Sharing The Bread Of Life

I just began reading Max Lucado's latest book, "Outlive Your Life - You Were Made to Make a Difference." It was one of the gifts that my son bought me for Christmas. Since I had two other books to read before getting to this one, it has taken me two months to start Lucado's book.

I really enjoy Lucado's writing style. He always places some humorous anecdotes in his books while revealing profound truth about living the Christian life that Jesus would have us live. Even though I am only on page 40, the book has already had a great impact on my life.

After reading several pages of Lucado's book, I decided to go online and read what has been published on some of my favorite blogs. However, I got that usual annoying message that my borrowed laptop was "in need of repair." I wanted to skip over that, so I clicked on the choice "start windows manually." Well, after looking at a blank dark screen (except for the tiny "Microsoft" trademark message at the bottom of the page) for fifteen minutes, I decided it might be a good idea to listen to the recommendation to start up using the repair mode. So, I shut the computer off, restarted it, and this time I clicked on the "start up repair (recommended)" icon.

After watching the repair message at work for what seemed like 15 more minutes, I clicked on the choice to "cancel repair." Well...I must have waited too long because the message I got said something like this:

"The current repair session cannot be cancelled."

Lucky for me, it only took about five more minutes for the repair to be completed. I still had a bit of trouble. My computer was supposed to restart on it's own, but nothing was happening so I shut it off myself and then restarted it.

I thought about the statement, "the current repair session cannot be cancelled" and thought of God's mercy and grace through the cross of Christ. It must have been because I was reading Max Lucado's book that I drew a parallel between the computer message and God's message to mankind.

I have often stated here at this blog that Mercy is God withholding what we do deserve, and Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve. The gospel of salvation through the cross of Christ is the world's "current repair session that cannot be cancelled."

In chapter four, Lucado shares a humorous story about going on an errand, at the request of his wife, to buy bread at the grocery store. When he gets there, he collects his favorite cereal, milk, Oreo cookies, barbecue chips (does this guy love junk food or what??) and some ice cream. He checked out and went home. His wife looks at the purchases and then asked, "where's the bread?"

Max had forgotten the big item.

"The one thing I went to get. The one essential product. I forgot the bread."

Lucado goes on to write:

Might we make the same mistake in a more critical arena? In an effort to do good, we can get distracted. We feed people. We encourage, heal, help, and serve. We address racial issues and poverty. Yet there is one duty we must fulfill. We can't forget the bread.

Peter didn't.

Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you now this. God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross. But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power. (Acts 2:22-24 CEV).

[Peter] would eventually speak about poverty. The church would soon address the issues of widows, disease, and bigotry. But not yet. The first order of the church's first sermon was this: pardon for all our sins. Peter delivered the bread.

[Would] you consider the offer of Jesus? "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again" (John 6:35 NLT).

Max Lucado gives us some insight into what it takes to make bread.

The grain-to-bread process is a demanding one. The seed must be planted before it can grow. When the grain is ripe, it must be cut down and ground into flour. Before it can become bread, it must pass through the oven. Bread is the end result of planting, harvesting, and heating.

Jesus endured an identical process. He was born into this world. He was cut down, bruised, and beaten on the threshing floor of Calvary. He passed through the fire of God's wrath, for our sake. He "suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all--was put to death and then made alive--to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18 MSG).

Bread of Life? Jesus lived up to the title. But an unopened loaf does a person no good. Have you received the bread? Have you received God's forgiveness?

What an awesome and powerful analogy!

Our God is a God of second chances! If we will simply believe that Jesus is who He said He is - the Son of God, Savior and Lord, and we confess our sins at the foot of the cross of Calvary and accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives, we will be forgiven and saved. People, make sure that you receive the Bread of Life of Christ Jesus. The ONLY Bread of Life that really matters now and will ultimately matter in eternity.

Someone very dear to me and my family passed away in January. I can't know for sure if this family member was saved, but I tried my best to witness to her over the course of 15 or more years.

I usually do not share detailed personal information at this blog, but I will state that in the eulogy that I wrote for the funeral, I was led to share the gospel of Christ for the sake of the people attending. I do not know if what I said encouraged anyone there who is not yet saved to receive the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. Perhaps a seed or two were planted. However, when someone dies we realize just how brief this life on earth truly is. The Bible tells us that "it is but a vapor" compared to eternity.

Once a Christian receives the Bread of Life, it is our duty to pass it on. Max Lucado writes:

After all, if we don't, who will? Governments don't feed the soul. The secular relief house can give a bed, a meal, and valuable counsel. But we can give much more. Not just help for this life but hope for the next.

[So] along with cups of water, plates of food, and vials of medicine, let there be the message of sins forgiven and death defeated.

Remember the bread.

The secular world climate these days reveals an open hostility towards Christianity in general, and Jesus Christ in particular. Despite the fact that believers are often ridiculed and hatred is constantly being hurled at us, we must turn our distress, sadness, and fears into boldness so that we continue to be faithful ambassadors for Christ.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:19-21 NLT).

Hat Tip:

Max Lucado: Out Live Your Life

What The Rabid Left Can't Take Away From Sarah

Did readers here see Sean Hannity's exclusive interview with Sarah Palin last night? You certainly need to see it yourself in order to understand that the leftist vitriole against her is unfounded, yet will continue to be spewed by the hateful far left crazies and the Media of Mass Deception for the simple reason that they fear her. The left fears her wonderful connection with, and influence of the American people who agree with her ideology, policies, political views, staunch support for our military, and love for our country.

Glenn Beck's January 17th T.V. show reveals tha "Reality Doesn't Match the Script." Glenn demonstrates, and with video proof of Frances Fox Piven, shows just how far the left will lie and utilize the awful Cloward and Piven strategy - which will continue to be used in order to cause chaos and negative change in America. If you happen to be unfamiliar with Cloward and Piven and how this administration is using such evil strategy, please see my previous posts on the subject:

1. Obama Matrix: Cloward Piven & Alinsky Rules for Radicals.

2. Cloward Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis.

3. Make A Choice Before It's Too Late.

Through rabid vitrole and death threats against Sarah and her family, the left hopes to silence her. Well guess what? She WILL NOT BE SILENCED! Good for her! The woman has an iron constitution and nerves of steel to go with it! More likely, she is well connected through prayer to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She even said so during her interview with Sean Hannity.

