Harvest of one body!

(Book of Kells)

A Look at Scripture:


1st Corinthians 15:23,24


(23) "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (24) "Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

The resurrection is pictured as a great harvest. The crop is made up of one kind of seed or crop. This harvest is described as having three phases in the reaping of the crop. There are the first-fruits that become ripe before the larger body of the crop. Then at the right time the main harvest comes for the whole field. Afterwards is the gleaning of that which ends the harvest.

Everyone in Israel understood the process of the harvest. Paul uses that example to help his listeners understand the more complicated process of the resurrection. He says.



a.. "Christ the first-fruits." From the beginning of time to the first century, the Messiah was the first and only one to arise and ascend into the Heavenly Father's authority. Then, those who suffered with Him during the Acts' period reigned with Him. The Parousia hope dominated the thinking of martyrs and living believers for the next forty years following His suffering, death and resurrection in AD 30.



b.. The new covenant Body: "They that are Christ's at His coming." This was the Greek phrase anastasis ek ton nekron (raised out from among the dead) that meant "the first resurrection," the "better resurrection," the "resurrection unto life" or the "resurrection of the just." Those who partook of it were called "children of God, being children of the resurrection." Paul explained that in the "fullness of times," God would "gather together in one, all things in Christ." As the firstfruits of the approaching harvest was gathered, the rest was assured to be harvested in due time. (1) Christ, then (2) "they that are Christ's at His coming."



c.. The old covenant Body: "The rest," to telos, not as some teach: "the end" or termination of all things. The context demands of us to think of "the last rank" in the harvest as "the rest of the dead." Always anastasis ton nekron is the resurrection of the dead, of which includes "the resurrection of the unjust," "the resurrection of damnation" and "to shame and everlasting contempt." This rank and category of "the dead" was the result of their judgment of works. These bodies were fused into one harvested body so that it became one body with Christ as the Head. Lastly, Paul concludes that believing Gentiles were also brought into this joint body in order to be raised as only ONE BODY in Christ.


"For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many is one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."

Acts 26:23; Acts 2:32-36; Romans 8:11, 23-25; 1st Corinthians 1:7-8; 2nd Corinthians 4:14; 5:10; Philippians 3:11-21; 1st Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:1-11,23; 2nd Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1-2, Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:7-9; 2nd Peter 3:9-13; 1st John 2:28; 3:2-3; Revelation 20:5,6; Hebrews 11:35; John 5:29; Acts 24:15; Luke 14:14; Luke 20:35,36; Ephesians 1:10; Revelation 20:5; Acts 24:15; John 5:29; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:12; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 2:12-22; Ephesians 4:4; 1st Corinthians 12:13-15

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2Aspects of God

Two aspects of God
Several years ago, I gave a year of my studies to the Qumran documents. In that time, I discovered a very deep and complicated motif among the Qumran community that epitomizes the peculiar teachings of the whole Qumran sect. It begins with a strong assertion of God's unlimited authority and supreme presence: "From the God of knowledge comes all that is and shall be. Before ever they existed he established their whole design... and they accomplish their task without change." As is suggested in many apocalyptic works, God's laws of creation and covenant overlap perfectly and thus the courses of the sun and stars accord exactly with the communities' 364-day festival calendar.

Similarly, God's perfection of way extends to his predestination of history, mysterious though this may be. There are definitely two aspects of the one God says, "He has created humankind to govern the world, and has appointed for them two spirits." These two spirits that are appointed for humankind are preexistent angels: the Prince of Light and the Angel of Darkness. In other texts, chosen people understood the names of these two angels. They appear as Michael, the archangel of Israel, who is also called Melchizedek (Melkisedeq, "King of Righteousness"), and his counterpart Belial, whose secret name is Melchiresha (Melriresa, "King of wickedness"). What is unusual in Qumran angelology is the supremacy granted to these two very opposite "princes" in the world. The Melchizedek Scroll identifies the good archangel as Elohim, the agent of eschatological judgment.

This overlap of language for God and his angel is reminiscent of the "angel of the Lord" texts of the OT and may anticipate later Rabbinic discussions of "two powers in heaven."

The Melchizedek, to whom Abraham paid a tithe, was, to the Qumran community, Elohim. The place where Melchizedek was King, was Mount Moriah, the Holy Place in Jerusalem... the place Abraham later offered his son to Elohim and much later, Elohim offered his son, the Lord Jesus Christ for the sin of mankind.

Why did Abraham go to Jerusalem? Why did the Son of God, Christ Jesus go to Jerusalem? It was the abode of Elohim. Solomon built a temple and placed the Ark of the Covenant in it. Why? It was where Elohim met man in judgment and mercy. Upon the cross, Jesus cried, "Eloi, Eloi, why have you forsaken me?" This was pure judgment and mercy.

Yahweh, the personal God of Israel had forsaken the Son of God. Abandoned by Eloi (God) is the "death" that the first man, Adapa/Adam caused to come upon humanity. To be reconciled to Eloi (God) and obtain immortality is to learn of and accept the "secret code" of the Heavens. It is to have faith in the atonement of God's obedient Son, Jesus Christ.

"For after the similitude (likeness) of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, (Christ Jesus) Who is made. after the power of an endless (immortal) life." Hebrews 7:15-16.

In the Epic of Gilgamish, we read of the hero's search for immortality. He found the fruit of the tree of life and let it slip from his grasp by a serpent.

Throughout the Hebrew Bible we learn that death was certain and was the end of life. The hope of immortality was offered through resurrection from death. The hope of resurrection was the message of the Paul in the New Testament. The hero of all ages comes from heaven in the first century AD and reveals immortality to humanity. He offers His own immortal life in humility and shame to the death of the cross. God honors that obedience to the point of sacrifice and gives immortality to all who come to Him in faith, accepting this sacrificial death, resurrection and ascent into "all authority" at his Father's (Yahweh) Right Hand as "God's so great Salvation."

As we approach this same Yahweh in faith, we may cease in our quest for eternal life. It is found in the resurrected Son of Yahweh, Jesus Christ.

"God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I (John) written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" [1 John 5:11-13].

"But as many as received Him (Christ Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" [John 1:12].

This is no myth. The story of Yahweh's Son, Jesus Christ as the bona fide disclosure of immortality.

The American Dream.

We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to capacity by many of American's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal" was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States. He said, "If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let's destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time.

Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"

Here is how they do it," Lamm said:

"First, to destroy America, turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country." History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: "The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy." Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans.".

Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America, "Invent 'multiculturalism' and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences. I would make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.

Third, "We could make the United States an 'Hispanic Quebec' without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: "The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together."

Lamm said, "I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities."

"Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high. school."

"My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of 'Victimology.' I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population."

"My sixth plan for America's downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A common enemy, Persia, threatened their liberty Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell. "E. Pluribus Unum" -- From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the 'pluribus'. Instead of the 'Unum,' we will balkanize America as surely as Kosovo."

"Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits; make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of 'diversity.' I would find a word similar to 'heretic' in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like 'racist' or 'xenophobe' halt discussion and debate. Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of 'Victimology,' I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them."

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said,. "Lastly, I would censor Victor Hanson Davis's book Mexifornia. His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America. deserves to be destroyed, don't read that book.".

There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate 'diversity.' American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in. America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell's book "1984." In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: "War is peace," "Freedom is slavery," and "Ignorance is strength."

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don't get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path, especially The American Dream.

Thought provoking?

God be with you.

"He is not here"

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And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified.He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay(Mt 28:5-6)

The Empty Tomb: Reasons to Believe

Jesus Christ's resurrection from a rock sepulcher galvanized the faith of early Christians. The empty tomb and the post-resurrection appearances of the risen Lord were the crowning proof that the Master they loved and served was not just another moral teacher. He was, as he claimed to be, God in the flesh.

This conviction energized the early church. "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard," the apostle Peter testified to the Jewish religious authorities, who could not quench the faith of those early believers (Acts 4:20).

We who read the accounts almost 2,000 years later need to remember that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not, as Paul boldly declared before the elite of his nation, "done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Just the opposite was true. The disciples testified in the laboratory of public scrutiny and debate. People in their audiences could refute them at every point, if they were not telling the truth.

To first-century Christians, the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the pivotal event in history. Their dramatic encounters with Jesus after his escape from the rock tomb were vivid and unforgettable: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us" (1 John 1:1-2). John, an apostle and disciple of Jesus Christ, wrote as an eyewitness to Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead (John 20:30-31; 21:24-25).

Luke, an educated man who wrote a detailed study of the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth, authenticated the report that went from tiny Judea into the world beyond: "Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account...so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught" (Luke 1:3-4).

Paul distilled the essence of the new faith he helped spread across the Roman Empire: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Full public scrutiny

The apostles faced the test of informed public opinion, a jury of their contemporaries. Some in their audiences already had Jesus' blood on their hands. The execution of one or two more fishermen from Galilee wouldn't make much difference.

Yet the disciples radiated unconquerable confidence. Their words still pulsate with moral fervor and authority. The good news of the resurrection was big news on the streets of Jerusalem. It was hard-hitting. It was effective. It changed lives.

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know," Peter trumpeted (Acts 2:22). "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (verse 36).

This bold preaching threw the Jerusalem religious hierarchy completely on the defensive. "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood," they lamely protested (Acts 5:28).

If the disciples had been perpetrating fraud or deceit, their testimony could have been easily overthrown. It wasn't. The willingness to risk all for the truth of the resurrection was convincing testimony from fallible human beings men who had earlier deserted Christ and fled (Matthew 26:56). That willingness, and the powerful miracles being done in Christ's name, made the gospel compelling. It rocked Jerusalem.

No wonder Christ's newly regenerated disciples were "highly regarded by the people" (Acts 5:13). And remember something else: Other popular movements had come and gone in first-century Judea. Sensational leaders had arisen before Jesus of Nazareth, people the world at large has forgotten (verses 35-39). One of them, Judas, was also a Galilean, who lived not far from where Jesus was reared.

Around A.D. 6, Judas gathered a following and set himself against the Roman power. His movement failed and he was killed. But no one in the first century claimed that this Judas of Galilee was raised from the dead or that he and his followers had many prolonged talks after a resurrection. Still less did anyone risk life and limb for the Judas movement years afterward. Yet ordinary human beings risked their all for Jesus of Nazareth.

History not dogma

The late F.F. Bruce, evangelical author, notes: "The Christian gospel is not primarily a code of ethics or a metaphysical system; it is first and foremost good news, and as such it was proclaimed by its earliest preachers.... This good news is intimately bound up with the historical order, for it tells how for the world's redemption God entered into history, the eternal came into time, the kingdom of heaven invaded the realm of earth, in the great events of the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus the Christ" (The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, pages 7-8).

The disciples were convicted by the empty tomb. They believed in the power of the resurrection. Their testimony was believable because they believed. How about us? Do we believe?

We should. The same Jesus Christ who walked the dusty trails of Galilee is alive today, alive and glorified. He intervenes for those of us who turn to him in faith and belief, just as he did for Peter, Andrew, James and John. The empty tomb could not hold him, and the evil powers of this world — natural and supernatural could not stamp out the truth of his resurrection.

To experience this transforming power for ourselves, to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:10), we will also have to believe in the empty tomb and in the power of the resurrection. Belief and the work of the Holy Spirit will lead us to repent. Repentance is toward God, an inner act of contrition for being sinful, broken human beings. We are all sinners; we have all broken God's great moral and spiritual law. God provides for our need for forgiveness and helps us deal with our guilt through the atoning death of Jesus Christ.

Following repentance, believers demonstrate their faith in God through the ceremony of baptism. The New Testament teaches that water baptism is an outward symbol of faith (Acts 10:45-48). Believers who come to Christ in faith receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in us, renewing our minds and sanctifying us until we are completed as new creations in Jesus Christ at the resurrection of the dead (Ephesians 4:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

We are not asked to make a commitment to Christ without evidence. The empty tomb stands as stark evidence that our Lord and Savior is risen from the dead.

Peter, preeminent preacher of the empty tomb, said it best: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you" (Acts 3:19-20).

The decision is yours. Will you believe?

Scare the preacher

Remember when you said ''I'll go to church when hell freezes over"?





Gentle family,


Marti, and I were talking last night after viewing a stirring episode of Law and Order followed by a theologian on the Catholic channal ETWN [ Eternal Word Television Network ] and Marti turned to me, pointed her finger ( you know the one I mean and said in her best declarative sentence voice "He's just like you"!

To which I replied "I AM NOT" [ whispering, you can tell I was not listening or at best I would have kept my mounth shout]

I drew myself up to all of three feet ( remenber I was sitting down at the time) and said "I am a Biblicial Gestalt teacher" Now I was pretty sure I knew what that meant I had received notice earlier that I would be receiving the Doctor of Biblical Philology degree [ The study of linguistics]

Well, I know when I use a word like [Gestalt] I will stir up controversy that I am exercising my Spiritual gift of harrassment!

"Whats that" she asks half afraid I might actually answer and we're off on a marathon explaination ( just like this one). You see Gentle reader, Preachers are like fire horses or race horses. They hear a bell and that sends them running for all their worth.

"Well' I said, "Gestult teaching is like ( pausing for dramatic effect, careful to remember that I was sitting down and could not fall off the sofa) Lasagna!"

I stop here for a sip of wonderful Irish coffee and to enjoy those who are allready saying "I knew I should have not stayed in bed but gone to church"

You see there are layers in Lasagna one layer does not make a Lasagna not two but several [ 7 I think?] "You see Gestault teaching has layers one doesn't make it complete but several one on top of another on top of another. What may seen like a mess becomes when eaten a wonderful taste delight! [As I hope my teaching becomes like Lasagna]

Take for example the Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin.






