Malachi Ministry

Does God Exist?

2007-03-29T14:59:00.000-03:00

1) By Definition: God is the one and only greatest possible being.

2) By Definition: A greatest possible being has the greatest form of existence possible, which is necessary existance, or existance in all possible circumstances. (For if God could exist in some circumstances and fail to exist in other circumstance God would be a less then absolutely perfect being.)

3) It is at least possible that there is a God. (There is a God in some possible set of circumstances, whether they are actual circumstances, or fictional, yet possible, ones)

4) A God who exists in any possible circumstances exists in all possible circumstances. (from premise 2)

Therefore

5) God exists in the actual world. (In the circumstances in which we actually find ourselves.)

The Night Sky

2007-02-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

Many have found that the awesome sight of the star-studded heavens evoke a sense of wonder, an awareness of transcendence, that is charged with spiritual significance. Yet the distant shimmering stars does not itself create this sense of longing; it merely exposes what is already there. They are catalysts for our spiritual insights, revealing our emptiness and compelling us to ask whether and how this void might be filled.

Might our true origins and destiny somehow lie beyond those stars? Might there not be a homeland, from which we are presently exiled and to which we secretly long to return? Might not our accumulation of discontentment and disillusionment with our present existence be a pointer to another land where our true destiny lies and which is able to make its presence felt now in this haunting way?

Suppose that this is not where we are meant to be but that a better land is at hand? We don't belong here. We have somehow lost our way. Would not this make our present existence both strange and splendid? Strange, because it is not where our true destiny lies; splendid, because it points ahead to where that real hope might be found. The beauty of the night skies or a glorious sunset are important pointers to the origins and the ultimate fulfillment of our heart's deepest desires. But if we mistake the signpost for what is signposted, we will attach our hopes and longings to lesser goals, which cannot finally quench our thist for meaning.

Here it is in a nutshell

2006-12-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.

All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin vs. grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.

An excert from....

2006-11-29T21:43:00.000-04:00

This is an excert from Charles Williams novel 'Descent into Hell'

'..."Haven't you heard it said that we ought to bear one another's burdens?"

"But that means---" she began, and stopped.

"I know," Stanhope said. "it means listening sympathetically, and thinking unselfishly, and being anxious about, and so on. Well, I don't say a word against all that; no doubt it helps. But I think when Christ or St. Paul, or whoever said bear, or whatever he Aramaically said instead of bear, he meant something much more like carrying a parcel instead of someone else. To bear a burden is precisely to carry it instead of. If you're carrying yours, I'm not carrying it for you-- however sympathetic I may be. And anyhow there's no need to introduce Christ, unless you wish. It's a fact of experience. If you give a weight to me, you can't be carrying it yourself; all I'm asking you to do is to notice that blazing truth. It doesn't sound very difficult."

"And if I could," she said. "If I could do--whatever it is you mean, would I? Would I push my burden on to anybody else?'

"Not if you insist on making a universe for yourself," he answered. "If you want to disobey and refuse the laws that are common to us all, if you want to live in pride and division and anger, you can. But if you will be part of the best of us, and live and laugh and be ashamed with us, then you must be content to be helped. You must give your burden up to someone else, and you must carry someone else's burden. I haven't made the universe and it isn't my fault. But I'm sure that this is a law of the universe, and not to give up your parcel is as much to rebel as not to carry another's. You'll find it quite easy if you let yourself do it."

"And what of my self-respect?" she said.

He laughed at her with a tender mockery. "O, if we are of that kind!" he exclaimed. "If you want to respect yourself, if to respect yourself you must go clean against the nature of things, if you must refuse the Omnipotence in order to respect yourself, though why you should want so extremely to respect yourself is more than I can guess, why, go on and respect. Must I apologize for suggesting anything else?"...'

A love letter from our Creator

2006-11-20T20:51:00.000-04:00

Dear Sons and Daughters,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in my image (Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring (Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139:15-16)

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me (John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect Father (Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalms 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my teasured possesson (Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul (Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires (Phillipians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamd, I have carried you close to me heart (Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31)

And I tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression of love for you (1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2:23)

And nothing will separate you from my love again (Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15)

My question is...Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)

I am waiting for you (Luke 15-11-32)

Love, Your Daddy.

From Jesus

2006-11-13T16:36:00.000-04:00

I bled, all because I love you

My blood was shed, all because I love you

They killed me instead, all because I love you

I rose from the dead, all because I love you

God's Patience

2006-11-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

It is when we see Jesus Patiently suffering that we realise how patient the love of God is. God has been patient with the earht through the millions of years of evolution - but perhaps he has had to be more patient still with us, in the few years we have been alive. Although God's happiness must be great beyond our understanding, we can begin to understand that the patience involved in God's chosen method of owrking must be similar in some ways to our own experience of suffering. As Jesus hangs on the cross dying, we begin to see that his acceptance of pain is not only the act of a brave and loving man. It is also a kind of poster, or film, which is about God's love for his whole creation and specially for mankind. And that moves us more than all the majestic power of God displayed in an earhtquake or in the stars.

When we see Jesus on the cross, we also begin to see how terribly wrong mankind has been in responding, or failing to respond, to God's good purpose. Jesus was rejected and left alone - as God the Father has often been. He was treated with contempt and cruelty - and people have often behavedin the same way towards God's creation, specially towards men and women who are God's children. When we see that happening, we know that if we had been there we should probably have behaved as the cowardly friends of Jesus did, or as the mob did (shouting 'Hosanna' one day and 'Crucify' before the end of the week), or as Jewish priests did, or as Roman soldiers did. The word 'sin' now has serious meaning - because when we realise what people like us did to Jesus, we know what sin does.

The Church

2006-10-16T15:19:00.000-03:00

Because the Church as we see it on this earth is people not angels - ordinary people, not saints - the Church is always disappointing. The Church is so full of human imperfections that we can easily pick holes in it, complaining about what it does and about what it fails to do, condemning its failure. But we have to ask ourselves: if the fault lies with the people who make up the Church, are we ourselves any better? Are we in a position to criticise? Above all, are we entitled to stand apart? Is it right for us to be proud that our hands are clean, when the reason is that we washed them too soon - or never did any work to get them dirty?

