The Deaths of Sin

Finding Victory Over satan's Tricks & Traps by Tony Evans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIqzGP5CudY

Train up a Child

I was watching Tony Evans today. His sermon on “Life’s Disappointments can turn into God’s divine appointments.” There are some powerful statements when Mr Evans sermonizes. And it strikes me enough to share it with you. One such statement is: ************************** “It is unfortunate that we will do, in the career realm, in the financial realm and in the education realm, what we are unwilling to do in the spiritual realm. And that is, GO For It!************************************** “We will make great sacrifices, time and attention to make more money, get a title by our names, get popularity and notoriety, get elevation for what this world values and what it legitimately needs in order to function, but often at the cost of dreaming big spiritually.” ***************** My mind goes to our children, because while I can’t reach the adults in this world, despite my love and fear for them, it is the children who will suffer from the ignorance and lack of faith of the parents. Yes, as an adult, you have the right to choose what you believe and to go to hell in a handbasket if that is what you choose. I am so sorry to hear it and it does indeed break my heart…. But by your decision to NOT educate yourself spiritually, you are likely also NOT teaching your children about God and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for them either. ********************** I get that you see they are just as happy and oblivious to the ramifications of your decision on this side of the world because it IS the world of darkness and the evil one is in charge here so all manner of distractions and side shows exist to make you feel justified. Here. Some parents even disparage God and biblical teachings to their children or worse still, warp and mold it into something that it is not, like those who teach hate and twist scripture to suit them. Oh, there is a world full of false prophets and fake Christians proclaiming the Truth when the truth is not in them. Just look at our politicians, our government and our business practices. ***************************** But hear me out here. Do you research and read up on all of the things that you need to know in this world to become better educated and knowledgeable about them? Or... do you just believe what other people tell you? Do you get an ‘inclination’ or a ‘feeling’ that something doesn’t ring true and look it up? Do you just believe what facebook posts say, or Q or conspiracy theorists? What do you do when you want to understand something? Do you research or do you just repeat nonsense other people say about it without a true study of it? Are you wise? Are you a Lemming? Are you discerning? Do you have blind faith and believe what you hear, failing to see what is there? People do that, you know. TOO many people.***************** Believe it or not, someone very close to me used to quote what he heard from websites and others over his many years as if it were straight from the bible. I would lovingly tell him, “Until you read it for yourself, I don’t want to discuss it. Read it for yourself. You are a brilliant man. You look up EVERYTHING that you don’t understand and learn about it first hand. Either read the bible for yourself, New Testament first, or we can’t talk about it because what you were told, or what you believe, is not in the bible.” ********************** Over the years, he began to witness what God can do, will do and has done, in other’s lives… especially the broken. He was watching people’s living testimony play out in real life. People’s addictions removed, lives saved, children’s lives saved, families restored, miracles occurring. He listened and watched… and then, he began to read for himself. He couldn’t deny it any longer. *************************** But think of this… while you are in darkness and not seeing, you are raising up a family of unbelievers who also are in darkness and cannot see. They don’t know about God’s promises. They don’t understand what hope does and how it changes you. They don’t understand how to truly combat the evil that presents itself in their world. They have no inclination to believe or follow God and have eternal life rather than hell and damnation… THAT alone should be inspiration enough to save them from the darkness they could experience in a lifetime without God as their guide. **************** You fail to equip them for the inevitable and possibly hinder them from being open to faith in the One who can comfort and guide them through life. People will ALWAYS fail you. People die. People move. People aren’t mentally or spiritually equipped to support, defend or enable children through life but GOD and His word is ALWAYS there. ******************************* It’s my pain. It is my heart’s burden. KNOWING that Trinity pleaded to go to church as a child and loved hearing the bible stories. She would call me up and tell me to come get her. As a teenager, when we had her, she found God and cried like a baby at the fact that He forgave and loved her wholly. Knowing that she LOVES God so much and yet, through her life, was not equipped to turn to Him when trials came. She was not strong enough to understand that she was loved unconditionally by Him. That she only needed to call out to Him for strength. That there was another path. The world became so ingrained in her soul that it blinded her from the True power of His love. Her own choices have blurred reality to the point of death… and she can’t see it. But I can. There is only one of two ways this ends. And we already saw how it ended for our son-in-law at age 34. ****************** Do YOU not see it? Do YOU not want to give them every opportunity to live in the Light in this dark world instead of by its lowly ways? To share with them the Power, the Hope, the Love that the bible has for them? Why be okay with them to live in darkness expecting nothing and leaning solely on you? They need to be equipped to make that decision for themselves and yet, you are not equipping them. If you wait too long, the WORLD will be ingrained in them and they will not trust much else except by the mercy and grace of God. ********************* We will suffer at the hands of this world and its ways. But Paul did too, for his faith. ********************* 2 Cor 11:24-27: 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." ********************* 2 Cor 12: 6-10: “6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” ********************** His faith, despite ALL of his hardships kept him strong and focused in this world of false prophets and dark deeds. It gives us principles, morals, guidelines, to follow which the world does not adhere to. It gives us hope where there should be no hope. It gives us wisdom down through the ages. It gives us truth so that we will not be misguided. it gives us discernment so that no one can deceive us. It protects, defends, comforts, loves and surrounds us with others who have the same values. ************************** In Europe, we saw so many histories of the young, younger than 18, who gave their lives for their faith. They had a choice from day 1 because they were raised to know the truth when they saw it and were willing to die for it. And die, they did. In this country we wouldn’t be willing to live for it, let alone die for it. We won’t even crack a book to see what it says. We follow any whim and believe every author of nonsense when it comes to raising children and yet, we cannot… we do not fully equip them to decide what really matters for themselves. ****************** And you? What do YOU want for your kids, if not for you? That is my heartbreak… for you, yes, but more for the young lives that must endure darkness without truth and hope. You set them on the dark path and expect them to see the light? Fully equip them and let them decide for themselves. ***************** Prov 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” ***************** Give that some thought. *********************

Paul Harvey: If I were the Devil

Paul Harvey did an amazing radio story, a very disturbing story, but very very accurate, decades ago.... 1965 in fact. I am amazed that his message was completely accurate in exactly what has taken place in our country thus far. When you listen, you will wonder if he wasn't some sort of prophet, sent by God to warn us of what is to come. And it came. We are all in a daily battle against for good versus evil. Just like the image of the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. It is the true battle of God and evil on earth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnPE8u5ONls

Another Cry for the Lost/Broken

I am reading 1 Corinthians this morning, and over the last few days. I have got a million thoughts running through my brain and hopefully I can structure them together to make sense. I consider Paul’s feelings. He says, ********* 1 Cor 15:9-10: “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” ************ That struck a cord with me, as it always does. We ache for our granddaughter who is lost in the streets, in addiction, and has been for a few years. I can imagine what goes through her brain when she struggles to get out of that life but feels unworthy for any other type of life because of what she has chosen and the resulting damage done to her spirit, mind and body. I think about how I feel in comparison to how she must feel, about my own salvation. I remember when God called me to become a minister I was ready. Of course, I thought I couldn’t possibly pass the tests, but I was obedient. And I received an anonymous text from someone, clearly who knew me from my past, that simply said, “YOU, to pastor?” I knew that there were many who would never see beyond my past mistakes, and I made so very many. But God. ******************* Listen to this: ************************ 1 Cor 1:26-29: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothings things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” ***************************** I have always felt unworthy of, and yet have full faith in, my salvation. The difference is severe of course. Paul was instrumental at leading the world to Christ, while I am blessed just to have had a minuscule chance to minister to those who needed it for a time. ***************** I plead on my granddaughter’s behalf, who is lost in addiction, and on the behalf of those who have not yet broke free from darkness, literally every day. All the while my own soul will never feel adequate or deserving for what Christ gave up for me. It will always be this way because for as much as He has changed me, I know that I am still human and it seeps into my daily thought life and corrodes who I should be. I am my own worst critic. ******************************** So if I, who live a structured wholesome life feel unworthy, and Paul who sacrificed his life for others felt that way, can you IMAGINE how those lost in darkness and sin feel about coming to the Lord?? People tend to justify, hide their faces, self-sabotage. I have seen it a hundred times in my own family members, in my past and in the broken that we served. The hardest thing to overcome is the guilt and shame residue that covers the heart and hardens it to keep others from tormenting us, and the Lord from reaching out to us. We just don’t BELIEVE that He could possibly forgive US. ************************** But people, don’t believe me. Believe the Word! I didn’t write it. I just benefited by the grace of it. Listen:**************** 1 Cor 6:9-11: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, not idolaters, no adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” ************************ You see? Nothing is beyond the love and grace of our God. Or rather, NO one is beyond His grace and mercy. THAT is the whole point behind sacrificing Jesus’ life for our sins. He understood our humanness. *********************** 1 Cor: 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” ****************** He didn’t promise life would be easy. He knew there would be temptations in life. But He promised that we could endure it if we have faith in HIM, not our own ability, but HIS. And for those of you who doubt your chosen, for those who feel unworthy, He knew that you would. So He says: ************* 1 Cor 12:3: “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.” *********************** You see? You ARE chosen if you know that Jesus is Lord. Shame or no shame, you CANNOT say it unless you are chosen and in the Holy Spirit. Sure, you may be in a dark place and not see how that can even be possible, but He knows what your life can become in the future if you should just learn to trust in His promises. ************************* As I sit here, I know that I have written these words for Trinity and then for all of those poor souls who just don’t feel worthy or those who are allowing their own self-importance to trick them into not coming to Christ. This is actually why I started this blog so many years ago. I shant give up. AMy heart hurts for you. Open your eyes. LISTEN. ********************************