The Book of Kells is not simply a religious manuscript. True, it contains the four gospels of Mark, Mathew, Luke and John and that was the sole original purpose of the book. But its age and its design, although damaged, allow us a glorious glimpse into the art and style of ancient Ireland. The book is, quite simply, considered a crowning glory of the Celtic art form, and possibly one of the most important treasures of Western Europe

What appears to be simple decoration is in fact the Gospel of the New Testament





Which reminds me of Why God Never Received Tenure at Any University

He had only one major publication.
It was in Hebrew.
It had no references.
It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
Some even doubt he wrote it himself.
It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample.
He rarely came to class, just told students to read the Book.
Some say he had his son teach the class.
He expelled his first two students for learning.
Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed his tests.
His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.
Now then Gentle Reader, don't you wish you had gone to church?

Love,

Denis

Taste and see

At the University of Chicago Divinity School each year they have what is called "Baptist Day". It is a day when all the Baptists in the area are invited to the school because they want the Baptist dollars to keep coming in.

On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every "Baptist Day" the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education enter.

One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for 2 ½ hours proving that the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who in fact, never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions. After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium.

Docta Tillich, I got one question, he said as all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it.

"Docta Tillich (CRUNCH, MUNCH), My question is a simple question (CRUNCH, MUNCH). Now, I ain't never read them books you read (CRUNCH, MUNCH) and I can't recite the Scriptures in the original Greek (CRUNCH, MUNCH). I don't know nothin' about Niebuhr and Heidegger (CRUNCH, MUNCH)..." He finished the apple.

"All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate, was it bitter or sweet?"

Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: I cannot possibly answer that question, for I haven't tasted your apple.

The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, "Neither have you tasted my Jesus." The 1000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers.

Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.

Have you tasted Jesus? Please pass this on Saints! God has risen, and he's coming back one day!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. If you have, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection that your faith in Him brings. Psalm 34:8

Da Vinci Codes -Lie!

For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.

Well Gentle Reader,

Satan is at it again read on

While the ABC News feature focused on Brown's fascination with an alleged marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, The Da Vinci Code contains many more (equally dubious) claims about Christianity's historic origins and theological development. The central claim Brown's novel makes about Christianity is that "almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." Why? Because of a single meeting of bishops in 325, at the city of Nicea in modern-day Turkey. There, argues Brown, church leaders who wanted to consolidate their power base (he calls this, anachronistically, "the Vatican" or "the Roman Catholic church") created a divine Christ and an infallible Scripture—both of them novelties that had never before existed among Christians.

Watershed at Nicea
Brown is right about one thing (and not much more). In the course of Christian history, few events loom larger than the Council of Nicea in 325. When the newly converted Roman Emperor Constantine called bishops from around the world to present-day Turkey, the church had reached a theological crossroads.

Led by an Alexandrian theologian named Arius, one school of thought argued that Jesus had undoubtedly been a remarkable leader, but he was not God in flesh. Arius proved an expert logician and master of extracting biblical proof texts that seemingly illustrated differences between Jesus and God, such as John 14:28: "the Father is greater than I." In essence, Arius argued that Jesus of Nazareth could not possibly share God the Father's unique divinity.

In The Da Vinci Code, Brown apparently adopts Arius as his representative for all pre-Nicene Christianity. Referring to the Council of Nicea, Brown claims that "until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet … a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless."

In reality, early Christians overwhelmingly worshipped Jesus Christ as their risen Savior and Lord. Before the church adopted comprehensive doctrinal creeds, early Christian leaders developed a set of instructional summaries of belief, termed the "Rule" or "Canon" of Faith, which affirmed this truth. To take one example, the canon of prominent second-century bishop Irenaeus took its cue from 1 Corinthians 8:6: "Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ."

The term used here—Lord, Kyrios—deserves a bit more attention. Kyrios was used by the Greeks to denote divinity (though sometimes also, it is true, as a simple honorific). In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint, pre-dating Christ), this term became the preferred substitution for "Jahweh," the holy name of God. The Romans also used it to denote the divinity of their emperor, and the first-century Jewish writer Josephus tells us that the Jews refused to use it of the emperor for precisely this reason: only God himself was kyrios.

The Christians took over this usage of kyrios and applied it to Jesus, from the earliest days of the church. They did so not only in Scripture itself (which Brown argues was doctored after Nicea), but in the earliest extra-canonical Christian book, the Didache, which scholars agree was written no later than the late 100s. In this book, the earliest Aramaic-speaking Christians refer to Jesus as Lord.

In addition, pre-Nicene Christians acknowledged Jesus's divinity by petitioning God the Father in Christ's name. Church leaders, including Justin Martyr, a second-century luminary and the first great church apologist, baptized in the name of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—thereby acknowledging the equality of the one Lord's three distinct persons.

The Council of Nicea did not entirely end the controversy over Arius's teachings, nor did the gathering impose a foreign doctrine of Christ's divinity on the church. The participating bishops merely affirmed the historic and standard Christian beliefs, erecting a united front against future efforts to dilute Christ's gift of salvation.

"Fax from Heaven"?
With the Bible playing a central role in Christianity, the question of Scripture's historic validity bears tremendous implications. Brown claims that Constantine commissioned and bankrolled a staff to manipulate existing texts and thereby divinize the human Christ.

Yet for a number of reasons, Brown's speculations fall flat. Brown correctly points out that "the Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven." Indeed, the Bible's composition and consolidation may appear a bit too human for the comfort of some Christians. But Brown overlooks the fact that the human process of canonization had progressed for centuries before Nicea, resulting in a nearly complete canon of Scripture before Nicea or even Constantine's legalization of Christianity in 313.

Ironically, the process of collecting and consolidating Scripture was launched when a rival sect produced its own quasi-biblical canon. Around 140 a Gnostic leader named Marcion began spreading a theory that the New and Old Testaments didn't share the same God. Marcion argued that the Old Testament's God represented law and wrath while the New Testament's God, represented by Christ, exemplified love. As a result Marcion rejected the Old Testament and the most overtly Jewish New Testament writings, including Matthew, Mark, Acts, and Hebrews. He manipulated other books to downplay their Jewish tendencies. Though in 144 the church in Rome declared his views heretical, Marcion's teaching sparked a new cult. Challenged by Marcion's threat, church leaders began to consider earnestly their own views on a definitive list of Scriptural books including both the Old and New Testaments.

Another rival theology nudged the church toward consolidating the New Testament. During the mid- to late-second century, a man from Asia Minor named Montanus boasted of receiving a revelation from God about an impending apocalypse. The four Gospels and Paul's epistles achieved wide circulation and largely unquestioned authority within the early church but hadn't yet been collected in a single authoritative book. Montanus saw in this fact an opportunity to spread his message, by claiming authoritative status for his new revelation. Church leaders met the challenge around 190 and circulated a definitive list of apostolic writings that is today called the Muratorian Canon, after its modern discoverer. The Muratorian Canon bears striking resemblance to today's New Testament but includes two books, Revelation of Peter and Wisdom of Solomon, which were later excluded from the canon.