We believe in Listening pt3

2006-10-10T17:54:00.000-03:00

(Read parts 1 and 2 first and this will make more sense)

Anything that we can rightly want for ourselves, we shall naturally want for our friends; and anything we want for our friends we can mention to God. Praying for our family and friendsis one of the best possible expressions of our love for them. It simply means remembering them and their needs before God. While the whole point of prayer is that God's will (not ours or theirs) may be done, you will find that when you have prayed for people you will have a more loving attitude to them as you meet them. Your prayer has not only shown your care - it has deepened it.

Anything we want for our friends we want for those who have a claim on our active sympathybecause they have to face suffering - either in the body or in the mind. So we remember before god people who are sick in hospital or at home, people who undergo the bitter experiences of loneliness and despair, and people whose lives have been devastated by violence or some other disaster. This prayer for God's world puts the world where it belongs - in God's hands. but you will find that just as prayer for your friends deepens your friendship, so prayer or 'intercesssion' for the world strengthens your caring about it.

After praying, you will want to find out whether you can help anyone who is sick or lonely, and how you can fight poverty and war. you will feel more responsible, more involved, more eager.

After being involved in other people's problems, or in trying to do something about the world's giant problems, you are likely to feel tired and depressed - for the problems are complicated, people can be awkward, the tragedies of the world can be completely overwhelming. Then you will want to go back to god in prayer, leaving the problems with him for a time before you begin your own works again. You will find that you need to be told again and again by your Father that you are not to feel responsible for everything. god alone carries the whole burden of what goes wrong - and you can watch him doing it on the cross. And then you will find that you can take up your duties again refreshed, co-operating with God.

Is it necessary to do all these things in order to be any good at prayer? NO! These points are merely suggestions which others have found useful. They are not meant to make you feel guilty. It is for you to find your own way of praying. One of the wisest things ever said about prayer was this: 'pray as you can, don't pray as you can't.' But it helps to remember also that what is our way of praying at one stage in our lives may not be satisfactory at the next stage. Our circumstances change, our personalities develop - and so should our prayers. For no one can say before death that he or she has reached the end of the road of prayer. No, when it comes to praying we are all beginners.

We believe in Listening pt2

2006-10-05T19:05:00.000-03:00

(Read Part 1 first to understand this better)

When you have ogt clearer in your mind the reality of god, coming to you in Jesus, stepping out of the pages of the Bible, you will find it easier to put together the jigsaw puzzle of your life. you will want to admit what a muddle your life has been. The pattern of your life can't be seen from the bits - unless someone has caught sight of the picture now broken up into those bits. But even more than that you will want to give thanks for the pattern which is there all the time. The advice to 'count your blessings' is an old recipe for a glad heart, because when bit by bit you lay before God what's right in your life (and in the world's) you will find that what's wrong is reduced to its proper proportions. Most of us have a natural tendency to concentrate on what's wrong - on the problems and grumbles. prayer is vital if we are to lift up our hearts to the goodness that, as a matter of fact, surrounds us. it is like looking out of the window on a summer's day.

It may help to remember A.C.T: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving. then - if you have any time left - remember your needs. but do so before god, which makes it different from the supermarket. Jesus encouraged his followers to be thoroughly natural when talking to their Father. Anything that a Christian can rightly want, he can rightly pray for. But there are some practical points to bear in mind.

-The words which end many prayers in church 'through Jesus Christ our Lord', are not just a signal to the congregation to add Amen (which means ' We agree! So be it!). They are words reminding us that Christian prayer is prayer which reflects the teaching and character of Jesus Christ. (If we pray for our enemy to slip on some ice and hurt themselves this is not praying through Jesus Christ!) These words also remind us that Jesus Christ is the only human beingwho has ever been thoroughly satisfactory in God's eyes. So Christian prayer is prayer which says to God: 'I know I am human - but so is Jesus Christ! And what I ask is to be made like him!'

-All that we need to ask for ourselves or for anyone else is that God's will may be done. We should never attempt to dictate to God.

-Often what we need most is guidance about what God's will is. We can get this by listening. But it is easy to imagine that some wish of our own has been inspired by God. It is necessary to test what we think is guidance by comparing it with the character and teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible.

-We rightly pray for our physical needs, not for luxuries. We ask God for daily bread, not hourly cake. Know the difference between your needs and your wants.

-We state needs which God knows already, just as a parent knows that the children need bread (plus love and some fun). Why then ask? For the same reason that it is our duty and our pleasure to use the word 'please' at the table. Probably the same food will arrive anyway, but things go better with some courtesy.

-God normally answers our needs through the natural processes of the world he has provided, and that means that we must do our share in co-operating with him. It is no use praying for the weeds to disappear if we will not get our hands dirty. It is no use praying for a good mark in an exam if we refuse to work.

-God is free to say NO. That can be the best kind of answer to prayer - as we learn after a time.

(I still have more to say so pt3 will probably come soon. thanks)

We believe in Listening pt1

2006-10-04T21:50:00.000-03:00

Usually we don't really listen. Radio or TV is a background noise. We meet too many people to think it possible to listen to what they are saying with the kind of attention that catches what they mean but can't say. But many of us want more peace in order to listen more. Sometimes we have listened to music - or to friends sharing their secrets. There have even been times when we have listened to trees (at least I have) - or to silence. those were moments when we were freed from the noisy, futile round-about of our own worries, desires and jealousies.

People who patiently practise it find prayer to be the best, most instructive, most calming, encouraging and liberating, kind of listening.

