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tenac I think Charles is trying to say,
Romans8:27
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
Also
1Jn.5:7
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
The food for thought, (for some people) is, ese and ice (sp) is the same word in Greek, not two words like with and by.
1Cor.12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
The Holy Spirit is not an "it" or a "force." The Holy Spirit is a "He" and the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit has intellect,
1Cor2:9-10
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him---
10. but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has emotions.
Ephesians4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The Holy Spirit has a will.
1Cor.12:11
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
Once we have
repented of our sins and committed ourselves to Christ, God no longer looks at us as we are in our natural state. Instead, He looks at us from the perspective of the exchange that took place on the cross. Spiritually, He sees us as made righteous; physically, He sees us as made whole.
It is significant that, in Scripture, the healing provided through the sacrifice of Jesus is never spoken of in the future tense. In Isaiah 53:5, written more than seven hundred years before the death of Jesus, healing is already presented as an accomplished fact: "By his wounds we are healed" (NIV). In the New Testament, in 1 Peter 2:24 (quoted above), the apostle refers to Isaiah 53:5, but uses the past tense: "By whose stripes you were healed."
Derek Prince
Things that make me go hmmmm. lol And I think of,
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Isaiah 53:5 KJ
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24 KJ
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
tenac I'm sorry to hear of your cousin.
I heard a sermon once. I'll share it with you. This is from the notes I took. I take terrible notes and this is from May 16, 2004. My preacher entitled it...
"My friend turns on me."
Psalm 55:12-14 KJ
12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13.But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
It's my responsibility to maintain my relationship with God.
David numbered the children of Israel. (Don't trust in chariots or horses.)
Threshing floor to stop the angel of death was Sol. temple - Responsibility to maintain Godly relations.
1. Davids friend. Psm.41:9.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
(A friend whom he trusted. Psm.55:13-14)
2Samuel 16:23 (counseled)
And the counsel of Athithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
(Anthithophel became bitter and resentful. 12,000 men, to kill David.)
Sweet council, best friend, voice of God. It was Davids fault. He took his armor off. He looks at a woman.
Ahithophel was Davids best friend. Athithophel's grandaughter was Bathsheba. David killed, or had killed I should say, Uriah. In one moment Ahithophel's life was shattered.
When we are right with God we will be right with each other.
2Samuel 23:34....Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite. (NIV)
2Samuel 17:23
And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.
What a tangled web David wove and doesn't the Bible say David was a man after Gods own heart?? (Off the top of my head)
Sin destroys friendships.
I wish my nose could be in a book. LOL eom.
God is not going to allow us
to be harmed in such a way as to destroy our eternal souls. He will deliver us from all that can damage our relationship to Him.
Elisabeth Elliot
"This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day."
John 6:39
Hebrews 10:38
Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Jude 21
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
John 3:33
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
My choice. His power.
Dr. Stanley would argue, Man's decision based on Gods choice.
I like Charles Stanley. I would call him a semi Calvinist. :)
Also prayer is for our benefit. God doesn't need anything from us. He's God. :) :)
Making an altar of earth
Exodus 20:25
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
It was the "iron stake" in the article that threw me. I was wrong. It's the Altar that "if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it." fwiw
Cool...they found something. Yeah lol
Isaiah 17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
I heard this morning that Israel is on the highest alert it has ever been on. Not sure if that is true or not. Damascus WILL be a ruinous heap. Bible says so.
Plugger if you're reading this, I'm really sorry to hear of your brother passing. I thought of "Jesus wept"
tenac, prayer is not to change Gods mind but to conform our will to His. (I don't know who to credit writing that )
I'm caught up reading the board again. As usual I enjoyed reading ALL the post.
I loved the gifts and fruit post and how you cultivate fruit. :)
opidia that post you made about them finding temple stone is going to make me start digging in the Bible for something. (I'm probably wrong) but I seem to remember something about how it was suppose to be hewn? I'm just curious now......If I can find what I'm looking for (if it's in the Bible) I'll post it. :)
Synagogues...In the New Testament
we encounter synagogues everywhere, both in Palestine and throughout the Roman Empire. Wherever the apostle Paul went to preach, he first went to the synagogue in that city.
The synagogue was "invented" during the Babylonian exile. The temple in Jerusalem--the central place of worship for all Jews-- had been destroyed. So wherever there was a group of Jews, they would get together and read and study the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament). These meetings then were formalized in the institution of the synagogue.
Unlike the temple, where sacrifices were central, in the synagogue the focus was on teaching. Any male present could be asked to read from the Scriptures--first from the Pentateuch and then from the Prophets--and any male present could be asked to preach. This is why Jesus could preach in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-30), and later Paul also (for example, Acts 13:15ff.).
Christian worship (as well as Muslim worship) is patterned after the model of the synagogue.
Then the book I have shows a picture and says:
No synagogues have been found that date back to the days of Jesus, although the Gospels and Acts indicate that there must have been one in every significant town. These remains (picture) are from the 3rd-century synagogue at Capernaum.
Henry H. Halley (Halley's Bible Handbook with the New International Version)
Paradise - Paradeisos
Is an Oriental word, first used by the historian Xenophon, denoting the parks of Persian kings and nobles. It is of Persian origin (Old Pers. pairidaexa, akin to Gk. peri, around, and teichos, a wall) whence it passed into Greek. See the Sept., e.g., in Neh. 2:8; Eccl. 2:5; S. of Sol. 4:13. The Sept. translators used it of the garden of Eden, Gen. 2:8, and in other respects, e.g., Numb. 24:6; Is. 1:30; Jer.29:5; Ezek. 31:8,9.
In Luke 23:43, the promise of the Lord to the repentant robber was fulfilled the same day; Christ, at His death, having committed His spirit to the Father, went in spirit immediately into Heaven itself, the dwelling place of God (the Lord's mention of the place as Paradise must have been a great comfort to the malefactor; to the oriental mind it expressed the sum total of blessedness). Thither the Apostle Paul was caught up, 2 Cor. 12:4, spoken of as "the third heaven" (ver. 3 does not introduce a different vision), beyond the heavens of the natural creation*(see Heb.4:14, R.V.,) with reference to the Ascension). The same region is mentioned in Rev. 2:7, where the "tree of life," the figurative antitype of that in Eden, held out to the overcomer, is spoken of as being in "the Paradise of God" (R.V.), marg., "garden," as in Gen.2:8.
W. E. Vine
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)
Isaiah/Matthew if this is you HELLO. If it is you, I had you pegged for a New Yorker, I don't know why. lol
Excel I just got done catching up on all the post on the board again. :)
Seattle rush hour stinks! As I'm sure you know. Four Weeks? Oh man!
...."closely related to Hebrew"....
By Rabbi Daniel Lapin
...I introduced myself, and to convert what might have become a slightly awkward exchange into a conversation, I asked him whether he knew that Hebrew was the Lord's language. It turned out that he did not know a great deal about his faith or its language, but he was inquisitive about what I meant.
"Well, to quote Sir William Bradford, second governor of the Plymouth colony, 'Hebrew is the language in which God spoke to the patriarchs of old,' "I explained. "More than merely a medium of communication between man and man, like most languages, Hebrew is also one of the means of transmission between God and man. ...."
Just this last Sun. the guest preacher said, "586 B.C. they lost the land."
He mentioned this documentary you posted about and also mentioned "Yiddish" hmmmmm
I thought of :
Nehemiah 13:23
In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashod, Ammon and Moab.
As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people.
So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselfves. NAS
Date 445-425 B.C.
Contents : (Nehemiah) The book completes the history of the restoration of the returned remnant from exile in Babylon, a restoration begun under Ezera's leadership. It also marks the beginning of Daniel's "seventy weeks" and provides historical background for the book of Malachi.
Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachithani?" that is, "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
46. By Ryrie
"Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani." Jesus is quoting Ps.22:1 in its Aramaic form, except that "Eloi" (Mark 15:34) has been reconverted to the Hebrew Eli. This cry may reflect the desertion Jesus felt as He was bearing the sins of the world. (2Cor. 5:21).