Palin to Democrat-Media Complex: “I Am Not Going to Shut Up” (Video)
posted by Jim Hoft at The Gateway Pundit - 10 hours ago
Sarah Palin told Sean Hannity tonight that despite the constant attacks by the democratic-media complex, “I am not going to shut up.” Palin defended herself on Hannity tonight from the awful attacks and sm...

Sarah Palin is a believer who obviously takes Romans 8 seriously:


Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Rom 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?


Rom 8:33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.


Rom 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.


Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?


Rom 8:36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."


Rom 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.


Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,


Rom 8:39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Why do they fear Sarah so greatly and continue to bombard her and her family with angry rants and death threats? Because they know that she represent those who cling to the Lord Jesus Christ and they hate all that she represents for the American people! Sarah isn't using God - He is using her, instead.

That is truly what the rabid leftist thugs and venom-spewing commentators can NEVER TAKE AWAY FROM SARAH AND HER FAMILY!

God bless you Sarah! You stand up against the powers of darkness because the Rock of Ages indwells your heart and soul. You are the Esther of our age! Praise God that you are here for us fellow Americans for such a time as this!

Hat Tips to all links

A Brief Review of "Crazy Love"

I wrote a review about the book "Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By A Relentless God" over at the Amazon.com website. Here is my review:

Perhaps it is not appropriate to write a review when one has only read the first few chapters of a book. However, while reading some of the negative reviews here I felt compelled and led to write this.

How can any Christian say that Chan's book isn't about God's love when it is stated so clearly by the end of chapter two? The statement that Chan shares - that "He (God) is everything" combined with the knowledge of the Bible verse of John 3:16 is enough to make one realize the "crazy" love that God has for us! Jesus Christ is God's gift of love - and there is no greater love in the universe!

Challenging Christians to FOLLOW Jesus is a great endeavor that each and every pastor should encourage. I suspect that those who object to such challenges may, in fact, be feeling some guilt within their own soul and spirit (I certainly have!) for lacking what Chan is describing as ways to more openly follow Jesus? It's a sobering thing - and a jolt to the heart to realize that we may never completely "arrive" this side of heaven, in our efforts to be complete followers of Jesus. However, we can continue to try and improve our walk with Christ each and every day of our lives. This is known as sanctification - and it is an ongoing experience that lasts throughout our entire lives!

I thought that Chan's analogy of "the movie of life" being about God and not about us was brilliant! He even goes so far as to state that this "movie" isn't about the great prophets and individuals we all know from the text of the Bible. For me, this is consistent with what Jesus articulated when Martha was complaining that she was doing all the work while Mary just sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. In Luke 10:42 Jesus said, "...Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." No doubt both women loved Jesus and they were both serving him. It's just that Martha thought that Mary's way was inferior to her own. It brings to mind that sometimes we can be so busy doing things for Jesus that we aren't spending any time with him! The lesson: don't let your service to him become self-serving!

Chan writes, "the point of your life is to point to Him." And this is something that each of us can do in small and big ways throughout our lifetime, in whatever we are doing. We are to give the glory to God because after all, it is He who is worthy!

A Willing Vessel Of Love For Reconciliation [Update 4]

UPDATE 4: Great news! The Restoring Honor event will be broadcast live on Facebook tomorrow! Go here for more information:

Glenn Beck.com - Watch Restoring Honor Live on Facebook

August 27, 2010 - 22:59 ET

8/28 Live! – Saturday, 10a-1p ET
Yes, 8/28 will be broadcast live on Facebook. We want as many people as possible to have the chance to view this event which is why it will be streamed FREE. Checkout our Facebook page on 8/28 to watch this event LIVE! Remember 10a ET. If you can’t be in Washington DC, join us on Facebook to watch it live!
Related: 8/28 Quick Links

Praying for safety and a great event for faith, hope, and charity to shine through despite all of the terrible vitriol that the left is spewing about Glenn Beck's 8/28/10 event - Restoring Honor rally in Washington D.C. this Saturday. I wish I could be there, but family obligations prevent me from attending. I will keep a close eye on the coverage of the event.

I find the criticisms of the rabid left against Glenn Beck, his guests, the distortions of his "reasons" for holding the event and the ugly rhetoric against him for having it at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s great speech there very disturbing, disheartening and quite sad.

Glenn interviewed Alveda King, Dr. Martin Luther King's niece on his show today. I cried throughout the program. How did our country become so messed up and mean spirited? To hear how she is being treated so horribly by the left is disgusting. She appears to be a wonderful, faithful Christian woman who is pro-life and runs an organization encouraging life for the unborn. Of course, she represents everything that the rabid left hates - including being a willing vessel of love for reconciliation between the races and all people.

*******
UPdate:

To watch today's show with guest Alveda King, go here:

Watch Glenn Beck: August 26, 2010 - Restoring Honor

Glenn Beck Show- August 26, 2010


Tonight: Glenn continues from D.C. as less than 40 hours remain until the Restoring Honor Rally. Tonight, Glenn will prepare you and lay out the real message behind the rally (despite what you might have heard in the media). Joining Glenn tonight for a good portion of the program is Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She has faced an enormous amount of criticism for agreeing to take part in and supporting the rally. We should keep her and all of those who have taken great risks to stand with Glenn in our prayers.

*******
Update 2:

A few weeks ago, I heard that Laura Ingraham may attend the rally on Saturday. I am currently reading her book, "The Obama Diaries" (it is EXCELLENT!) and on pages 324-325 she writes exactly why we need to keep up with the non-violent protests against the radical government agenda being hoisted upon us:

The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition - Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals

It is interesting that the very people who foment the anger in the country, the Democrats, are the ones wailing when the public reacts to their mischief. What did they think was going to happen when they refused to acknowledge the public outcry during the health-care debate?