By the time of Nicea, church leaders debated the legitimacy of only a few books that we accept today, chief among them Hebrews and Revelation, because their authorship remained in doubt. In fact, authorship was the most important consideration for those who worked to solidify the canon. Early church leaders considered letters and eyewitness accounts authoritative and binding only if they were written by an apostle or close disciple of an apostle. This way they could be assured of the documents' reliability. As pastors and preachers, they also observed which books did in fact build up the church—a good sign, they felt, that such books were inspired Scripture. The results speak for themselves: the books of today's Bible have allowed Christianity to spread, flourish, and endure worldwide.

Though unoriginal in its allegations, The Da Vinci Code proves that some misguided theories never entirely fade away. They just reappear periodically in a different disguise. Brown's claims resemble those of Arius and his numerous heirs throughout history, who have contradicted the united testimony of the apostles and the early church they built. Those witnesses have always attested that Jesus Christ was and remains God himself. It didn't take an ancient council to make this true. And the pseudohistorical claims of a modern novel can't make it false

God's Bookkeeping

Gentle Reader,

I love poetry. Some of my friends write such beautiful words that it brings tears to my eyes. If you never have read their words go grab a coffee cup out of the cupboard marked friends and let your mind take a journey. In the meantime lets talk about all the things that are happening around us.




We have the "Gospel of Judas" come to light after 2000 + years of being hidden away and now National Geographic will air on television tonight what it says. And of course those who never think for themselves will buy everything that is presented as "Gospel" Now understand I have been given only a cursory look so I cannot speak from any authority as to the what is says . Of course it will be kept under wraps so that we who could study it can read it. But then that won't get them the shares that putting it on T.V. will.

What else. Oh yes quite a to-do about immigration in the USA. Now "all of a sudden the so called wise men of the country have decided that it's too dangerous to allow people to come into this country. Most come to work (in jobs that no one else will take) True there is the terrorist thing (and so instead of dealing with that in an adult fashion (don't get me started ) they want to take the same type of people that made the US what it is and reject them.

Just like what happened when boat loads of Jews fled for their lives (oh I forgot the holocaust never happened, so some say,) tell that to my friends who wear a tattoo on their forearms) . Of course 6 million Jews don't matter (they do to me and to God, but don't remind those wise poobas of that little thing). Or what about the forced slavery of 100 million Black people when it was convenient (about a third of them died on the way here, sold into slavery by Europeans, Moslems, Christians with no consciences and their own people) And now while we are getting rid of "the problem" Lets just include the 100 + million of Christians who make the world stand up and have a sense of morality about itself. (Let's bash a Christian in the US, or In China let purscute them (How about starve them out, that sounds like a good idea, [not my thoughts] )

6 Million Jews will speak out one day

100 million Blacks will speak out one day

100+ million Christians will stand up and say "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"

And countless millions will stand and say " The 21st century this was the post Christian era"

And some will be writting their lives with...


ETERNAL INK

I dreamed I was in heaven
Where an angel kept God's book.
He was writing so intently
I just had to take a look.

It was not, at first, his writing
That made me stop and think
But the fluid in the bottle
That was marked ETERNAL INK.

This ink was most amazing,
Dark black upon his blotter
But as it touched the parchment
It became as clear as water.

The angel kept on writing,
But as quickly as a wink
The words were disappearing
With that strange ETERNAL INK.

The angel took no notice,
But kept writing on and on.
He turned each page and filled it
Till all its space was gone.

I thought he wrote to no avail,
His efforts were so vain
For he wrote a thousand pages
That he'd never read again.

And as I watched and wondered that
This awesome sight was mine,
I actually saw a word stay black
As it dried upon the line.

The angel wrote and I thought I saw
A look of satisfaction.
At last he had some print to show
For all his earnest action.

A line or two dried dark and stayed
As black as black can be,
But strangely the next paragraph
Became invisible to see.

The book was getting fuller,
The angel's records true,
But most of it was blank, with
Just a few words coming through.

I knew there was some reason,
But as hard as I could think,
I couldn't grasp the significance
Of that ETERNAL INK.

The mystery burned within me,
And I finally dared to ask
The angel to explain to me
Of his amazing task.

And what I heard was frightful
As the angel turned his head.
He looked directly at me,
And this is what he said...

I know you stand and wonder
At what my writing's worth
But God has told me to record
The lives of those on earth.

The book that I am filling
Is an accurate account
Of every word and action
And to what they do amount.

And since you have been watching
I must tell you what is true;
The details of my journal
Are the strict accounts of YOU.

The Lord asked me to watch you
As each day you worked and played.
I saw you as you went to church,
I saw you as you prayed.

But I was told to document
Your life through all the week.
I wrote when you were proud and bold,
I wrote when you were meek.

I recorded all your attitudes
Whether they were good or bad.
I was sorry that I had to write
The things that make God sad.

So now I'll tell the wonder
of this ETERNAL INK,
For the reason for its mystery
Should make you stop and think

This ink that God created
To help me keep my journal
Will only keep a record of
Things that are eternal.

So much of life is wasted
On things that matter not
So instead of my erasing,
Smudging ink and ugly blot

I just keep writing faithfully and
Let the ink do all the rest
For it is able to decide
What's useless and what's best.

And God ordained that as I write
Of all you do and say
Your deeds that count for nothing
Will just disappear away.

When books are opened someday,
As sure as heaven is true;
The Lord's ETERNAL INK will tell
What mattered most to you.

If you just lived to please yourself
The pages will be bare,
And God will issue no reward
For you when you get there.

In fact, you'll be embarrassed,
You will hang your head in shame
Because you did not give yourself
In love to Jesus' Name.

Yet maybe there will be a few
Recorded lines that stayed
That showed the times you truly cared,
Sincerely loved and prayed.

But you will always wonder
As you enter heaven's door
How much more glad you would have been
If only you'd done more.

For I record as God sees,
I don't stop to even think
Because the truth is written
With God's ETERNAL INK.

When I heard the angel's story
I fell down and wept and cried
For as yet I still was dreaming
I hadn't really died.

And I said: O Angel tell the Lord
That soon as I awake
I'll live my life for Jesus
I'll do all for His dear sake.

I'll give in full surrender;
I'll do all He wants me to;
I'll turn my back on self and sin
And whatever isn't true.

And, though the way seems long and rough
I promise to endure
I'm determined to pursue the things
That are holy, clean and pure.

With Jesus as my helper,
I will win lost souls to Thee,
For I know that they will live with Christ
For all eternity.

And that's what really matters
When my life on earth is gone
That I will stand before the Lord
And hear Him say, well done.

For is it really worth it
As my life lies at the brink?
And I realize that God keeps books
With His ETERNAL INK.

Should all my life be focused
On things that turn to dust?
From this point on I'll serve the Lord;
I can, I will, I must!

I will NOT send blank pages
Up to God's majestic throne
For where that record's going now
Is my eternal home.