Baptism

“A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers” from The John A Hertel Co. 1969-1970 Disclaimer: This is but a section of the Holy Bible published by Mr. Hertel. The information is unique to his version of family Bible and extremely instructive. It has been converted to modern English Standard Version (ESV) and, in some sections, reformatted. The writings will be in italics. I have updated spelling according to current conventions and put those words in brackets once only. Any mistakes made are solely mine. The "A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers" is rather long so I will bring it to you in sections. The next section is on "Business-I will be hindered in making money." I think it is essential and very informational on every subject pertaining to being, staying and teaching as a Christian. The work will be in Italics. I have many blogs that address the fact that God chooses you as you are and will restore you if you let Him, but first, you must believe and surrender. This may mean falling a hundred times but only because we still cling to our unbelief based on our own worth. But He says, none are worthy, no matter what they look like or how they act. But you, if you hear Him calling you, can be saved. This section is just scriptures on why one should be baptized. I will list the scriptures, not the words as there are many and it is good for you to open your bible to seek the Truth. :-) Section contents: Part 3: Baptism-A Divine Command. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Mat 28:19 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 “And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Mark 1:5 Jesus was baptized. 13: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 16: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;” Matt 3:13, 16 “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Mark 1:9 The Eunuch was baptized. The eunuch said:, “And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” Acts 8: 36, 38 Mark 1:4 Acts 2:38, 10: 47-48, 22:16 Rom 6:3-5 Gal 3:27 Col 2:12 1 Peter 3:20-21

For all you who struggle-Daylight by David Kushner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoN9ql6Yymw ***************************************************************************************** This is such an excellent song and depiction of our struggle with darkness. For all you admitted sinners who see that the battle is real. I love you. He loves you, which is more improtant because He has a promise for you. **************************************************************** 1 Cor 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."***************************************

"A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers” from The John A Hertel Co. 1969-1970 - Part 3-Backsliders

Disclaimer: This is but a section of the Holy Bible published by Mr. Hertel. The information is unique to his version of family Bible and extremely instructive. It has been converted to modern English Standard Version (ESV) and, in some sections, reformatted. The writings will be in italics. I have updated spelling according to current conventions and put those words in brackets once only. Any mistakes made are solely mine. ************************* The "A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers" is rather long so I will bring it to you in sections. The next section is on "Baptism-A divine command." I think it is essential and very informational on every subject pertaining to being, staying and teaching as a Christian. The work will be in Italics.************************** I have many blogs that address the fact that God chooses you as you are and will restore you if you let Him, but first, you must believe and surrender. This may mean falling a hundred times but only because we still cling to our unbelief based on our own worth. But He says, none are worthy, no matter what they look like or how they act. But you, if you hear Him calling you, can be saved. *************************** I also want to reinforce what I have said many times before: We all fall short of the glory of God. We all have strayed for one reason or another. Sometimes it is a brief oops and sometimes we are lost in the wilderness until we are in our 40’s (like me). Sometimes we are saved and stray because the world has something or someone that we can’t let go of. Please, after you read these, there should be no doubt that, though you are lost, though you may ‘backslide’ or though you have not yet been found, redemption is for you, no matter who you are, no matter how far down the rabbit hole you fell, or how long you have been gone. If He is calling you back, in speaking to your heart, LISTEN. He is a merciful God and will help you on your way back to Him. He never fails. (End rant) ******************** Please note that most of what is written to discuss the subject matter is scripture. There is a reason for this. Nothing matters more than what God says on the subject. It is what we are meant to know, teach and believe on all content. It isn’t for us to put words in His mouth, but for us to share what He has to say. We don’t need to grandstand when we have his scriptures to live by. **************************** Section contents: Part 3: Backslider- God’s warning to the backslider. ************************** “...but my righteous one shall live in faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” Hebrews 10:38 ********************* “For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” 2 Peter 2: 21 ********************* “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17 ******************** “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12 ******************** “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” Amos 4:11-12 *************************** “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Rev 3:16 ********************* If you are cold and indifferent and have fallen into sin, you never will be truly happy, or have peace in your soul, until you confess your sins and return to the Lord. God says: ************************* “The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.” Prov 14:14 ********************* God says although man’s ways are not his ways, there, nevertheless, is hope for the backslider. Think of the story of the Prodigal son and how the father welcomed his boy home. *********************** “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 ******************** Section contents: Part 3 (continued): Backslider- How he may return to the Lord. ********************* 1. Submit to God. He will forgive. ****************** “Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “Return faithless Israel,” declares the Lord. “I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful,” declares the Lord; “I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, Return, O faithless children,” declares the Lord; “for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Jer 3:12-14 ************************ “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.” Hosea 14:4 ******************* 2. Confess to God. ************************* “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Ps 32:5 *********************** “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ******************** 3. Repent of sins. ********************** “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him,“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” Acts 8:18-23 **************** 4. Turn to God. ******************* “So you, by the help of your God, return, and wait continually for your God.” Hosea 12:6 ******************* “If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents,” Job 22:23 **************** “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 ************************

“A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers” from The John A Hertel Co. 1969-1970 Part 2-Assurance

Disclaimer: This is but a section of the Holy Bible published by Mr. Hertel. The information is unique to his version of family Bible and extremely instructive. It has been converted to modern English Standard Version (ESV) and, in some sections, reformatted. The writings will be in italics. I have updated spelling according to current conventions and put those words in brackets once only. Any mistakes made are solely mine. ********************** The "A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers" is rather long so I will bring it to you in sections. The next section is on "Backslider-God’s warning to the backslider." I think it is essential and very informational on every subject pertaining to being, staying and teaching as a Christian. The work will be in Italics. ******************* I have many blogs that address the fact that God chooses you as you are and will restore you if you let Him, but first, you must believe and surrender. This may mean falling a hundred times but only because we still cling to our unbelief based on our own worth. But He says, none are worthy, no matter what they look like or how they act. But you, if you hear Him calling you, can be saved.********************* Section contents: Part 2: Assurance-How you may know you are saved. ******************************* You may know you are saved because God says so in his word:********************************* “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 *********************** “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12*************************** “...which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” 2 Tim. 1:12 ************************* “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come unto judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24 ********************** A great many people think it a presumption for them to say they know that they are saved; rather, they feel that they can only hope for the best and will have to wait until the judgment before they know. Paul did not say to the jailer to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and perhaps he would be saved, or would have a good chance of being saved, or could hope to be saved. Paul said: ************************** “And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31 ************************* “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12 ********************** “We know that we have passed our of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” 1 John 3:14 ******************* “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him.” 1 John 5:1 ********************** “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Rom 8:16 ************************* “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5: 10-12 ******************* “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Rev 22:14******************************** “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matt 7:21 ***************************************** “Put that in black and white,” says the merchant when a good offer is made to him. God has put his promise in black and white. **************** “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13 ************ Do you say, “I don’t feel it”? Feeling is not the evidence or proof for you to trust. Your feelings may change like the wind, but God’s word never changes. He says: ******************** “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Mat 24:35 **********************