It is hard to watch the persistent, radical agenda rolling out of this White House, whether it be health-care policy, immigration reform, cap-and-trade legislation, or the endless new taxes being proposed, without thinking that there is some plan underway. They are maliciously provoking a reaction, hoping for a violent response from the people, so they can use it to tarnish all dissent and finally silence criticism of their flawed policies. It is a textbook Saul Alinsky tactic.

Radical leftists thrive in conflict and chaos. In Rules for Radicals, Alinsky writes, "When those prominent in the status quo turn and label you an 'agitator,' they are completely correct, for that is, in one word, your function - to agitate to the point of conflict." In the midst of their premeditated conflicts, these leftists can do incredible damage. They will miss no opportunity to use the self-generated moments of strife to demonize their critics, restrain the people's freedom, and destroy their liberty. Should violence erupt or any social unrest break out as a result of their heinous policies, the liberals will proclaim themselves our protectors, and use the chaos as a justification to claim even greater control over our lives and our freedoms. For this reason, and so many others, violence must always be condemned and rejected, while every peaceful means of resistance should be utilized.

P.S. This blog post is currently listed here on the google blog search list, but I think that as posts on the Restoring Honor rally are added, the page number where it is listed may change.

I read some of the headlines and sentences from other blogs. The left-wing ones are doing EXACTLY what Laura Ingraham describes as the typical Saul Alinsky tactic (see quote and excerpt above in update 2) to cause the demonization of Beck and all who want to attend the event.

Knowing their tactics are a bogus attempt to cause strife and agitation takes the power away from their arguments and condemnation.

*******

Update 3:

I had to go three posts from the bottom of page 3 (at 9:15 a.m. PT) in order to find a blog post that wasn't disparaging the 8/28 Restoring Honor rally. What are these people so afraid of??

Will post the positive blog posts as I find them.

1. Mediaite: Glenn Beck Responds to Al Sharpton - What Part of Honor Are You Against?

2. MichNews: Black Conservatives Support Glenn Beck Event on MLK Anniversary

3. No Apologies

4. Facts Not Fairies: Glenn Beck 8/28 Rally - Its a Matter of Honor

5. Capitol Hill Blue (both positive and negative discussions).

6. Sirius XM News: Sirius XM Patriot to Broadcast Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally Live

7. Booker Rising: Lloyd Marcus on Glenn Beck Rally



More later...

Powerful Show on Beck Yesterday

Glenn Beck's T.V. show yesterday had to be one of the most powerful and defining moments in the history of television. I am not kidding! Glenn's guests for the evening were awesome - especially Dr. Alveda King - the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who is a pro-life activist.

When I read the above article about Dr. Alveda King, I could not help but wonder if she was badly torn in her decision to vote for the first African-American presidential nominee, or, because she knew that he is a staunch pro-abortion minded candidate she could not in good conscience pull the lever in the voting booth for a candidate that has a 98% approval rating with pro-abortion organizations? I wonder how she voted. I also wonder that if she did vote for Obama, if she deeply regrets it now (as do millions of other Americans who were duped by his lies during the campaign).

Dr. King states in this article:

"Abortion is founded upon, maintained by and promoted with lies," said Dr. King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "There are so many lies surrounding the case of this young girl, it`s hard to know where to begin. Obviously, there`s the falsehood of the boyfriend`s mother pretending to be the pregnant girl`s mother, the fraud of the boyfriend`s mother illegally signing a parental notification form, and the deception of the girl`s unknowing parents, who never knew their grandchild existed until it was too late. Most of all, there`s the lie that the child who was killed by abortion was not really a child."

"I pray for the young girl who was forced to abort her baby. I want her to know that there is healing, just as I have been healed from my own two abortions," added Dr. King. "I pray for the mother of the girl`s boyfriend who now sits in jail for her illegal actions. May she come to understand that her actions caused many people a lot of pain. And I also pray for the people who work in abortion clinics who are both victims and proponents of the lies of `choice.` They need to see that prenatal murder is an affront to justice everywhere. May the Lord have mercy on us all."

The most powerful sentence in that quote:

"They need to see that prenatal murder is an affront to justice everywhere."

Amen!!!

Back to the show.

The combination of Dr. Alveda King, Ted Nugent, and Princeton University Professor Robert George appeared to be a bit odd at first, but as the discussion progressed we saw what these four people (including Glenn) all had in common. The first obvious thing to notice was agreement in faith in God. The second? Agreement in true, real hope. And the third? LOVE. Love and charity go together because if you love your fellow man, you will WANT to be charitable to them.

I can't help but wonder what ObaMARXIST and his cohorts thought about Dr. King's appearance on Beck's show. Wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the wall in Obama's "we hate Glenn Beck" war room?

CLICK HERE to view the entire show!!

You can also listen live online to Glenn's radio show [broadcast time is 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time]:

KFMB.COM

Hat tips to all links.

Inspiring The 'Precious Ones' And Us All!

I am reading Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue" book. One of the best chapters so far happens to be Chapter Six, aptly entitled "Going Rogue" as well. Love the quote at the beginning of the chapter:

I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes. - Charles Swindoll

This portion of the book begins by describing how Governor Palin was whisked away out of Anchorage Alaska on a private jet so that her introduction as the Republican vice presidential nominee would be a surprise.

The chapter is filled with examples of how Sarah Palin and her family were so horribly treated by the press and political detractors. As we now know, the "detractors" became whipped up into a weird and ugly political frenzied machine; intent on trying to destroy Governor Palin and her family.

But what was so heartening to recall and read a year and 3 months after the fact, was how Sarah connected with the children who were born with Down syndrome and their parents and caregivers who she had met along the rope lines at several U.S. cities throughout the nation. The following portion of her account of the events made me tear up:

After, in the rope line, I was moving through the crowd, shaking hands and signing posters and hats and shirts, when I suddenly came to a stop. Standing on the other side of the rope were a woman and two teenagers whom I could not miss. The kids had Down syndrome. A boy and a girl.

"Hi, what's your name?" I said to the girl, smiling.

The girl stammered for a minute and finally managed to say, "Sarah."