Great way to gain weight! j/k LOL eom.
O2opidia Word of warning...
Don't put a roast in the oven before you go to church because you might come home to a burned down house. LOL j/k
Interesting. Please keep us informed on how this works out. I'm interested in hearing more of this new plan.... let's say months from now.
You go to a really nice church! I've heard John Wesley quoted more than once from the pulpit and his brother, Charles, composed more than 6,500 hymns. Thanks for sharing your church. I have always wondered where you worship. (denomination)
Jesus' story of the unjust judge urges us to
"always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1). In that passage, Jesus actually seems to invite us to nag God about what we want.
Karen Lee-Thorp
I use to feel kind of (I don't know what word to use) when I would write in a prayer request at church. I would ask the same thing over and over. Then I read that and now I write Luke 18:1 on my prayer request (card) and I don't care.
At my church they have "Prayer Request" folded cards for you to fill out in the pews.
Then they have what is called a "Prayer book" for you to take in the pews. (A folded card in three parts) It says on the front: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Then you open it up and it says:
"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way."
1 Samuel 12:23
Under it has a column for the "Prayer Request"...a column for the "Date" and a column for the "Date Answered" for you to fill in. We are encouraged to use this. I just started to on 6-24-07.
Then it says:
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14
It's been a blessing using it. I didn't bother with it before, but I will for now on!
Then on the back of it, it says,
This prayer booklet has been made so that your prayer life will be strengthened and fortified, as you record not only your request but God's answer. Nothing happens to the Child of God accidentally, nor are answers to prayer a paradox. The Bible says, "The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." "In everything through prayer and supplications, let your request be made known unto the Lord."
For many prayer is a duty, but as you seek the face of God fervently, you will discover prayer is a delight. The importance of prayer can never be minimized. We live in a nation that has taken prayer out of her life. A life without prayer is no life at all. The Bible says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him, while he is near."
May God bless you as you seek His face.
Pastor Steve
You put your prayer request in the offering and they have a bunch of people who volunteer to pray for your request.
I don't wear a watch...
Every church that I've been a member of always had a clock in the back of the church.
I wouldn't last long at a church that gives more time to singing than preaching for the Sun. morning service.
"Everyone clap" would irritate me. I'm not a clapper. I love to sing and I sing loud! ( B.B.King can't play guitar and sing at the same time :) I don't like clapping and singing at the same time. I rock with my body to the music.
I sit in the same place every Sun. (oops AUdad isn't going to like that) j/k LOL I sit 5th row from the front, right center, and to the preachers left. I can only see what the people in front of me are doing. More clap than not. I crack up when I see people clapping off beat. It just strikes me funny.
This morning the worship leader must be on holiday. Our regular back up worship leader led. I got tears in my eyes during one of the songs. I saw a guy and a lady wiping tears from their eyes who were sitting in front of me.
My pastor has been back now for 3 Sundays in a row. Yeah. Last Sunday he said something I will never forget. As you know he's been in the hospital and at home in bed a lot. He's lost a ton of weight. He's only 55 and to have all this stuff wrong with him. Oh man. Our church holds 2k and we have four Sun. morning services now. That's very strenuous on him. I always go to the fourth service and I've seen him wringing wet and peaked white when he's done preaching.
Any way, last Sun. he said when he gets done with our last service, people come up to him and ask him, if they can do anything for him. If he's hungry or thirsty, or would like to sit down and rest.
He said, "When I get done all I want to do is read my Bible. When I feed all of you I feel empty when I get done. All I want to do is fill my self back up. (He was saying in a nice way, that we were spiritually draining him.) I LOVE my pastor. This morning he ended by saying....well never mind, all I can say is he's back. LOL
I'm caught up reading ALL the messages on this board now. Most enjoyable reading! Thanks to everyone who posted. :) I luv this board.... And plugger is a Methodist. Still wonder what O2opida (sp) is. :) :) LOL
This post made me think back and chuckle.
The first time I ever saw a friend (elder) get mad at the preacher for going over (time) on Sun. morning service is when I lived on that mission field. For the most part we got missionary/preachers straight out of school. They all thought what they had to say was really important so they didn't care how long the service went over. My friend told the preachers that it was a 60 min service and for them to quit going over. (time)
I asked him one day why he was so upset when they rambled on. He told me LOL that people had roast in the oven and they had to get home to tend to their meals. I laughed so hard.
The church I go to now, since I've been there, my preacher has been gone more than he has been there. He gets one serious illness after another with multiple hospital stays and long recoveries. Not to mention speaking engagements he made 6-10 months prior to his illnesses that he has to keep.
Most all the guest preachers think what they have to share is really important. They go on and on, running way over time. We have a large digital clock in the back of the church. They don't care. So now I noticed, LOL in the sound booth they have large cards to flip over to show the preachers how many min. he has gone over. One time I glanced back and the guy had the card with 15 or 20 on it in his hands waving it up and down to get the preachers attention. LOL (They wouldn't do this during an altar call, its just the preachers rambling on.)
No... if my preacher rarely goes over I think the guest preachers should make the same effort and not go over too.
At my old church I belonged to we had a time of sharing testimonies at the Sun. eve. service. I enjoyed it. Then sometimes we had where people would share marvelous things God had done in their lives or in their friends lives. That was fun too. The church I go to now is way too big for this type of sharing.
The Prayer of Jabez
By Bruce Wilkinson (edited by me)
Little Prayer ~ Giant Prize (A long post :)
Jabez called on the God of Israel
...your Father longs to give you so much more than you may have ever thought to ask for.
ICronicles 4:9-10
9. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."
10. Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. NAS
God really does have unclaimed blessings waiting for you, my friend.
--your want for God's plenty-- has been His loving will for your life from eternity past.
So Why Not Ask?
Oh, that you would bless me indeed!
"O Lord, I beg you first and most this morning, please bless...me!"
When we ask God's blessing, we're not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves.
Jabez believed and fervently hoped in this God of miracles and new beginnings.
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed...!"
"Father, oh Father! Please bless me! And what I really mean is...bless me a lot!"
And Jabez steps forward into another life.
To bless in the biblical sense means to ask for or to immpart supernatural favor.
"The Lord's blessing is our greatest wealth; all our works adds nothing to it." (Proverbs 10:22, TLB)
He left it entirely up to God to decide what the blessings would be and where, when, and how Jabez would receive them.
....the Jabez blessing focuses like a laser on our wanting for ourselves nothing more and nothing less than what God wants for us.
All our other needs become secondary to what we really want--which is to become wholly immersed in what God is trying to do in us, through us, and around us for His glory.
"Ask, "promised Jesus, "and it will be given to you" (Mat.7:7). "You do not have because you do not ask," said James (James4:2). Even though there is not a limit to God's goodness, if you didn't ask Him for a blessing yesterday, you didn't get all that you were suppose to have.
....your Father is delighted to respond generously when His blessing is what you covet most.
God's Nature Is To Bless
When Moses said to God on Mount Sinai, "Show me Your glory" (Ex.33:18), he was asking for a more intimate understanding of God. In response, God described Himself as "the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth" (34:6)
Why not make it a lifelong commitment to ask God every day to bless you--and while He's at it, bless you a lot?
God's bounty is limited only by us, not by His resources, power or willingness to give.
And God's nature is to bless.
(I added this)
Psm.139:17-18
How precious also are Your thoughts to me O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would out number the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.
Living Large For God
Oh, that You would enlarge my border!
...It spoke of a place of one's own with plenty of room to grow.
He looked at his circumstances and concluded, "Surely I was born for more than this!"
...O God and King, please expant my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for Your glory. Let me do more for You!
...I spent much of that week asking a question: If the God of heaven loves you infinitely and wants you in His presence every moment, and if He knows that heaven is a much better place for you, then why on earth has He left you here? With student after student, I pressed home what I understand to be a biblical answer to that question:
because God wants you to be moving out your bondary lines, taking in new territory for Him--...--and reaching people in His name.