Holy Bible (Family Version) John A Hertel 1969-70 A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers Part 1-Personal work

“A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers” from The John A Hertel Co. 1969-1970 ********************************* Disclaimer: This is but a section of the Holy Bible published by Mr. Hertel. The information is unique to his version of family Bible and extremely instructive. It has been converted to modern English Standard Version (ESV) and, in some sections, reformatted. The writings will be in italics. I have updated spelling according to current conventions and put those words in brackets once only. Any mistakes made are solely mine. ******************************************* The "A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers" is rather long so I will bring it to you in sections. The next section is on "Assurance- How you may know you are saved." I think it is essential and very informational on every subject pertaining to being, staying and teaching as a Christian. This section lays out what we are to do as Christians and the supporting scriptures. The work will be in Italics. ****************************************** Section contents: Part 1: [On Becoming Soul Winners] **************************************** As soon as one has been saved by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”), he has the impulse to reveal to others the glorious facts of such a wonderful Savior. In order to help such persons to become efficient soul winners, the following instructions have been compiled. They should be much practical help to Ministers, Bible School Teachers, and Young People’s Workers. *********************************************** 1. WHAT IS MEANT BY PERSONAL WORK? ****************************************** Personal work means individual effort to lead others to an acceptance of the “Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” It is distinguished from mass or united effort. It is the impact of one personality upon another personality, with the definite objective of leading that one to a knowledge of the [Savior] and the power and simplicity of his gospel. ************************************ 2. WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS OF PERSONAL WORK? ****************************************** It is not only a high privilege but an imperative obligation to engage in personal work. Christ commanded it: ********************************** “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:19, 20 *********************** “And he said to them, Go into all the world, and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized, will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15, 16 ************************************* “Hence, the command to the Christian is to “go[“], and the command to the sinner is to “come.”” Matt. 11:28-30: [“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”] ************************************************* Christianity is [preeminently] a teaching religion, and as such it appeals to the understanding as well as the emotions of man. No one can come to God until he has a knowledge of how to come. The process of salvation, of becoming a christian, is not one of accident or chance. The will of God must be known by the sinner before he can intelligently obey its provision and accept its promises, but these things cannot be known until they are revealed by some authoritative or qualified source; hence, the great need for efficient, well-trained personal workers in the kingdom of God at all times. ******************************************** The plan and will of God is that the teacher of his word and the untaught be brought into personal contact with each other for the express purpose of teaching and being taught “the way of life and salvation.” This is true in every recorded instance of conversion in Acts of the Apostles. **************************** It is through the teaching and the hearing of God’s word that faith is made possible. (Rom. 10:17:[“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”) Jesus, in quoting an Old Testament prophecy, said: ***************************************** “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-” John 6:45 ************************** Therefore, the divine plan or procedure is as follows: ****************************** 1. Teaching. w. Hearing. 3. Learning. 4. Believing. 5. Coming to the Lord Jesus. ************************** 3. WHO CAN AND SHOULD DO PERSONAL WORK? ****************************** Every Christian has an influence and comes in contact with others daily. Those who have “tasted the joys of salvation” will greatly desire, and even feel obligated to tell others. Comparatively few can speak in the public assembly; however, every individual christian should be qualified to lead others quietly and privately to a knowledge of the saving power of our Lord. ********************* As soon as Andrew knew Christ, he told his brother Peter: ************************** “He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”, which means Christ.” John 1:41 *********************** The Samaritan woman left her water pot, and told the men of the city that she had found Christ. ************************************* “The woman then left her water jar, and away into town, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” John 4: 28, 29 *********************************** 4. WHERE CAN PERSONAL WORK BE DONE? ********************** At home: Mark 5:19 ******************************* “And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” ************************** Personal work should always begin in the home because the family is the basis of society. On the street: Acts 17:17: “So He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” ****************************** Where people meet casually is an ideal place to do personal work. ********************************* As you go walking: Luke 24:32: “They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?” **************************************** In this passage Christ sets the example for carrying on personal work. ************************ At places of business: Mark 2:14: “And He passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” and he rose and followed Him.” ********************* Here, Christ called Matthew from his place as a tax gatherer and asked him to become His follower. *******************************************

Holy Bible (Family version) The John A. Hertel Co. 1969-1970 "Facts about the Bible"

I know this is unusal. I get it. But I was reading the Bible that we picked up at a thrift store. I had one before but gave it to my daughter. Here's the thing. I had my own small version so I never cracked the huge family edition. But I am so grateful that I did. Mr. Hertel lays out some VERY interesting and necessary facts and information that will help each Christian in their daily walk. Who knew?! I think, if you find any family Bibles at a thrift store, look inside. You might just be surprised. ************************* In order to bring it to you from this HUGE 9 x 11 book format, I have to type it in. My scanner doesn't scan that large of print. (Otherwise I could scan and convert it to digital format.) So, I am bringing it to you the only way that I know how. However, the next section, "A Guide for Religious Workers and Bible Teachers" is rather long so I will bring it to you in sections. I think it is essential and very informational on every subject pertaining to being, staying and teaching as a Christian. This section, "Facts about the Bible" is interesting and very well written. Perhaps, to make this easier, I will see what it costs to have a Copy service scan these special sections so that it will not take so long to convert them for you. Much Love! ********************************** “Facts about the Bible” ********************** from The John A Hertel Co. 1969-1970 ******************** Disclaimer: This is but a section of the Holy Bible published by Mr. Hertel. The information is unique to his version of family Bible and extremely instructive. It has been converted to modern English and, in some sections, reformatted. The writings will be in italics. Any mistakes made are solely mine. (Bullets added. I still have to add asterics due to Google's failure to allow formatting.) ********************** Section contents: ******************************** • The Bible holds the distinction of being the first printed book and the best selling book in the world. **************** • 15,000,000 Bibles in full or in part are printed in the United States annually, and some 35,000,000 throughout the world.**************** • Approximately 30,000,000 people in the United States are without Bibles. ********************** • Some 6,000,000 families have no Bible in their homes. ***************** • The Bible, or parts of it, has been printed in about 1,200 languages and dialects. **************** • The first complete English translation of the Bible was made by Wickliff in 1384. ********************* • The first book printed from movable metal type was the Latin Bible in the year 1455. *********************** • The King James or authorized version of the Bible was first printed in 1611 by Robert Barker. ********************** • The first American edition of the Bible was printed in the Indian language at Cambridge, Mass. In 1661 by Rev. John Eliot. **************** • The second Bible was printed in the German language at Germantown, near Philadelphia by Christopher Sower in 1743. ****************** • The First Bible printed in the English language in America was published in 1752. ******************* • The Bible is composed of 66 books written by about 36 authors in a period of time covering about 1600 years. ************************* • The word “And” occurs 46,277 times and the word “Reverend” but once. ****************** • Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except “j”. *********************** • The Nineteenth Chapter of Second Kings and the Thirty-seventh Chapter of Isaiah are alike. ******************* This Book Contains: ************************** The mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, doom of sinners, and happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. ******************* Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. ********************** It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. ****************** It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. ******************** Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. ***************** Christ Is Its Grand Subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. ***************** It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. ******************** Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. ******************* It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. ******************* It is given to you in life, will be open at the Judgment and be remembered forever. ****************** It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its holy contents. ******************* “This Book unfolds Jehovah’s mind ****************** This Voice salutes in accents kind ****************** This Friend will all our need supply *************** This Fountain sends forth streams of joy. ************ This Mine affords us boundless wealth **************** This Good Physician gives us health ***************** This Sun renews and warms the soul *************** This Sword both wounds and makes us whole. **************** This Letter shows our sins forgiven ********************** This Guide conducts us safe to Heaven ************** This Charter has been sealed with blood **************** This Volume is the Word of God.” *******************

Armor up!