"Sarah!" I said. "That's my name, too! It's so great to meet you, and we have the same name. Isn't that amazing?"

Then I turned to the boy, and my heart just melted. Trig's face flashed into my mind, and I thought, This could be my son fifteen years from now.

By then, Trig was going on five months old and we were still learning the ropes of having a child with Down syndrome. We were so enjoying this little guy with his just-happy-to-be-here demeanor and his silly smiles, and watching him get stronger, chubbier, and more fun every day, just like any other baby. Still, we were curious about what was ahead. We were managing well with him as a baby, but what about a toddler? As a teenage?

I reached across the rope and laid my hand against the boy's face. "Let me look at you," I said, "I want to get a good look at how beautiful my Trig is going to grow up to be."

If that last sentence from Sarah doesn't make you well up with tears, maybe nothing will.

Here is a woman who is just learning to deal with a baby with whom most people in society would label as "imperfect." Yet, she turns such a societal label completely around by using uplifting words of support to let that teen aged boy with Down syndrome know that he is beautiful! No wonder crowds of people with special needs children felt emboldened to attend the rallies. They already knew that they would have an ally in the White House if John McCain and Sarah Palin won the election.

Governor Palin writes:

That was a significant turning point for me, personally. At that moment , I realized in awe that these precious ones are all brothers and sisters. Before Trig was born, I didn't know what to expect and we had a natural uncertainty about perceived "imperfection." There on the rope line in Cedar Rapids, I realized that my Trig is part of a large and very special community. And look how this mom was making it work with these two precious teenagers! Look how she cared so much to bring them out to a crowded, hectic, but fun rally and given them what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a presidential campaign event in their own hometown. And I just knew there was no need to fear anymore. At this rowdy rally in Iowa my world became a more peaceful place. Todd was right: everything was going to be all right.

As it turned out, the number of special needs kids and adults who began showing up at events along the trail was spectacular. It was one of the absolute best parts of the campaign. I heard from experienced staffers that organizers would typically need maybe a sign language interpreter and a handicapped area large enough to accommodate a few dozen wheelchairs. But it seemed that at all our stops, the number of wheelchairs multiplied, as did the number of kids and adults with various challenges. At a rally in Fairfax, Virginia, I remember looking about and seeing scores of wheelchairs. In the middle of my speech it started pouring rain. Within five minutes, I looked like a wet dog and my makeup was running off my face. I wanted to keep going and finish because I didn't want to disappoint all those people who had been waiting for hours to hear our ticket's message. Even more, I was inspired to see that not one of the people in wheelchairs made a move to leave.

I thought, This is inspiration!

Governor Sarah Palin? YOU are an inspiration! You were a great inspiration to millions of Americans during the entire 2008 campaign and you continue to be a true voice for Americans today! You were real during the campaign. You are a real, patriotic, God-loving American who brought out the best in people everywhere. There is nothing phony about you; unlike the presidential opponent and well-oiled (and bullying) "machine" that you and John McCain faced during the election race. Those foam faux Greek columns that were placed near Obama when he made another one of his typical teleprompter speeches - filled with great rhetoric but empty promises - showed just how phony he was as a candidate. Governor Palin's speech writer even predicted how Obama would be as president:

A bit later, I launched into a part of the speech that, since Barack Obama's election, has proved Matthew Scully prescient:

"...when the cloud of rhetoric has passed...when the roar of the crowd fades away...when the stadium lights go out and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot--what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

"The answer is to make government bigger...take more of your money...give you more orders from Washington...and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America need more energy...our opponent is against producing it.

"And let me be specific, the Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes...raise payroll taxes...raise investment income taxes...raise the death tax...raise business taxes...and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billion of dollars."

Yep...what a terrific prediction that is now coming true (unfortunately) right before our very eyes!

Back to the rallies.

Sarah goes on to briefly describe other rallies where special needs children and people attended. One group of fifteen kids with Down syndrome wore shirts that read, WE LOVE TRIG! and TRIG IN THE WHITE HOUSE! The fact that these kids could identify with a national campaign was awe-inspiring...to Palin, her family, the people who showed up, and now the entire nation as millions of people read Sarah's best selling book!

May God continue to bless you, Sarah Palin, in all that you do and through any and every endeavor that the Lord leads you to pursue!

The Joy of Celebration Begins!

Last evening, I arrived home at around 7:00 p.m. after purchasing a few last minute gifts for my family. I left the house at 11:00 a.m., with every intention of getting home much earlier in the day. But as it turned out, I was gone for 8 hours! Eight precious hours that should have been spent more wisely. Oh well, at least I got the chance to meet my daughter and share lunch out at a restaurant with her. It was probably the first real meal that she has eaten since getting her wisdom teeth extracted on Thursday. My advice? Don't have anyone in your family get their wisdom teeth out around any holiday season! I lost four days of decorating, shopping, and preparing for Christmas Day as I helped nurse my daughter and watch movies with her. After all, caring for her at this time was more important. No need to go into the details of her pain and suffering. Due to the office being closed, we had difficulty reaching her surgeon by phone until yesterday to get some answers to several questions we had about her recovery. Though we felt guilty about doing so, we finally called the emergency number provided by the answering service. However, the surgeon was kind enough to call during his trip to Disneyland with his kids!

My daughter is much better now and improving each and every day. Thank God!

When I looked around our house last night I realized that all we had on our Christmas tree were the lights. There was one Nativity scene set up, but no Christmas village. My favorite Nativity set was still in one of the boxes that line our hallway. I haven't even found the stockings which are to be placed above our fireplace! I mentioned to my husband that we must be one of the most dysfunctional Christmas decorating families ever this year! No outdoor lights were put up at our house while most of the rest of our block have gorgeous lighting arrangements neatly in place. At least I put the wreaths on our two front doors!

Today will be spent finishing some of the decorating and wrapping gifts. It won't be the usual amount of holiday decorations, but the most important ones will finally be set up.