"God, please bless me!" so it is rare to hear anyone plead, "God, please give me more ministry!"
Living By God's Math
Whatever our gifts, education, or vocation might be, our calling is to do God's work on earth. If you want you can call it living out your faith for others. God is looking for people who want to do more of it...
"Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zech4:6)
My willingness and weakness
+ God's will and supernatural power
= my expanding territory.
You can trust Him that He will never send someone to you whom you cannot help by His leading and strength.
He will never send someone to you whom you cannot help.
To pray for larger borders is to ask for a miracle--it's that simple. A miracle is an intervention by God to make something happen that wouldn't normally happen.
...It's when you thrust yourself in the mainstream of God's plans for this world--which are beyond our ability to accomplish--and plead with Him, Lord, use me--give me more ministry for You!--that you release miracles. At that moment, heaven sends angels, resources, strength, and the people you need.
The Touch of Greatness
Oh, that Your hand would be with me!
..As God's chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are expeced to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed...unless God steps in.
I'll admit, big-screen heroes don't seem to put any stock in dependence--but you and I were made for it.
"Oh, that Your hand would be with me!"
With that, we release God's power to accomplish His will and bring Him glory through all those seeming impossibilities.
...Jabez knew he needed a divine hand--and fast.
You could call God's hand on you "the touch of greatness." You do not become great; He becomes great through you.
Your surrendered need turns into His unlimited opportunity. And He becomes great through you.
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves," wrote Paul, "to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant" (2Cor.3:5-6).
Jabez,..was so certain that God's hand upon him was necessary for blessing that he couldn't imagine a life of honor without it.
The "hand of the Lord" is a biblical term for God's power and presence in the lives of His people. (see Joshua 4:24 and Isaiah 59:11).
Paul told the Christians at Ephesus to make it a priority to be "filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph3:19). To that end, he prayed that God would bless and strengthen them "with the might through His Spirit." (3:16)
God can do anything.
Ask everyday for the Father's touch.
Keeping The Legacy Safe
Oh, that you would kep me form harm.
(NIV has evil)
His last request is a brilliant strategy for sustaining a blessed life.
The most effective war against sin is to pray that we will not have to fight.
Somehow we don't think to ask God to keep us away from temptation and keep the devil at bay in our lives.
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Mat.6:13)
When was the last time you asked God to keep you away from temptation? In the same way that God wants you to ask for more blessing, more territory, and more power, He longs to hear you plead for safekeeping from evil.
We make a huge spiritual leap forward, therefore, when we begin to focus less on beating temptation and more on avoiding it.
Lord, keep me safe from the pain and grief that sin brings. For the dangers that I can't see, or the ones that I think I can risk because of my experience (pride and carelessness), put up a supernatural barrier. Protect me, Father, by your power!
...Because You are the true source of all that is really life, direct my steps away form allthat is not of You.
...You have come here to work in a supernatural dimension that even we can barely comprehend, but which we earnestly anticipate. And at Your name, Lord Jesus, every other power on earth must bow or flee.
Do you believe that a supernatural God is going to show up to keep you from evil and protect your spiritual investment? Jabez did believe, and he acted on his belief. Thereafter his life was spared from grief and pain that evil brings.
Simply put, God favors those who ask. He holds back nothing from those who want and earnestly long for what He wants.
To say that you want to be "more honorable" in God's eyes is not arrogant or self-centeredness. "More honorable" describes what God thinks; it's not credit we take for ourseles.
You will know beyond doubt that God has opened heaven's storehouses because you prayed.
Will you let God work in your life regardless of what He choses? It will always be for your best. Will you surrender to His power and love and surprising plan for you?...You will experience the joy of knowing that God experiences deep pleasure and joy in you!
So God granted him what he requested.
It's only what you believe will happen and therefore do next that will release God's power for you and bring about a life change.
..He has never stopped answering!
I can assure you that God still answers those who have a loyal heart and pray the Jabez prayer.
You know beyond a doubt that you were redeemed for this: to ask Him for the God-sized best He has in mind for you, and to ask for it with all your heart.
(From a very small 93 page book that was a big seller)
I don't feel like fixing my typo's...So I'm not going to...
Make me lol
Statement of Faith: What We Don't Believe:
(This is from my churches statement of faith)
We reject the idea of "positive confession" (a belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man's will or desire).
Me too.
By Greg Laurie
We can incessantly cry out to God, but that act alone will never guarantee a response from Him. Nor can you demand something from God and expect Him to deliver. Some people teach that when we're praying for something, all we need to do is "speak it into existence," and it will happen. Just name it and claim it. Gab it and grab it. But that approach is wrong.
God is not our butler who art in heaven; He's our Father. No amount of striving or bold presumption will ever get Him to do something for us that He doesn't want to do. Prayer is a PRIVILEGE for the child of God, and Jesus taught us that the real essence of prayer that gets heard is simply this: "God be merciful to me a sinner!" (Luke 18:13).
I agree. I once heard on the radio a preacher/author? jokingly say when he gets to heaven he was going to ask God how come Bruce Wilkinson's little book, The Prayer of Jabez, sold so many copies. LOL LOL
When that book first came out I bought it new. I have read it several times. (I like it) IMHO It dangerously came close to the "positive confession" but it didn't cross the line and go too far. My guess is that's why it sold so many copies. :)
Bonnie wrote something that I plucked off this board and wrote on a card so I could see it daily.
"Father open my eyes to see what's possible when I put my faith in You, then increase my faith so I can watch You do it. In Jesus name Amen."
In another book I have by Greg Laurie he writes: (edited by me)
Help My Unbelief
True, the Bible says that God works in response to faith. But it also asserts that God sometimes works despite our lack of faith. The following scenarios show four different levels of faith and how God responded to each of them.
1. Sincere faith. Consider the woman described in Luke 8:43-48 who had a serious illness for 12 years. She believed if she could just touch Jesus, she would be healed.
One day her opportunity came. Jesus was moving through town, surrounded by throngs of excited people. As Jesus and the multitude surged down the road, the woman pressed in, reached through, and touched the edge of His robe. Suddenly God's healing power bolted through her body and she was cured instantaneously.
Jesus stopped in His tracks and asked, "Who touched Me?"
The disciples said, "Who touched You? Who didn't touch You? Everyone's grabbing and pulling You, trying to get close to you."
Jesus said, "I perceived power going out from Me." The woman bowed down before Him and told her story. Jesus didn't reprove her. Instead He commended her for her faith.
Yes, your faith can and does play a significant part in meeting your needs. But sometimes God responds to the faith of someone else when our own faith is weak.
2. Another's faith. Matthew 8:5-13 tells the story of the Roman centurion and his servant, who was deathly ill. The centurion came to Jesus and said, "Speak a word, and my servant will be healed."
Jesus answered, "Go your way; and as you have believed so let it be done for you." And the centurion's servant was healed. In this case, God honored the faith of the centurion on behalf of his servant.
If I was sick and didn't have enough faith to believe for my healing, I would look around for others who would exercise their faith on my behalf. Even when our faith is weak, God can still meet our needs through the faith of another as He did for the servant through the centurion's faith.
3. Weak faith. Sometimes the Lord grants our prayers even when our faith is minuscule. This truth is underscored in the story in Mark 9:14-29 of the man who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and asked for help. Jesus responded, "If you believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
The man exclaimed, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
Did Jesus respond, "I'm sorry, but that won't do. You have to speak it into existence. You have to name it and claim it"? Of course not! He honored the man's faith, as weak as it was, and delivered his son from the demon.
I believe God will honor your prayer when you come to Him and say, "Lord, with as much faith as I have, I believe. But if there is any doubt standing in the way of my prayer being answered, help my unbelief."
Look at Acts 12. Here was the church praying to God for Peter, praying fervently, and praying constantly, yet they doubted. When God answered their prayer, they couldn't believe it.
We've done that, haven't we? Haven't you been shocked when God actually answered your prayer? What does that show? It shows that God loves us and makes allowances for our struggling faith. This does not mean unbelief is a commendable virtue. We should seek to grow in faith day by day. But in the meantime, if you are honest to God and say, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief," you can move forward from there.