The trouble is that so many people with only a superficial knowledge of prayer think that it is mostly talking. Indeed, they sometimes seem to think that it consists of sleepily repeating the formula: 'god-bless-Mom-and-Dad-and-make-me-a-good-boy/girl.' To such people prayer, even when it is made in adult language, is like telephoning. One pours out amny apologies and explanations about themselves, then one produces a long shopping list of things one wants. A phone call like that is so full of our own noise that we doubt whether there is anyone listening at the other end - particularly when we count the things that arrive and find that they aren't exactly what we ordered.

Real prayer is listening to God. The first essential is to 'shut the door' as Jesus put it. The world is very busy, agitating our feelings and exhausting our energies - but here and now, as we begin real prayer we deliberately shut the world out. i am so deeply interested in myself and in how special I am that I can't decide quite what is most interesting about me - but here and now, as I turn to god, I deliberatly forget myself. This is to be a journey inwards, but not in order to talk to myself. Real prayer begins by concentrating on God. And often it can usefully end there!

There is an ancient phrase still used in Our worship: 'lift up your hearts!' We have to let ourselves rise to the greatness of God - and if need be, we must jump! We enjoy spending time with someone we love; we enjoy just being silent, together. Now we are with God! In the stillness is power, peace, love! But most people find it difficult to use abstract ideas in order to get near God. You may be helped more by looking at a reproduction of a painting, or at a flower. Best of all, gaze on the beauty of God by using the picture of himself which he has supplied: Jesus Christ. Recall to yourself a glimpse of Jesus - teaching, healing, dying on the first Good Friday, rising at the first Easter. That is the likeness of the invisible God.

Normally we read quickly because we are reading newspapers, fiction, business letters, textbooks or blogs. Or when we are studying a subject, we read as critically as possible. For a change, try reading suitable parts of the Bible as lovingly as possible - lingering over the scene, noticing every detail as if you had been there, asking what it shows you of God. Such 'meditation' on the Bible supplies a solid basis for prayer - and life.

(Please check back for continued postings on this subject I'm not done yet. I have a surprising amount to say.)

Holy Spirit & Trinity

2006-09-24T16:35:00.000-03:00

The teaching about God as the Holy Trinity has to cover the fact that Christians have experienced the glory of God in all these three ways. None of them is secondrate. So Christians believe that in each way God is being himself personally - although God is not three separate people

That is why God the Spirit is spoken of as 'he' not 'it' - although the Spirit is believed to be given by God the Father through God the Son. And thatis why the Father, Son and Spirit can each be worshipped as fully divine - although Christian prayer is normally offered to the Father, through the Son and in the power of the Spirit. The activity of God, as experienced be Christians, is summed up by Paul as he ends the second letter to Corinth: 'the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.' it is an astonishing phrase, for it shows how early in their history the Christians felt themselves compelled by their experience to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, in the same breath as they spoke of God.

In the Bible the activity of God is often compared both with fire and with water. The main point of the comparison is the sheer excitement of knowing that God acts - it is like suddenly seeing a fire in the dark night, or like finding water in the desert. But it may help our understanding of God's action to notice that there are three equally effective ways in which fire is fire. Fire gives warmth - fire gives light - and fire burns. There are also three equally effective ways in which water is water. Water quenches thirst - water washes - and water makes steam, which can supply energy.

This belief that God is Three-in-One is Trinitarian the center of fully Christian thinking, and it ought to alert us to the significance of God the Holy Spirit. But it is even more vital that we should have the experience which is here being talked about. For only the full Christian experience, including experience of the energy of the Holy Spirit, makes Christianity what it ought always to be - fire in the world, a torrent of living water.

Jesus- Evidence and reflections

2006-09-21T03:40:00.000-03:00

Evidence that exists makes it certain that Jesus was not a rebel in the ordinary sense ofthe word. (He was crucified under roman law for leadinga redellion). This evidence consists almost entirely of some of the letters written by Paul within about thirty years of the death of Jesus- and four gospels which are not full biographies but whcih do contain much reliable information. Coming from five very different sources, this evidence enables us to reconstruct a kind of portrait of the character of Jesus. And it shows us a man whose rebellion was religious, not political.

His message was revolutionary because he announced that God's 'kingdom' was about to come - indeed, that it had already begun to come. Jesus was a Jew. His mind had been formed by the Jewish religion. But while the rest of the Jews waited for a messiah who would be a national military leader, Jesus claimed that God was already acting decisively to show his rule and love - not be defeating the Jews' enemies in a war but by answering doubters, healing the sick, and assuring sinners of forgiveness. In particular, Jesus claimed that God could now be known as Father.

This teaching was brilliantly expressed in short stories or powerful sayings. Much of it was remembered, and some of it was written down in four gospels. But the evidence suggests that it was not understood atthe time even by the closest followers of Jesus. What made the impact was that Jesus lived as He taught. He no only said that God was answering doubters - he commanded some people to leave everything and follow Him. He not only said that God was healing the sick - he cured some people, even when it meant breaking the religious law that no work was to be done on the 'Sabbath'. He not only said that God was forgiving sinners - he had friendly meals with some people who were notorious. He not only said that God was doing something new - for some people, he made a new start possible. His own life was new - and so was theirs.

And this life went on after his crucifixion - not only in the influence which heroes often have, and not only in the memory of his character, but much more personally and powerful. He was tortured to death in public, yet his followers claimed they felt his presence as surely as in the days when he had walked and talked with them along the road to Galilee, as surely as on the evenings when, gathering his friends like a family, he had divided the loaf and poured out the wine. Their mysterious meetings with Jesus after his death were experiences which transformed their lives - giving them a new confidence, a new happiness and a new conviction that they were united with thier Master and could never be separated from him. Their minds had been confused and their hearts broken; but now they were full of courage and faith, ready for hard lives and hard deaths. Something happened to change these men and women. That something we call the 'resurrection' of Jesus.