Just before turning the multi-colored lights off of our tree last night, I thought that despite our lack of decorations around the house this year, our love for the Lord and our celebration of His birth will not be minimized. After all, He is the Light of the world and the focal point of tomorrow's celebrations. Despite what the secular world wants people to think, Jesus is the reason for the season!

I have a decorated hand painted sign up that reads, "Keep Christ in Christmas." It is a constant reminder to us about what is truly important during this holiday season.

The birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ changed history forever. His birth, life, ministry, death on the cross and bodily resurrection to life is the true hope that we have in this world filled with turmoil. Faith in Him and the realization that He keeps his promises demonstrates to us that we can place our full trust in him! He will never leave nor forsake us! All that had been prophesied about him in the Bible before his first coming has been fulfilled! We now await for him to return and take us unto himself at the Rapture - which will occur in the blink of an eye!

As born-again Christians, there is nothing to fear about what man will do to any one of us. Though we are mocked, disparaged, hated, cursed, discriminated against, persecuted, and even killed for our belief in Jesus Christ, NOTHING can take us away from his eternal protection for our souls. When we die (or are killed), it is a fact that Jesus has taken each of us away from evil. The world is filled with evil, but we are to have no fear of those who would kill the body. Our eternal souls are in the caring arms of Jesus Christ - FOREVER!

While driving home last night, I heard a portion of a repeat broadcast of an interview between Sean Hannity and Anne Graham Lotz. The subject of death came up and Sean mentioned that "he's not ready to go just yet." He wants to see his children grow up, marry and have their own children. He's not done with all he needs to do and wants to do on this earth. Many people feel the same way, of course. But we don't know how many days the Lord has given to each of us. Any one of us could die tomorrow. Or, perhaps we will live to age 90! We just don't know. However, if you (and I) would live each day as though it was our last, what would you be doing? That's a great question to answer!

Anne Graham Lotz mentioned the Scripture verse that tells us how beautiful heaven will be. She compared our lives here on earth like being in the foyer of a great cathedral. Compared to the awesomeness of the cathedral, the "waiting area" before entry into the beauty of that place can't compare. It is a good analogy as to what it might be like entering into eternity.

But no matter how beautiful we could imagine heaven will be, seeing Jesus Christ and being with Him forever will make the "place" pale in comparison. After all a house is not a home without the people whom you love - and who live in it - sharing that home with you...Amen?

It is Christmas Eve! The joy of celebration begins! God bless!

Learning the Lord's Statutes Through Affliction

The following devotional begins with "[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Feeling afflicted lately? Many Americans are feeling that way. Whether it is because of the fear of losing our freedoms and sovereignty here in the United States (because of a Marxist government imposing terrible policies and ignoring the will of the people), losing a job, losing a home, losing money in a 401K account, losing retirement savings, losing a business, suffering from the economy, losing a loved one...the list goes on and on...affliction is part of life for everyone at one time or another. The question is, how do you get through it?

There is an old saying, "Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it." Right now, many are feeling helpless at being able to control and make their own lives into what they want to make of it.

There is a lot of fear out there! Losing our freedoms has accelerated out of control. It may have started long before 40 years ago, but during that particular time of my life, I have seen the loss of our freedoms here in the United States increase at an alarming pace. Besides all of the economic woes, secular humanism, and socialism now clearly being seen as creeping into our Constitutional Republic, the fact is that we have all witnessed that the last 11 months of this new administration has accelerated the pace - exponentially. The fear of lost freedoms, the decline of the dollar, and the devastating worry of the future loss of U.S. sovereignty are most prevalent on the minds of Americans who are really paying attention to what is happening.

What do we do when faced with such hardships?

Answer: We turn to the Lord God, Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth. We pray and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ ever more fervently than when things were going well.

We heed the two main points of the following devotional:

[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

By strength shall no man prevail.

Ultimately, any suffering that we go through on this earth is nothing compared to what Christ suffered for our salvation.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.--We suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

God knows what each of us are going through. This is a crucial time to help each other out. Give to those in need. It is a time for the church of Christ (all Christians, not the buildings or denominations) to help the needy, the suffering.

Our church family is conducting a toy and clothing drive. The goal is to collect 6,000 toys for children and 100,000 articles of clothing for adults. Big goals! But it can be done if each person does their part...right? We don't need to rely on government to rescue those in need. This is a huge opportunity for the churches of our nation to come through and prove that, "By strength shall no man prevail." (Especially an evil man [men]).

We can slay the giant Goliath of fear, need, worry, pain, suffering, loss, hopelessness, grief, sadness, and unbelief by doing what the Gospel of Jesus Christ instructs us to do while here on this earth! Share the Gospel, love one another and give!

As C.H. Spurgeon states in the devotional below, it is Jesus Christ who takes our weaknesses and makes us strong:

I . . . glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in Persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then Am I strong.

Here are the devotionals in their entirety:


Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Saturday December 5, 2009
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml


Morning

[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy
statutes.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.--We suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

He knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.--Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

Ps 119:71 Heb 5:8 Ro 8:17,18 Job 23:10,11 De 8:2,5,6




Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Saturday December 5, 2009
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml


Evening

By strength shall no man prevail.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.--And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone.

There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. . . . Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.--Both riches and honour [come] of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand [is] power and might; and in thine hand [it is] to make great, and to give strength unto all.

I . . . glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

1Sa 2:9 17:45,49,50 Ps 33:16,18 1Ch 29:12 2Co 12:9,10

Hat Tip:

Christians Unite.com

Love is Here

Come to the water
You who thirst
And you'll thirst no more
Come to the father
You who work
And you'll work no more
And all you who labor in vain
And to the broken and shamed

Chorus
Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from His hands
From His brow
Love is near
It satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from His side

'Cause love is here

Come to the treasure
You who search
And you'll search no more
Come to the lover
You who want
And you'll want no more, no
And all you who labor in vain
And to the broken and shamed
Yeah

Chorus


And to the bruised and fallen
Captives bound and broken hearted
He is the Lord
He is the Lord, yeah
By his stripes
He's paid our ransom
From His wounds we drink salvation
He is the Lord
He is the Lord

Chorus
Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from His hands
From His brow

Love is near
It satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from His side
Streams of mercy flowing from His side

'Cause love is here
Love is here

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Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - Jesus Christ

Proving What is Acceptable Unto the Lord

Galatians 5 is an illustration of good vs. evil. In Galatians 5 verses 16-21, we learn how the evil of various sins keeps us from walking in the Spirit of Christ.