4. Divine intervention. The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11:38-44 illustrates how God can work despite a total lack of faith. Certainly. Lazarus didn't have a lot going for him in the faith department. He was dead. Yet Jesus raised him from the grave. Was it because of the faith of his sisters, Mary and Martha? No way. They even accused Jesus of failing them by not coming soon enough to heal their brother while he was still alive. Did Jesus respond to the faith mourners? Far from it. They were so filled with unbelief it drove Jesus to tears.
Lazarus was raised from the dead because Jesus directly intervened in his hopeless situation. This gives us confidence that when no one around us has much faith--including ourselves--God can still respond to our prayers and meet our needs. Why? Because He is God and chooses to intervene out of His great love for us.
Now I have to spell check this for typo's. :( lol I'm still not caught up with reading the post on the board. This topic caught my eye.
Excel THANK YOU for putting that in the ibox. It's great ! I luv it. :)
I miss the old Ibox....
The one where it said "I'll be back soon" or something like that. More than once that was an encouragement to me on a down day.
I'm almost caught up with all the posts that I was behind.
This post I tapped into is my problem. She said, "Can they see the Holy Spirit in you?" I don't think so when I cuss up a storm in real life. I've read the book of James in the Bible enough to know better. I have a foul mouth. It comes flying out of me when things get down or I feel things are getting out of hand. I said the F word in front of the accountant (taxes) amongst other words and he's a Hindu who doesn't use bad language.
I'll be happy some day when I get my new glorified body. It will come with a new nature as well. I can use both. Body and a new glorified nature.
Both are lacking on me.
Been awhile....but....
I hope to catch up on all the messages soon. I don't want to break my track record of being able to say that I've read every message on this board.
I was surprised to read here awhile back about the Church of Christ. bummer
I've been busy. Now I have to start in on two years of filing (back) income taxes. What a job! Please no comments.
I have a friend who is 5 years late in filing so I don't feel so bad.
I heard something I thought was pretty cool on the radio. (tenac close your eyes) LOL
They were talking about Bob Dylan who I kinda follow or at least like to hear about. As you know he became a born again Christian some years ago and put out some pretty good Christian music during that time period. Then something happened. I heard the public (Christian) put a lot of pressure on him. He caved. He wasn't sure about the Messiah any more. Now I heard someone asked him, "Bob are you happy?" he replied, "Happy is a yuppy word. I'm blessed." They said, "What does blessed mean to you?" He said, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked."
Yeah...That's Psalm 1:1. I don't know what to think about him and his faith any more.
tenac I'm a recovering Baptist for 13 years now. LOL :)
Hope you all are doing well and I'm anxious to catch up on all the messages that I'm behind. See ya...
Thanks for sharing that,
I liked her. She was a godly woman. So curious to see what others were writing about her I did a search and read the Los Angeles Times. That's a really liberal paper in my book. I had to chuckle a few times with what they wrote. Did you get the rest of the bandages off? How did it go?
Here's another view...
excel If you can read through this one without zzzzzz (snore) you'll be doing good. LOL!
(edited)
Sacrifice. Origin
The beginnings of sacrifice are found in the primitive ages of man and among all the nations of antiquity.
Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God. Noah expressed his gratitude for deliverance from the Flood by presenting burnt offerings unto the Lord. The patriarchs were in habit of building altars and offering sacrifices on them, calling upon God at the places where He had revealed Himself to them.
"Indeed, to sacrifice seems as natural to man as to pray; the one indicates what he feels about himself, the other what he feels about God. The one means a felt need of propitiation, the other a felt sense of dependance" (Eldersheim, The Temple,p81)
Sacrifices do not appear to have been instituted at first by divine command; though they must not, on that account, be looked upon as human inventions. They are spontaneous expressions of reverence and gratitude that man feels toward God. But we must not fail to note that with gratitude and reverence there was also the thought of securing a continuance of God's favor and mercy. Neither must we lose sight of their expressing the idea of propitiation and substitution.
Nor can we afford to forget that in all ages blood has been the symbol of life and its shedding the symbol of the offering of one's life. Abundant testimony is given of this in The Blood Covenant, by H.C.Trumbull. He says the earliest recorded sacrifice "the narrative shows Abel lovingly and trustfully reaching out toward God with SUBSTITUTE blood, in order to be in covenant oneness with God; while Cain merely proffers a gift from his earthly possessions. Abel so trusts God that he gives HIMSELF to him. Cain defers to God sufficiently to make a PRESENT to him. The one shows unbounded faith; the other shows a measure of affectionate reverence"
Again in the sacrifice of Noah we have an expression not only of gratitude and reverence but a desire for further communications of divine grace. This seems to be implied in the answer given by the Lord to Noah, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man."
Sacrifice, Human
As a supreme test of Abraham's loyalty to Jehovah, he was asked to offer up his son Isaac. From this it has been argued that human sacrifice was customary among the early Israelites. But there is no such proof. Such sacrifice was in harmony with the fierce ritual of Syria. "The belief in the efficacy of the sacrifice of the firstborn was deeply enrooted in the minds of the people of Canaan. In time of distress and necessity they offered to the gods their best and dearest, "the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul." (Mic.6:7)
The king of Moab, when he saw that "the battle was too fierce for him, "took his oldest son who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall." (2Kings 3:26-27).
But there is nothing in Scripture to show that the Israelites practiced human sacrifice, or that it was enjoined by Jehovah. The case is thus put by Robertson (The Early Religion of Israel, p254):
"To Abraham, not unfamiliar with various ways in which among his heathen ancestors the deity was propitiated, the testing question comes, "Art thou prepared to obey thy God as fully as the people about thee obey their gods?' and in the putting forth of his faith in the act of obedience, he learns that the nature of his God is different.
Instead, therefore, of saying that the narrative gives proof of the existence of human sacrifice as an early custom in Israel, it is more reasonable to regard it as giving an explanation why it was that, from early time, this had been a prime distinction of Israel that human sacrifice WAS NOT PRACTICED as among the heathen"
E.O James, and H.L Strack
The Pursuit Of God
By A.W.Tozer
In the story of Abraham and Isaac we have a dramatic picture of the surrendered life as well as an excellent commentary on the first Beatitude.
Abraham was old when Isaac was born, old enough to have been his grandfather, and the child became at once the delight and idol of his heart. From the moment he first stooped to take the tiny form awkwardly in his arms, he was an eager love slave of his son. God went out of His way to comment on the strength of this affection. And it is not hard to understand. The baby represented everything sacred to his father's heart: the promises of God, the covenants, the hopes of the years and the long messianic dream. As he watched him grow from babyhood to young manhood, the heart of the old man was knit closer and closer with the life of his son, till at last the relationship bordered upon the perilous. It was then that God stepped in to save both father and son from the consequences of an ucleansed love.
How should he slay the lad! Even if he could get the consent of his wounded and protesting heart how could he reconcile the act with the promise, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called"? This was Abraham's trial by fire, and he did not fail in the crucible....He would offer his son as God had directed him to do, and then TRUST GOD TO RAISE HIM FROM THE DEAD. This, says the writer to the Hebrews, was the solution his aching heart found sometime in the dark night, and he rose "early in the morning" to carry out the plan. It is beautiful to see that, while he erred as to God's method, he had correctly sensed the secret of His great heart. And the solution accords well with the New Testament Scripture, "Whosoever will loose...for my sake shall find." (Mat.16:25)
God let the suffering old man go through with it up to the point where He knew there would be no retreat, and then forbade him to lay a hand upon the boy. To the wondering patriarch He now says in effect, "It's all right, Abraham. I never intended that you should actually slay the lad. I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there. I wanted to correct the perversion that existed in your love. Now you may have the boy, sound and well. Take him and go back to your tent. Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me."