Ezekiel is pretty heavy. Essentially God is angry over Israel seeking idols and committing abominations (sounds intense and awful because it is) against God. And if you believe that is just the past, think again.***************************** EZ 6:9: in part says ‘...How I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols….’ **************************** Idols can be anything that leads you from God and into a world of your own making. It is sad really, even after all that mankind has endured, due to our own arrogance and ignorance, suffering the wrath of God and the wrath of natural consequences for our own stupidity and greed, we continue to rebel. We fail to understand. We never, some of us, make the connection. ******************************* Since sin entered the world, God doesn’t need to send plagues and horrible consequences to earth, though I believe that He still does. We do that to ourselves in the form of natural consequences for our actions or inactions. ****************************** Separating yourself from God or what is right, isn’t a great bolt of black lightening out of the sky that hits you and leads you astray. Most times it is tiny steps to do things your own way and in secret that cause you to become lost in darkness. ************************ Imagine that someone is trying to own you through blackmail and they have all manner of technology at their disposal. Let’s call him ‘Shark’ and those in cahoots with him ‘sharks’. They will watch your every move in person, on the internet on the phone, in private… your accounts, your private communications. They watch, record and wait. Then, when it becomes evident what your weaknesses are, they set the bait. Is it vanity? Laziness? Is it power over others? Is it lust of the flesh? Is it alcohol? Drugs? Greed? *********************** On the sidelines, they watch to see if by bringing you down they can indirectly cause the fall of others. Therefore, if you have people who respect you, love you, ‘follow’ you in faith, you are worth more ‘points’ to them. It would be like a domino affect, really. They take you down and many others either follow or turn away from their faith in God or in life because of who you are. So it isn’t just a straight shot game for all of what YOU value. It is a pyramid scheme to involve everyone that you know. ************************ For Christians, someone else is always watching either to emulate or learn about faith. One Christian, over their lifetime, can have a positive or negative ripple affect on the world. Active Christians save souls and provide counsel and help others learn about Christ, who in turn help others and so forth. If the sharks take one out, they remove the flow of love and guidance from hundreds of others. As well, if parents are removed, their children and their children for generations are affected. ************************* James 3:1: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” ****************************** The shark doesn’t always come at you directly. He gets to you through others who are connected to you or others who could tempt you or even still others who speak out of both sides of their mouths but are not of God. They wear the robes of righteousness but it is just an outfit to gain favor with those that they will bring down. *************************** The sneakiest way is to convince the world there are no threats out there, no sharks, no plot, no evil one. The other way is to slowly… very slowly, put obstacles in your way that keep you from staying armored up. It is my number one concern with vulnerable individuals who live in the world. “How do you intend on staying armored up?” ************************** Andy Stanley has a daily mantra I find helpful: ********************* 1) Surrender our will ****************** 2) Monitor your heart **************** 3) Open your hands to His will *************** But I need to add the most important one: 4) Stay armored up **************** 4) Stay armored up means:********************** • Stay in the Word for clarification and direction ***************** • Get connected to a church for further understanding ******************** • Get connected with other Christians-Strength in numbers ****************** Eph 6:10-18: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ... “ ****************************** Heb 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” ***************************** If you have already fallen, get up! Fix it! Ask forgiveness and stay right. If you are starting to become complacent and step away from your armor, stop it! Get right! Get to it! It isn’t just your life that you are affecting! It is others in the wings that you cannot see!

Old Wine Skins

Did you ever try to fit into a new pair of pants or shoes or even a whole new outfit and it just didn’t feel right? It seems to me that I have been doing that my whole life. It’s something that you don’t think too much about at first. I mean, you know it doesn’t suit you but you do it anyway. ################ We all have our reasons. Maybe it’s the new thing to do, maybe it’s the hip thing, maybe it’s expected because of your new friends, new school, new job, new church, new spouse, new next thing. Maybe it’s you. Maybe you need something new to fill a hold in your life so you are tying out different ways… ################### If you all read my other posts you know that I started out very poor and alone in a household full of people. I always felt that way; orphaned to some degree, and alone my whole life. “Home” less so to speak. But I wasn’t an orphan and I did have a family. My life took so many twists and turns that I could write a trilogy twice over. Each would read so vastly different for each stage of my life that you would swear that I was talking about a different person each time. But it was all me… various facets of me. ################### I tried on so many new ways of living and being that I lost who I was in the shuffle. At times, I was stretched so thin with expectations and holes in my armor and life that I truly never thought I would ever find “it”. That thing that made me stop feeling empty inside. That next new thing to fill that hole. #################### I hit my rock bottom in life, and, when you do that, you tend to give up. You ask yourself, ‘Why try to be what you are not? Why do what makes you miserable?’ You can even become bitter, selfish and guarded. You do unto others before they can do unto you because you wised up. You take what you want and justify how you are because life did you that way… or that is what you tell yourself. ################## You have hit so many walls, been left behind, been used and abused, beat down mentally, physically, emotionally, lied to, broken, betrayed, dismissed and all but destroyed. You don’t fit in or measure up. Someone’s always going to make sure you know it.################# But in the darkness that is this world, a tiny flicker of hope emerged. In fact, I recognized it because it would try to penetrate my life at various intervals...always niggling in the back of my mind. Sometimes I would swat it away in irritation and distrust. Sometimes I’d stand still and let it come but then yank my heart away like I burnt it on a stove. Sometimes I’d try it on, just as I was, but I always felt unsure, inadequate, like it just wasn’t mine. It didn’t fit. Sometimes I would soak in it like the warmth of the sun and let it filter into the crevices of my broken life like a soothing ointment. But it was never ‘mine’. It was like wearing someone else’s clothes to church because yours just weren’t good enough. ##################### But over time, decades truly, that hole in my life, that something missing, all of that brokenness and damage… all of the old things that I let define me… the light was like trying to put a new patch on old jeans. It was just one more thing that didn’t fit. One more thing that would clarify my unworthiness. ################## But you see, that light had followed me since I was a little girl laying in the grass talking to the stars. That light was there for me at times when I thought there was no one. That light illuminated dark corners to protect me. It let me discern things that I wasn’t smart enough to see on my own. Even at my worst, even in my sin, even in my brokenness and rebellion, that light surrounded me, brought people to me, guided me, warmed me, softened my heart and through all of these things and far, far more… it was I who become new. ######################## All that time… struggling against the grain; trying to put on a new patch to old jeans; trying to pour new wine into dirty glasses (so to speak)… and He was trying to do a work IN me. In fact, He still is… every single day, every minute of the day. ################ But let me tell you this: I didn’t even realize over all those wasted years of having it my way and just dipping my toes in so that I didn’t have to commit… oh, the peace, the love, the joy that emanates from my soul because I surrender every day. I would have dived right in head first, decades ago, had I known. He’d have had to save me from drowning if I had only knew the blessings of feeling whole.#################### Sweetheart, are YOU feeling it, too? Is that Light creeping in and you know that it is for you but you aren’t sure of it? Does it keep coming into your life in different ways and it’s getting harder to ignore? #################### Are there trials in life? Yep. Is that light gonna give you a stress free life? Naw. We have sin and death in the world and it won’t disappear. People are still people after all. But trust me, don’t wait til you are dying or your life is in total chaos to dive right in. Nothing frees you from your darkness, your demons, your guilt and shame, your chains, like the fact that He is chasing you because He sees who you are meant to be and not who you are in this moment. And sometimes our own mama’s can’t see that! He loves us that much. He already died for all our bad choices and lame excuses. He loves you that much that He took on your sin and death so that you wouldn’t have to. So why waste time? ############### It is us, you see. It’s always us. We stand in our own way. We choose what we want to see. We can be so traumatized by life that it’s hard to believe in good-but it’s there. I’m just sorry it took me so long. ################## Why do ya think they say, “God is Love”? THEY know it like I know it because we dove right in!! ######################## If you are feeling it, you are chosen and loved. He is waiting. Dive right in the water is fine, love! ################## See you in the Living water!!! ############### Matthew 9: 16-17

