). Carefully and scrupulously compare what you think is true lines up with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If they are teaching the love of God, are they also teaching about the wrath and judgment of God? Are they teaching repentance? Are they teaching that we are saved by faith through grace and not of works? Are the thoughts taken in context with the whole Word of God or is a verse carefully selected to support what the author is saying?

We are living in an age of deception. Be aware of what is going on out there. Pray that you are not deceived! Read and study the Word of God daily.

"As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith"(1 Timothy 1:3).

To Evangelize or Not

Leon Brown of Evangelism Team has a great post on evangelism being something that we as Christians pick and choose if we want to do it or not.

Quoting Leon Brown:

"We are all called to share our faith in some capacity; and while everyone may not be open air preaching, everyone is required to "preach the gospel to all creation" (Mark 16:15).

Inside our churches, however, this does not seem to be the case. It is quite possible that you are one of the few that actively shares your faith. When you request to have people go out with you, only one shows up, or maybe even none. While that is sad, there's good news!

Praise God for that one that showed up, and praise God if you're the only one. You are being obedient to your Maker! What you must not do is be like Martha and complain. Allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify His Church through your obedience (because people see you), and allow the Holy Spirit to sanctify His Church through your edification and encouragement to the people whom reside in your local body. But again, and I cannot stress this enough...never complain about it."

Read full post here.

From: Leon Brown's Blog

Praying the Scriptures

“Father, grant me a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of yourself. Please, don’t leave me to myself. I am so worldly. My thoughts and feelings are so unspiritual. I scarcely feel any awe or trembling or sense of spiritual beauty or sweetness or glory. Have mercy and by your Spirit awaken in me a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that when I read or hear your wisdom and your revelation I will have ears to hear and eyes to see the wonder of it (Psalm 119:8).”

From: desiringGod (Ministry of John Piper)

Amazed

Are you amazed anymore?

Open Book

My daughter recently witnessed me reading my Bible and mentioned that I must really love God because I was always reading my Bible. My heart was warmed to hear that and was glad that I could be some kind of example to her in that manner.

The next week, the lady that helps me clean my house told me that she never knew anybody that had faith like I did. I took that as a great compliment too. Once again, it was great to have encouragement from someone that hardly knows you. To be an example is something I struggle with daily and it was nice to see that some work the Lord was doing was paying off to someone that you least expected to notice.

But little do they know. Little do they know how difficult it is sometimes to concentrate on growing my faith. How hard it is sometimes to wrestle with my flesh and sinful desires and thoughts. They don't really know that I get discouraged and down right overwhelmed. They would probably be surprised to hear my prayers. The ones that are full of whining and complaining. The ones that are full of fear and doubt. The ones that wail to God with loneliness and despair. The ones that you don't want anyone to see the weakness but it shows forth anyway with vengeance because I wear it on my sleeve. The ones where I question my faith all together and wonder if I have any faith at all anymore.

"He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who 'do business in great waters', these see His 'wonders in the deep'. Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving-kindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you." --Charles Spurgeon

In the midst of my struggles, if I had remained in the shallow waters I wouldn't have cried out to God. I wouldn't have needed to and thus I wouldn't have received the knowledge that He is pouring upon me now. God's timing is so precise and perfect! Thank goodness that my life is an open book to the Lord. It's all laid out there and He can see every word of it. He can see that although I can struggle at times I am desperately seeking Him. I am trying to learn how to believe and have more faith. Nothing escapes our Lord as He knows the innermost workings of my heart and thoughts (Psalm 94:11). To some that is a scary notion but to me it is comforting because He knows where my heart is and what it is really seeking after. Even so, there is much work to be done. He will melt me with fire to purify me so that I can share in His righteousness.

Remember the Israelites after they had been freed from slavery in Egypt? There was no rejoicing in their freedom. No thankfulness for the God who freed them and was leading them into the Promised Land. The Lord said that they were just wailing on their beds and not crying out to Him. Boy, what a fine pack of people huh? You wouldn't want to be around that group with a ten-foot pole. Oh, but alas -- if you looked closely and probably not very hard -- I'd be right there with them! I'd be the one throwing up my hands and wailing on my bed!