Are you following me? Okay

Was the resurrection an experience in the mind? Clearly it was - but it was not dreamed up by these people. They responded to an event which happened and which convinced them. Was the resurection of Jesus physical? The evidence says that the tomb of Jesus was empty, and that his risen body could be seen and touched. This is evidence which will be taken very seriously by modern people who have been impressed by Jesus himself - and by the moral and spiritual power of the first Christians. Although it is very strange evidence, many people would agree that very strange things happen in this world. But four gospels describe the risen body of Jesus as no ordinary body - it could go through doors, appear and disappear. it is impossible to know exactly what happened. But all Christians have good grounds for beleiving that something extraordinary, something of the very great significance, did happen.

After it the whole world was seen in a new light. The men and women who were prepared to follow Jesus could know in their hearts that he could never be defeated. That was their light. And the same light has come to Christians ever since. To live as people who believe in the resurrection of Jesus is to live triumphantly, with a happiness which can never be taken away.

As John put it in his first chapter, the creation of the universe was like God uttering a mighty word - and in the life of Jesus Christ that Word actually "became flesh"! For the life of God was enfleshed - made a baby's flesh, made the flesh of a man who was hungry, weary, lonely and sorrowful, made coloured flesh, made poor flesh, made the flesh of man who died in agony. Jesus was fully human, but the humanity of Jesus was used by God to show his love, and for this great purpose it was the perfect instrument. In the man Jesus of Nazareth, the love of God walked the earth and was nailed to wood.

That is what the life of Jesus Christ was. And is!! For that life has never ended. Certainly he lived and died in Palestine, but if you stop his biography there you cannot make sense of the experiences of countless Christians since his death. Jesus is alive today. He is our contemporary. He is near you, whatever your situation may be. You cannot see him - but that will not stop you knowing the difference which he makesto your life, in many practical ways, if you are willing to walk with him thorugh the problems. listen to what one of the first Christians experienced about Jesus (Revelation 1:18) "Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, and I am the living one; for I was dead and now I am alive..." You can meet him, and in your own life you can discover who he is.

Back!!!!

2006-09-21T03:38:00.000-03:00

Hey I'm Back and hopefully posting more then ever. Sorry for the long break I had alot going on and alot to figure out. The blog wasn't my top priority. I'm excited to hear your comments, questions, and corrections if needed.

Being Selfless

2006-05-15T13:51:00.000-03:00

Friends,

I've been in a very bad season lately. I'm trying to come out of this season, and God is showing me that the reason I fell into this bad season is because I have not been selfless and by not being selfless I have not followed His greatest commandments. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40). I wasn't loving the Lord with everything I have. My mind and heart were almost in the right place but not quite and I was not loving my neighbor as myself.

To love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind means that you are using ALL of yourself to love the Lord. That means there isn't room in your mind to fantasize over women. Alot of people think that Christianity is alot of rules and regulations but it is only two rules, love the Lord and love your neighbor. If you do these two things you will be completely transformed. People ask 'how can I be a better christian?' 'how can I be on fire like some of my friends?' The answer is simple, love the Lord and love your neighbor. Think of it friends, are you loving the Lord with all your heart when you are having premarital sex? Are you loving your neighbor when you make fun of someone because you see them as different? Are you loving the your neighbor when you steal? murder? Are you loving your friends when you are too embarrased to tell them about the saving grace that you've recieved? Don't you see friends whenever you make a decision all you need to do is think upon these two commandments and then you'll know what to do.

To follow these two commandments it requires us to be completely selfless. THAT is what the Lord has been showing me in this darkness. That in order to get my head above the water I am required to be completely selfless. There is no room to be selfish. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4). Christ was successful in doing this. He made himself nothing, a servant to all. He, the only innocent person, gave his life to help everyone else. That is being selfless. Its all about being selfless friends. If you struggle with thoughts about drinking or doing drugs or having premarital sex then think. Look you want to make yourself feel good by getting drunk, you want to feel pleasure by having sex or masturbating. Simply look friends and you'll see the answer.

Friends do you want to take this line of thought a step further? Are you loving the Lord with all your mind and heart when you fill it with gory movies that show humans which are Gods creation being slaughtered? Or watching other shows or movies that make fun of people or insult people. Shows like the Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park. Think friends are you loving the Lord with all your mind when you fill your mind with this garbage? What about music? Are you loving the Lord with your entire mind when you fill it with music that doesn't praise God? What about that poster of a nice looking girl on your wall?

This is hard I know, but ask yourself if your loving God with any of this and you'll see the answer.

Life

2006-05-01T16:44:00.000-03:00

Your natural life is derived from your parents; that does not mean it will stay there if you do nothing about it. You can lose it by neglect, or you can drive it away by commiting suicide. You have to feed it and look after it: but always remember you are not making it, you are only keeping up a life you got from someone else. In the same way a Christian can lose the Christ-life which had been put into him, and he has to make efforts to keep it. But even the best Christian that ever lived is not acting on his own steam--he is only nourishing or protecting a life he could never have acquired by his own efforts. And that has practical consequences. As long as the natural life is in your body, it will do a lot towards repairing that body. Cut it, and up to a point it will heal, as a dead body would not. A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble--because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himslef carried out.

That is why the Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good, to please God if there is one; or--if they think there is not--at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because its bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.

And let me make it quite clear that when Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being 'in Christ' or of Christ being 'in them', this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them; that the whole mass of Christians are the physical organism through which Christ acts-- that we are his fingers and muscles, the cells of His body. And perhaps that explains one or two things. It explains why this new life is spread not only by purely mental acts like belief, but by bodily acts like baptism and Communion. It is not merely the spreading of an idea; it is more like evolution--a biological or superbiological fact. There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it.

-C.S. Lewis

Walk of Christ without Bounds

2006-04-16T12:10:00.000-03:00

(This is a post from January, but I think its message is important so I wanted to repost it)

In our search to walk more closely with Jesus, it is an important exercise to distinguish between what we believe as part of our Chrsitianity and what we believe as part of our culture. Few of us know how greatly we are affected by what those around us belive until we have taken some time to live in a different culture or share our faith with someone from a different part of the world. A church in an Arabic country will not look like a church here in Canada or one in an Oriental country. The interpretation of some scriptures may even by somewhat different. In exploring these differences, we can come to an understanding of what is more universally true.