God Prepared a Fish book by Darvis McCoy

This book is a series of short stories, snapshots of someone's life, that take you from outragious and sometimes illegal adventures to how God uses people's skills, regardless of how they developed them, to spread the word to third world countries. The stories remind me of my own husband who also has always been a man's man. Adrenaline junkie and always doing something exciting. I wasn't sure the book was really for me, but I read it with fascination wondering how it would get to God. Then as the stories progress and he comes to faith, I was riveted by the harrowing smuggling trips,waiting wide eyed to see if he would make it, then remembering... 'duh, he wrote a book, so clearly he made it out.' The last chapter really sums it up. When you experience that kind of faith, life-risking, war torn, death defying faith, it makes you think a lot harder about our own. Great read for men and women alike! https://www.godpreparedafish.com/photo-journal

Living with yourself-Andy Stanley Parts 1-3

These are so goood. He is sooo gifted Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0SlqqOAfy4 Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4M3Krs9sQ Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXe81aYNU3I

The Fundamental List part 8-Andy stanley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSyiyIUz6w Sorry, I mislabeled the one from last week. This is a tough one to follow folks but stick to it til the end. It makes sense.

Love covers a multitude…..

I watched Andy Stanley’s “Living With Yourself-part 1” and am reminded of something that someone, whom I love dearly, said to me years ago when she was a teenager. She is now 22 and has lived in the street life for years. Back in the before times, we talked a lot about drugs and alcohol, partying and bad choices. When discussing the examples of how far people would go to stay high and in the dark, she said, “But Nana, I would never do that. I’m not that bad.” But, in a very short while, she was exactly that person and more. Even now she is in darkness and unable to break free. ************************************* Every single day, we think of her and pray for her. And not a day goes by that I don’t push the thoughts out of my head about what she has to do to keep herself in drugs, because we know what that looks like and have, sadly, had occasion to see it first hand. ************************ 1 Cor 13: 1-13: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.******* Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” ************************************ It is a mental exercise to love, pray for and think about someone who lives in darkness. Because, initially, your vision of them is as they were, as they could truly be in the world. But that image is involuntarily replaced with the images of ‘what if’ or ‘what is’ and all that darkness entails. Her images, which are far and few between the ghosting of our messages to her, become fractured by the reality of addiction. Like with all sin, her physical appearance and demeanor changes to suit her environment. Her complexion, her weight, her health, her behavior and her words are withered and worn down by self-abuse and the constant abuse of such a lifestyle. She is in survival mode and that means being anything that is necessary in the moment to survive her ordeal.*************************** 1 Cor 13:7: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” ***************** That lifestyle, a life in darkness or hidden sin, is brutal on the soul. Addicts often become the slaves of the trade, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes by force, to repay a debt for their sin. A debt, I might add, that Christ already paid a million times over. Men and women alike end up in servitude to others. Brutally raped, abused, enslaved, robbed, beaten, prostituted for the sake of a fix or drink. We know this to be true and thus, we have to try to replace that image with the distant past’s image of our loved ones because it is easier to live with. ******************** We are helpless to change it. Only unconditional love and endless loving words, regardless of ghosting, will prove that we will always be here when they are ready… until the life decision is made by the nature of their own choices. Until they cease to be in our world any longer. ******************** 1 John 3:16: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” *************** And in the years past, we lost our much loved and lovable son-in-law to his addiction. In that moment, all that we could think besides the deep sorrow for loss, is our girl could be next… Years, almost a life time in the making, he, too, struggled to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord but did not have the strength to see it through. He, too, was one of the most loving, empathetic people I have ever known. This man loved his wife and children with all he had. I know without a doubt that he suffered guilt and shame every moment for being enslaved by the drugs his body would not live without. Though he brought in a six digit income with a very prestigious job, he spent it all and had to steal from his own family to feed his habit. Years and years of financial debt, rehabs, heartbreak and starting over… to end up in his car, in his early 30’s, a whole long loving life cut short... not by choice, but by the nature of how he lived… in his mind, to survive his addiction, his chains, his enslavement. ***************** The brokenness, loss, pain and potential ruin that this brought or could have brought to his family is horrendous. To this day, more than three years later, every occasion is marked by the absence of their husband, father. Every occasion is marked with tears and remembering. Every day is a gaping wound, an absence of someone who filled their hearts with love, but now loss. *********************** We do not, often, remember those that we love as they were in their darkness but the good in their souls and the person they could have been. Love does that. Love paints over the darkness with bright and hopeful images of how it could be, how it could have been.******************** No matter what the poison or darkness, never stop loving others… not just your loved ones, but the nameless faces whose story you may never know. Pray for others lost in darkness. Be kind and gentle with those who lost their way. Jesus did not come for saints but for sinners. He gave His life for them so that they could be free and have eternal life. **************************** We are meant to shine for others, the Light given to us, not be selfish and hide it in our own hearts. It requires constant care and rekindling with the love and Word to stay strong against the storms that will come into our lives. Those forces that wish to prevent us from saving others from the darkness… but Christ overcame death for our sake’s so that we may live and share His light.************************** James 5: 20: “Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Has Christianity done more harm than good Dr John Dickson-Andy Stanley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBLmGOQ_VQ

‘I have overcome the world’

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” *********************************** As I sit here, the worldometers.info numbers continue to increase by leaps and bounds. Of the over 8 billion people in the world, at this moment but not precisely as it changes by the millisecond:******************* • 1.7 billion are overweight,********************* • 838 million obese people ***************** • 16 thousand died of hunger********************* • 21 million abortions******************** • $193 billion spent on illicit drugs************************ As far as Christianity goes, it is impossible to determine exact numbers. It is defined differently in various places. You see, you can wear the title and not have understanding of what that should mean. Many identify as such but don’t live it in a way that glorifies God or grows the Kingdom. (Please refer to Andy Stanley’s The Fundamental List series for the essentials that draw us to this conclusion.) ********************* As far as the world goes, we just can’t measure what is really going on out there. Part of that is because people don’t know, or refuse to tell, the truth. I guarantee you that evil is being perpetuated in this world faster than we can save souls. The bible tells us this is temporary. What is your part in it?************************* How many people do you think are teaching someone else to drink, smoke cigarettes or take drugs right now? How many are being inducted into a gang? or prostitution? Forced into the Sex trade? How many children are being taught, indirectly, how not to parent? How many women are becoming victims or rape, abuse, incest? How many boys or girls are subjected to emotional, physical, spiritual abuse, neglect? How many children become victims of sexual assault or incest? How many people are being taught to go along with unethical business practices, to close their eyes to injustice, to lie, cheat or steal to get ahead? How many people, right this moment, are students of this dark world? I was. Were you? ********************** In my work world, my job(s) was everything to me. I was driven by a need for perfection and continuous improvement. I did what I had to do to improve the process and excel at what I was doing. I did not look to the left or right because my path was for me. Very early in my career, I learned that people would lie about me, and to me, to make me look bad. I learned that people would steal my work and claim it as their own, even my own supervisors. Not one job was immune from the dark desires of others, even my own. And this was starting from 40 years ago up until a year ago. Please understand that I have worked in many fields. Fields where protocol, laws and rules should be strictly enforced if for nothing else but its own required level of accountability, liability and visibility…. or in some cases, because of its very nature, that of Christian values and morals.*************************** For example, if a certain business violates the very laws that it is supposed to uphold, what good is it? Corruption leads to destruction…. Shouldn’t it? Use as an example, a tax collector who steals from people and lines his own pockets. (But any job would do.) You don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. You don’t close down the tax office because of what some are doing. We do need taxes to improve our lives. We still need people willing to work in that field. Not all of them are bad. And to be clear, we could discipline and correct them, teaching them the error of their ways. (or let the Lions have them.) Just kidding :-) **************************** How many people in the world are turning away from God because of what other Christians do or don’t do like Christ? I spent almost 40 years in the wilderness due to the actions of one pastor in my early walk with Christ. Think of the lives that I could have helped in that time, had I not been disillusioned by another human being! We, the people, make the assumption that if a Christian violates the essential beliefs of our faith, then there is a flaw in our faith, not just in us. I mean, how could our faith allow this to happen in the first place? And to a supposed Christian? Well, again, we ALL are human. How could we NOT stumble? Reality and experience tells me that there may be many misguided people in the world, including in Christianity, but that does not remove the essentials of our faith.*********************** But here’s the thing. Are we, as Christians, if we are truly followers, sharing the good news with those that are out in the world? Consider the millions that are out in the dark world learning all the wrong things and believing there is no hope? If someone is on fire, do we throw stones at them or do we throw living water? If someone stumbles in a way that brings them shame, do we call them out or do we offer them a blanket to cover their shame and lead them to forgiveness? If someone injures us in any way, do we wield our sword or do we, in time, granted, lovingly ask to be reconciled with them? Have we not ever sinned? Have we no memory of the wrongs that we have committed in the name of success, progress, vanity, selfishness? *************************** How many have we lost to the darkness in the time that I have been writing this? How many could we have saved but we turned our eyes away? ******************** James 2:14: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” ************************ What better example of Christianity than to love those LIKE OURSELVES. And in that way, we can slowly bring others to the realization that there is a God and although we stumble, we error, we do wrong, we sin… we are human and we plead with God to continue to have mercy for our souls. God LOVES us, all of us. EVERY SINGLE one of us. Especially the lost. ************************************ Isaiah 58:10: “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” *************************** Whose life have you impacted today? Has it been for the kingdom or for yourself? The world is an ongoing study in humanity people. But God… we CAN overcome with God. We can win souls. ********************************