Recently I was reading Matthew 8:26. The disciples are on a boat with Jesus who is sleeping when a sudden storm comes up and fear grips them. I can see them with wide eyes watching the waves and the storm all around them as fear wants to gobble them up. They hurriedly awaken Jesus who asks them,"Why are you fearful, O you of little faith." Jesus then rebukes the wind and the seas and I love what happens next -- there was a great calm. What goes through my head when I read that is boy those disciples were so lucky! All they had to do was go wake up Jesus who was right there on the boat with them! Yet they still had no faith! We are in good company are we not?

In his book Running Scared**, author Edward T. Welch says this, "When we complain, we hold him in contempt. The white lies we tell are against the God of truth. The anger we display is murderous toward others and stands in judgment of God himself. And it is not just what we do that is so serious; it is also what we don't do. We don't love God and neighbor with our whole heart. In our spiritual indifference we can go for days thinking that our personal interests are paramount; that is, we forget God. When there is persistent sin, there is no fear of God (Rom 3:18)."

Through it all the Lord is teaching me to trust in Him and not in my fears and worries and the fruitless opinions of others. My interests for my life are not important. It all boils down to conquering sin. Concentrating on my fear and worry makes me look inward to myself as I feed off the insecurities. After a while it's all I know. And that makes it a lot harder to look up. The Israelites never battled their sin and were never were allowed into the Promised Land. If they were truly pursuing God, then they would have been very concerned about the sin in their life. That is what it is ALL about.

Here is what Welch says about sin, "The reality is that the Spirit convicts of sin. One piece of evidence of kingdom life is that you will see more sin, not less. Outside the kingdom of heaven, there is no concern about sin. That doesn't mean that unbelievers are so bad; it means that they are indifferent to the fact that their sin is against God. They hide the more shameful sins, but they don't do battle with them. When you are brought into the kingdom of light, you both see sin and, for the first time, get in a battle with it. The battle means you are alive."

What I trust in most is what I want to hang onto. But I am letting go.

Slowly. Surely. I am. I will. The work He has started in me will be complete.

And my hope is in my God who works all things for good to those who trust in Him.

Lord, I am an open book. Rewrite the chapters. Make me a best seller for your Kingdom.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them (Col 3:1-7).

**I recommend: Running Scared

Blessed Are The PeaceMAKERS

Guest Lane Chaplin on Slice of Laodicea posted this on how we are called to be peacemakers and not peacekeepers. Listen to the sermon by Mark Kielar of First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach. It is an absolutely fabulous point on what exactly being a peacemaker is about. I encourage all those who are sharing their faith to take some time to listen to this one hour sermon.

Here is an excerpt from the post Blessed are the PeaceMAKERS (Not the PeaceKEEPERS):

"One of the charges Ingrid is met with often here at Slice as do many of us meet is that we are trouble makers who cause division in the Body. We are told that we should basically be pacifists who allow any and all error into our lives and practice and are scolded for even taking the time and effort to discern what exactly error is. This is propagated largely and very often by those professing the name of Christ who are carnal hypocrites because they wouldn’t hold the same philosophy of wanting others to accept everything regardless if it’s error if they were to see their child about to eat paint chips or chop off their finger by placing it next to a power saw. Since a Christian is defined by the Bible and the Bible says that it’s the one who points out error to make peace instead of lying about the “peace” that is already there which is basically keeping a veneer over false peace, shouldn’t we relinquish our subjective opinions to the authority of God?"

See full post and link to sermon here.

Spiritual Sickness

Have you noticed lately there seems to be a lot of people that are sick? I think I probably notice it more since I have been one of them. About a month ago, I got really sick. I had all kinds of ultrasounds and tests done, blood drawn, and even nuclear medicine pumped into me that made my organs glow! Thankfully, nothing too serious was found.

But I noticed it. While at the hospital having tests done I saw all the people there. I saw them picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy. I heard about sickness going on in my friends and family. And I wondered. What is going on?

I can see how sickness can make many people think that God is not there. I can see how people can be deceived by the Word of Faith teachers (Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Todd Bentley and others) who say that if you are sick you must not have enough faith. I can see how people can think that God doesn't want anybody sick and that they must have some huge sin in their life that they better deal with. Job's friends told him that. All of his troubles had to have been caused by sin -- there was no other explanation.