Then, Galatians 5:22-25 describes the good that is achieved by the fruit of walking in the Spirit.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,


Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.


Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.


Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Paul is instructing us that we first must live in the Spirit, before we can walk in the Spirit. What solid truth this is! If we do not live according to the fruit of the Spirit of God, how could we ever claim to walk in His Spirit?

The answer is: we can't!

It is only with God indwelling within our hearts that we can truly walk in what He declares through His Word - the good that results in following Christ, who alone, is righteous.

What is good?

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. When we walk in such things as those, notice that the Bible states "against such there is no law."

The law was set into motion in order to show us our sinful nature and to get us to realize that without Christ's sacrifice for our sins, we would not (and could not) EVER be forgiven for them. It is through giving our whole selves over to Jesus Christ that we become His own. And when we are His (e.g. we belong forever to Him) it is then that the miracle of crucifying our own flesh can happen.

Ask anyone who is born again in Jesus Christ how they have been miraculously transformed into a new person! The "affections and lusts" of the past in their lives have now been tossed aside, and they are now a new person in Jesus Christ.

Such transformation happens as a result of sanctification. this is something that occurs to the Christian for the rest of his/her life. We will never completely "arrive" on this side of heaven, but as time goes by we discover that the old desires of the past are now meaningless to us. Eventually- they are destroyed! The desire to do them does not exist anymore. The old self has become transformed into a new life in Christ!

Notice that there is one negative "fruit of the Spirit." It is called longsuffering. The Bible is an honest book. The truth is declared throughout its pages and even Christ himself told us that we would endure longsuffering here on this earth.

Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

What a paradox that verse is! Jesus speaks to us of having peace - despite the fact that we will have tribulation (trouble) in this world.

So, why (and how) can we be of good cheer?

Answer: Because Christ has overcome the world!

How?

Precisely because of his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins!

I was reading in Max Lucado's book - "Traveling Light" - that even when the time for our physical death on this earth arrives, it pales in comparison to what Christ endured for us on the cross.

Lucado explained via a story. He mentioned that in Psalm 23, David wrote, "Yea though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me."

Then, he asked a child who was fearful of the concept of death (something that we are all destined to do) if he would rather be run over by a bus or by the shadow of a bus. The child answered - "the shadow of the bus." Lucado continued to explain that the child answered correctly. And, it is because Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself and that Christ experienced the "run over by a bus" kind of death, that we wouldn't ever have to experience such a death. Instead, we will pass through "the valley of the shadow of death." This is another way to say that we do not die spiritually because of what Christ has done for us! What a marvelous Savior we worship and belong to!!

I thought that was a great analogy to put forth the point that Christ's sacrifice for our sakes was the greatest event in human history! And, his subsequent resurrection from the dead shows us that his word is absolutely true! We can confidently trust him with our very lives!


No other spiritual leader ever claimed to die for the sins of mankind. No other savior could prove exactly who he was by rising from the grave. Jesus was the only one who accomplished that!! Therefore, we can trust him wholeheartedly with our lives! We can trust in his promises! Like this one:

Jhn 14:2
In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Jhn 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.

The book of Ephesians, Chapter 5 discusses the fruit of the Spirit. Verse 8 informs us that were all "sometimes[in] darkness. But now, as born again Christians we are now "light in the Lord." The light [meaning holiness, righteousness] shines from Jesus Christ! To walk as children of light, we are to be reflectors of HIS LIGHT [righteousness, holiness]! This is why no one can brag about anything within ourselves. All glory, honor, thanksgiving, and worship belongs to Christ alone!

Here's a verse that humbles each and every believer:

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

But we are brought back from our uncleanness through the Lord:

Eph 5:8 ¶ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:


Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)


Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Reference: Blue Letter Bible

Guest Blogger: Susan Smith

Talk Wisdom's guest blogger for today is Susan Smith. She is the author of a weekly newsletter called, "Life in Israel - One Body." I met Susan via Stephen Bennett's blog way back in 2004. At the time, she was working for a Christian organization in Israel called "Bridges for Peace." We have been corresponding ever since.

When Susan was living and working in Israel, the newsletter was named, "Life in Israel." Upon returning, Susan explains the new name of her newsletter:

This writer lived in the city of Jerusalem on earth for five years (2002-2007).
You read about my personal life during those years and God provided many divine encounters with taxi drivers, Israelis and one man studying to be a rabbi in particular. You heard about encounters with other Christian volunteers from all over the world. The Lord did very important and crucial spiritual work in my personal life during those years.”

Because I am convinced the one Church body and Israel are one and the same, spiritually speaking, I changed the name to “Life in Israel-One Body.”

Susan's writing has blessed me (as well as all of her subscribers around the world) immensely over the past four years. I have shared several of her past newsletters here at this blog.

Today, I am presenting two of her most recent newsletters together in one post. It is a marvelous way to start the new year of 2009 - with the heartfelt, Jesus-loving, Bible-based wisdom that is contained and shared in Susan Smith's wonderful writings!

It is my prayer that you are blessed by these two marvelous essays as much as I have been!

In Christ,
Christine

*******

Life in Israel-One Body 26Dec08



Have you ever received a Christmas present that causes pain? This year has brought the most shameful and painful gift into my life. In order to grow spiritually, we often have to face pain. Emotional pain hurts as well as physical pain. Jesus is our healer. The Holy Spirit is gentle. He never forces us to face an issue in our lives. We always have a choice. Are there things in your life that you need to work through with God?



The grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Father’s Son, will be with you in truth and love (2John 3) as you work through issues in your life. We can trust God. Even when others have hurt us, and we feel we can trust no one. We can trust God. Even when we believe or think no one can possibly understand, we can trust Jesus. The Lord knows our hearts.