Then heaven opened and a voice was heard saying to him,
"By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Gen.22:16-18)
The old man of God lifted his head to respond to the Voice, and stood there on the mount strong and pure and grand, a man marked out by the Lord for special treatment, a friend and favorite of the Most High. Now he was a man wholly surrendered, a man utterly obedient, a man who possessed nothing. He had concentrated his all in the person of his dear son and God had taken it from him. God could have begun out on the margin of Abraham's life and worked inward to the center. He chose rather to cut quickly to the heart and have it over in one sharp act of separation. In dealing thus, He practiced an economy of means and time. It hurt cruelly, but it was effective.
I have said that Abraham possessed nothing. Yet was not this poor man rich? Everything he had owned before was his still to enjoy: sheep, camels, herds and goods of every sort. He had also his wife and his friend, and best of all he had his son Isaac safe by his side. He had everything, BUT HE POSSESSES NOTHING. There is the spiritual secret. There is the sweet theology of the heart which can be learned only in the school of renunciation. The books on systematic theology overlook this, but the wise will understand.
After that bitter and blessed experience I think the words MY and MINE never again had the same meaning for Abraham. The sense of possessions which they connote was gone from his heart. Things had been cast out forever. They had now become external to the man. His inner heart was free from them. The world said, "Abraham is rich," but the aged patriarch only smiled. He could not explain it, but he knew that he owned nothing, that his real treasures were inward and eternal.
(edited by me)
No. G.W.Target wrote it and
Chuck put it in his book called "Laugh Again" It was a so/so book but I only payed $1 for it so I can't complain. When I say so/so I mean that I didn't keep the book. I use to give away books after I got done reading them that I didn't want to keep. Then I decided to rip out the pages that I liked and keep the covers and pages of the book. I don't want a large library. I only have three shelves of books that I've read and a 1/2 shelve of books to read. I started this method after I bought a book that I had already read. With hard back books for $1 and paperback books for 50 cents and with all the reading I do I sometimes get confused when I'm buying books. Hey I'm an old person. LOL! Did you get your bandages off yet?
The Window ~ By G.W.Target
This is the short story which tells of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same small hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair.
As the thought fermented the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window --- that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence --- deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away --- no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice....it is a positive attitude we choose to express. It is not a gift delivered to our door each morning, nor does it come through the window. And it is certain that our circumstances are not the things that make us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never laugh again.
These minds of ours are like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, what we withdraw will be the same. And the interest paid will be joy.
Charles R. Swindoll
NYBob Some more...
Ezekiel 37:21-22
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
24. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Zech2:8
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Deut32:9-10
For the LORD"S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
IMO Frank Weitner = white supremacist or a "skin head" as some people would say. Frank O' Collins of One Faith of God .org is well... He says this " To unite as one, to heal the world, to protect the world and to give back life to the solar system."
Give back life to the solar system? What kind of nutty saying is that? I read some other stuff that makes me think he's a kook. You asked and I'm just sharing what I think. Please don't take it personal. I'm not saying this about you. :) and fwiw
Amos 9:14-15 (Zionism imho)
"I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.
Jeremiah 16:14-15
"However, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when men will no longer say, "As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, ' As surely as the Lord lives who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north, and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers"
Isaiah 11:11-12
In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Sea. He will raise a banner for the nation and gather the exiles of Israel:; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.
Zionism
FWIW I see God behind the Zionist movement.
Zionism was a Jewish nationalist movement whose goal was to create and support a Jewish national state in Palestine. Toward the end of the 19th century, Theodore Herzl, after seeing anti-Semitism at work in the Dreyfus Affair in France in 1893-94, realized the need for a Jewish national state. He became the founder of political Zionism, which half a century later, in 1948, realized its goal with the founding of the State of Israel.
The concept of the return to Zion is part of Jewish Law. Reformed Jews stated in 1885 that they considered themselves to be a religious community rather than a nation; however, that view was replaced in the 20th century with enthusiastic Zionism. Other Jews believe that mankind will be redeemed in "the days of the Messiah," in Zion, with the rebuilding of lost institutions of national and religious life. Many Orthodox Jews did not question the need to return to Zion, but they believed that political Zionist were trying to preempt God's action. Most of these Jews died in the Holocaust, and Orthodox Jews are enthusiastically settling in Israel today.
Henry Halley
Isaiah 66:8
Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such a thing? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.
Another watershed year was 1948. Theodore Herzl had prophesied in 1897 that Israel would be formed within fifty years. Exactly fifty years later, after the terrible devastation of the Holocaust, Israel was reborn in 1948. The first page of the Jerusalem Post read, 'ISRAEL BORN IN A DAY!" Ironically, Andre Gromyko, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Soviet Union, which then had two million Jewish people bound in slavery, was the first to sign the agreement recognizing Israel as a nation on November 27, 1947.
Not only was Israel reestablished as a nation in 1948, but also the United Nations and the World Council of Churches were formed. Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Bill Bright, Dr. Richard Halverson and many other evangelical and charismatic ministries also began their ministries then.
Tom Hess
Ezekiel 39:25-29
Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Sovereign LORD.
Ezk.39:21-29 Grant Jeffrey
As a postscript to the horror of the battle, God declared his intent to graciously restore Israel in the last days so that the nations would acknowledge God's glory. God's visible presence and intervention in history would be a glorious display of his power to the heathen nations.
Matthew 23:37-39
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Mat.23:37-39
As Jesus came to the close of his earthly ministry, he pronounced a terrible prophecy on Jerusalem that was tragically fulfilled when the Roman legions burned the temple and city to the ground in A.D. 70. Jesus also announced that the Jews would not see him again until they repented of their sins and acknowledged the return of their Messiah. This prophecy will be fulfiled when Christ triumphantly returns to save Israel from the antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon. Zechariah confirmed this prophetic picture of the repentance of Israel and says their eyes will finally be opened to see Jesus as their true Messiah. (see Zech. 12:9-11).
God initially revealed the Zionist vision to Abraham, and led the Great Patriarch over four thousand years ago to the land of Canaan and to Jerusalem which later became known as "David's City" In 1967, Jerusalem was restored as the capital of the Nation of Israel which was reborn in 1948 and is in the process of being restored. Tom Hess
Isaiah 2:2-4
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he whall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isa.2:1-6 By Grant Jeffrey
Despite the certainty of God's approaching judgment, Isaiah also prophesied the final redemption of Israel and Judah in the millennial kingdom when the Lord will bring about the restoration of the nation and the rebuilding of the temple. Isaiah also prophesied that all the nations would come to Jerusalem to worship God during the Messiah's reign. Christ will then "teach us his ways" (3:3) as he proclaims God's laws throughout the earth from his throne in Jerusalem. Isaiah therefore urged Judah to repent and "walk in the light of the LORD" (2:5).
God is dead. Nietzsche. This was written on a wall in a public bathroom. Someone crossed it out and below it wrote. Nietzsche is dead. God. LOL!
The Penalty Has Been Paid
Think of it this way. Sin put you in prison. Sin locked you behind the bars of guilt and shame and deception and fear. Sin did nothing but shackle you to the wall of misery. Then Jesus came and paid your bail. He served your time; he satisfied the penalty and set you free. Christ died, and when you cast your lot with him, your old self died too.
The only way to be set free from the prison of sin is to serve its penalty. In this case the penalty is death. Someone has to die, either you or a heaven-sent substitute. You cannot leave prison unless there is a death. But that death has occurred at Calvary. And when Jesus died, you died to sin's claim on your life. You are free.
Near the city of Sao Jose' dos Campos, Brazil, is a remarkable facility. Twenty years ago the Brazilian government turned a prison over to two Christians. The institution was renamed Humaita, and the plan was to run it on Christian principles. With the exception of two full-time staff, all the work is done by inmates. Families out side the prison adopt an inmate to work with during and after his term. Chuck Colson visited the prison and made this report:
When I visited Humaita I found the inmates smiling---particularly the murderer who held the keys, opened the gates and let me in. Wherever I walked I saw men at peace. I saw clean living areas, people working industriously. The walls were decorated with Biblical sayings from Psalms and Proverbs...My guide escorted me to the notorious prison cell once used for torture. Today, he told me, that block houses only a single inmate. As we reached the end of a long concrete corridor and he put the key in the lock, he paused and asked, "Are you sure you want to go in?"