The Fundamental List- Part 7- Southside Church- Andy Stanley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzAe2eRJssk

The End Game

So here I will expose the truth of it in hopes that in writing this, I can find my way back. Back to what, I don’t know. Maybe ‘back’ isn’t where I am supposed to be. Maybe this is God’s way of refining me. Maybe I am supposed to be here to avoid impacting someone else’s life in a negative way before I am fully whole? Maybe my usefulness is over and I am best only at soaking up His truth and trying to control the humanness in my mind.********************* COVID pushed forth an era of isolation and dependency on technology that we had not seen in the past. It changed how we live and interacted for years out of necessity for our own survival. And yet, in that, it had a profound affect on our physical beings as well. Then we learned that COVID also had long term affects that some never recovered from. For me, my mental acuity took a major hit. I was no longer able to recall how to do integral parts of my job. I wrote the instructions for it and yet, I could not remember how to do the most basic task. I made errors that caused me to re-evaluate my usefulness. Besides my physical weakness and deterioration, my mental strength was weakened to the nth degree. ********************** Imagine spending your life being a ‘goal getter’ who thrives on challenging tasks and success, to feeling totally insecure and unsure of every move? But worse than I, we watched some of our friends lose that ability in ways that they cannot come back from. Long term COVID caused dementia and Alzheimers to come on and take over. Others lost their lives.**************************** Now, I am an untethered balloon floating about this life disconnected from the world around me and finding myself becoming even more isolated on purpose. I am fighting, inside myself, the tendency to stay in seclusion, in quietness, in safety, except for my immediate family. It is made easier by technology. I can email, chat, text and call, if absolutely necessary, but typically choose not to. I can attend church online, do bible study, worship in the safety of my own home without judgment, criticism, expectation, obligation and in anonymity. Oddly enough, I am my own worst enemy when it comes to judgment and negativity. ******************* I have slowly recovered mentally from whatever had attacked my mind… but I am still learning to be present. ********************** I receive revelations about what God wants me to say or do and if I don’t act on them right away, I lose them. This is one of those times. I have wonderful compelling subjects to discuss but they dissolve in midair as if they were never meant to be. Like mercury… like my floating balloon. ********************** I think I am not alone in my situation. Especially since 2020 when it was quite normal to separate and protect. In our separation, we found safety. Or so we thought. But I think we may have been like children in that, without guidance and oversight or accountability, it was easy to fall short in pursuit of empty goals and past-times. *********************** I think that we have been deceived. The end game wasn’t just physical or mental infirmity. It was spiritual as well. While we focused on our physical protection from disease, we failed to recognize our vulnerability. You see, we have become comfortably lazy in our connections with others. But more than that, we have been alone with our own human thoughts. Correction… we have NOT been alone with our own human thoughts. Without the input of a Christian community, friends, family and the like… the enemy enjoyed free reign in the playground of our minds. ********************* I don’t know what that looks like in your life, especially your thought life, but I know how it has affected mine. I just told you. There are many that felt that the church was the glue that held them together, kept them from falling back into their sin, whatever that was for them. Like a safety net taken away, a barrier to the things that once kept them in bondage, the evil one starts whispering to them, calling them back saying, ‘no one will see. No one cares. You are alone. You do you.’ ************************** Prov 18:1 “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” ********************* It is a lie from the pit of Hell so if that is you, drop that right now and get back to who God expects you to be! ********************** 1 Cor 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” ************************* Lack of connection with others in the church, or world, prevents us from receiving encouragement, accountability and a sense of community but it also prevents us from being a light for others in a way that we never knew we were. The lives that we affect, in any daily transaction of humankind, just by the way we look, behave or speak, can have a profound affect on so many others. The ripple affect. ************************** Ecc 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” ******************************* But there are those much worse off than I. Young adults seem to suffer worse than anyone because their minds, socialization, sense of community, friendships and physical health have been redefined. Many are broken, afraid, isolated and have forgotten how to communicate, even more so than they already had. Technology has been bad enough in stunting our ability to communicate but covid has amped that up ten fold. ************************** Emotional dependency, insecurity, physical deterioration, laziness, poor eating habits, social anxiety…. Young adults and teens whose mind is learning from society and their emotional intelligence is being formed based on interactions are being obliterated. *************************** Now… each of us has a way with people that works. Some are blunt, some are nurturing, some are slow and patient, some are funny…. What is your way? I guarantee you that someone out there, adult or not, needs that one touch of your hand on their shoulder and to hear your voice saying something positive, even if it is just “How are you today?” Waiting long enough to hear the answer and showing interest. How can we do that from the quiet solitude in our rooms. **************************** Mat 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ********************************* Maybe its you. Maybe you need to hear something encouraging to get you on track. How can you hear it if you aren't’ there? We need to coax each other out. Invite each other to places that used to be normal to go to. Be in church with others to feel connected. Find common ground. Be the light to the one on the corner or in the dark. Maybe that is you… ******************************* I am sorry that I have been self-absorbed. I will try to do better. Will you? ************************** Much love people

The Fundamental List part 6-Joel Thomas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS4s95BXNOM

The Fundamental List part 5-Southside church-Andy Stanley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl2KcBMr7QU

The Fundamental List part 4-Southside Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80cQavZxNeM&t=1135s

Anyways (8/20/2020)

In the midst of pain and turmoil when MY hope can’t see me through I realize it isn’t mine I give it all to You Disease and death and worldly things are part of what we bare but I am not a slave to sin My hope in You, I share We were not meant to bare the weight You died so we could live Your love and mercy covers us Our sins You have forgiven So if I suffer slight with age or face my dying day I pray that I will pass with grace You own me anyway Keep the faith going, people.