My soul searching for several years now as to just what was going on with me did indeed uncover unconfessed sin in my life. I do not doubt that God used this suffering in my life to show me exactly where my heart was -- and it wasn't with Him. God allowed the misery to show me that there is more to life than my circumstances. The bottom line is the reason we do suffer whether it be sickness, persecution or otherwise is because we are living in a sinful, fallen world. There is not one of us who is not a sinner and therefore could be subject to sickness and suffering at anytime. I believe God definitely uses these trials as times of testing, chastening, discipline and to remind us that we are not yet perfected in Him. I am a sinner. Job was a sinner. We are all sinners. God perhaps used sickness in my life to show me that I wasn't so humble after all. I wasn't following Him like it looked like I was. And that was frightening. It still is and I am still learning.

Even now, I am going through a time in my life where I just want to be well again. At times, it has become so consuming that it has stopped me in my tracks and kept me from doing the things that I need to be doing such as evangelizing, praying, being a parent and wife. God specifically showed me that my health was, well, my idol. I was worshiping it and I became extremely fearful. I was leaning on my own understanding about what was happening. I was doing everything to try and make it better for myself without trusting God. My prayers were full of complaining and whining. I went though so many scenarios of what could be wrong with me. Come to find out God doesn't really care so much about the physical....it is the SPIRITUAL that is important to Him. He uses the physical sometimes to shake up the spiritual. He uses the physical to make us trust in Him, to test us, and to discipline us. He uses it for His power and His glory.

We know that sin is not always the cause. Remember the parable about the man who was born blind (John 9)? The disciples asked what sin he or his parents had committed that he was born this way. Jesus answered that it was no sin that had made him blind but so that the works of God could be revealed. This particular man was born blind so that Jesus could heal him while he walked on earth and that God's glory would be seen by all!

Another explanation comes from 2 Corinthians 12. Paul was plagued by a thorn in his side that God put there to keep him from being proud. We don't know what it was (some studies elude that it was an eye problem) but we do know that obviously it bothered him and he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove it. The Lord answers him in 2 Corinthians 12:9-11, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul goes on to say that he will boast all the more gladly of his weakness so that the power of Christ could rest upon him. Concentrating on my sickness was a weakness for me. I was weak in my own strength. But God used it for good. And, sometimes it is down right hard to boast about it.

Have you ever noticed when you go to a doctor they never ask or seem concerned about what you are eating? They listen to our list of symptoms and then they jot down on their notepad a prescription and then send you out the door. God is not concerned with just giving us something that will make us feel better for a little while. He is not concerned with the symptoms. He is concerned and sent His Son to die for the cause -- our sin.

God is not concerned with just giving us something that will make us feel better for a little while. He is not concerned with the symptoms. He is concerned and sent His Son to die for the cause -- our sin.

So what food are you eating? Are you eating from the vine of life? What is coming out of your heart? Living continually in the sin of this world will make us sick just like eating things that are bad for you can make you sick (*see more on this below). The good news is that God has all ready healed that sickness. He suffered and died on the cross for it! One of the verses in the Bible that is always misinterpreted is 1 Peter 2:24 which says in part "by His stripes you were healed." This does not mean physical healing but a healing from the eternal sting of sin (read the whole verse in context). I do believe God heals in the physical but it is His choice if He wants to or not. I also believe that there is a reason that God does what He does and we should not question it but learn from it. He is a merciful God and full of loving kindness. But sometimes He will crush us to make us righteous.

And so I rejoice in my weakness for when I am weak then I am strong! I rejoice in renewed hope and joy!!

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)

*(While God did show me where my heart was during this time I did have some things that were continuing to bother me. I continued to cry out to God for answers and He began to show me things regarding my nutrition and hormones. Our body is a temple for God and do believe that what I was eating has some to do with health issues. The food in this country is certainly not what it was in Bible times (it is highly processed) and I think careful consideration and study in this area is important as well. We are each individuals and I think the key is crying out to God for answers as to what He might be working in our lives whether it be physical or spiritual. Even if you don't find the answers regarding physical matters don't neglect the spiritual. Your eternal life depends on it. If you want more information on some interesting nutritional things that I have discovered please contact me.)

