Take a coffee break...

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer. Conversation soon turned into

complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups:

porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the

quality of Life doesn't change." "Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So please, don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead





God Bless,

What does God want?

Gentle Reader, A dear friend has written something you need to read so allow me to introduce my friend


What Does God Want?

By Jerry Bernard

In the current evangelical / fundamental Christian circles, the leaders, for the most part, are searching for messages and/or songs around the benefits of becoming a Christian. These same leaders are placing man as the center of God's intention and purpose. The pastor-teachers usually center their "pulpit" around the conversion of the sinner. Many listeners are thrilled and impressed listening to this message, but they are not converted. Many are left cold, empty and dissatisfied as they leave the service(s). Not until the Church leaders fully understand Romans 8:28.


All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.


. Do they understand What God Really Wants? This verse is often used as an enticement for dedication on the part of the saved. In the opinion of this writer, the pastor-teacher should move from a self-centered ministry to a Father-centered existence that is all "according to His purpose." They need to understand that Romans six teaches that all things, that is, ALL THINGS are/were brought about "according to His purpose." They should declare with Paul that "All things are of God." (2 Corinthians 5:18).

In retrospect, as an evangelist, I now understand what Paul meant when, from his new heavenly viewpoint, he related all to God:


I would that ye should understand brethren, that the things which have happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.

(Philippians 1:12 KJV)


What a wonderful freedom, knowing that The Father is in me, and I have no need to hunt for Him. He is in me.


.energizing me to have the desire and the power to do His will.

(Philippians 2:13 KJV)


This emancipation will help you to understand What God Really Wants. You will stop using God and begin allowing Him to use you. You will stop working for God and take a look at what God really wants to do in and through you. He wants you to be occupied with Him and He wants to work through you. That is what God really wants! You, in essence, have become His dwelling place.

As a "Christian community," we are on a "slippery slope" as we try to learn how not to work for Him and allow Him to work out His Purpose in and through us. As individual desires are examined in the matter of serving Him, do we detect the desire of obtaining a profit that this kind of service will bring to us? Is it for our sake and the sake of others that we labor? Or is it, first of all, for His sake? How do we live in His will and purpose so that everything will be done primarily for His sake?

This is a new occupation for many. In this selfless occupation, we are to be occupied with a Person and purpose outside of personal benefits. Or, in simple words, worship firstly and work secondly. If we are to be adjusted to The Father's intention and living in harmony with Him, what and how is the adjustment from a self-centered life to Father-centered existence made?

From the pulpit we hear the message, "Be ye reconciled to God." And, in addition, we hear Paul's words:


.God, reconciled us to Himself (into harmony) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that by word and deed we might bring others unto harmony with Him.

(2 Corinthians 5:18 KJV)


We walk away from the church service and ask, "Am I fulfilling or falling short of God's purpose in my life?" It seems the response is always, "I have no idea." Do you want the same thing as God? To learn how to see things as God sees them, you must turn to Ephesians 3:4, and there read "knowledge in the mystery of Christ." This mystery that Paul mentions is a corporate Body through which The Father can express Himself. This mystery is "Christ in you."

In Colossians, The Father's desire is for Christ to be the Head of The Body. It is in this way that The Son has pre-eminence in our lives. It is in this way that The Father is revealed and expressed throughout the heavens and earth by the lives of those in His Body (Colossians 1:18). If we can begin to see through the eyes of The Father, we will see His intention to make His Son the center and gathering point for all things in heaven and earth. "to sum up all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10). Then it is easy to see that all things were not only created "by Him," but also "for Him" (Colossians 1:16). When this is realized, we see what The Father intended all along -- to make His Son the center of His working. If His Son has preeminence, I am no longer the center. Christ, The Altogether Lovely One, is the center of my life and ministry. If we fall short, it will be because we are not looking out from the Heart of the Father. The Father has not changed from what He purposed in Himself from counsels of eternity past.

This is the design of heaven. It is the divine rule. It is the Heart of the Father. He invites humanity to embrace this divine purpose and philosophy of life by knocking at our heart's door. When the door is open, it is the desire of The Father that the eyes would be opened also, to see The Father's ultimate intention. that "God may be all in all." This is what God Really Wants!

Moving beyond what God has done for us to what Christ realized for God is the "deeper truth" of The Scripture. Fromke, author and pastor, pointed out in his writings that Romans 3:23 has a deeper meaning than what most evangelists give it. The KJV version reads: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

In the considered opinion of some theologians, "glory" means the true estimation of a thing. Hence, the verse would read:


All (without exception) have sinned (against the Law) and have dropped out of and away from God's estimation of what humanity should be.



a.. J. B. Phillips put it this way: All have sinned and missed the beauty of God's plan.

b.. Ferrar Fenton translated it thusly: Ferrar Fenton translated it thusly: All sin and are in need of rectification.

Paul knew that humanity needed more than to turn over a "new leaf" and "do the best." He knew that humanity should be brought back into God's earliest intention, before God began on His course of redemption, The evangelist has lost sight of what Romans 3:23 is saying. God's glory or estimation of what man should be is the mainspring of all service, and if we work from another standpoint, all else is wrong. The believer's aim should be to work in The Father's fulfillment of the divine intention.

The center of our message is a Person, Jesus Christ, Who is the estimation of what God wants all men to be. This is "the glory of God." God knew that humanity would need to know what God's intention was, so He wrapped Himself up in flesh and demonstrated His divine intention that existed before all creation. Now we understand Paul's message of "Christ in you, the hope of glory," and God as "all things in all." Oh, may God help us to see What God Really Wants.


To conclude this study, please consider F. Fenton's interpretation of Colossians 1:25-27. He writes:


.of which I became a minister by appointment given to me for you from God, to accomplish the Divine intention, the secret hidden from the ages, and from the nations, but now made manifest to His saints by whom God has decided to publish amongst the heathen what is the wealth of that mystery of the rectification which Christ is to you-- the hope of the rectification - which we proclaim.


Paul is overwhelmed with the desire "to accomplish The Divine intention" of The Father. It was after Paul met The Risen Christ that he lived without man-centered vision of all the things that God was doing through him "among the heathen." Paul did that.