In some countries, Christianity is so meshed with the culture that just by being born in that nation one is considered a Christian, and church attendance is thought to make up for a life of willful sin. Even different churches or denominations have cultures that constrain us to some extent or the other. It is important to ask ourselves if we believe things because they have been revealed to us through God's Word, or is it just tradition of our church? Do we live a life of devotion to God through a personal walk, or do we just fulfill all the requirements of a "good" person according to the accepted behavior of our church friends and culture? Are we the same in front of them as we are in private? If we began to run with a totally different crowd, would their different morals change us more than our morals and beliefs would change them?

Christianity is a counterculture that will change those things that are most essential without conforming all people to be the same. Yet this can only happen when the individuals in any culture prize meeting God through His Word above just being called a Christian so that they can fit in with their crowd. Men and Woman who are truly seeking God have this value and are open to correction. They are willing to strip away what is cultural to live what is Christlike. These people are not those who flow with the crowd, but those who flow with the Holy Spirit! As Paul did, they can drop or accept cultural differences for the sake of sharing the essentials of Christ with whomever they come into contact. This is life lived in the world but not of the world--the life lived in the Spirit as Jesus walked.

Prayer

2006-03-24T23:50:00.000-04:00

Friends I was told once that a Christian unwilling to pray is like a carpenter who is unwilling to sharpen his tools.

Now that this has been stated i'm simply asking anyone who comes across this to pray for me. I'm not sure what to do next year. And i've got a few other issues that need prayer. Thank you Friends.

Walking the talk

2006-03-18T22:39:00.000-04:00

I do not know what your state of grace is- whether you are saved or not- but it is an awful thing for me to see people who profess to be Christians lifeless, powerless, and in a place where their lives are so parallel to unbelievers lives that it is difficult to tell which place they are in, whether in the flesh or in the Spirit. Many people live in the place that is described to us by Paul in Romans 7:25 " With the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." That is the place where sin is in the ascendancy. But when the power of God comes to you, it is to seperate you from yourself. It is destruction of yourself, annihilation. It is to move you from nature to grace, making you mighty over the powers of the Enemy and making you know that you have now begun to live a life of faith in the Son of God.

From your Daddy

2006-03-04T16:06:00.000-04:00

Dear Sons and Daughters,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in my image (Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring (Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139:15-
16)

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me (John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect Father (Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalms 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my teasured possesson (Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul (Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires (Phillipians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamd, I have carried you close to me heart (Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31)

And I tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression of love for you (1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2:23)

And nothing will separate you from my love again (Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15)

My question is...Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)

I am waiting for you (Luke 15-11-32)

Love, Your Daddy.

Listening To God

2006-02-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

None of you can be strong in God unless you are diligently and constantly listening to what God has to say to you through His Word. You cannot know the power and the nature of God unless you partake of his inbreathed Word. Read it in the morning, in the evening, and at every opportunity you get. After school/work, instead of indulging in unprofitable conversation or not so God centered television, read a chapter from the Word, and then have a season of prayer. I endeavor to make a point of doing this no matter where I am at. I love to read the Word during my breaks at work and at school.

The psalmist said that he had hidden God's Word in his heart so that he might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). You will find that the more of God's Word you hide in your heart, the easier it is to live a holy life. He also testified that God's Word had had given him life (Psalm 119:50. As you receive God's Word, your whole physical being will be given life, and you will be made strong. As you receive with meekness the Word (James 1:21), you will find faith springing up within. You will have life through the Word.

God's Unfailing Word

2006-02-12T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Scriptures do not tell two different stories. They tell the truth. I want you to know the truth, "and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). What is truth? Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). he also said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). He said this concerning the Spirit, who would be given after Jesus had been glorified (John 7:39).

I find nothing in the Bible but holiness, and nothing in the world but worldliness. Therefore, if I live in the world, I will become worldly; on the other hand, if I live in the Bible, I will become holy. This is the truth, "and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

Energized by the Spirit

2006-02-10T18:06:00.000-04:00

There is a necessity for every one of us to be filled with God. It is not sufficient to have just a touch or to be filled with just a desire. Only one thing will meet the needs of the people, and that is for you to be immersed in the life of God. This means that God takes you and fills you with His Spirit until you live right in God. He does this so that "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, [it may be] all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). In that place you will find that all your strength and all your mind and all your soul are filled with zeal, not only for worship, but also for proclamation. This proclamation is accompanied by all the power of God, which must move satanic power and disturb the world.

The reason the world is not seeing Jesus is that Christian people are not filled with Jesus. They are satisfied with attending weekly meetings, reading the Bible occasionally, and praying sometimes. Beloved, if God lays hold of you by the Spirit, you will find that there is an end of everything and a beginning of God. Your whole body will become seasoned with a divine likeness of God. Not only will He have begun to use you, but also He will have taken you in hand, so that you might be "a vessel for honour" (2 Timothy 2:21). Our lives are not to be for ourselves, for if we live for ourselves we will die (Romans 8:12-13); but if "by the Spirit [we] put to death the deeds of the body, [we] will live" (Rom.8:13). He who lives in the Spirit is subject to the powers of God, but he who lives for himself will die. The man who lives in the Spirit lives a life of freedom and joy and blessing and service—a life that brings blessings to others. God would have us see that we must live in the Spirit.

Idolatry

2006-02-07T11:00:00.000-04:00

It still flourishes, even without statues.

"They have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods." (Jeremiah 19:4)
Suppose you found a friend carving a small statue out of a piece of wood. "what are you going to do with that?" you ask. "I'm going to worship it," he says. "I've got a nice spot in my bedroom where I can kneel down and ask it for things." Or imagine people on a suburban street pooling their wedding rings and other jewelry to make a statue they cna put in the park. They plan to kill animals and leave the meat out in front of the statue. To moderns, idolatry is as wierd as cannibalism; we're not tempted to try it. But since a great part of the Old Testament is concerned with idolatry, we need to get some idea of what people saw in it-- and why God condemned it.