I'm giving all to Jesus
I now have seen the link
For I saw an angel write my life
With God's ETERNAL INK.

Think about these things Gentle Reader,

Dennis

God's Last Word!

Gentle Reader.

The following is a statement put out by the Journal of American Medicine about the death of Jesus Christ

"Jesus of Nazareth underwent Jewish and Roman trials, was flogged, and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. The scourging produced deep stripelike lacerations and appreciable blood loss, and it probably set the stage for hypovolemic shock, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus was too weakened to carry the crossbar (patibulum) to Golgotha. At the site of crucifixion, his wrists were nailed to the patibulum and, after the patibulum was lifted onto the upright post (stipes), his feet were nailed to the stipes. The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion was an interference with normal respirations. Accordingly death resulted primarily from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. Jesus' death was ensured by the thrust of a soldier's spear into his side. Modern medical interpretation of the historical evidence indicate that Jesus was dead when taken down from the cross. "(JAMA 1986;255:1455-1463)

Call me old fashioned but when I discover a friend I believe in being loyal. I value loyalty just like a I value family. To me each of you are family. And so we come (our whole family) to the Last words of our elder Brother. Who I call Lord! [Elohim, 'Elohim is God the Son, the living "WORD" with creature form to create (John 1:1. Col. 1:15-17. Rev. 3:14); and later, with human form to redeem (John 1:14). "Begotten of His Father before all worlds; born of His mother, in the world." In this creature form He appeared to the Patriarchs, a form not temporarily assumed] He is also

Jehovah. While Elohim is God as the Creator of all things, Jehovah is the same God in covenant relation to those whom He has created (Cp. 2 Chron. 18:31). Jehovah means the Eternal, the Immutable One, He Who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME. The Divine definition is given in Gen. 21:33. He is especially, therefore, the God of Israel; and the God of those who are redeemed, and are thus now "in Christ". We can say "My God," but not "My Jehovah", for Jehovah is "MY God."

The name Jehovah is combined with ten other words, which form what are known as "the Jehovah Titles." in the Hebrew Canon

JEHOVAH-JIREH = Jehovah will see, or provide. Gen. 22:14.
JEHOVAH-ROPHEKA = Jehovah that healeth thee. Ex. 15:26.
JEHOVAH-NISSI = Jehovah my banner. Ex. 17:15.
JEHOVAH-MeKADDISHKEM = Jehovah that doth sanctify you. Ex. 31:13. Lev. 20:8; 21:8; 22:32. Ezek. 20:12.
JEHOVAH-SHALOM = Jehovah [send] peace. Judg. 6:24.
JEHOVAH-ZeBA'OTH = Jehovah of hosts. 1Sam. 1:3, and frequently.
JEHOVAH-ZIDKENU = Jehovah our righteousness. Jer. 23:6; 33:16.
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH = Jehovah is there. Ezek. 48:35.
JEHOVAH-ELYON = Jehovah most high. Ps. 7:17; 47:2; 97:9.
JEHOVAH-RO'I = Jehovah my Shepherd. Ps. 23:1.

The Seventh word is Christ Invincibility

In the Gospel of Luke (That's Dr. Luke to you dear reader,) we find this written in Chapter 23 and verse 46 "And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, he gave up the ghost."

But look if you will at what was going on around him at the time "And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour" (Luke 23:44)

The sun`s light failing: and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. The vail that seperated the very God Jehovah was ripped in two like a peice of paper! Showing all the God was no longer in the temple

With a loud voice Gentle Reader, even in the pain He was fully conscience and strong to the very end of His life."Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father." (John Chapter 10 verses 17,18 No one took His life He gave it UP!!!

This Jesus of Nazareth introduced a new consciousness of God AS Father. Jehovah Elohim becomes Our Father

So Dear Gentle Reader, it is with the utmost confidence we can face tomorrow because we know that Our Father will receive us as He did our Lord and Saviour (dare we say our older Brother) Christ Jesus. No longer Jesus, the name of His humiliation But The Lord Christ Jesus the Name above every name! "For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God IS eternal life in Christ JESUS our LORD".

"Jehovah appeared of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (The Prophet Jeremiah Chapter 31 verse 3)

And you and me Gentle Reader, God is and has drawn you to Himself the reason for the Death of Christ (You were the reason and so was I!) To bring us to the Father!



"Behold, I have GRAVEN thee upon the palms of my hands... " (The prophet Isaiah Chapter 49:16)

But Gentle Reader, that not all but you will have to wait untill next Sunday (not this Sunday coming but next Sunday to get the "rest of the Story")

Till Next time,

Remember, God Loves you and so do I,

Dennis

The 6th Word of Christ

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

(John 19:30)

In the Greek the word is Tetevlestai meaning the debt has been paid in Full! There is no more debt. Mark canceled across the face of of the bill no more are we under the curse of death or the pain of Sin. God has been the Just and the Justifier
But what did that mean to God?

Look at the proceeding verse "After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst"
As He hung there suspended between heaven and hell His mind surveyed the Hebrew Writings all the prophecies on the Messiah's death. All the prophets are finger posts pointing to the Messiah -Redeemer. Whether it be Moses the law-giver-prophet or David the psalmist-prophet, or Isaiah the excelsior writing-prophet, or Jeremiah the brokenhearted-prophet, or Ezekiel the vision-prophet, or any of the other prophets, all pointed to HIM.

In fact if the many and varied predictions are not fulfilled in Jesus then the Hebrew writings become an inexplicable medley of non-fulfillment. Apart from the Christ of Calvary the Old Hebrew writings are a book of unexplained ceremonies, unachieved purposes, unappeased longings, and unfulfilled prophecies: it becomes a revelation without a destination.

Remember the coming One must be like the second Adam, a prophet like Moses, a priest like Aaron and Melchizedek (Have no Beginning) , a champion like Joshua, an offering like Isaac, a king like David, a wise counselor like Solomon, a beloved, rejected, exalted son and the world's bread-supplier like Joseph, and other typical personages all in one.

He must be the ark of the covenant, the sacrifice on the brazen altar, the mercy seat in the sanctuary, the water from the rock, the manna from heaven, the brazen serpent lifted up, the Passover lamb, the scapegoat, the lion of Judah, the good shepherd, the lily of the valley, the "root out of dry ground", yet altogether "lovely"
The endless marvel is that all are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus!

As He went on His way to Gethsemane and Calvary we find him saying in prayer to the Father, "I have glorified Thee on earth. I have finished the work which Though gavest Me to do. (John 17:4)

Once more Tetevlestai "It is finished or paid" Was the shout of the Conqueror exulting in His costly but victorious conquest over the power of death and the poeres of darkness. Even so, in His Gethsemane wrestle and Calvary death, the Lord Jesus as our Champion fought off the hounds of hell, death and the grave which were bent on our eternal ruin.

And now "who is he that condemneth? Christ died; yes and rose again for you gentle Reader and me!