Nomophobia and other addictions-Parenting 101

Do you wonder why your child/teen doesn’t listen to what you say? Do you get angry because they roll their eyes or completely disregard what you tell them to do? Do they spend all of their time on gaming, internet, smart phones? Do you just not have the time or patience to deal with them when they are like that? Are you equipping them for real life or just too frustrated to deal with it?************************************ So, I have witnessed this crisis in real life as well as researched it some. Let’s be clear from the get go. We, as stupid humans, have taken what was meant to be helpful (initially) and twisted it, like we did medications, television and computer use, into something debilitating. A disease if you will. We now have “Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous” for such things! ************************************************* 1 Cor 6:12: “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.” ******************************************************* (And people say the bible doesn’t have help for today’s world. Maybe read it and you will know that is a lie.)******************************* According to Exploding topics: • 47% of Americans admit that they are addicted to their phones. • 71% spend more time on their phones than with their romantic partner. • 2/3 of children spend 4 hours or more a day on their smartphones. • Cell phone use causes 20% of car accidents *************************************** Even Verizon has a page dedicated to cell-phone-addiction where they discuss the risk factors for teens: • Anxiety • Depression • Low self-esteem • Introverted • Lack of self-control • issues with impulse control ******************************************** Not to mention their inability to focus on the important issues in life like relationships, chores, homework, mental health and physical activity. School shootings, hazing, bullying, sexting, suicide, self-harming….. ********************************************** According to Gitnux: • 73% of teens ages 13-17 are addicted tot he internet • 71% for ages 18-24 • 59% for ages 25-34 • 54% for 35-44 • 40% for 45-54 • 39% for 55-64 • 44% for ages 64 and up ************************************************** Maybe you have a problem too. (Parental phubbing-ignore kids to be on phone) If you: • Can’t put your cell phone away when you are at home with your family, • If your house looks like you never clean it • If your laundry is piling up around your ears • If it is easier to buy new than take care of what you have • If you ignore the kids when they are asking you questions • If you are spending more time looking at social media than interacting with your family ****************************************** We, as a society, have a general ability to overindulge and abuse the things created that were, initially, meant to help us be entertained, to connect, to cure… Don’t get me wrong, the creators themselves realized what they had and used the platforms to entice people to use them more, even to the point of ignoring risk factors, burying findings, adding chemicals (cigarettes), creating rabbit holes, monitoring your clicks. ****************** But I want to talk about a major factor that few studies seem to be talking about. Let’s ask those same questions that I first asked in the opening: Do you wonder why your child/teen doesn’t listen to what you say? Do you get angry because they roll their eyes or completely disregard what you tell them to do? Do you just not have the time or patience to deal with them when they are like that? ******************************* Somewhere along the way, in your life, you decided that you wanted children. Like it or not, by giving birth, you signed an unwritten contract. You essentially promised to love, cherish, guide and shape those little ones to grow into God fearing, independent, loving creatures who are able to lead a productive life in society. ************************************************** Psa127:3: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” ************************************* We have a failure to parent AGAIN. Look. We can’t keep blaming other things for our failure to parent. I mean, this new phobia and addiction is real…. But how was it ALLOWED to get that way? We used TV as a built in babysitter, but now it is social media. And parents love to quote, ‘do as I say, not as I do, I’m the adult.’ But be real. You are the problem. You are the parent. You do have the ability to control the outcome but it is easier not to. *************************************************************************** What does that say about your priorities? We have a bigger problem here when parents fall into this addiction because who among us is able to be a consistent and strong role model if they can’t discipline themselves to be present in their own homes? If you lack the will power to put down your phones, how can you expect your kids to? Yes. You are the adult, but if your home is falling down around your ears and your kids are demanding their internet or phone time, yet not pulling their weight… are you a good example, or the cause? Are you interacting with them, keeping them busy, following through with their homework from school, checking on their chores, asking about their day, their friends, checking what they are doing? ****************************************************************** Listen, if your house is falling down around your ears, your kids are failing to do what they are supposed to be doing and have an attitude, your patience is wearing thin because you keep getting interrupted on your phone…. You need to understand that this is what you singed up for. YOU are the parent and it is YOUR job to control the negative influences in your child’s life. YOU are supposed to be a positive role model…. Not a negative one. If that is the case, never say, ‘Don’t do as I do, but do what I say.’ ******************************************************** You may be strong in some areas but as I said, do a full evaluation here. Be honest. Are you doing YOUR best or are you distracted too? I will ask again, are you equipping your children for real life or just too frustrated to deal with it? ************************************************ Prov 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” ************************* Role model: Do you SHOW your children: • How they should behave • How to communicate properly in every setting • How to properly and consistently do their chores, not surface clean • How to help clear dishes after dinner • How to care for each other and their animals • How to greet and interact properly with guests • How to take pride in their home, academics, physical and mental health • How to be discerning about other people • How to have emotional intelligence • How to resist temptation and flee from bad company • How to have self control • How to find motivation when your are struggling • How to overcome trials • How to find peace • How to enjoy reading • How to find your self-worth, not in your looks but in your heart for others • Are you sharing the bible in your home or just ‘churching’ it? *********************************************** Deu 6: 6-7: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” *********************** Prov 13:24: “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” ******************************* 2 Tim 3:14-15: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” **************************************************** We all want your children to become productive citizens, helpful spouses, gifted parents, loving Christians, emotionally equipped adults. But that lies in your hands not societies. ************************************ I am compelled to address this because it is becoming common place to blame factors outside of ourselves for (the lack of) parenting our children. Dig deep. Fix it. For their sake and ours. ***************************************

The Weight of Your Words-part 1-3 Andy Stanley

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE0WiMC6uxY Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjB1A_qDUg4 Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VRDRXJrUEs In part 1: 'No one traces the root of their problems back to tooo much encouragement.'

The Fundamental List Part 3-Andy Stanely

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQsCsWrD1S8

Andy Stanley-The Fundamental List part 2-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfjjXL2UmY8

Christian Comedy with Michael Jr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBY9DvHi4Tk

Andy Stanley series-The Fundamental List- part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=572d5Yf94z0

By the grace of God

I was driving in a parking lot and I saw a puppy running like it’s tail was on fire dragging a leash behind it. As it headed closer to the main road, I stopped and tried to call it to me. It ran again. Then an employee of a cafe came out, they had seen it too. He got food and went after it. Again, no dice. It continued to run down the embankment and out of sight. Naturally, I am worried as it is young and impulsive and hasn’t a clue what dangers are out there. Lack of food, water, love…. Common sense. It’s just a pup that in a short span of time became homeless, alone and, without realizing it, having to worry about survival.########################## Funny that. Because after filling up with gas, I saw a homeless person. I never give them money mind you… but I had been debating on whether to treat myself to McD’s sausage biscuit or just get the groceries home. I was going for the cheap side of that debate when I saw him. I stopped and asked him if he was hungry. We got our breakfast, I held his dry cracked and calloused hand and prayed for him. He was a skeleton of a man, weathered by the sun and the elements. His hands felt like sandpaper and his eyes were kind and sorta sad. Then, sadly, I said my goodbyes because of my groceries. But he stayed in my heart and mind.######################## Then, God kinda pulled it together in my head. Just like that puppy, I suspect that the man didn’t chose to live this way. I met all kinds from the street in the kind of work that I did. So many people are indignant about the homeless and hurting out there. So many people have half baked ‘theories’ about how they chose that way of life. Well I had the privilege of meeting so many from that world. I heard so many stories of hurt, betrayal and pain... but never ONCE did I hear, “I just thought it would be fun to drink myself into oblivion, scrounge for food out of dumpsters, sleep in the elements unprotected and be scorned by the human race. That just seemed so cool that I made it my life’s mission.” ####################### Or maybe someone said, never, “I really figured being an addict, unable focus on anything else, unable to free my mind and body from the demons that held me in bondage would be good. I figured a life filled with emptiness, alienation, loss of control and starvation sounded great. Being subjected to or choosing prostitution in order to get my next fix sounded really fantastic, too. Being robbed, raped and beaten at the mercy of the streets every single day is so worth the lifestyle.” ########################### No. Just like that impetuous puppy that will likely starve, get beaten up by other street dogs or run over, it isn’t really a rational choice. Young ones that think partying with friends is just ‘cool,’ or whose mom and/or dad drinks at every function, thinks that they can too. Whatever their poison, whatever got them started….this is the flip side that they were not prepared for. Even my Trin swore that SHE would never do THOSE drugs or do THAT for drugs… And yet, after years in the street life, 30 days presumably clean in jail, the possibility of getting help from an amazing place and she chose the drugs and life of hell again. The pull of the drugs, even after 30 days, was not enough to bring her home. She was actually using the jail tablet to get some guy to bring her fentanyl as soon as she stepped outside the jail. And brainless as they become, he did!###################### The evil one doesn’t just drive a sports car folks. He doesn’t just live in THAT neighborhood… he is the ‘other’ one on your shoulder or in your head who tells you to ‘go ahead, take that drink’ or ‘it’s okay, no one will know if you…’ or ‘it’s just once, you won’t be addicted. TRY it.’ Or ‘Go ahead, do it, it will drown out the horrific memory of…’ I can’t even list the number of ways he works on you, in your own head. You’d know better than me. But it’s like he hears your dark thoughts that no one else knows and there is nothing between belonging to your world or his except prayer… except God. You better know it is true. Like Trin would say, “I ain’t even kidding, nana!”####################### We all could be just one decision away from entering the gates of hell on earth… one step from destroying our lives and/or someone else’s life. Or, we know someone who is. No one is immune. Blame and shame isn’t the answer. ########################## I didn’t change the trajectory of my life in a moment and you or your loved ones likely won’t either. It took years, one thing at a time, prayers, pleading, sometimes yelling, but always faith that He had the power and could do it. I couldn’t do it alone. Neither can you. And I am smart enough to know by now that if I am not guarding that gate to my soul every single minute, how easily I might be tricked to turn back. I am determined to NEVER let my sinful nature overtake my loving nature. But the battle starts in my thoughts just like the rest of you. Just like all of those unfortunate souls who fell asleep on guard duty or surrendered to numb the pain of their lives.######################### 1 Corinthians 15:9–10: “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” ########################### Eph 2:8-9: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.#################