.warning every man, and teaching every person in a perfect philosophy, so that we (Paul) may present each one perfect in Christ; to which object I vigorously strive with His mighty energy working in me (Colossians 1:28-29, F. Fenton).


Problems did not change Paul except to bring him closer to Christ. Paul did not in any way look for an escape. The hardship and suffering was considered the Will of the Father. Hence, Paul did not indulge in self-pity and self-centeredness. He gives us the example of a life viewpoint with The Father's ultimate intention as the center. It was Paul's desire that God may show us "the glory" or how The Father sees things. By contemporary application, may our lives be centered "in Him!"

In this newly found occupation of living "in Him," we see the "Cross of Christ" as an eternal thing, something we must not get away from. We see ourselves "crucified with Him." We see the great humiliation of Christ as He descended from His exalted, heavenly position to the lowly cross of a criminal.

In this, we learn of What God Really Wants! Those who humble themselves, God will exalt. The Proud will be brought low. However, as we enter into His humiliation, we are carried away, through Him, into His great exaltation. This is God Really Wants. This is what we should see and understand as the Will of God for us individually.


I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)


There are interesting theological and pragmatic questions that concern our forefather Adam, who stood at the crossroads as he looked upon the fruit offered to him by his true and only sweetheart, Eve. The question now arises, How much did Adam know of God's intention for him? It is clear that God wanted Adam to begin at the place of obedience and, as time passed, learn more obedience until it became a way of life for him. Adam was to learn that the exercise of the first moral choice would develop into a life of giving, serving and sharing.

God would progressively reveal His wonderful Will to Adam as Adam obeyed. As God's purpose and plan unfolded before Adam's eyes, would Adam choose God's intention or pursue a private goal? The Scripture reveals that he chose to satisfy his limited vision of what was good for him and Eve. This was the issue in the Garden of Eden. Adam chose his own way to feed on knowledge and the development of his natural life, exercising his own rights to freedom and pursuing his own private goals. So, just as the first Adam stood at the gateway of choice, we too must choose to accept or reject God's call to embrace the divine rule of action and allow the "Tree of Life" (The Cross principle) to be wrought in us. We must choose to do one or the other. There is no neutral ground for this decision. Should we live for our own purpose and thereby reject God's ultimate intention and purpose? Or can we get glimpse of What God Really Wants for us and make the right choice?


Conclusion


If Christ was the flesh that God dwelt in and was to be the focus of our attention, observe what He ultimately did.


And when all things shall be subdued unto Him (The Father), then shall The Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)


Christ subjected Himself to the Father -- so that "God may be all in all." THIS IS GOD'S ULTIMATE INTENTION.to be all things in all people. So therefore.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God The Father.

(Philippians 2:5-11)

A Gift a lesson

Once in a while dear reader, I find a really good article with a message that deserves to be read and not languish for lack of readership. This is one. The author is a dear saint of God and .... Well just read....
Dennis

RISING OR FALLING ON THE REPUTATION OF CHRIST

Most of us who passionately take the name of Christ Jesus as our freedom, our salvation, and our life have an automatic response to "living the life." Through what He does to sanctify, we begin to model ourselves after a reputation that people often find honorable in a workplace, in a school, or in various circumstances.

At work, amidst a very youthful crowd and immoral environment, I've often been referred to as the "faithful" or "overly polite." There are no vocal Christians to work side by side with who stand on the integrity of their faith. Most at this point know that I am a believer, but tend to avoid asking many questions that might force them to dig a little deeper. My reputation has been built over the past seven months into an image that suggests "Under all circumstances, Jeremy will do the right thing when no one else does. We can count on him." That reputation was tarnished today in a moment's weakness of character.

For those of you who aren't aware, I returned to school last year after 10 years of hit and miss classes. In making such a decision, it put me back into the world of odd jobs and unappealing positions that are necessary to keep an income flowing during my free nights and weekends. So what do I do? I'm a waiter at the Cheesecake Factory about 6-7 shifts per week.

Most of my peers at work have become increasingly frustrated by little things that are often either tedious or inconsequential. I've made it my heart's desire to leave a legacy of encouragement and inspiration in their company. At whatever point that I leave this season of my life, it would be my hope that they would look back at me and remember that in the servitude of an often lowering and degrading role, that I might have been a bright spot in the tedious... a smile in the degrading.

Today, I fell on this legacy.

One of the "forbidden" actions of any server is to question or converse with a guest about the amount of a tip that they received. In fact, it's so obvious of a foolish action that I often speak with trainees about finding peace in knowing that all things balance out in the end. When one tip is low, another rises above what you expected. So don't have expectations (not everyone realizes that we make $3.13/hour without their contribution). Seems simple enough, right?

Today, one of my last tables (5 guests) had been incredibly peaceful as I served them each a variation of lemonade two, three, and four times in refills. They all enjoyed their meals. They never complained. All was comfortable and they even ended on a high note of German Chocolate Cheesecake and a Key Lime Cheesecake.

Then I handed them their bill and ended up risking the termination of my job in a moment of failing reputation.

When I checked back to see if they were ready to run a credit card, the woman handed me her VISA along with a ten dollar bill and asked for me to give change after running her card. Her check was $100.00. Standard Florida tips should range between 18% and 20%, but at the very least, a 10% tip is in the notion of the old fashioned. On any other day, it wouldn't have mattered to me what she left because as mentioned before... it all balances out.

So I ran the credit card and came back with 5 singles and a five dollar bill. As I walked away thanking them for coming in, I noticed that they were beginning to circle around the bill to discuss it. Several minutes later, I noticed that they were ready to get up and one of the ladies who had a walking crutch was struggling to get out of her seat.

"Ma'am, can I help you up?" I asked.

"No, sir, I'm okay. I've got it." She replied.

As it seemed they were okay on their own, I slipped my hand through to the edge of the table to take the credit card slip along with the tip inside. The slip was signed with no tip addition and the tip was $5.00 cash.