Christ's 5th Word

As we continue to look at the 7 sayings of Jesus Christ on the cross do you now have a better picture in your mind what a great cost it was to God, and what a great Love He has for you Gentle Reader?



Now Gentle Reader,

We come to that 5th Word of Jesus and in it we see Christ's Identification His Word of Suffering!
After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst. (Gospel of John Chapter 19 verse 28)



Here we have:

A. The cry of the Human One

B. The cry of the Holy One

"I thirst" spoken now by Christ just a little while before He died recorded only by the Disciple John, and as we see it only fitting that they should have a place in his eye witness account for they not only evidence His (Jesus) humanity but bring out His Divine glory too.
Of Old the Spirit of God moved David to say in Psalm 69 verse 21 "They gave me also gall for my food; And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." How completely were the Holy Writings being fulfilled.
Every important detail had be written down Note just a few

1. Betrayed by a familiar friend "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, Who did eat of my bread, Hath lifted up his heel against me." (Psalm 41:9)

How marvelously complete the prophetic foreview! No essential item was missing from it.

2. The forsaking of the disciples though being offended at Him "Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, Yea, unto my neighbors exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintance: They that did see me without fled from me." (Psalm 31 verse 11)

The false accusation "Unrighteous witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I know not." (Psalm 35:11)

The silence before His Judges " He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." (Isaiah the prophet Chapter 53 verse 7)
How fitting a prophecy, Christ the Lamb of God became the sacrificial lamb at the Passover of the Jews!

Being Crucified "For dogs have compassed me: A company of evil-doers have in closed me; They pierced my hands and my feet." ( Psalm 22:16)

The mockery of the Spectators "I am become also a reproach unto them: When they see me, they shake their head" (Psalm 109:25)

The Taunt of non-deliverance "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying], Commit [thyself] unto Jehovah; Let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him." (Psalm 22:7,8) This is the language of enemies sporting with his faith in the hour of his desertion.

Gambling or His Garments "They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots. (Psalm 22:18)

The praying for His enemies "Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession [Prayer for some other than yourself] for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:!2)

Being forsaken by God "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning?" (Psalm 22:1)

The thirsting " They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm 69:21)

Yielding of the Spirit "Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." (Psalm 31:5)

Bones not Broken "He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken" (Psalm 34:20)

Burial in a rich mans tomb "And they made His grave with the wicked-But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth" (The prophet Isaiah 53:9)

All plainly foretold centuries before they came to pass. What a convincing evidence of the Divine Inspiration of the Scripture. Hoe firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

Paul the great Apostle to the Gentiles declared "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory." (I Timothy Chapter 3 verse 16)

In His humanity he craved refreshment for His body but as the Holy One he had a deep spiritual thirst for your dear Gentle Reader, and for me! Oh the wonderful Love of God in Christ. Again and again the New Testament tells all who will read of the Love of God yet nowhere defines it. It is in that mysterious Cross. Even John can only say, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [to gain or regain the favor of a person] for our sins"

"One (Christ) died for all" Then Gentle Reader He died for me!!!! and He died for you The sin -penalty of all and each was gather at the Cross from the first sin to the yet future multi-millionth sin yet to be committed . All done away with by GOD (Jesus Christ ) at the Cross.

So that God could be the JUST and the Justifier of all of us!

Jesus Christ came for one reason and one reason only ""for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost " (Luke Chapter 19:10)

The Only question Gentle Reader, that now remains is "Have you come to see that you need someone beside yourself to help you get through this life?"
Some never understood what SIN was or that something in life that isn't the way you would have it.

I had a deacon one time who was concerned that his grandson was not a member of our family (the Family of God) and so he ask me to talk to little Sammy. The following was our conversation.

Me: "Little Sammy do you know you’re a Sinner?"

Little Sammy: No!

Me: "Do you ever do bad things?"

Little Sammy: No!

Me: (Confused [little Sammy was 6 years old] "Did you ever get into the cookie jan when mommy told you not to?"

Little Sammy: No!

Me: "Did you ever get a spanking?"

Little Sammy: "Yes"

Me: "Why did you get a spanking?"

Little Sammy: "Cause Daddy told me to do something and I didn't do it! and I talked back and used a bad word that daddy uses on the golf course"

Me: "That is what we would call a SIN Little Sammy."

And that's Sin Gentle Reader, we all have done things we wish we hadn't and 1 (One) sin will make God turn His head away from us unless......

Dennis

7 Sayings from the Cross

Gentle Reader,

It is this 4th word from our dying Saviour that causes me to begin to cry and weep as I see our dear Lord the sinless perfect Son of God who came from the very Throne room of the Most High God

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple

Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"

And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke

So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts." (the prophet Isaiah Chapter 6 verses 1-5)

It is here where I see the Christ's Isolation the Word of Anguish!

A. It is a profound Mystery

B. A positive Manifestation

These words have been called "The cry of Desolation"

"The cry of Desertion"

"The cry of Despair"

" The cry of Desperation"

This fourth word of Christ is a prayer
The First prayer is "Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. (Luke 23:34)


The second prayer "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Gospel of Mathew Chapter 27 verse 46)


The Third prayer "And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)

Perhaps this prayer was a question?
It was a mystery of Darkness something happened!
His words were the exact quote from the Hebrew Scriptures

Psalm 22 A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.

29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

In this Psalm we see... Christ Dying Verse 1

Mockers Verses 7, 8, 12, 13

Torture by crucifixion Verse 16

Distorted body verse 14, 17

Parched tongue verse 15

Divided garments verse 18

You see Gentle Reader the Bible is in fact the inspired word and Jesus Christ is the very Word of God wrapped in human flesh.

That innocence should be condemned, that the guiltiness should be persecuted, that a benefactor should be cruelly put to death, was no new event in history. From Abel to Zecharias there was a long list of such martyrdoms. But He who hung on that central Cross was no ordinary man, He was The Son of Man, the One in whom all excellencies met- The Perfect One. Like His robe, his character was "without seam, woven from the top throughout."

In the case of others there were demerits and blemishes which might afford their murders something to blame. But the Judge of this One said "I find no fault in Him."

This Sufferer was not only the perfect man, but he was the Son of the Living God! The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." (Psalm 14:1) such is his wish. But it is strange that He who was God manifest in the flesh should allow Himself to be so treated by His enemies. It is exceeding strange that the Father who delighted in Him, whose own Voice had declared from the open heavens, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," should deliver Him up to such a shameful death!

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" These are words of appalling woe. "Forsaken" Have you ever been forsaken Gentle Reader?

He who hung on the accursed tree had been from all eternity the object of the Father's love. To see Christ look at the book of Proverbs Chapter 8 verse 27 and following

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:

30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.



Here Gentle Reader, Is the reason that Christ Jesus, the Son of God came to earth walked among men lived and died a most horrible death For You and for me to bring us into a real relationship with the creator of the universe. The Most High God! Why He would even allow Himself to be forsaken by the Father.... To bring you back with Him! Who is standing in the way of your fellowship with the living GOD? There is nothing on His side so it must be......