America, Not So Beautiful

"America, America, God shed His grace on thee...."

America. As the images of my country flash through my mind, it's hard for me to look past the current state that I see America in at this hour. Too far back in the history books are the records of the Pilgrims and the deep religious values, standards and Godly way of life that they brought to this great country. What the Puritans believed in and sought after for their country and family is replaced with broken homes, divorce, immoral lifestyles and a nation trying to please itself instead of a hunger and thirst for God.

If I look close enough, I might still see a glimpse of the amber waves of grain, the sea to shining sea and the freedom this country offers and that countless continue to fight for today. I can calmly rest in the warmth and comfort that living in a free nation affords. I still feel gratitude for the men and women who die fighting to keep this country alive and vibrant and offering hope for the less fortunate. I do love this country that I believe God really did have a plan for.

I wonder though how long it will last. It seems we are breaking the standard of relying on God to get us through.

Our nation is in the midst of deep political, spiritual and physical change. The roots that we established as a free nation, one under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all is not so much under God any more. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center pointed out that 70%, including the majority of Christians, believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life." If we were a nation that truly knew the Word of God then we would know John 14:6 which says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." There is only one way. It's not by Oprah's cultural agenda, it's not by Catholicism, Hinduism, Mormonism or Buddhism. It's only by Jesus Christ.

Because of our desire to embrace other cultures and beliefs and intertwine them with our own we have become a very tolerant nation. Too tolerant of the beliefs that however one chooses to get "to God" must be the right path. We believe Oprah when she says that all paths lead to God. We search for the meaning of life in nature, in the stars, and even on Mars, but we neglect the one true manuscript that dictates our purpose and our direction for this life. We put the Bible on a shelf and let others read us a few verses from it a week. We rationalize that Christianity is burdensome, hypocritical, judgmental and weak so therefore we should embrace other religions so that we keep an "open mind". We cling to anything that will let us continue to live comfortably in our own sin. We scrutinize others actions with disdain but refuse to look upon our inward heart and our own wretchedness.

Has God's grace begun to lift from this nation? The book The Light and the Glory** (Peter Marshall, David Manuel) is an excellent review of the nation's history from God's point of view.

"America, America, God shed His grace on thee...From the very beginning, God did abundantly answer this nineteenth-century prayer we have sung so often. And there is really no way to measure how much the grace which God has poured out on this nation is a direct result of the obedience and sacrifice of those first Franciscan and Dominican missionaries, the Jesuit martyrs, and the earliest generation of nameless Americans who chose the Covenant Way.

Yet even as His grace continued, our hearts grew harder, to the point where we took it so much for granted that we made a joke of it, 'God looks after fools, drunks, and the United States.' In the face of such callous indifference, God could not bless us indefinitely, and now the grace has begun to lift."

As the book alludes to as well, perhaps even social indicators such as the descent of morality, the destruction of the American family, the rebelliousness of our teenagers and high-pregnancy rates are evidence enough to the lifting of God's grace. Even natural disasters seem to be the norm as we watch the fires burn in California, the catastrophic earthquakes and flooding, and the strain upon our nations food and gas supply. Even terrorist attacks perhaps can be attributed to the lifting of God's grace on this nation.

I shudder to see our nation turn even more away from the way of the Lord that our forefathers held so dear. The authors in the book note this,

"For a whole nation to return to the Covenant Way seems impossible. But it is not impossible; it has been done before. And we have the biblical example of Nineveh to prove it....We are not saying that America is at the Nineveh-point--yet. Indeed, our demise could well be a more gradual, drawn-out affair, to allow us as much time as possible to repent. If God continues to lift His grace as He has begun to, it will not be long before we will be in a hell very much of our own making. But whether the end comes with a bang or a whimper, we are nearly at our national Point of No Return, beyond which it will be too late for America to turn back.

Yet such is God's mercy, that He does not even require the whole nation to repent. It is enough if only the Christians, those who truly know Him, will do this. He told us as much in 2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

I want that for America. I want us as a nation to fall on our face before God and repent of our wicked ways. I want us to surrender ourselves to the will of God and our commitment to bringing the truth of the gospel to the many ears that are headed for destruction. I want to be a servant and guide to those in this nation who are lost, including those who call themselves children of God. I want God to heal this land...to heal those who are not turning from their wicked ways in which the end will be destruction.