(Pause)

Prior to this point, I had been listening to my inner humanity and arrogance saying, "They're lower class. They need this money more than I do. If they leave less than 10%, I'll just give it back to them." For many of my peers, they say these types of things behind closed doors when no guests are listening. They say these things when they're frustrated. They verbalize their irritation.

I'm always the quiet one. I take the hits and stay silent. So this should have been a moment when I said "Thank you" and walked away.

(UnPause)

As they each looked at me looking at the tip, I fell to my own inner immaturity and slipped it back on the table.

"Actually, you can keep this. I don't need it."

"I don't understand."

"Well, a normal tip is at least 10% and if you aren't able to at least leave that, then that's okay, you can hang on to the cash. I don't need it."

Indeed, you ought to be saying to yourself right now what nearly every other server and manager said... "Wow."

The woman went immediately to the general manager and he, in turn, came to me later regarding the possibility that this could lead to abrupt termintation. But his question to me was,

"Why? This isn't who you are."

And others were asking,

"Why would you, of all people, do that? It's not like you."

They were right. And it wasn't "who I am." So why do it? Why fail? Why spend so long building a reputation and drop it in a single moment of arrogance? Why does any believer's reputation stand so high that a single failure would cause everyone around to say, "How could he?"

Because the reputation that we build is not ours we're building. We are representatives of Christ in all that we do and say. In the moment we fall by the wayside in the company of men who have watched us for quite some time... it cuts like a knife into a reputation that is much bigger than we are.

Today I am embarrassed.

Today I am ashamed.

These things I share with you not to suggest that it's okay to fail your reputation, but rather, to say that when we do fall, the only strongarm we have to pull ourselves up on is the strongarm of the Lord. For it is He who actually built our reputation in the world and it is He who leaves the legacy behind among the voices who speak of us when we're gone.

In the days to come, the managers may decide my employment's end or they may decide that my prior reputation earns the favor of a second chance. Either decision will leave me with a deep-rooted reminder that we can either rise or fall on the reputation that precedes us in Christ. When we rise, we shine light on what is already strong. When we fall, we burn out the candle.

My hope is that you may rise this week in Christ... That your fire might shine where others have burned out.

In Christ Alone,

Jeremy Lucas
Founder and Administrator of G.R.A.C.E. Ministries
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*~*~*Sarah*~*~*

*~*~*Sarah*~*~*

My name is Sarah

I am but three,

My eyes are swollen

I cannot see,

I must be stupid

I must be bad,

What else could have made

My daddy so mad?

I wish I were better

I wish I weren't ugly,

Then maybe my mommy

Would still want to hug me.

I can't speak at all

I can't do a wrong

Or else I'm locked up

All the day long.

When I awake I'm all alone

The house is dark

My folks aren't home.

When my mommy does come

I'll try and be nice,

So maybe I'll get just

One whipping tonight.

Don't make a sound!

I just heard a car

My daddy is back

From Charlie's Bar.

I hear him curse

My name he calls

I press myself

Against the wall.

I try and hide

From his evil eyes

I'm so afraid now

I'm starting to cry.

He finds me weeping

He shouts ugly words,

He says its my fault

That he suffers at work.

He slaps me and hits me

And yells at me more,

I finally get free

And I run for the door.

He's already locked it

And I start to bawl,

He takes me and throws me

Against the hard wall.

I fall to the floor

With my bones nearly broken,

And my daddy continues

With more bad words spoken.

"I'm sorry!", I scream

But its now much too late

His face has been twisted

Into unimaginable hate.

The hurt and the pain

Again and again

Oh please God, have mercy!

Oh please let it end!

And he finally stops

And heads for the door,

While I lay there motionless

Sprawled on the floor.

My name is Sarah

And I am but three,

Tonight my daddy

Murdered me.

This sickens me to my soul. I am asking you to take the time to send this on and acknowledge that this stuff does happen, and that people like Sarah's dad do live in our society, and I pray for child abuse to whither and die, but also pray for the safety of our youth. As crazy as it might sound, it might just indirectly change a life. Hey, you NEVER know.

Please forward if you are *~*~*AGAINST CHILD ABUSE *~*~

Gentle Reader,

You know I just like a bad penny. Just when you think your shed of me Up I pop. I had planned to quite blogging but in the light of recent events. (Duh Vinci code, Angels or Demons and the latest on MSN there is a Jewish fellow who is reading thru the Bible (He doesn't read Hebrew but He calls his blog [get this now Blogging the Bible far so good but then he adds an ignoramus looks at the Bible]

So after a discussion with Marti we agreed that I could come back and write once in a while about the Sad state of what we call Christianity .
So Gentle reader,

What you will get is a Dr Dennis Lite. I cannot promise that you will get college credit for this blog, nor will I be writing every day as I did, (Six blogs a day was just to much) but you will get a chance to se the inner working of a Christian Pastor who understands how you feel knows what you really want.

And best of all I make the Best coffee on the Internet!


So sit back or better still roll your computer up to the coffee pot and have a big cup of Dr Denis and join me as I share the Gospel of Grace or what I like to call Christianity for Dummies!

Most people don't understand what Grace is let along are willing to understand how Gopd is God! So lets start there What is Grace?

According to my Franklin (see I don't use a dictionary any longer Grace is unmerited Divine assistance or 2) a short prayer before or after a meal or 3) respite [temporary delay or rest] 4) ease of movement or bearing . But now here is our working definition Favor Just Favor! Grace is God's Salvation for the sinner, and Supply for the saint

Dear Jesus,

Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home.
Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats.

One by one the teacher called a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching, for a man who wasn't there.

"Where's her daddy at?" she heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one," another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day."

The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher, who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique.

"My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy, and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories he taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him, I'm not standing here alone.

"Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart
I know because he told me, he'll forever be in my heart".

With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress.

And from somewhere here in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud.

"I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far."

"You see he was a policeman and died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers and taught Americans to fear."

"But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day.

And to her mothers amazement, she witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side.

"I know you're with me Daddy," to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been
closed.
But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining
star.
And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far.


They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate
them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Lord,
Hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they

protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they

perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our

Lord and Savior. Amen."

Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a

prayer for our troops around the world.

There is nothing attached.... .. Just send this to all the

people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you, please....

Of all the gifts you could give a Marine , US Soldier, Sailor, Airman, &others

deployed in harm's way,

Prayer is the very best one

10 little Christians

Ten Little Christians

Ten Little Christians came to church all the time;
One fell out with the preacher, then there were nine.

Nine Little Christians stayed up late;
One overslept on Sunday, then there were eight.

Eight Little Christians on their way to Heaven;
One took the low road, then there were seven.

Seven Little Christians, chirping like chicks;
One didn't like the singing, then there were six.

Six Little Christians seemed very much alive;
One took a vacation, then there were five.

Five Little Christians pulling for Heaven’s shore;
One stopped to take a rest, then there were four.

Four Little Christians each as busy as a bee;
One had his feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three Little Christians couldn't decide what to do;
One couldn't have his way, then there were two.

Two Little Christians each won one more;
Now don't you see, two plus two equals four.

Four Little Christians worked early and late;
Each brought one, now there were eight.

Eight Little Christians if they double as before;
In just seven Sundays, we have one thousand twenty four.

In this jingle there is a lesson true;
You belong either to the building, or to the wrecking crew.

An attack on your faith

... a not so subtle attack on Christianity



FACT: vs FICTION

The Priory of Sion—a European secret society founded in 1099—is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci. (All this is also fiction but read on, Dennis)

The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout Catholic group that has been the topic of recent controversy due to reports of brain-washing, coercion, and a practice known as "corporal mortification." Opus Dei has just completed construction of a $47 million National Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City. All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate. ( Please note Gentle Reader, all of this is as they say in the state of Iowa- HOGWASH!)



PROLOGUE

LOUVRE MUSEUM, PARIS
10:46 P.M.

Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. He lunged for the nearest painting he could see, a Carravagio. Grabbing the gilded frame, the seventy-three-year-old man heaved the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and Saunière collapsed backward in a heap beneath the canvas.
As he anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance to the suite. The parquet floor shook. Far off, an alarm began to ring.
The curator lay a moment, gasping for breath, taking stock. I am still alive. He crawled out from under the canvas and scanned the cavernous space for someplace to hide.
A voice spoke, chillingly close. "Do not move."
On his hands and knees, the curator froze, turning his head slowly.
Only fifteen feet away, outside the sealed gate, the mountainous silhouette of his attacker stared through the iron bars. He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. The albino drew a pistol from his coat and aimed the long silencer through the bars, directly at the curator. "You should not have run." His accent was not easy to place. "Now tell me where it is."
"I told you already," the curator stammered, kneeling defenseless on the floor of the gallery. "I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"You are lying." The man stared at him, perfectly immobile except for the glint in his ghostly eyes. "You and your brethren possess something that is not yours."

Gentle reader,

So begins infamous book by Dan Brown called the Duh Vinci code: It relies on what I call the gullibility factor that is you must suspend your intelligence what we do when we watch David Blain or any other magician as he makes a rabbit turn into an elephant or some other thing that as you watch seems impossible and yet you saw with your very eyes what seemed to be impossible!

But wait! is there something hidden beneath the surface? Perhaps if we consider some terms that you may or may not be familiar with the first is Calumny [false and malicious charge or the expression of damaging or malicious opinions] something like what the cartoon depicting Mohammad ( Now the Islamic people rioted [violent public disorder] over an attempt to be funny]

Should We as Christians sit by and allow the likes of a Dan Brown, or Sony or Ron Howard to speak libel , [ action, crime or an instance of injuring a person's reputation by something written to speak evil of for the purpose of injuring and without regard for the truth] or slander [malicious gossip] the ONE that 1/4 of the World calls the SON of GOD?

NOT Me! What you read at the beginning can be checked out by anyone who has the least bit of desire to know the TRUTH about Jesus Christ!

Why would someone in this day and age want to Blaspheme or to speak in a manner of irreverence toward God?

Well without belaboring the issue it is the same as if someone spoke evil of your mother (you'd fight at the drop of a hat wouldn't you? Well someone has spoken against My Lord, My Saviour, My God! And as a "Real Christian" I'm not going to let this pass. Now don't get me wrong I believe in Grace I belong to a Grace group. We study Grace we treat people with Grace but I won't let anyone treat my God, MY Saviour MY Lord with such utter disregard and callousness.

To stand by and allow such to take place to me is tantamount to denying the faith once for all delivered to the saints!

It's time to take back our heritage to stand up for Jesus Christ. If we don't stand for something we'll fall for anything! As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:...Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. [Colossians 2]

To be comtinued.... for more go to http://davincioutreach.com/

To My Mum and yours

To All The Mothers...

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

This is for all the mothers of Kosovo who fled in the night and can't find their children.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and made them homes.

For all the mothers of the victims of the Colorado shooting, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TV's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to School alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, a baby dying?

This is for all the mothers that sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.
This is for reading "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then reading it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who mess up. Who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired two-year old who wants ice cream before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
For all the mothers who bite their lips -- sometimes until they bleed -- when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green. Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse and hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. So hang in there.

Please pass along to all the moms in your life. "Home" is what catches you when we fall - and we all fall. PLEASE PASS THIS TO A WONDERFUL MOTHER YOU KNOW.
Author Unknown
Since the writer wanted her message passed along --
We share it with you.

Letter to Ruth

Ruth went to her mailbox and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth:

I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always, Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner," She reached for her purse and counted out its contents, five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least."

She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. Ruth bought a loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk, leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway.

It was a man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady," the man explained, "I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.

"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him,"

"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, then turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart, "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" said the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. "You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders.

Then smiling, Ruth turned and walked back to the street, without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!" the grateful husband said.

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.

"That's odd," she thought, "the mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day."

She took the envelope out of the box and opened it:

Dear Ruth,

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

Stop the ACLU!

They went after the war memorial on top of Mount Soledad ... and they won.

You already know the ACLU has declared an all-out war on symbols of Christianity and our national religious heritage across America. No Ten Commandments monument is safe!