God's Third Word

Gentle Readers,

The third word the Christ spoke from the cross was The Word of Affection
"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" (The Gospel of John verses 25 and 26)

A. The end of a human relationship
Like her son, Mary was not unacquainted with grief. At the beginning we are told "And having come in, the angel said to her,
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.( The Gospel of Luke Chapter 1 verses 28 and 29).
And when she saw him, she was troubled in her mind.
What sorrow it must have been to find there was no room for them at the inn ( Just like today there is no room for Christ in the hearts of many.) What sorrow it must have caused her, when because there was no room she had to lay her newly-born Babe in a manger (feed trough for animals).

What anguish must have been hers when she learned of Herod's purpose to destroy her infants life! What trouble was given her when she was forced on His account to flee into a foreign country. What piercing of soul must have been her when she saw her Son despised and rejected by men. What grief must have wrung her heart as she watched Him hated and persecuted by the very people He came to save! And who can estimate what she passed through as she stood there at the cross.

If Christ was call a man of sorrows "He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah The Prophet Chapter 53 Verse 3)

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Here we find the fulfillment of Simeon's prophecy. In accordance with the Mosaic Law, Mary brought Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Lord. Then it was the Old man Simeon who was waiting for the "Consolation of Israel, took Him into to his arms and said

""Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel." (The Gospel according to Luke Chapter 2 verses 29-32)

He now turned to Mary and said "Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." (Luke 2 verses 34,35)

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, We hear so little of Mary the little virgin Girl who accepted the will of God in order that God would enter into the world as we all do a helpless Babe to grow up to save the world from itself. Now stands helpless at the foot of the cross. Who can fitly portray such a picture? Bereft of faith and hope, baffled and paralyzed by the strange scene, yet bound by the golden chain of love for the Dying One, there she stands! Try and read the thoughts and emotions of that mother's heart. Oh what a sword it was that pierced he soul then! Never such bliss at a human birth never such sorrow at an inhuman death.

Here we see displayed the Mother-heart. She is the Dying Man's mother. The One who agonizes there on the cross is her Child. No mother ever would suffer as she did. His disciples may desert Him, His friends forsake Him, His nation may despise Him, but His mother stands there at the foot of His cross.

B. The extent of human responsibility.

Here we see the marvelous blending of Christ's perfections. This is one of the greatest wonders of His Person- the blending of the most perfect human affection with His Divine Glory. The very Gospel which most shows Him to God, is here careful to prove He was a Man- the Word made flesh. Engaged as He was, in a Divine transaction making atonement for all the sins of His people (as the Passover Lamb for the people of Israel ) [ GOD provided a substitute Sacrificial Lamb to take the place of Isaac in Genesis!

That was the precursor of the Lamb of GOD (provided by GOD) in the person of Jesus Christ for the salvation of all of mankind! It all has to do with FAITH (Believing GOD)!!! That is the Message of GOD throughout the Torah and the entire Bible, from Adam onward. No more and no less]

grappling with the powers of Darkness, Yet amid it all, He has still the same human tenderness, which shows the perfection of the Man Jesus Christ.

The care of His mother in His dying hour was characteristic of all of His conduct. Many of His mightiest works were done on the highways, in the cottage, or among a little group of sufferers. Many of His words, which today are still unfathomable and exhaustless in their wealth of meaning were uttered almost casually as He walked with a few friends. So it was at the cross.

He was performing the mightiest Work of all history. He was engaged in doing that, which in comparison, the creating of the world fades into utter insignificance, yet He forgets not to make provision for His mother-much as He might have done had they been together in the home at Nazareth. Rightly it was said of old

"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. ( The Prophet Isaiah Chapter 9 verse 6). Wonderful He was in His person, and wonderful He was in His work. Wonderful was He in life, and wonderful was He in His death. Let us wonder and adore.

God's thoughts are love, and Jesus is
The loving voice they find;
His life lights up the vast abyss
Of the Eternal Mind.

This is the Love "uncomprehended and and unbought, beyond all knowledge and all thought"- a mystery to the intellect, but heaven to the heart.

Someday.....

The second Word of Christ was a Word of Salvation was that of intervention to be found in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 23 verse 43 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Luke 23:38-43) "Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. "But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

See: The request of the dying sinner!

Note: The response of the Divine Savior!

Tradition holds that the thief (called the "good thief) was being put to death for insurrection and that his name was Dysmas.
It was no accident that the Lord of Glory was crucified between thieves. There are no accidents in a world that is governed by God. No, Gentle Reader, nothing left to chance or the caprice of man. Whatever man did that day was simply that which God's hand and counsel "determined to be done"
When Pilate gave the order that the Lord Christ Jesus was to be crucified between to Malefactors, all unknown to him he fulfilled the Scriptures of the Hebrew Prophet Isaiah who 700 hundred years before this Roman officer gave his command, had said "... And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12)

Why did God order it that His beloved Son should be crucified between criminals? Certainly God had a reason. Was not our blessed Lord crucified to fully demonstrate the unfathomable depths of shame into which He had to descend? Again was not the Savior numbered with transgressors to show the position He occupied as our substitute? He had taken the place of the Passover Lamb that was our place a place of shame, a place of transgressors, the place of criminals commended to death. Again; was He not deliberately humiliated thus by Pilate to exhibit man's estimate of the worth of God Himself- "despised" as well as rejected "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." Isa. 53 "He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

When I was younger fresh out of Seminary and working to support my ever growing family I meet at work a young Hebrew man by the name of Avron "Ron" Albertson and we struck up a friendship. We would go out for lunch together and since Ron was a member of Mensa (A group of people who comprise the top 2% on intelligence ) I was quite pleased that he would even want to talk with me. He told or rather ask "You not like other Christians that I have meet" You don't tell me that I'm a sinner or that it was the Jews that killed Christ and that sort of thing" Why is that"?
At that was our first of many conversations of kosher lunches.
Ron:" You think that I'm going to believe a book written by men"?

Me: "Your folks wrote it"

Ron: Why don't you tell me I'm a sinner like other Preachers do?"

Me: (with a smile) Do I have to state the obvious?"

Ron: "I suppose your going to tell me that the Jews killed Christ"?

Me: (with tears in my eyes) No, Ron, I did!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still [ enemies] sinners, Christ died for us. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

That's the the good part Ron, Christ died for you and me and all of mankind yes, even you dear reader. To restore friendship with God.

Ron: Dennis maybe some day I accept Jesus as my Savior And you'll be the first to know!"
Me: "Thanks Ron, I am looking forward to it!"

"He touched me"

We are in a real war "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]." Eph. 6
For Easter This month I will present a series of thoughts on what the cross means to all who are within the reading of my blog I plan to call it "the day God died" Please pray for me as I seek to bring many to the decision point of accepting Christ.
Love Dennis



"He TOUCHED me"

Carlyle called language the garment of thought
Matthew 12:34 ... For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
The Bible says further

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
... A time to keep silence, And a time to speak
On one occasion the Chief priests sent officers to arrest Him . Instead of arresting Him they were arrested by what He said! His speech was as no other. Who are we writing about? Jesus Christ!