Mixing Religions
In Jeremiah's day, practically everybody practiced idolatry. Israelites had a hard time seeing that a few statues interfered with their relationship with the one true God. They worshiped the God of Abraham, but mixed in the gods of countries surrounding them. They had idols right in the Jerusalem temple (Jer. 7:30). They could go to worship God right after burning incense to baal (Jer. 7:9-10). They had built shrines on top of many hills -- the "high places" -- and under the tallest trees so that worship could be carried out conveniently, without a trip to Jerusalem. They ignored the prophets' warnings that God hated this "mixed" religion. Judah's neighbours believed in many gods, each having its sphere of influence. The Jews themselves had begun to wonder: why should their God be so different? Why should he want to knock out all competition? If idols were a fraud, mere carvings (Jer 10:4), why should God worry about them?

The Evils Idols Stood For
Idols were far from innocent, however. They stood for vile, angry gods who could hurt you unless you bartered for peace. The highest sacrifice? Slaughter your own son. The Israelites had adopted this practice. (Jer 19:5). According to these idol-worshiping religions, success came through the fertile power of nature and the gods. You could tune in to such power by having sex with temple prostitutes, either male or female. The Israelites also borrowed this (2 kings 23:7). These ideas disgusted the God of Israel. By mixing such practices with their devotion to him, God's people were becoming confused about his true character.

Idolatry Today
The New Testament broadens the definition of idolatry so that it applies to us, even though we worship no statues. Paul said that greed is idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5). The things people get greedy for -- money, sex, power, even food-- can function as little gods. When we feel depressed, we turn to them for comfort. When we're happy, we give them the credit. We gradually become their slaves. But this is exactly the place for God in our lives, and God alone. If something else takes his place, we are as guilty of idolatry as the people Jeremiah spoke to. God cannot share us. He is either the only God, or he is not God at all. Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but in some situations it is the only appropriate response. A father is jealous of his children; he will fight never to give them up to another family. A husband is jealous of his wife; he will not share her most intimate love with anyone else. So God feels about his people They belong to him, and to him alone.

Friends where do you turn when you're troubled? Do money, success, popularity, or other factors serve as substitutes for God?

Malachi

2006-01-28T19:10:00.000-04:00

When Faith Grows Weary

Malachi spoke to people "going through the motions."

"A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due me?" (Malachi 1:6)

Success has dangers of its own. When you reach the top, you may tend to slack off. Spiritual life can gradually deteriorate too. Malachi, in this short book, tried to awaken Israel from slackness in relating to God. Years before, they had optimistically returned to Jerusalem after a long exile. Their faith had grown deeper through difficulties. Despite fierce opposition they had rebuilt the temple, the symbol of their hope in God. They had expected God to supernaturally fill it with his glory and make their nation the center of the world. By Malachi's time Israel's hope had faded. In fact, life seemed to have passed the Israelites by. They could not see that God loved them (1:2), and they felt that serving God brought no reward(2:17; 3:14).

No Big Sinners
The people of Jerusalem had become lukewarm. Their complaints showed it, and so did their actions. They were not "big" sinners like the people before the exile, who had practiced child sacrifice and brought idols into the temple. Malachi's people had kept their religion, but they had lost contact with the God whom the religion was all about. While Malachi mentioned the same injustices and evils earlier prophets had blasted (3:5), he concentrated most of his energy on problems that may seem petty in comparison: mixed marriages, divorce, and apathetic worship (shown in their second rate offerings). Through Malachi's eyes, we see the Israelites going through the motions of their faith, doing the bare minimum. How do you heat up a lukewarm faith? Malachi used several tactics. He began with God's love. To his audience, it was not apparent. But if they would compare their situation with neighboring Edom's, they would see that God had been caring for them all along.

Curing a Careless Animal
Malachi then challenged the Jews to take obedience seriously. They were bringing injured or sick animals to God for offerings. "Try offering them to your governor!" Malachi said. " Would he be pleased with you?" (Malachi 1:8). Malachi urged them to bring the perfect animals God's law demands and his honour requires. Malachi further demanded that they stop marrying women of other religions, a practice that inevitably introduced religious compromise. They must also put an end to divorce. And finally, they must bring a full tenth - the "tithe" - of their income to God at the temple. Their skimping amounted to robbery - robbery from God. Malachi didn't demand these changes just because they were in the rulebook. They were actions meant to sybolize an inner attitude. The people must practice their faith seriously. " 'Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Malachi 3:10)

The Last Voice
Malachi's was the last Old Testament voice. It reverberated through 400 or more years of biblical silence. During those years at least some of Malachi's message took hold. Led by the Pharisees, Jews became increasingly devoted to keeping the Old Testament law. Unfortunately, many of them lost Malachi's main point. They forgot that the law was not an end in itself. It was a means by which to give God the honour he deserves.

When Reading Malachi...
God's voice dominates Malachi, the voice of a loving father pleading with his children. The people's response is given in the form of seven questions or complaints. The result is a kind of dialogue - almost an argument - which lets you see into the personal attitudes of God and the people he is speaking to. As in most arguements, a variety of issues are raised, but they are all rooted in a few basic attitudes. As you read through Malachi, try to see what attitudes lay behind the questions, complaints, and problems of God's people. Also note what attitudes lay behind God's words and promises to them.

Complacency of our Churches

2006-01-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

(Isaiah 29:13) "The Lord said ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.’"

This was quoted approx. 700 years later by Jesus for the people of His days on Earth. " Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it was written: ‘these people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." (Mark 7:6-8)

Now approx. 2000 more years later this needs to be quoted again. WHY? Why is the Church so content with where it is at in our western Christianity. Why isn’t the Church as a body hungry for more of Christ? Michael Tait said "The single greatest cause of Atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door denied by their lifestyle. THAT is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable." If you go to China and find an underground church will you find many lukewarm Christians? I doubt it…so why is the western church so complacent and the underground church so alive? For many westerners it is convenient to go, its tradition.