But they aren't stopping there. Now, they have attacked a symbol of remembrance - a sacred memorial to our heroes of war ... just because it happens to be shaped in the form of a cross!

Because of their persistence, a U.S. District Court judge has ruled that San Diego's Mount Soledad cross must be removed ... or a stiff fine of $5,000 per day will be enforced.

To the ACLU, the cross is not a sacred reminder of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their all for our nation. Instead, it stands in their way as they attempt to remove every vestige of Christianity from our nation.

We cannot sit back and simply allow this ruling to stand without a fight. If we do ... we will lose MORE than one cross on one hill in San Diego! No cross will be spared, no war memorial left untouched.

So today, we need all of our members across the country to rise up with us and STOP the ACLU.

We have already embarked on a nation-wide campaign to alert and inform concerned citizens ... and to call on our President, the Governor of California, the Mayor of San Diego, the U.S. Senate Leadership, and San Diego's City Council to implore them to use all legal and lawful means to keep the cross and war memorial in place and STOP this ruling in its tracks.

I have talked with the Mayor of San Diego on our radio broadcast. We told him that we will assist the city in any way we can in the legal proceedings. In fact, I have already assembled a senior legal team to file amicus briefs on behalf of our members in support of the city.

Have we come to the place in our country where the simple depiction of a cross - a universal symbol of remembrance - would be illegal? I hope not!

And yet, if we lose this battle for the Mount Soledad Cross ... we lose BIG.

A win for the ACLU in this matter would mean that no war memorial across our country would be safe. Even Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C., could be their next target.

We can't let this happen! Help us stop the ACLU and SAVE the Mount Soledad Cross - and all of our war memorials

Who do you say Jesus is?

IS JESUS GOD?

In Revelation chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty".



Jesus speaks of his eternal existence. He has no beginning and He has no ending. He lived; He died and arose from the grave, and He is coming again. He was. He is. And He is to come.



Jesus Christ said that He is "the Almighty". In this verse Jesus claims to be God. You cannot say that Jesus Christ is just a good man, or a good teacher, but not really God. He is either the biggest liar in the world, the biggest hoax and con man who ever lived, or He is who He claims to be.



In this verse Jesus claims to be God. He said He is the Almighty. There is no question about who the Almighty is. Everywhere in the Bible that the word Almighty is found it's clear that it's talking about God Almighty.



In Revelation chapter 4, verse 8, the four living creatures call Jesus Christ, "God Almighty".



Again in Revelation chapter 11, verse 17, all the people in heaven call Jesus Christ, "God Almighty".



The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:22 that anyone who denies that Jesus is God is a liar and has the spirit of the anti-Christ abiding in him. Christ is God in a body according to Colossians 2:9. And one day every knee shall bow to Him and confess that He is God. That's what the book of Revelation is all about.



There is no wiggle room here for argument. Both the Old and New Testaments make it very plan that the Lord Jesus Christ is God.



At the burning bush Moses ask God what His name was. God replied, "I Am that I Am", Exodus 3:14. The "I Am" in Hebrew relates to the personal Name of God. In John 8:58, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am". That's Jesus personal Name. Same Name as God. The Yahweh of the Old Testament is the Yeshua of the New Testament. Same Name. Same person. This is confirmed repeatedly though out the Bible. That's why the Scripture says, "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow", Philippians 2:10.



I love that beautiful hymn written by Rev. Bridges back in 1910. It gives such a wonderful tribute to the Name of Jesus.



Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

Sweetest name I know,

Fills my every longing,

Keeps me singing as I go.



In Colossians 1:15-18 the Bible says, "He (that's Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (The firstborn over all creation simply means that Jesus Christ existed before anything was ever created.) For by Him (that's Jesus Christ) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."



The "firstborn from the dead" simple means Jesus Christ is the first person to ever die and be resurrected from the grave with a glorified, spiritual body.



The Bible makes it very clear here that Jesus Christ will have the preeminence in all things. He is the Lord and Creator of all things. Jesus Christ is the Lord spoken of all through the Holy Bible. To accept Him as Lord is to accept Him as the God of your life. That's what being a Christian is all about! For Him to be your Lord means He is your God.



In Isaiah 45: 18, "For thus says the Lord (that's Jesus Christ),

Who created the heavens, (According to Colossians 1:16, Jesus created the heavens.)

Who is God,

Who formed the earth and made it,

Who has established it,

Who did not create it in vain,

Who formed it to be inhabited:

I am the Lord, and there is no other".



The word "Lord" in the divine sense means, "the self existent One". In the human sense the word "lord" means "master" or "overseer" or "the respected head". All through the book of Revelation, Jesus claims to be the self-existent One. He has no beginning and He has no ending.Only God can make this claim and Jesus makes it.



If you want to see God, look at Jesus. He is the invisible God in a body. He used the Virgin Mary to birth for Himself a body. That's why He is referred to as the "Son of Man". This means He is totally man as far as His physical side is concerned. He is also referred to as the "Son of God". This means He is totally God as far as His spiritual side is concerned. The only way we can understand this is for the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us.



In Matthew 22: verse 42 thru 45, Jesus tried to explain this to the Pharisees. Jesus asked them the question, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, the Son of David. He said to them, how then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, saying:



The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? This is a quote from Psalm 110, verse 1.



If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his Son"?



What's Jesus saying here? Jesus is saying that as God He is David's Lord, but as Man, He is David's Son.



When the word "Lord" is used to refer to God it is always capitalized and the plural form is used.




This miracle of the incarnation of Christ is explained in John 1:1. The Bible says, "In the beginning was the Word (that's Jesus Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."



In John 1:14, the Bible goes on to say, "And the Word (that's Jesus Christ) became flesh and dwelt among us".



I realize I'm being very redundant and repetitive. My wife won't let me forget it! So I am aware of it. If it bothers you I'm sorry. You will just have to forgive me like she does. It's the only way I know how to preach and teach. And I'm too old to learn a better way.



Jesus Christ is God. How can there be any doubt? In Isaiah 9:6, we are told that Jesus is God. The Bible says, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, everlasting Father, Prince of peace".