"Of course," I replied impatiently, "I've been in isolation cells all over the world." Slowly he swung open the massive door, and I saw the prisoner in that punishment cell: a crucifix, beautifully carved by the Humaita inmates----the prisoner Jesus, hanging on a cross.
"He's doing time for the rest of us," my guide said softly.
1.Charles Colson
Christ has taken your place. There is no need for you to remain in the cell. Ever heard of a discharged prisoner who wanted to stay? Nor have I. When the doors open, prisoners leave. The thought of a person preferring jail over freedom doesn't compute. Once the penalty is paid, why live under bondage? You are discharged from the penitentiary of sin. Why, in heaven's name, would you ever want to set foot in that prison again?
Paul reminds us: "Our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin. Anyone who has died is made free from sin's control" (Rom.6:6-7)
He is not saying that it is impossible for believers to sin; he's saying it is stupid for believers to sin. "It's not the literal impossibility....but the moral incongruity" of the saved returning to sin.
2.Scott, Romans
What does the prison have that you desire? Do you miss the guilt? Are you homesick for dishonesty? Do you have fond memories of being lied to and forgotten? Was life better when you were dejected and rejected? Do you have a longing to once again see a sinner in the mirror?
It makes no sense to go back to prison.
By Max Lucado
After The Catch
lol
God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose -- to carry us safely to the other shore.
This is no cruise ship; it's a battleship. We aren't called to a life of leisure; we are called to a life of service. Each of us has a different task. Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water. Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship. Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members.
Though different, we are the same. Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call. He found us among the shanties of the seaport and invited us to follow him. Our faith was born at the sight of his fondness, and so we went.
We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat. There is one captain and one destination. Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God. The ship will not sink. For that, there is no concern.
There is a concern, however, regarding the disharmony of the crew. When we first boarded we assumed the crew was made up of others like us. But as we've wandered these decks, we've encountered curious converts with curious appearances. Some wear uniforms we've never seen, spotting styles we've never witnessed. "Why do you look the way you do?" we ask them.
"Funny," they reply. "We were about to ask the same of you."
The variety of dress is not nearly as disturbing as the plethora of opinions. There is a group, for example, who clusters every morning for serious study. They promote rigid discipline and somber expressions. "Serving the captain is serious business," they explain. It's no coincidence that they tend to congregate around the stern.
There is another regiment deeply devoted to prayer. Not only do they believe in prayer, they believe in prayer by kneeling. For that reason you always know where to locate them; they are at the bow of the ship.
And then there are a few who staunchly believe real wine should be used in the Lord's Supper. You'll find them on the port side.
Still another group has positioned themselves near the engine. They spend hours examining the nuts and bolts of the boat. They've been known to go below deck and not come up for days. They are occasionally criticized by those who linger on the top deck, feeling the wind in their hair and sun on their face. "It's not what you learn," those topside argue. "It's what you feel that matters."
And, oh, how we tend to cluster.
Some think once you're on the boat you can't get off. Others say you'd be foolish to go overboard, but the choice is yours.
Some believe you volunteer for service; others believe you were destined for the service before the ship was even built.
Some predict a storm of great tribulation will strike before we dock; others say it won't hit until we are safely ashore.
There are those who speak to the captain in a personal language. There are those who think such languages are extinct.
There are those who think the officers should wear robes, there are those who think there should be no officers at all, and there are those who think we are all officers and should all wear robes.
And, oh, how we tend to cluster.
And there is the issue of the weekly meeting at which the captain is thanked and his words are read. All agree on its importance, but few agree on its nature. Some want it loud, others quiet. Some want ritual, others spontaneity. Some want to celebrate so the can meditate; others meditate so they can celebrate. Some want a meeting for those who've gone overboard. Others want to reach those overboard but without going overboard and neglecting those on board.
And, oh, how we tend to cluster.
The consequence is a rocky boat. There is trouble on deck. Fights have broken out. Sailors have refused to speak to each other. There have even been times when one group refused to acknowledge the presence of others on the ship. Most tragically, some adrift at sea have chosen not to board the boat because of the quarreling of the sailors.
"What do we do?" we'd like to ask the captain. "How can there he harmony on the ship?" We don't have to go far to find the answer.
On the last night of his life Jesus prayed a prayer that stand as a citadel for all Christians:
I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. (John 17:20)
How precious are these words. Jesus, knew the end is near, prays one final time for his followers. Striking, isn't it, that he prayed not for their success, their safety, or their happiness. He prayed for their unity. He prayed that they would love each other.
As he prayed for them, he also prayed for "those who will believe because of their teaching." That meant us! In his last prayer Jesus prayed that you and I be one.
By Max Lucado.
Max called this "Rocking the Boat" but I wanted to get your attention with a header line of "After The Catch" LOL. Get Well Soon !!!
(I didn't see it)
How did ya sleep excel?
LOL j/k. There's this poster on RB Bible board. He's really a gifted poster. He's Jewish and got born again. His real name is Isaiah. I do believe he works for the Salvation Army maybe as a chaplain? I'm guessing some type of street ministry? as I can tell by how he writes. He shared once how he was really really sick and was in the hospital and was expected to die. God cured him. It was a miracle. When he woke up he could speak Aramaic. He never learned this language. That's what I remember? him sharing. Anyway...He writes some really good stuff. Today he's writing about fruit and gifts. He wrote this awhile back..I liked it. I'll call it "Sing". By Isaiah.
Psalm 68:1
Let God arise let His enemies be scattered, let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
This verse began the song the Israelites would sing whenever the Ark of the Covenant was moved. They knew that the movement of the Ark (the presence of the Lord) meant that situations were going to change...enemies were going to be displaced! The Ark meant certain victory in times of war, provisions in days of famine, and guidance in seasons of change. And whenever the Ark was moved, new territory was added to Israel!
Are you ready for God to move in your life as He did through the Ark for Israel? I'm sure you answered "yes"; but the more pertinent question is "how"....what must we do to let God arise in our lives? A key to this answer lies in verse 3 and 4 of this song.
Psalm 68:3-4 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes let them rejoice exceedingly. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds by His name Yah, and rejoice before Him. Paul said the same thing in a little different way in Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!"
In these verses the word "rejoice" means to "make a deliberate move to release joy." That means you need to move yourself before you can move God! Your praise is the means by which the joy in you heart is released. This is what God is seeking -- people who will release what is inside of them so He can release what is inside of Him...that's when things really begin to change.
Make a deliberate decision today to praise Him and see your enemies be scattered.
You may be the only Bible that someone will ever read, so be a living conduit for God's Love, Grace and Mercy today and forever more...
Psm.138:8
The Lord will accomplish what concerns Me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting. Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Isa. 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
:) Now back to bed for you. I'm so mean. Or maybe some T.V.? LOL!
To Cheer You
By Max Lucado (edited by me)
The Question of Protection
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31 NIV).
The question is not simply, "Who can be against us?" You could answer that one. Who is against you? Disease, inflation, corruption, exhaustion. Calamities confront, and fears imprison. Were Paul's question, "Who can be against us?" we could list our foes much easier than we could fight them. But that is not the question. The question is, IF GOD IS FOR US, who can be against us?
Indulge me for a moment. Four words in this verse deserve your attention. Read slowly the phrase, "God is for us." Please pause for a minute before you continue. Read it again, aloud. (My apologies to the person next to you.) God is for us. Repeat the phrase four times, this time emphasizing each word. (Come on, you're not in that big of a hurry.)
God is for us.
God is for us.
God is for us.
God is for us.
God is for you. Your parents may have forgotten you, your teachers may have neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you; but within reach of your prayers is the maker of the oceans. God!
God is for you. Not "may be," not "has been," not "was," not "would be," but "God is!" He is for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. As you read this sentence. No need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. He is with you. He could not be closer than he is at this second. His loyalty won't increase if you are better nor lessen if you are worse. He is for you.