All the days designed and intended for you were written in the Lord’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Is that hard for you to believe? Every Word of God is pure and flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him (Proverbs 30:5). Do you trust God? I do. He is a safeguard to those who put their trust in him.



So exactly what is this painful Christmas gift acknowledged by my heart? I have received one of the most excruciating and embarrassing revelations ever before in my life. I believe this revelation is from God. This is necessary. I must deal with it. The healing of my broken heart continues from sin that has touched my life. Praise God for his gentleness, his kindness and his grace. Too much light can blind a person. So often in our lives, we are unable to receive more light from God. In a sense there are obstacles to our sight just as there are obstacles to our spiritual growth. Only the love of God can remove the veil that covers our heart (2 Corinthians 3:14-15). Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).



Two weeks ago we talked about hearts of stone. My heart is more pliable today than it was two weeks ago. Shameful memories from childhood can become demonic strongholds in our thoughts. I was in my forties before the sexual abuse by a brother during my early childhood was ever revealed to another human being. The memories of what happened were repressed and denied. These memories affected my behavior as an adult. I will be 60 next year.



Over the past two weeks there has been some unexpected feedback to this newsletter. One was from a doctoral candidate. This reader is working on her PhD dissertation. I have known her personally for more than 10 years, and her words of encouragement seemed like manna from heaven. Another message was from a reader in the State of Georgia whom I do not know personally. God’s timing is always perfect! The Lord used these two readers in a mighty way to encourage and lead me forward regarding the direction of these newsletters.



Following Jesus is often like stepping stones in our lives. We move from one to another as the Lord directs. The steps are always according to his good will and purpose. They are also according to his perfect timing. There is no running! By God’s grace we learn to wait on the Lord, and we learn to be strong (Psalm 27:14).



My waiting was difficult. It seemed very hard at times, but the Lord is my God. By his grace we have been saved, through faith . . . it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Our faith is a gift from God every day. Praise the Lord. My salvation happens over and over again. I was saved yesterday, I am being saved today, and I will be saved tomorrow! Following Jesus is a daily walk for every believer. This specific “waiting” period for me began in the newsletter dated 14Nov08. More than a month ago you read:



For the past week I have had a bit of a struggle in my soul (mind, will and emotions) regarding the direction of this newsletter. To open my heart a bit, it concerns my biological family. One of my professors at Columbia International University (CIU) has been lecturing about different family structures and how family systems work. The Lord has used some of Dr. Wagner’s words to touch my heart deeply.



Dr. Wagner was a guest speaker this fall during chapel at my school. You can see a photo of Dr. Larry Wagner at this web page http://www.ciu.edu/graduate/faculty/bio.php?id=32. During the chapel message he quoted someone and said, “We can never be free from what we are unwilling to name.” That quote touched my heart for some unknown reason so during our next class meeting I asked Dr. Wagner for the source of his quote.



God has used the answer to my question to lead me in amazing ways over the past two months. Dr. Wagner recommended a book called Leading with a Limp. The writer is Dan Allender. Dr. Dan Allender received a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. Currently, he serves as Professor of Counseling and President of Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, Washington.



When I ordered Leading with a Limp from Amazon online, there were several books written by Dan Allender. I also ordered The Wounded Heart: Hope for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. This second book has unleashed a flood of emotions in my soul, and the Lord is using it tremendously to heal me more from the inside out. Let me share two things from this book:



A father who uses his daughter as a surrogate wife or confidante has bound his daughter’s heart to him in a subtly sexual way . . . the damage may not be overt, and in fact the daughter may feel so special that she would defend to her death the appropriateness of her father’s interactions. It is nevertheless abusive . . . The fact that sexual abuse can be subtle ought not cloud our perspective that it is equally abusive and damaging.



“Damaged” is how I have often felt as a woman. What exploded like a bomb shell inside my heart later in Allender’s book was this: “The child that is set apart for abuse is usually hated for his or her privileges by the other siblings. The child who feels different because of the abuse is then even further alienated due to the sibling jealousy.” He then wrote, “The silence is rarely broken . . . It remains a dark secret for years, if not forever.”



Jesus came to heal the broken hearted (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1). God prepared my heart and I was able to receive the truth. Jesus heals (Psalm 103:3). I am ready to break the silence. What a wonderful, yet painful Christmas gift this is to my heart and soul. We will continue next week as the Lord leads. Have a wonderful New Year’s holiday. ~ Susan Smith

*******

Life in Israel-One Body 02Jan09


This newsletter will end for a while after today. My spirit, soul and body need a break. When we meet again, my plan is to share much more with you as the Lord leads. Since completing the course called Psychopathology, I am convinced the spiritual realm and the mental realm of our lives are closely related if not one and the same.



There is evidence of this supposition in my personal life and in the lives of others in my family. Les Parrot is a professor of clinical psychology and Leslie Parrot is a marriage and family therapist. In their book entitled Relationships, they talk about intimacy:



If you try to find intimacy with another person before achieving a sense of identity of your own, all your relationships become an attempt to complete yourself . . . when you come to a relationship lacking personal self-worth, all you can offer is neediness.



Wow! Drs. Les and Leslie tell about the “emotional baggage” we bring from our first homes on earth to our adult relationships. “No other relationship shapes who we are more than our family. Most of what we think, feel, say, and do is in response to the home we grew up in.”



No wonder Jesus said, “You must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). Every believer must be changed from within by a new way of thinking. You must “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Every mind and heart has been stained with sin during childhood. Only a supernatural power can change the way we think. We live in a fallen world, but we have a choice every day. The evil one can change the way we think as adults, or the Holy Spirit can renew our minds and transform our lives. We are slaves to the one we obey (Romans 6:16). Do you understand?



The feedback to last week’s newsletter has been overwhelming. Thank you for responding. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). The outpouring of love and encouragement expressed by my brothers and sisters in Christ who read last week’s newsletter has been incredible. “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). I stand amazed at the awesomeness of God’s love expressed by his people all over the world. Thank you. Your inspired words have brought great comfort to my soul.