This verse declares that Jesus Christ is the one and only MIGHTY GOD. He is also referred to as our everlasting Father. Have you ever thought of Jesus being your Father?



In 1 John 5:20 we are told that Jesus is God. The Bible says, "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God".



I'm sure some of you are asking the question: if there is only one God and Jesus Christ is that one God, where does the Holy Trinity fit in? Yes! God is a Trinity. God, the Father. God, the Son. And God, the Holy Spirit. There is only one God, but He has there dimensions.The word "trinity" is not the best word to use. The Scriptural word is Godhead.



No one can deny the fact that the Bible talks about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Son of God is not a separate God or person. The Son of God is the physical entity of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the spiritual entity of the Father. It's a matter of position. I am a father, a son and a husband. I am body, soul and spirit and they can be separated.. But I am one person.



There is no parable, no illustration, no analogy and no explanation that can explain the Trinity. It's a matter of faith. We must choose to believe. We just have to take God's word for it. St. Augustine said, "Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand".



The Bible says in 1 John 5:7, "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." Not three Gods. There is only one God but He has three dimensions, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is no question about who the Word is here in this verse. In Revelation 19:13, talking about Jesus Christ, the Bible says, "and His name is called The Word Of God".



I want to read 1 John 5:7 again, "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one".



The Father is the invisible power source with a personality, and while He does not have a body, He does have a physical image, Colossians 1:15. Jesus Christ is the visible embodiment of the Father incarnated in the form of a man, Philippians 2:5-8. The Holy Spirit is the unlimited, everywhere presents of the Father. He is like the wind that's always present moving as He wishes, John 3:8.



The Father is the invisible Power of God.

The Son is the visible Person of God.

The Holy Spirit is the everywhere Presents of God.



All three exist in the body of Jesus, making Him the Christ. Making Him God Almighty! Jesus Christ is the compound of the power, the person and the presents of God.



Titus 2:13 says Jesus is God.

Heb 1:8 The Father calls Jesus God.

In John 20:28, Thomas called Jesus His God.

John 1: 1-14. Jesus is God and answers the question why did God become flesh?



1.To make an invisible God visible.

2.To make an unknown God known.

3.To make an impersonal God personal.

4.To make a unkillable God killable.

I love you, you know!

Letter From a Friend

I am writing to say how much I care for you
and to say how much I want you to know me better.

When you awoke this morning,
I exploded a brilliant sunrise through your window,
hoping to get your attention,
but you rushed off without even noticing.

Later, I noticed you were walking with some friends,
so I bathed you in warm sunshine
and perfumed the air with nature's sweet scent,
and still you didn't notice me.

As you passed by,
I shouted to you in a thunderstorm
and painted a beautiful rainbow in the sky,
and you didn't even look.

In the evening,
I spilled moonlight onto your face
and sent a cool breeze to rest you.

As you slept,
I watched over you and shared your thoughts,
but you were unaware that I was so near.

I have chosen you and hope you will talk to me soon.
Until then, I remain near.
I am your friend and love you very much.

~Your Friend, Jesus~

The Bum

The Bum and the Brown Bag

On a dark winter's night as the chill wind blew
on a park bench an old man there lay

Tattered and torn, tired withered and worn
he'd not eaten for more than a day

Heartache and fears and much sadness and tears
was his life - fate had dealt a poor hand

He thought once or twice of the terrible price
he'd paid not obeying God's command

Way back in his youth he was taught gospel truth
and the Spirit had led him to preach

But judging was he - the way things ought to be
so instead he decided to teach

He made a good start and he had a kind heart -
untold were his many good deeds

Yet often he found - one who'd pray and kneel down
but he couldn't attend their soul's needs

A college professor he'd been for a while
but soon the years took a sad toll

Divorce - loss of wealth - no job and poor health
had left just a bum - growing old

He lay there in pain - a slight drizzle of rain
most certain he'd freeze to the bone

As he thought of the past- a deep sigh came at last
he guessed he'd just die there alone

Then, strangely appeared, a man standing quite near
He asked, "may I sit for awhile?"

And though it was dark - in his eye was a spark
and his face bore a kind loving smile

He said, "Sir I perceive that you didn't receive
all the good things God planned for your life;

By the look on your face I can somehow retrace
that you've lived through much anguish and strife."

"God's judgement won't count all the sins you repent
and it's never too late to restart -

So kneel here with me and together let's see
if God will re-enter your heart;

Together they prayed and a long time he stayed -
A soul was reborn on that night

Then as suddenly he came - he was gone with no name
He'd vanished completely from sight

A brown bag he'd brought of food the old man sought
was all that remained at his side

The food warmed his body - the words fed his soul
Now Christ. . . . within him . . . . did abide

The brown paper sack on the park bench there
had these words - written with love-

"God sent His Son . . . . . . .and He also sent me"
"And a little . . . . . .manna from above.

Bible Conference

A Look at Scripture Research's Conference:

a.. This coming Mid-November, Scripture Research will conduct a Bible Conference in Riverside, California on the subject of "The Pleroma." The Greek word, pleroma means the complement (not compliment) or that which fills. A pleroma (the filling) produces a pleroo, the state of fullness or ability for accomplishment.
b.. Doug Falk tells the board of Scripture Research that pleroma is that which is put in, in order to fill. It is not a state of being at full capacity or filled to the full. It is the necessary increment (part) needed to cause that which is full to be complete or adequate for all things.
c.. Illustration: In filling the car engine with oil, one does not fill the crank case to the full. There is a mark on the dip stick that lets one know exactly how many quarts of oil to put in the engine for it to be full and not over fill it. One can over fill the car engine with oil, which is not good for the engine. However, we say, "I think my car is a little low on oil, fill it up please."
d.. Colossians 2:9,10 "For in Him dwells the entire complement (pleroma) of God, and you are complete/accomplished (pleroo) in Him."
e.. Ephesians 3:19 "That you may be completed for the entire complement (pleroma) of God."
f.. If God completes Christ, does Christ complete God? Is Christ the fullness of \God?
g.. Christ is the complement (not compliment) of God (Col. 2:9) and we are the complement of Christ (Eph. 1:23) even though God compliments us "in Christ" (Eph. 1:3).
h.. Complement is "counter-Balance" or that which makes perfect.
i.. Compliment is an expression of esteem, respect, affection or admiration.
j.. As we are complemented, we are made perfect "in Christ" and are "blessed" (Eph. 1:3) or God says good things about us in his compliments.
k.. God's compliments are conditioned on His complement of us "in Christ."