Pray with me for God's grace to continue upon this great nation. Pray that His mercy will be steadfast and that more hearts will open to His call.

Help us Father to be light bearers to the people of this land. Burden us with sorrow that moves us to action for this nation.

(**I read The Light and the Glory more than 15 years ago and it made a huge impression on me. I encourage everyone to read it.)

My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim's pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love.
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture fills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song.
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our father's God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

Temporary Highs

List of top ten temporary highs:

10. What kind of car you drive

9. What kind of house you live in

8. Your dreams

7. Your television

6. Your church

5. Your job

4. Your friends/family

3. Your marriage

2. Your kids

And, the number one temporary high....

1. YOUR LIFE

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)

Psalm 86

1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me.

I Wish We'd All Been Ready

There is an old song by dc Talk called I Wish We'd All Been Ready that couldn't emphasize more the importance of doing as the Lord commanded and reaching the lost. The day is coming when it will be too late to share our faith and even though we don't know when the day is, there is a lot of evangelicals who would say the day is approaching. We feel it. We know it.

We also know that the Lord tarries so that more can be saved. He longs for His Kingdom to be filled with people that love Him!

..."There is no time to change your mind. The Son has come and you've been left behind. I wish we'd all been ready"...

This is why I continue to press on for the faith to let the millions know that the day of judgment is coming, whether we are alive when He returns or not. As it says in Hebrews 9:27, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

..."The Father spoke, the demons dined. How could you have been so blind? There's no time to change your mind. The Son has come and you've been left behind"....

I don't want anyone to be left behind much less myself which is why I examine myself to make sure that I am remaining in the faith. And, no, I can't do it all. But as laborers for His harvest we are supposed to be reaching out to warn those who are traveling down the wrong path to destruction.

Oh, that day will be here when He will appear in the clouds and all doubt about His existence will be erased forever. All thoughts about turning from our sin when we get around to it will be forever moot. For some it will be more than they can take as they realize that it's too late. As a person who is sharing her faith more and more I don't want anyone that is supposed to hear the gospel to realize it's too late. This is why it is not a waste of my time. Each passing day I get more and more devoted to the cause of spreading the truth of the gospel. Because, unfortunately, the Bible does say that some will be left behind. What a sobering thought! But, oh, how I long for his glorious return!

..."A man and wife asleep in bed, she hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone. I wish we'd all been ready. Two men walking up a hill, one disappears, one is left standing still. I wish we'd all been ready...

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Luke 17:34-36)

You can't help but wonder when you read that verse just what it could mean. Did the person that was taken say all they could to change the other person's mind? Where they praying for that person enough so that the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit could be done in their heart? Did they open their mouth at all and say anything even if it meant losing them as a friend? I think the worse thing would be to look back with tears in my eyes and be thinking that I hadn't done my best to reach them. Even through all my faults and failures I hope that I can still be an example of Christ. I don't want to have to look back and say that I didn't try. What is a waste of time is for me to be a friend but not say anything or be praying for an eternal work of salvation in a person's life. That is a waste of time.

When the Lord returns it will be to establish His kingdom and gather those that are true followers of Him. My heart aches for those who refuse to see. The bad fish will be cast away and left behind. I do not wish for anyone to perish.

Matthew 14:34-50 says, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Even then, just proclaiming the gospel is not enough. Since salvation is a supernatural work of God in someones heart then we must be praying as well. Praying that the Lord opens the eyes of the blinded. Praying that those who read a tract or that we may have a conversation with is alerted to the fact that perhaps maybe they aren't quite right with God after all. It was a sobering thought for me but one that changed my life and my focus dramatically. Each day brings more and more urgency to reach those that intellectually have the knowledge of Christ but aren't living it. We must be praying as the Lord says for laborers to be increased for His harvest. But we can not overlook that we can not pray effectively if we are not doing it ourselves!

Are you putting your hand to the plow and not looking back? Are you ready for His return? What if you knew it was tomorrow?

We must labor for the harvest.