God is FOR you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is FOR you.
God is for YOU. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. "I have written your name on my hand," he declares (Isa. 49:16).
God is with you. Knowing that, who is against you? Can death harm you now? Can disease rob your life? Can purpose be taken or your value diminished? No. Though hell itself may set itself against you, no one can defeat you. You are protected. God is with you.
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
(Rom.8:32 NIV).
Suppose a man comes upon a child being beaten by thugs. He dashes into the mob, rescues the boy, and carries him to a hospital. The youngster is nursed to health. The man pays for the child's treatment. He learns that the child is an orphan and adopts him as his own and gives the boy his name. And then, one night, months later, the father hears the son sobbing into his pillow. He goes to him and asks about the tears.
"I'm worried, Daddy. I'm worried about tomorrow. Where will I get food to eat? How am I going to buy clothes to stay warm? And where will I sleep?"
The father is rightfully troubled. "Haven't I shown you? Don't you understand? I risked my life to save you. I gave my money to treat you. You wear my name. I've called you my son. Would I do all that and then not meet your needs?"
This is Paul's question. WOULD HE WHO GAVE HIS SON NOT MEET OUR NEEDS?"
But still we worry. We worry about...etc..
Honestly, now. Did God save you so you would fret? Would he teach you to walk just to watch you fall? Would he be nailed to the cross for your sins and then disregard your prayers? Come on. Is Scripture teasing us when it reads, "He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go? (Ps. 91:11)
I don't think so either.
Ya gotta love Max. :) I wonder how he's doing with his health problems that you posted about. After this story he goes on to tell the story about the kid and the slingshot and Grandma's duck. I think you or someone posted that on this board. Hope you get well real soon excel. I will keep you in my prayers. I've been rocking to some good music today while you've been sleeping. lol I love Sunday. Here we have a radio station 102.3 owned by Stevie Wonder called KJLH. Great Christian music on Sundays if you like black gospel music, Stevie Wonder use to rock. I saw him in concert once when I was a kid. :) I'm thinking now Stevie Wonder might be a Christian?
tenac No worry as you won't offend me.
:) lol.
I kind of been following loosely what you're asking but things change over time.
In the book, Are We Living in the End Times? By LaHaye/Jenkins I think 1999? (edited by me)
Church growth experts estimate the current number of Christians at over one billion and growing.
The Religions Of The World Unite
However much we may agree with Pope Paul II on his stand against abortion, homosexuality, and other aspects of morality, we must oppose his promotion of unity among Christ-denying religions of the world. In 1986 he convened a conference for 130 religious leaders of the world in Iccese, Italy, to "pray for world peace." In attendance were Muslims, Buddhist, Hindus, pantheists, the Dali Lama, and a host of others who reject Jesus Christ. Who could they all pray to? They don't agree on who (or even what) God is or in whose name we should pray. Of one thing we are certain: You can't reject or ignore God's Son and still expect to have your prayers answered.
The idea that all religions point to the same god is blasphemy. So is the idea that there are many ways to God. Buddha, Mary, Gaia, Muhammad, and Christ are NOT in the same category. They do not all carry equal weight with the triune God of the Bible. Just one was God's "only begotten Son," and only He gives us access to God through prayer.
The present pope (the last pope I will add) is on record as believing in the Trinity and may indeed pray in the name of Jesus Christ. However, his infatuation with the vision of Fatima and his reverence for Mary (whom he credits with saving his life from an assassin's bullet) concerns some who fear he could be setting up his church and the religions of the world for the fulfillment of Revelation 17, where "Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots" unifies all the religions of the world during the first half of the Tribulation.
How Close Are We?
All it would take for the world's religions to unite under the leadership of Rome would be the Rapture of all true Christians. That would successfully strip the Catholic Church, the Orthodox church, liberal Protestantism, and the evangelical church of any true believers and would make religious unity without respect for doctrinal differences instantly possible. It was exactly this in our our novel Tribulation Force that enabled the eventual leader of the one-world church to say:
We are all, every one of us, in total unanimity. Our religions themselves have caused much division and bloodshed around the world, as any government, army, or weapon. From this day forward we will unite under the banner of the Global Community Faith. Our logo will contain sacred symbols from religions that represent all, and from here on will encompass all. Whether we believe God is a real person or merely a concept, God is in all and above all and around all. God is in us. We are God.
Have you heard all the contemporary voices calling for religious unity on the basis of "tolerance"? They are merely a harbinger of what is predicted for the first half of the Tribulation. Given today's religious climate, that could come within days or at most a few weeks of the departure of a half a billion or so true Christians in the Rapture.
O.K. so church growth experts back in 1999? said one billion and LaHaye/Jenkins said half a billion. I bought this book when it first came out. What I thought was interesting was at the time other Christians in the know were saying New Age was the fastest growing and most prominent religion in the world back at this time. In another book, a novel, it said, "Whether we believe God is a real person or merely a concept, God is in all and above all and around all. God is in us. God is us. We are God" This is New Age to the max. imho
Times have changed. Now I have heard (which I don't know if true) that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. I do know in Italy it's the fastest growing religion. The largest Mosque in Europe is in Rome.
50,000 Italians convert to Islam. Only 1.4% of Italy's population (700,000) is Muslim, but 40,000 to 50,000 are Italian Catholics who have converted to Islam. According to current estimates, persons coming from traditionally Muslim countries are the fastest growing immigrant group. According to latest Italian official statistics, Muslims make up about 34% of the 2,400,000 foreign residents living in Italy as of January 1, 2005. Mosques have sprung up all across Italy. of the 59 mosques counted in January 1993, at least 35 were established since 1990. It is thought that the number of mosques have tripled since then.
There's a picture of "Pope prays toward Mecca with Mullahs." It's the new pope. I don't like the looks of this or the sounds of any of this.
FWIW
Where is the United States in Bible prophecy?
Some other views.
By William R. Goetz
Ezekiel 38:13
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions therof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
A Group of Protesters
Ezekiel foretells, in verse 13 of chapter 38, that there will be a feeble protest, uttered by Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages.
Who are they?
According to Dr. W.F. Albright in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research published in 1941, Sheba and Dedan were land-bound traders located east of Palestine, while Tarshish was the leader of sea traders and marine merchants west of Palestine.
The term "Tarshish" came to be used as a synonym for any maritime power or area where mining, smelting and trading in metal ore was carried on. Great shipping interest got the nickname "Tarshish"; Ezekiel's Tarshish is evidently also a nation of merchants.
Because of this, Ezekiel's reference is believed to be an expression broad enough to take in all the younger nations of the Old and New Worlds, especially Britain and her former colonies.
This is reinforced by the fact that the protesters would have to be kindly disposed toward Israel, strong enough to at least protest and symbolized by a lion, or by a young lion (a colony). Perhaps Britain and her former colonies (including the U.S.) are in view here. Although this seems at best a rather tenuous identification and one which I offer simply as a possibility, it allows for the only scriptural reference to the U.S. or Britain.
It should be noted that these nations, whoever they are, apparently do no more than protest. No action is taken by them. Could such a response ever be true of the West--especially the U.S.?
By Tom Hess (edited by me)
...Ezekiel 17:1-10 is an allegory about two great eagles. The first eagle depicts ancient Babylon and, though the second eagle historically was Egypt, it also applicable to the end-time Daughter of Babylon, who is believed by some to be New York and America.
The historic city of Babylon was famous for its wealth and hedonism. The center of life was focused around man, his rights, his pleasures, his ease of wealth and comfort. The book of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 describe Babylon in the last days in a similar manner. Babylon is described as a literal, geographic city, although it also seems to be world-wide system and in a broader sense, consists of the evil cities of the world.
The two characteristics that most exemplify Babylon in Revelation are materialism and hedonism. New York is not only the leading city in the world regarding money and materialism (with World Money Market centered there), but also may be the leading city of the world regarding perversion and hedonism.
New York and America are the heart of Babylon today. New York and America have become a man-centered society.