The Last Attack

As a child I was stricken with severe allergies and asthma, which kept me from having, holding, tasting, touching and smelling a variety of foods, most plants, trees, grass and flowers. And keeping a pet - especially a dog or a cat - was completely out of the question. All my childhood doctors had agreed: I needed to avoid everything I was allergic to, remain sedentary and visit the doctor every Saturday morning for my weekly allergy shot.
"Do not exert yourself," he told me. "It will probably trigger a dangerous asthma attack."
Often disregarding his advice, I played hard, ran everywhere, rode my bike like a demon, swam every summer and trained in gymnastics year-round. I became the top gymnast in my grammar school and also set the 50-, 60- and 100-yard dash records. At eleven, I told my parents that I would no longer be taking the allergy shots each week - a subjective decision based not on information I read in any book, nor on the advice of any experts. Rather, my body told me I didn't need them anymore.
My parents, though doubtful, agreed to a trial period. "We'll see how you do without them," they said.
But I wasn't through. I begged, pleaded and finally convinced them to get a dog - a furry little Pekinese we all grew to love - and I began to immerse myself in all the things that used to make me sick (or had been told would make me sick). I cut the grass for neighbors who didn't know I wasn't supposed to be near lawns. I smelled flowers and climbed trees. I even began to eat strawberries, which doctors said "could possibly be fatal."
I don't remember my first asthma attack, but I vividly remember my last. I was eleven years old; it was a humid, hot summer day in Chicago, and I was running hard through the African jungle - in reality, the alleys behind our house. There were many beasts and potential predators I needed to outrun. Sometimes while running, especially on a sticky day, my lungs would swell and squeeze off my air supply. That day was no different. Reluctantly, I decided to leave the jungle and return home to rest.
The house was empty, a true blessing that allowed for undisturbed, quiet focus. In the stillness, I came to a new awareness and found my cure.
As I lay on my parents' bed gazing up at a ceiling fan, I stared at the shiny silver bolt that held the sharp blades together. I focused on what seemed like the still point in the center of the fan's great vortex and held my attention there, while listening calmly to the chorus in my chest. I heard the rapid, rhythmic crackling sounds of blocked lungs, accompanied by high pitched whistles, which marked the trail of the few puffs of air struggling to make their way through narrow passageways. I remained calm, content to listen to my body.
Then came the sudden, dazzling realization that altered my life forever: a simple thought that penetrated to my core: I have all that I need. I understood, for the first time, that the little bit of air getting through was all that was necessary to sustain me. It was enough. When I realized I have nothing to fear, I will always have enough air, my lungs opened fully.

One God and Father of ALL, who is above ALL, and through ALL, and IN you ALL

The Antichrist???

Another Look at the Scripture:

The University of Sheffield has undertaken to recover and transcribe the 4 original versions of John Foxe's Acts and Monuments (Book of Martyrs) published during Foxe's own lifetime (1563, 1570, 1576, and 1583), and has made the results of the project available free online. Modern abridgements really don't do this book justice in most cases, so this project provides what amounts to a fresh look at life-work of Foxe. http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/foxe/index.html

What you'll find is another source from antiquity which corroborates the identity of Nero as the beast of Revelation (or "Antichrist"):

From the 1576 Edition, book 1, page 0031 :

"But especially the third of these Neros, called Domitius Nero. An. 56. Domitius Nero. Whiche succeding after Claudius, reigned. xiiij. yeares, with such fury and tyranny, that he slew the most part of the Senate, he destroyed the whole order of knighthode in Rome. So prodigious a monster of nature was he, more like a beast, yea rather a deuill then a man, that he semed to be borne to the destruction of man."

And, from the 1576 Edition, book 1, page 0034

"The first of these. x. persecutions: was styrred vp by Nero Domitius the vj. Emperour before mentioned, about the yeare of our Lorde. 67. The tyrannous rage of whiche Emperour was so fierce agaynst the Christians, (as Eusebius recordeth,) Vi adeò vt videres repletas humanis corporibus ciuitates, iace¯tes mortuos simul cum paruulis senes: fæminarum absq; vlla sexus reuerentia nudata in publico, reiectaque starent cadauera. That is: In somuch that a man might then see Cities lye full of mens bodyes, the old there laying together with the young, and the dead bodyes of women cast out naked without all reuerence of that sexe in the open streetes, &c. Likewise Orosius writing of the sayd Nero, sayth,Orosius Lib. 7. that he was the first, which in Rome did rayse vp persecution agaynst the Christians, and not onely in Rome, but also through all the prouinces therof, thinkyng to abo- lish and to destroy the whole name of Christians in all places, &c. Wherunto accordeth moreouer the testimony of Hierome vppon Daniell, saying: that many there were of the Christians in those dayes, which seyng the filthy abhominations, & intollerable crueltie of Nero, thought that he should be Antichrist, &c."

For a collection of other historic material affirming the identity of Nero as the beast of Revelation, see the following link from the Preterist Achive: http://www.preteristarchive.com/StudyArchive/n/nero_emperor-beast.html

See also how "666" is likewise a reference to Nero Caesar:
http://www.preteristarchive.com/StudyArchive/r/revelation_13-8_666.html

WHATEVER BECAME OF SIN?

Back in 1973 a psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, authored a book by this title. After an extensive survey of the ills of human kind, the doctor concluded that something basic must be wrong with the human race, whether one uses such terms as sin, crime, wrongdoing, mental illness, etc. He found such complacency toward the idea of "sin" that he thought it appropriate to ask Whatever Became of Sin?