He said

"The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. {the Gospel of John Chapter 6 verse 63} "But there are some of you who do not believe."

The utterances of Christ Jesus at a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, were 7 in number...

[ Seven. Denotes spiritual perfection. It is the number or hall-mark of the Holy Spirit's work. He is the Author of God's Word, and seven is stamped on it as the water-mark is seen in the manufacture of paper. He is the Author and Giver of life; and seven is the number which regulates every period of Incubation and Gestation, in insects, birds, animals, and man. ]

Seven in Scripture suggest the idea of completeness so we can read in these seven sayings from the cross the interpretation of the Love of God for His creation.

The last words of some of the world's greatest men and women have been recorded in books, engraved on marble slabs and monuments.

But the words that have been preserved for us, the seven sayings of the Son of God from the cross stand uniquely preeminent.

As He spoke from Golgotha's brow He used sublime and holy words as the 'garment of His thoughts.'

Of these 7 words 3 were addressed to God the Father and 4 were addressed to men.

Let us look and read these 7 sayings as 7 windows from which we are able to look into the very heart and mind of God!

1. First Let's consider what the The Scriptures have to say about The nature of His death and Who He was. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. [ Gospel of John Chapter 1 verse 1 and 14]


Joseph Heart wrote:
The Scriptures and the Word
Bear one tremendous name,
The Living and the Written Word
In all things are the same.

"I HAVE GIVEN THEM THY WORD"

is the all-sufficient assurance of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking to the Father. He did not say I have given them Aids to devotion. He did not say I have given them a Hymn-book, or I have given them thy Word AND something else.

He did not give anything instead of, or in addition to, that Word.

And that being so, we are assured that the Word which He gave is all-sufficient, in itself, to accomplish all the purposes of God.

The Word that is preached makes known the Written Word; the Word that is written makes known Christ the Living Word; and Christ makes known God our Father.

2. Second, The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Colossians Chapter 2 verse 9 "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"

The Fullness of the Godhead bodily ( absolute Godhead, full Deity the pleroma {Greek for fullness} the totality - the sum total of Deity God in a man

Note: and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.[Colossians Chapter 2 verse 10]

Christ in you and you are in Christ if.... Let us go on and ask the question was Christ any less God in His Death than His life? And we can find our answer in the

Book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 18-19 tells us "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses [a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness ] to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation".'[adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to favor ]

"HE touched me"

God has called me to do two (2) things! To Teach and to Preach!( II Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.)
To do those I need to do two (2) things Study and Pray

We are in a real war "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]." Eph. 6:12

For Easter This month I will present what the cross means to all who are within the reading of my blog I plan to call it "The day God died" Please pray for me as I seek to bring many to the decision point of accepting Christ.
You will find this on my Dr Dennis Journal at this address
http://drcallahan.bravejournal.com

Love,
Dennis

The Gift

The Precious Gift




Once upon a time, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this precious gift because, He explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him.

"Then you must hide this gift on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of his counselors.

God shook His head, "No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks."

"Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth."

"I think not," said God. "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth."

"In the middle of the ocean then, Master?"

God shook His head. "I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans."

"Where then, Master?" cried His counselors.

God smiled, "I'll hide it where every man and woman will be able to find it if they look sincerely and deeply enough. I'll hide it in their heart."

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

St. Augustine, 354 430

Purpose Driven Life

In an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said:

People ask me, "What is the purpose of life?" And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting Cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you got to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or........ you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is "my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people...

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.

I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for you to own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do,
Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call "The Peace Plan" - to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? ......... Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You be better ...

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

A Pastor's letters

Gentle Readers,
Here are some of the letters that I have come across my desk. Don't ever think your prayers go unanswered on that God doesn't care about you!

On March 11, 1997, I tried to kill myself. Too many heart aches--too much pain. After researching the subject, I decided on carbon monoxide. While waiting in my car to die, I was crying, drinking beer and listening to Gospel music. I didn't want to go to hell, so I cried out "God forgive me." And He did. It was only a second or two before there was a knock on my car window. The figure of a man was standing there. He said in the most beautiful voice I had ever heard, "You seem so sad." That was all, and He was gone. I was broke, without a job, 45, and single, but I had found a Friend and began getting acquainted with Him in my Bible. His love, mercy and forgiveness won my heart, and brought me to LIFE. Jesus said, "....I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." John 10:10


I really enjoy receiving and reading others Testimonies. Your
organization has come up with such a wonderful idea.
I too have a testimony to share with the world.
I am 17 years old and I love God so much...he has done so much for
me. When I was 15 my mom started attending a Christian church. She forced me
to go with her and I hated it and her. I decided I did not want to live by my
parents strict "Christian" rules and ran away, of course by law I had to stay
at home until the age of 16, so I was forced to go home again.
While at home I was extremely rebelious. I did drugs, stayed out late and
didn't even come home sometimes. I mentally and physically abused my
mom...she went through Hell on Earth. I swear Satan had such a strong hold on
me...I was shall I say "Demon Possessed."
When I turned 16 I was gone. I moved out and stayed with a friend for quite
awhile...until I meet a guy. I then moved in with him. He was severely abusive
and Satan just kept telling me that I deserved it and I could never do any
better for myself.
Finally one night after a big fight and months of torture God spoke to me
and said he loved me. He told me that no matter what he would forgive me and
everything would be okay. I called my mom and asked her if she would take me
to church with her the next evening. She did and God ministered to me that
night. He showed me all that was wrong and removed it all.
The next day I left my apartment and moved back home. That was 9 months ago. I
have not smoked a cigarette, had a sip of alcohol or done any drugs since
then. I am a spirit-filled born again Christian and I am serving God with a
fire that only he could have given me, and I am proud of it!
I just want everyone to know how awesome God is...if he could save me and
wipe away all of my sins he can do it for everyone. God loves us all so very
much and it hurts him when we go against his word.
God sent his only son to die on the cross so that we could have everlasting
life...that means a lot and I hope the whole world realizes that.
Thanx for reading this and I hope it helps someone
Someday!! God Bless You
Love Chasity W

In 1993, convinced that my life had ended, I accepted a friends invitation to go with her to an Easter musical. For the first time, I saw how much God loved me. He had not only sent Jesus, but He sent people to love me and to save me from committing suicide. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. Though I had been kicked out of the high school chorus for singing off key, my church choir director now urged me to sing and later launched me into a ministry of singing and sharing my testimony in various churches. I want everyone to know the love and forgiveness I have received and that Satan is a liar. Any thoughts that make you feel there is no hope come only from Satan and not from God. "The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation..." Exodus 15:2

You see Gentle Reader, It's your prayers and mine for the lost that keep these young people from going to a Christless eternity! pray for the Lost! Help them find their way on the journey home.
Pastor Dennis