We must contend for the faith.

We must be praying for the lost.

...You've been left behind. You've been left behind...

How Old Are Those Dinosaurs Again?

Check out these videos from The Truth Group:



Compare everything you think you know with the Word of God.



Before 1841 they most likely called "dinosaurs" dragons. Check out these other references to these type creatures in the Bible:

Deuteronomy 32:33
Nehemiah 2:13
Job 30:29
Psalm 44:19
Psalm 74:13-14
Psalm 91:13
Psalm 148:7
Isaiah 13:22
Isaiah 27:1
Isaiah 34:13
Isaiah 35:7
Isaiah 43:20
Isaiah 51:9
Jeremiah 9:11
Jeremiah 10:22
Jeremiah 14:6
Jeremiah 49:33
Jeremiah 51:34
Jeremiah 51:37
Ezekiel 29:3
Micah 1:8
Malachi 1:3

A Christian Stand

"Or do you not know the the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9)


From The Daily Express:

A CHRISTIAN registrar was bullied and threatened with the sack when she refused to carry out “sinful” homosexual marriages, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Lillian Ladele, 47, asked to be excused from conducting civil partnerships for gay men and women because of her deeply-held religious beliefs.

But she says her town hall bosses gave her an “ultimatum” to perform the ceremonies or face dismissal for gross misconduct, and was treated like a “pariah” by colleagues when she refused.

Yesterday Miss Ladele wept as she told the employment tribunal she was being forced to choose between her Christian beliefs and her £31,000-a-year job at Islington Council in north London which she has held for nearly 16 years.

“I felt harassed and victimised,” she said. “I was being picked on on a daily basis. There was no respect whatsoever for my religious beliefs.

Miss Ladele accused gay colleagues of “stirring up religious hatred”, adding: “I felt like I was being thrown before the lions.

“I hold the orthodox Christian view that marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life and this is the God-ordained place for sexual relations. It creates a problem for any Christian if they are expected to do or condone something that they see as sinful.

“I cannot reconcile my faith with taking an active part in enabling same-sex unions to be formed. I believe this is contrary to God’s instruction that sexual relations belong exclusively between a man and a woman within marriage.”

Miss Ladele, who is claiming discrimination or victimisation on grounds of religion or belief, said 10 other registrars could conduct the ceremonies.

But council chiefs insisted it would “give totally the wrong message” if she was exempted.

Hundreds of gay couples have married at Islington town hall since the law was changed in December 2005 to allow civil partnerships. The case continues.

Can We Judge?

I posted this before but here's a reminder.

This five-minute video is by Tony Miano. You can read more about his ministry at The Lawman Chronicles.



Also, read this post from End Times Deception on the subject as well.

Why Does God Chasten?

Quoting D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

"Then take the question of health. I have already reminded you of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter eleven. The apostle teaches quite specifically that there were some people who were sick and ill because God had sent this upon them in order to teach them and train them. "Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.' Now this is the method that God often employed, so that those who say that it is never God's will that any of us should be sick or weak are simply denying the Scriptures. But let no one drop into the trap and say: 'Are you teaching that every sickness is a punishment sent by God?' Of course I am not, I am simply saying that God at times uses that method in order to chastise His children. If it is 'for this cause' that many are 'weak and sickly', it is God's action. God allowed that to happen to them, or God may have brought it upon them, for their own good. God's will is more important than the health of a man's body, and if a man will not submit himself and subject himself to the positive teaching of the Word, then God will certainly deal with that man, and He may very well send an illness upon him and lay him aside in order to make him think.

May I remind you that the great Dr. Thomas Chalmers always said that what really brought him, under God, to understand the gospel truly was an illness which confined him to his sick chamber for nearly twelve months. He had been a brilliant 'scientific' and 'intellectual' preacher, but he came out of that sick chamber as a preacher of the gospel, and he thanked God for that visitation. There is a parallel to that in the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, first chapter and ninth verse where he tells us that he had 'the sentence of death' in himself. And then there is the classic statement about the thorn in the flesh in chapter twelve. God did not remove the thorn because He was anxious to teach the apostle to say 'when I am weak then am I strong', and to rejoice in infirmity rather than health in order that God's glory might be promoted. There is no doubt that God allowed this thing, God perhaps even produced it, in order to chastise and train His servant in that particular way."