In Psalm 137:8, listed at the beginning of this chapter, says the Daughter of Babylon is to be destroyed. I believe God is speaking in Revelation 18:4 (KJV) to the Jewish people in New York and America:
Come out of her [Babylon-USA] my people so that you will not share in her sins, so you will not receive any of her plagues.
Zechariah 2:7 (KJV) says: Deliver thyself, O Zion,, that dwellest with the Daughters of Babylon." God is beckoning and calling the Jews home to Israel. Will they respond to God's wooing, begin weeping for Jerusalem again, and return to Israel--or be caught in a devestating tragedy like the Holocaust?
From the book, Let My People Go! (The struggle of the American Jew to Come Home to Israel)
He didn't tell me about anyone
crying because they couldn't handle it but you are right it does take a different type of person to handle a job like that and he knew it. He needed three additional key men that year. We were in Spain and he was headed to two bars to search out some help. He was contemplating going to Portugal. If he couldn't find any workers in Spain he would go to Portugal. He told me the Portuguese made some of the best sea goers. He had some good help in the past from there. He needed other help too but he would hire them locally where he lived.
He had seasons where not everyone would get sick. There were a couple like you who didn't get ill. Employee turn over was normal for him but that year some of his key workers quit. We talked at length on what makes one person sick and not another. There's no way of knowing. I do believe the first time he was out was when he was 6 years old. I couldn't believe it. It was a one time shot and his dad took him. He didn't get sick. He had two brothers and they didn't go into the business because they got too ill out there. He went out a few more times with his dad when he was really young.
Of course his Mom didn't like it, but it's part of life for them.
It's really a difficult business to be in charge of. The safety of everyone lies on his shoulders. It was crucial that he find the right workers not only because of his livelihood but because it's real easy to die out there. It sounded like a team effort and everyone on that team better be together or he could die. Every year there were boats lost out at sea. People would apply for a job with some of the boats (not his) not realizing that their very lives depended on the make up of the crew. Yes wicked COLD weather out there. Guaranteed where he fished.
Enjoy your marathon today. :) Sounds like fun!
Hi excel LOL
Busy at it I see. lol I was traveling once on train and I met this generational fisherman from (I want to say) Norway. He shared a lot of stories with me about his family and fishing. He was proud to tell me in all the generations his family had fished none of his family had died out there. Commercial fishing was in his blood. Unfortunately it wasn't in all of his crews blood. Very very dangerous and exciting. He was on vacation scouting to find some workers. Every year some of the help would quit on him. He paid good too. Well of course I wanted a job. lol
He didn't want to hire me and it wasn't because I'm small or a women. I'm strong. He told me "Once I get out there I don't go back in for anyone or anything." I didn't understand. He then explained. LOL I bet they don't show this on T.V. or maybe they do?
It's the same thing every season for him. Even though he's fished all of his life he even gets sick some times. The season starts with all the men puking over the boat. This goes on for days and days with some of them. There they are he told me all lined up every single one of them heaving their guts out over the boat. It's so bad they wished they were dead. And he wouldn't turn the boat back for me. LOL hmmm
Puking bad. Wish I was dead because it won't stop sometimes for days? hmmmm
It was getting less and less appealing to me when he shared the throw up stories and he knew it. LOL We shot the breeze for hours on that train.
What he uses now to help combat puking is called palimeeno-no-scope. I don't know how to spell it but you get it from the Dr. He told me never to forget the name of that drug and I haven't.
Do they show them puking on the T.V. show? Ughhh
I've heard that before.
I thought of,
Mk.9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
Mk.10:44
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Phil.2:7
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Jn.20:6-7 (Archaeological Study Bible)
If someone had stolen Jesus' body, the strips of linen and the burial cloth would most likely have been missing or at least strewn about the floor. However, the burial cloth was neatly folded up, separate from the linen.
My thoughts are that this was a burial, tomb, grave site ordeal. Not a dinner party so to say.
I've heard before in those days they ate with their fingers. The common people at the end of a meal would use the last of their bread and wipe their mouth and hands using it like a napkin and then throw the small piece of bread on the ground. I guess this is what the dogs ate. I don't know if this is true or not.
fwiw I did a search on Reverend Ike. He's still alive. On one of the sites they said he toned it down a little after people called him a "show off" with all his money. He's still around on the radio and still pimping for money I guess. I laughed at another site that told about the literature they received from Rev.Ike instructing them on how to receive the blessings he promised along with the instructions with sending the money. LOL He still likes that free money. I didn't read a third site but they called him a "proto pimp." lol
Amazing he hasn't gotten busted. I'm guessing when you deal with mostly cash donations it might be harder to prove stuff? I don't know what to think as to why he never got in any trouble.
For some reason that reminded me
of when I was a kid. There use to be this guy called Reverend Ike. Maybe some of you remember him. He use to sell prayer cloths. All you had to do was send him some money and he would send you a prayer cloth so you could become wealthy.
One day at the dinner table my brother announced that he was going to sell prayer cloths too. I was all in favor of this new way to earn money. I had envisioned myself helping cut the pieces of cloth and then opening up the envelopes filled with the money. LOL
My parents were mad. They couldn't believe we wanted to do such a thing. Both my brother and I knew the prayer cloths wouldn't help anyone but we couldn't see any harm in doing it too. We reasoned if the people wanted to give us money for the prayer cloths, let them. Reverend Ike had money coming in hand over fist and we wanted part of the action. LOL
We were forbidden to do such a thing. I couldn't understand at the time, why Reverend Ike could make money and we couldn't. My dad said because it was dishonest. How could it be dishonest if the people willingly sent him money?
My brother then showed us the prayer cloth he mailed away for and received. Yes I reasoned. This is the way to go. It beat cleaning houses for me! It was the best business I ever saw growing up as a kid and Reverend Ike was rich. Filthy rich. My parents were mad that my brother bought a prayer cloth. It was his money and he needed a sample so he could do it too. LOL I looked over the literature that came with the prayer cloth. We all had to laugh at the absurd claims, that is once my parents knew we didn't believe any of it.
Bottom line was no prayer cloth business for my brother. I wonder what ever happened to Reverend Ike? lol
tenac That was really nice
and I thank you. You said, " We are who we are and we should be proud as long as God is proud of it...right.."
Maybe. When I first moved to the Los Angeles area I attended a small church.
They had just had a problem and when ever "it" (the problem) was started to be brought up, the preacher was quick to stop the conversation. The Elder kept pushing it and finally the preacher told him he didn't want to hear anything more about "it." Of course I wanted to know what "it" was but didn't know anyone to ask. I sensed people had quit the church over "it" and I was really curious.
A few weeks went by. The Elder started in again. Of all things "it" was about members going to the beach. The elder had the nerve to say that anyone who went to the beach was sinning. I was puzzled. The elder saw my face and went on to say that since the way the women dressed at the beach no Christian should go to the beach. The preacher stopped him and told him that they had already gone through this and that was enough. Or what ever.
After church I asked a lady what was wrong with going to the beach? She said, "the women wear thongs." I never paid much attention but next time to the beach I did. Yes. Women wear string bathing suits. I'm sure that Elder was proud and thought that God was proud of him too.
At the church I go to now the preacher is more real. I've heard him say from the pulpit before. "And when you go to the beach be careful. Satan is going to find you a woman or man that is just the right size and shape for you. He's an expert at this." Or something like that. lol
I've heard my preacher talk down about R rated movies more than once from the pulpit. He'll say "No Christian should be watching R rated movies." I've heard him say more than once from the pulpit "There's nothing on T.V. tonight. I checked. So I hope to see you all out here for this evening service." LOL I've also heard him say something like, "Just tape the game. Come to church. You can watch the game later like I do." Or something like that.
I will always feel like a "wall flower" as far as fitting in with the world. LOL
And also... here's me with my one piece bathing suit that looks like a tank next to all these women and bikini's and thong suits. I'm telling ya, a one piece suit is a rarity at the beach unless you're a "jumbo" which I'm not. LOL
Now I'm rambling. :)