Imagine if in North America it became illegal to be a Christian and the church went underground. How many would still secretly meet on pain of death? In the underground church death is very real and that makes their faith very real. They don’t believe because its tradition they believe because they know Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6)

Friends we need to stop going through the motions and start to give everything to the Lord. Paul told the Philippians that "In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus."(Philippians 2:5) Again in our lives (every single part of our lives) me MUST (not should we must) THINK and ACT the way our Lord and Saviour did. Friends don’t be afraid we have Jesus on our side….what can stand up to that? Will you let a sneer or someone scoffing you stop you? I should think not!

Remember Fear incapacitates Faith Liberates.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ."(1 Corinthians 12:12) So, if we are the body why aren’t his arms reaching? His hands healing? His words teaching? His feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way? Jesus Paid much to high a price for us to pick and choose who should.

Stop only paying lip service and then doing your own thing! To live the life we must die the death. Die to your old self and to worldly things and start being a living sacrifice for the Lord. Start to live the faith you proclaim be calling yourselves Christian. Let the western Body of Christ begin the work we are called to.

Walk of Christ without Bounds

2006-01-26T14:10:00.005-04:00

In our search to walk more closely with Jesus, it is an important exercise to distinguish between what we believe as part of our Chrsitianity and what we believe as part of our culture. Few of us know how greatly we are affected by what those around us belive until we have taken some time to live in a different culture or share our faith with someone from a different part of the world. A church in an Arabic country will not look like a church here in Canada or one in an Oriental country. The interpretation of some scriptures may even by somewhat different. In exploring these differences, we can come to an understanding of what is more universally true.

In some countries, Christianity is so meshed with the culture that just by being born in that nation one is considered a Christian, and church attendance is thought to make up for a life of willful sin. Even different churches or denominations have cultures that constrain us to some extent or the other. It is important to ask ourselves if we believe things because they have been revealed to us through God's Word, or is it just tradition of our church? Do we live a life of devotion to God through a personal walk, or do we just fulfill all the requirements of a "good" person according to the accepted behavior of our church friends and culture? Are we the same in front of them as we are in private? If we began to run with a totally differentcrowd, would their different morals change us more than our morals and beliefs would change them?

Christianity is a counterculture that will change those things that most essential without conforming all people to be the same. Yet this can only happen when the individuals in any culture prize meeting God through His Word above just being called a Christian so that they can fit in with their crowd.

Men and Woman who are truly seeking God have this value and are open to correction. They are willing to strip away what is cultural to live what is Christlike. These people are not those who flow with the crowd, but those who flow with the Holy Spirit! As Paul did, they can drop or accept cultural differences for the sake of sharing the essentials of Christ with whomever they come into contact. This is life lived in the world but not of the world--the life lived in the Spirit as Jesus walked.

Bible Discipline

2006-01-26T14:10:00.004-04:00

Friends,
Many times i've encouraged many friends to ground themselves in the Word of God, because it is very important. So here is a series of verses which state the importance of the Word, i won't add any comments of my own with them, i'll let you the reader interpret them how ever you will. God bless friends,

Joshua 1: 6-9 - "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Psalm 119:9-11 - "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:162 - "I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil."

Proverbs 13:13 - "Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded."

Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Micah 4:2 - "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

Matthew 4:4 - "But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

John 8:31 - "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 17:17 - "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

Romans 10:17 - "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Ephesians 5:25 - "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 6:13-17 - "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

1 John 2:14 - "...I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."

Revelation 3:8,10 - "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth."

Spreading the Truth

2006-01-26T14:10:00.003-04:00

The truth of the Gospel works on so many levels. Though some will argue that God does not exist and that man is the highest form in the universe, they will still strive for a moral code. Challenge them to find a better moral code than that which is outlined in the New Testament. Ask them to compare it to other systems of morals in the world: those of atheists, other religions, or political systems. You will have to know it well to spell it out, but have them compare the law of love to all other philisophical systems and challenge them to show you a better one. Ask them to come up with a better moral law than the Golden Rule "Treat others the same way you would want them to treat you." Ask them to show you a country where innovative breakthroughs emerge where Christians are not in the majority. Discuss the list of great scientists and achievers of all time and see how many of them were Christians or Jews or at least believed in God's existence. Do the study yourself. Look at the top ten people of the last millenium and look at their beliefs and accomplishments. Newton, Gutenberg, Michelangelo, Luther, Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and others you will find on any list of important people of the last one thousand years. They all had tremendous faith in God. Look at nations that have tried to exist without God: the Soviet Union, China, Albania, Vietnam--which of these has been as successful as those that built their foundations on the laws of the bible.

But then you will have to add that even though this is a great philosophy, it cannot work without its power source. Man has no motive to be "good" without gratitude to a Savior who granted they should not have to suffer for their own sins. Without the love of God in their hearts to motivate them to put needs of others before themselves, they will ultimately act selfishly despite what philosophies they hold on to. The views of Marx and Lenin (founders of Comunism) sound like they are a solid foundation for heaven on earth, but their applications have brought more hell than any other. What brought this about? When those in power saw that they could do whatever they liked and tried to force others into a mold of service to the state, selfishness took over and whenever convenient they began to reword their philosophies to justify their own selfish desires. To free ourselves from cultural restraints to rise to a higher and better system seems a great idea, but such cultural revolutions in the Orient have done little but bathe their countries in blood.

You may or may not convince them of the Truth, but if you don't stand up for what you believe, who will? If you don't tell those in your school, home, town, country, or world about the Truth, why should God send someone else to do it?