FROM: Spiritual Depression, Its Causes and Cure

Who We Are In Christ

In this 11-minute segment Paul Washer addresses who we are vs. what we do.



Father, help me to keep focusing on you and conforming to your image.

It's Not That Hard

For my yoke is easy, my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

I am amazed at myself sometimes. Sometimes I want go full out and I engage the person who's getting gas next to me at the gas station and hand them a tract. Other times I chicken out as I get ready to hand them a tract I quickly tuck it back away in my car. Oh, what the enemy likes to do with my self-righteousness and fear sometimes! I am reminded of Paul who said in Romans 7:15 "For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." Ah, it's nice to know that Paul was human too.

I continue to be alarmed at professing Christians who just downright don't witness. I understand though because well I was one of them. No sense of urgency. It's not that I didn't care I just didn't feel it was necessary....well, because everyone I was around was a Christian in this so called Bible Belt? I was surrounded by church goers who knew that you had to be born again to inherit the Kingdom of God, right? I was just going to keep on going to church and hope that people would take notice that I was a God loving church goer! How prideful and selfish I was! That doesn't save people!

It's not just a matter of opening your mouth and saying the right thing at the perfect time. It's more than than. It is preaching the gospel of Christ. It's telling others of his judgment and that we all will stand before Him when we die or when He returns regardless if we believe it or not. As Romans 14:12 says, "So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God." This is what grows my fear of God knowing that I will have to account myself to God! I will be in reverential awe and terrified at the same time!

I will have no excuse for not sharing how our Lord and Savior came down in the flesh to save us all for our sins. There are people who don't know this and there are some who do but are not living it! My hunger, my thirst is to tell others. Even if it's just passing out tracts or leaving them in restrooms, stores, ATM's, grocery carts. It's not HARD! So who cares what people think about you -- it's not about YOU! It's to glorify and edify our Lord. And, I have to tell myself this a lot. Romans 13:14, says "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." My flesh doesn't always want to but my love for my Savior and the countless lost keep me going.

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:25-26.

As you read this, if you are not striving to witness on a daily basis ask yourself why? I was reading a very good answer to this question recently from Tony Miano from The LawMan Chronicles. Here is an excerpt from his blog entry: Now That's A Great Question!

"When you ask Christians why they don't share their faith, listen for the personal pronouns they use as they give their answers. They will most likely be in the first person singular form. "I'm afraid I won't be able to answer their questions. I don't want to get into arguments. I don't want to jeopardize the relationships I worked so hard to build. I could lose my job. My wife might leave me. I don't want to look like a Bible thumper. I'm just too nervous around strangers. I don't want to seem judgmental. I live my life in a certain way and then I wait for people to ask me what is different about me.....then I invite them to church." And the list goes on.

The sad truth is this. The reasons Christians give for not sharing their faith with the lost reveals that they care more about themselves than they do about where lost people will spend eternity. The reasons (excuses) Christians give for not sharing their faith have everything to do with their own preservation, and have very little to do with the unbeliever's salvation." Read full blog post here.

All I can say is a big ouch to that -- boy does that hurt my ego. What do we value more? It was and still is a hard question for me. Something I wrestle with every day. But the solution is easy -- I don't trust in myself -- I trust that God will deliver me from the irrational fears and doubts. I pray that he will continue to make me bold as a lion. It's not our strength that does it and if we rely on that we will fail. It is God who opens up the harvest -- not me. Even if I see no one come to repentance like Jeremiah did his whole ministry -- I will press on.

I encourage everyone to open some of the links listed to the right and see what tracts you can purchase. Even if all you can do is leave tracts that someone might read and receive the gospel and truth of God's word it is worth the effort. What if that one person you engaged in conversation or even gave a tract to was forever changed by it?

But even before you begin this journey, there is one important question you must ask yourself. Are you right with God? Are you sincerely seeking after Him with a hatred of sin in your heart? Do you love Him enough to follow His commandments and reject the world and its lust to seek Him earnestly?

Our actions are attributed to what we believe in.

Ask yourself.

Do you really believe in Him enough to reach others?