Have you ever felt as though you are in over your head? You know what I mean. It is like biting off more than you can chew. We all have our limitations, and there are times we all need a break. It is painful to receive light that exposes our sin and the sin of those we love deeply. There are times we must be still and wait.



There are times we must be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10). We must stop our activity and be silent. Dan Allender expresses this so well in a book called Bold Love:



The key is that the silence that dawns in light of seeing your own sin does not discount the damage of others’ sin. It simply puts it, for a time, in the background, where it waits to be addressed when our own heart is less disposed to judge and rage at another’s failure.



That time of being still to know and the place for being silent in God’s light has arrived for Susan Smith. Allender says, “Silence is required for deep change . . . the silence that deeply changes our heart is the hush that comes when we are caught in our hatred and found to be without excuse.”



God has loaded my plate with delicious food as I continue to learn at Columbia International University (CIU). This week I have had another taste of something that is very important. What I have learned is true for you too. Wherever God has you is where he wants you for his good will and purpose. The mighty God of Israel never makes a mistake. He loves us with an everlasting love. The Lord has led me to CIU in order for me to receive more healing for my heart and soul as well as to prepare me for the future. God took me to Jerusalem for five years to heal my heart as well as to work with Bridges for Peace in the accounting department. My healing continues.



Dan Allender tells a bit about how God loves us: “He dares, in fact, to tear us away from all presumptions of logic, fairness, safety, and normalcy . . . He will have His way and invites us to join Him in the mystery of relationship.” Scripture tells us to ask, seek and knock; we are then assured that we will receive, find and the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). There is only one door to life. Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).



The evangelist, James Robison, said in 1989 that no matter how active we are or how diligently we “serve the Lord,” if we do not know him, and live in intimate fellowship with him, then we are not in the center of his will, and we will not experience the mainstream of his blessings and power. I agree. What James Robison said is true for you and for me.



I believe with all of my heart that God has placed me in school during this season for his good will and purpose. I am to learn. I am also to receive more healing in my heart and soul. The Lord can choose to use us to touch hearts and lives no matter where we are or what we are doing.



The land of my life needs to be healed. God’s healing is continuous if we choose to receive. The land and life of my country, the United States of America, needs to be healed. “If My people who are called by My name will 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” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Does your life need to be healed? Does your country need healing?



We must always remember the correct order according to God’s Word. We must humble ourselves first. The second step is to pray and seek God’s face. The third step is to turn from our wicked ways. Then the Lord will hear from heaven; he will forgive our sin, and he will heal our land. No other order will work. Humility comes first.



Only in humility can we pray and seek God’s face. Only in humility by the grace of God are we able to turn from our wicked ways. Let us pray together, as Jesus the Messiah taught his disciples, for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We will meet again after today. For now, the Lord is leading me to be still and silent for a season as I seek and ask for his mercy. Shabbat Shalom, until we meet again...

Call My Name

"Call my name say it now, I want you to never doubt - The love I have for you is so alive!" Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

Call My Name by Third Day

I love you, Jesus. Thank you for dying in my place to save me from my sins and for rising again to conquer the sting of death. Thank you for your unfathomable sacrificial death and gift of forgiveness. In six days we celebrate your birth on this earth. Thank you for showing me the way to salvation through your Word, the Bible, and by your mercy, love and grace, demonstrating Who you are. - Christine

*******

Continuing follow-up on the Obama "natural born citizen" controversy, here is some of the latest important information to share:

For those of you who are following (or, unsure about the reasons for all the lawsuits) the Obama "natural born citizen" controversy, the following two videos help to spell it out clearly:

Dr. Orly Taitz Video 1

Dr. Orly Taitz Video 2


In the videos, Dr. Taitz shares some very important facts.

1. Obama admits (on his website!) that he was born as a British subject (due to his father being from Kenya and when Kenya was under British jurisdiction).

2. The vault-length COLB (Certificate of Live Birth) from Hawaii (you know - the one that Obama has spent nearly one million dollars to conceal and not be revealed in a court of law or to the public) has a place on it where it says "foreign born" on it. In other words, even if the short form of Obama's birth certificate (you know - the one that has already been analyzed and determined to be fake) WAS real - the fact remains that he most likely was not actually born in Hawaii - just registered there later. We would know for sure if Obama would just release it to the court(s) and/or the public (as John McCain did), but he REFUSES to do so!

Obama supporters - don't you find that troubling?

I do.

A man who would hide his original vault-length birth certificate (which costs $12.00 to get a copy of) and spends almost 1,000,000.00 to prevent anyone from viewing it, probably has a lot more to hide, as well.

3. EVERY hospital in Hawaii has been investigated and NOT ONE OF THEM has ANY record of Obama's birth or his mother's presence there to give birth. Also, even if he happened to be "home birthed," why did his half-sister lie and claim that he was born at two different hospitals in Hawaii (she is quoted as saying as such on two separate occasions.)

4. Obama's paternal grandmother in Kenya claims that she was present IN KENYA - at his birth. There is video proof of this fact. Why would she lie? The more likely answer is that Obama IS LYING ABOUT THIS. Why? Because he is a lawyer by trade (supposed to be a "Constitutional lawyer") so therefore, he KNOWS that he doesn't meet the "natural born citizen" status necessary for POTUS.

The date of January 9th is very important. This is because Congress will have already done their job to certify (or, reject...but I doubt that) Obama's electors. It is then that Obama can be charged at the Supreme Court for his ineligibility.

I don't know if the Supreme Court will ultimately do their job and do the right thing regarding Berg's case. But at least millions of people have been made aware that if Obama is inaugurated, we will have a usurper in office. We shall see what happens.

For more details, please see:

Investigating Obama

Obama Crimes

[Note: 12/18/08 - URGENT NOTICE – False rumors are circulating – Justice Kennedy denied our Application for an Injunction to Stay Electoral Vote Count by Congress on January 8, 2009. However, our Writ of Certiorari is still pending and is now scheduled for Conference before U.S. Supreme Court on January 9, 2009.]

Anything and everything at Texas Darlin' blog; but especially this well written request of Dr. Kate to Chief Justice John G. Roberts:

Do Not Leave Americans With Silence