How to escape Doubting Castle

2006-01-26T14:10:00.002-04:00

(This is an expository of Bunyan's immortal tale)
In the land there stands Doubting Castle, hidden beyond the eyes of the traveling pilgrims. Living inside the castle is the infamous Giant Despair, who takes great delight in the torture and humiliation of all who may be journeying to Celestial City.
So long as the pilgrims remain on the narrow and straight path they haven't anything to fear of the giant and his castle. But the trouble is that the path coincides with a lush meadow, comfortable for the feet and appealing to the eyes. The harsh conditions of the narrow path make the meadow seem even more alluring. An unseasoned pilgrim might easily persuade himself to step into the meadow, convinced the two sods lead in the same direction.
As surely as can be, when the pilgrims enter the meadow there arises a terribly dense storm, full of thick clouds and torrential rain. This makes the vision impaired and in this condition the wandering pilgrims lose sight of the narrow path. In desperation they often run hastily in the direction thought correct, but this leads them farther and farther away from the path itself. In the gross darkness of the storm, the pilgrims most assuredly miss the warning stone left by experienced pilgrims before them.
And thus many a pilgrim stumble upon the Giant Despair, who enslaves and locks them up in Doubting Castle. Despair, who is by now well-advanced in the arts of torment, will press and crush and squeeze almost every ounce of life left in the downtrodden travelers. Hopes of the Great City grow dim. Many pilgrims die in the castle, many bones lie cold and warm in the dungeon of this wicked castle.
But thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, whom at the cross gave every person who came that way a key of great importance called Promise. So small is this key that the Giant Despair always overlooks it in his search of their belongings. Though he takes away their weapons and armor, staffs and boots, the Giant, in the purpose of God, misses this small item. And how important it is! As long as the pilgrim forgets he has this key, he is lost and will not escape. But, as many of those trapped in the dungeon remember, they take hold of the Key called Promise and unshackle their wrists and ankles. The events that follow lead them to the outer gate of the castle (for every door in Doubting Castle can be opened, save the outer gate without waking the giant). With a deep breathe the key is turned and the giant is roused. But if the pilgrim be swift and set his face as flint to escape, he can outrun the giant and in doing so cause the felon to collapse over his own two feet! Once the giant is fallen he cannot rise again.
Those who escape Doubting Castle know never to stray from the path again. Almost every pilgrim who has come close to death in the Castle will never return to that place, and their vigor and earnest to reach the Celestial City is strengthened a sure tenfold! Though deadly indeed, the Castle provokes the travelers to diligence.

So if ye be a pilgrim; walk the straight and rocky pathStray not from the original, nay, give no thought to that!For if you do you'll run the risk of shackles and of shameIn Doubting Castle, wretched thought, the place of plight and pain.He who would valiant be then take heed of this stoneAnd wander not, but fix your eyes on Christ and Christ alone!And if the path be weary, sore, then lift your head to heav'nAnd shout out loud: "O blessed Lord, Your Life, for me, hath given!I'll run the faster and jump the higher to reach Thou precious HeadI'll look not to the left nor right nor back, but straight ahead."Come onward! Push forward! You pilgrims in the flight,To higher plains we run for Him who made our sin stains white!And when we stand in the city bright our eyes will scare beholdOur blessed Saviour, risen Master... Jesus Christ our Lord!

Faith vs. Fear

2006-01-26T14:10:00.001-04:00

It has often been said that fear is the opposite of faith. As faith motivates us towards something, fear makes us cower away from it. Faith in ourselves is key to all endeavors; fear of failure often leads to not trying something in the first place. Faith in God frees us to talk about Him; fear of man keeps our mouths shut worrying about what others will think.

Faith liberates. Fear incapacitates.

However, there is one type of fear that does free us: the fear of God. In this modern era where we want to call Jesus our friend and think of God as our helper, the concept of the fear of the Lord gets explained away in a lot of different ways as a healthy respect for God or an awe and reverence for who He is. But the fear of God is more than that. It is not a fear like the fear of heights or the fear of getting mugged along a dark street. It is a revelation of who God really is in all of his power as the creator of the universe. It is a revelation of the God to whom the devil and all his forces are an insignificant bother. It is the fear that Jesus talked about in Mathew 10:28 when He told us not to fear those who can kill the body and not the soul, but fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

If we have this fear of God, who is on our side, then how can we ever fear what people might think? How can we ever disobey Him for fear of what others might think? How can we ever disobey Him for fear of what others might do? how can we really fear anything on this earth ever again? Strange as it may sound, the fear of God sets us free from fear itself.

Isaiah 33:6 " He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."

Jesus is the liberator. Faith in Him, and holy fear of Him, enables us to try what others have called impossible.

Stand up for what is Right.

2006-01-26T14:10:00.000-04:00

Standing up for what is right is the key to freedom. God's revolutionaries on the earth have always been marked by their refusal to kneel to injustice or silence the truth for the sake of convenience, being accepted by the crowd, or personal gain. A chain of bondage is placed upon a person link by link each time she turns away from the Truth or refuses to voice what is right.
On a personal level, over time this can enmesh us in a lifestyle of self-justification and lies. Then the Truth becomes so obscured that we hardly notice when we violate it ourselves until something tragic happens. This is what Paul called the searing of our consciences with a hot iron in 1 Timothy 4:2: Little by little, just as skin can be deadened and hardened into a callus by frequent friction or heat, our consciences can be silenced by persistent disregard. We become bound in a world of delusion that only God and His Word can deliver us from. This is why James wrote of God's Word as a mirror: Just as we look into a physical mirror each day before we go out to make sure that our appearance is right, we look into His Word each day to make sure our heart and actions are right.
On a community or societal level, power is accumulated by those who love it above all else when righteous people are silent. Freedom is not always taken away by military force. Often it is whittled away by the controlling bodies when no opposition is voiced to immoral or gradually more entrapping legislation. Liberty evaporates without the refreshing wind of Truth.
In a modern society where the media thrives by dumping the problems of the world onto our doorsteps, speaking up for righteousness can seem an overwhelming task. Of the thousands of problems in the world today, how can I make them all mine to help solve? We can't, of course. But through prayer and following our consciences, we can make a difference in our personal worlds. This is the revolution and world-changing God has called each of us to. Whether or not our obedience to Him takes on international importance is not of concern to God. What is important is that we seek Him, live for Him, and obey Him daily, and He will do the rest. There is no higher calling than this, and there is no calling more dangerous to ignore.