It appears to be the case as much today. People have their shortcomings and they make mistakes, but no one sins anymore. Moral failures and anti-social behavior are accounted for on the grounds of dysfunctional family background, lack of educational opportunity, racial discrimination, and various other conditions that render one blameless for his conduct. It is always something in "the environment" that made them do it. It seems that no one is responsible for sins anymore. They are not seen as personal sins, but as the failures of society. If the government had spent more money . . .

This mentality of "holding society responsible" for the violent behavior of some of its own overlooks the fact that thousands have risen from a disadvantaged background to become law-abiding and productive citizens. Menninger had a point in insisting that it would help to recognize that we are dealing with sin -- sins for which people are to be held responsible.

It is interesting that the doctor -- after creating various categories of sin -- concluded that the essence of all sin is hate. As he put it, hate is "the germinal word that links all sin," and all sin, particularly hate, leads to self-destruction. He concluded that the Bible has it right that "the wages of sin is death." The doctor may have been close to where most societies are today in naming hate as the germinal sin. Is it not hate behind most of the terror and violence in the world?

The medieval theologians included hate among the seven deadly sins, but they saw pride as the primal or germinal sin. All sins are produced by pride or self-conceit, they allowed.

But we live in a society that takes little note of pride and hate. Some may have emotional problems and others may be going through a mid-life crisis -- but nothing these days is caused by hate and pride. Sin has been swept under the rug.

Someone has likened this smug complacency toward sin to a society lady at a garden party who is told that a lion has escaped and is thought to be nearby. "Oh, yes?" she says, as she takes another bite of her cucumber salad.

We might best deal with this complacency by studying the nature of sin, which is to ask What is sin? We will seek to answer this in two ways -- by noting some synonyms for sin (definition by synonym), and by lists of sins (definition by example). The Bible informs us well in both of these. This approach should serve us well. What other terms does the Bible use for sin? And what precisely does the Bible name as sins?

There are two terms in the Old Testament that go far in pointing up the nature of sin -- "Our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities" (Isa. 59:12). Transgression means to go beyond God's word, to rebel against his authority. Iniquity is the most profound synonym for sin. It is willful disobedience, not just a failure growing out of ignorance or weakness.

Psalms 51:4 has an informing parallel: "Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight." Sin is doing what is evil in God's sight -- evil being that which is harmful and destructive.

Paul names two synonyms for sin in Romans 1:18: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Ungodliness points to a broken relationship with God, while unrighteousness refers to a broken relationship with one's fellow human beings. The context shows that ungodliness is a deliberate, willful ignorance of God -- a refusal to accept whatever light God might give. Unrighteousness is such sins as Paul names in that chapter -- such as "lusts of the heart" and "a debased mind."

There are occasional definitions of sin, such as "All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17), and "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

While our Lord never dwelt on the nature of sin, he repeatedly dealt with its reality. And sometimes he used impressive synonyms, as in Mark 7:20: "What comes out of a man (out of the heart) is what defiles a man." The Lord makes it plain: sin is what defiles. Likewise in the story of the prodigal son Jesus cites "he squandered his money on a life of debauchery" as a sin, though he doesn't us that term. But he at last has the wayward son saying, "I have sinned against heaven and against you." The son's sin, according to the story, is willful separation from his father. But apparently Jesus did not believe the doctrine of total depravity, or he would not have said of the wretch in the pig pen, "But when he came to himself he said, I will arise and go to my father." It is a story of both sin and redemption.

If we study the nature of sin by those things named as sins -- definition by example -- we do well to begin with Jesus' catalogue of sins in Mark 7:21-22. He begins by saying that these things "come from within, out of the heart." Sins of the heart are to be distinguished from errors of the mind or intellect, which are less serious.

In the list that Jesus gives, I quote from the New King James Version first, and then Phillips Modern English in parenthesis. This will serve to better understand what the Lord says.

Evil thoughts (evil thoughts)
Adulteries (lust)
Fornications (adultery)
Murders (murder)
Thefts (thefts)
Covetousness (greed)
Wickedness (wickedness)
Deceit (deceit)
Licentiousness (sensuality)
Evil eye (envy)
Blasphemy (slander)
Pride (arrogance)
Foolishness (folly)

These are the sins that mattered most to Jesus, and they go far in defining sin. They are sins of the heart and they corrupt the soul. They get close to where we all live -- lust, envy, foolish thinking and irrational behavior, selfishness, arrogance, sham. These are not simply weaknesses or shortcomings. They are the sins that separate us from God. It is understandable that theologian Paul Tillich would define sin as alienation -- from both God and man, and even self.

We are not likely to see the glory of God's grace and mercy until we see the depth and degradation of our own sins. Our Lord described the lowly publican as "righteous" when he prayed "God, be merciful to me a sinner."

(To be continued)

"Let there be Light"!

In an article on The Da Vinci Code, Alexandra Alter asks why are fussing so much over fiction?

According to the Barna Group, a Christian research and polling agency, 53 percent of adults who read The Da Vinci Code report that the book has helped their "personal spiritual growth and understanding."

"An amazing number of people were reading it as this exciting guide to church history," said Carl Olson, coauthor of The Da Vinci Hoax: Exposing the Errors in the Da Vinci Code. "A lot of Christians have been thrown by the novel."
They've been thrown because they never believed or they suffer from a pitiful education and lack of interest in the Scripture. If someone writes a pot-boiler based on the idea that Stalin was a maligned but noble leader of last century who never killed or starved anyone, will they believe that too? (Now that I think of it, lots of people have bought into all types of Gossip and fiction.) I assume the ones who have been thrown by this novel were prejudiced on Jesus' history or that they were willing to believe the easier message.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,

(Romans 1:22-24)


But the writers of the Bible anticipated this and others kinds of nonsense. Here's the close of a letter from the apostle Peter.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:14-18)

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." II Timothy 4

I am only one

I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something;
and what I should do and can do, by the grace of God, I will do.

When I Say..."I am a Christian"

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I am saved"
I'm whispering "I get lost!"
"That is why I chose this way."

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

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

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

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

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

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority.
I only know I'm loved.