Smoke and mirrors-Blinded

(Because there is no formating such as paragraphs on blogspot, I will indicate it using # signs) ####################### One of the things that made me start my blog is that I saw a desperate need to reach people who felt ‘less than’ like I did. I had met a lot of lost and broken people who felt unworthy. I have heard so many heart wrenching stories about their life experiences. Many of you in the world will never, thank God, feel the hurt, betrayal, darkness of what the world has done to so many people in the world. Even if your life wasn’t horrific, the deep insecurities, loneliness and brokenness that affect so many out there, needed to be covered with love and Truth. ################### When dark things happen to us in our young lives, we tend to process it the way others would have us do. We keep it a secret; we feel powerless, dirty, unloved, broken, unworthy, outcast…. Less than. We suffer guilt and shame for atrocities visited upon us by others. We absorb the neglect and abuse suffered at the hands of parents or siblings or family or friends as if it belonged to us. Some wear it as their identity and accept it as part of who they are with pride. Others stuff it deep down and hold onto the guilt and shame until it affects every aspect of their lives. ###################### There are a plethora of lies and deception that follow dark moments such as this. We believe the lies in our heads about what it was, how it was and who we are because of it. Somehow we feel responsible, or if not, we feel physically dirty and mentally darkened by the event(s). We use negative coping skills to survive the pain: ################ • We shrink from life. ################ • We throw ourselves into wreck-less, self-destructive behavior. ################# • We drown ourselves in mind numbing alcohol or drugs. ############### None of these behaviors are meant to make it better. I think deep down we don’t think we deserve to be ‘better.’ The evil one fills our heads with all sorts of negative beliefs and dark lies and never stops using it against us until we are lost in a fog of, what seems like, inescapable darkness. ################## It isn’t enough that we are left with gaping wounds and scars that forever remind us of our pain… each time we use one of the negative coping mechanisms mentioned above, we simply pile onto that sense of loss and darkness; the sense that we are no good. We are so focused on the past, the pain, the darkness that we cannot see the truth. And when we do this, satan wins the battle each time, but worse, we lose our souls, our true identity. We lose precious time. We lose relationships. We lose our true purpose. But that is just a battle, not the war!##################### Listen, do you really think that God created YOU with this purpose in mind? Yes. There is evil in the world. Yes, free will sucks because of what man can warp it into. Yes, sin and death bring natural issues like disease and brokenness. BUT this isn’t why we were created. YOU aren’t living in the true manner that God created you to live. ##################### 1 John 5:19: “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” ################## I picture it like this: The evil one was sent down to earth and, for the most part, wreaks havok on those in the world. He encourages sin, hate, disconnection, suicide, drug addiction…. Any kind of addiction really that keeps people from seeing their true purpose. His goal is to keep you stupid and blind to the Truth. The more deception (fog) that he creates, the harder it is for you to fight your way out. Plus, the more he can convince you to pile onto bad memories with more bad decisions, the more he can deceive you into thinking that you deserve what you get. ############### 2 Corinthians 4:4: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” ################### But you see, it is all smoke and mirrors. ##################### Ephesians 6: 10-18: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ...” ####################### But, as we reach out to God and seek comfort in His word, we can see it all for what it really is and dissect each lie to recolor it with Christ's sacrifice and love. His word will heal those hidden places. He will open your eyes to the Truth. He will guide you to your true purpose and, if you ask Him, He will rid you of the evil one. This doesn’t mean that the evil one will stop trying…. Because he won’t. It means that you will have the strength to resist him. ######################## 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” ################# James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” #################### And for those of you who think you are too far gone, unworthy or whatever you have falsely believed about yourself, NONSENSE. God didn’t send His only son to die on the cross for ALL of our sins FOREVER, just to leave you behind. It isn’t in YOUR strength to make yourself into some wonderful Christian to serve the world. If you are reading this, He likely called YOU. This means You are and can be His if you follow the steps to salvation. HE left the Holy Spirit here to guide believers to be righteous. Baby steps. Listen to the will of God and follow His guidance. ################## Romans 8:26: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” ################# So, you see? You have been lied to. You have been living a lie. But it is simple. Go and seek Him who made the world. Go and sin no more…. Or work on it with His help. :-) ################ Much love, people. ###################

A great man goes to his reward

Charles Stanley, minister of the word of God passed away on April 18th, 2023. The world will miss his personal style of sharing the Truth. We will join him one day. Prayers for his close family, friends and congregations world-wide. Much love https://wng.org/opinions/a-man-of-truth-1681902766 copy and passte 30 Life Principles: Dr Charles Stanley: https://www.charlesstanley.com/life-and-ministry/30-life-principles (copy and paste)

Gimmicks or God

[For some reason, formatting does not carry over and there is no way to create paragraphs on this blog. Please bare with me as I try to find out why. In the meantime, I use asterics to seperate paragraphs.] **************************** I love Andy Stanley and many others who don’t feel the need to add gimmicks to their teaching. They do the work and trust that God will impart it on those who need to hear it. The great ones always do that. ********************************** Listen, if you serve the public and share God’s word, I urge you all to pray about this and to ask God for guidance in this regard. I ask you to get back to who you are and let God take the stage, so to speak, and impart His love and wisdom. ********************************* If you are a member of the church who has a pastor who performs, pray about whether to lovingly approach your pastor about trusting God rather than their own abilities while at the pulpit. ******************************** My goal is never to turn you from God but always to help you feel loved and protect you from deception. I feel compelled to talk about this subject. While it seems minor, it is actually one of the many reasons that people see ministry as insincere, performance art and pushy. ********************** It hurts my heart to see people who love God acting like they don’t trust Him when they get on to the pulpit to teach. I have seen good, calm, God loving people resort to theatrics on stage. They elongate the word God in a loud southern style and booming voice... hollering like they had too much caffeine. (They are not Southern.) After 45 minutes of music and announcements, they run around on stage during their short 15 minutes of sermon and impart very little wisdom while performing as one of the old time rain makers who have to trick people out of their money. It seems to be all flash and mirrors. Because I know that isn’t truly how they speak or act in real life, I just shake my head. Instead of going away full, I just go away praying for them. ********************************** My thoughts become, ‘WHAT happened to him? I knew him in class and he was soft spoken. This is not who he is on a daily basis. Why is he acting like this?” It reminds me of when my kids started talking with a Spanish accent to sound cool. I would just look at them, dumbfounded, and tell them that they don’t need to pretend to be someone else. They have never spoken Spanish in their lives and were raised in a poor white neighborhood. They are perfectly fine as they are. ********************************* It makes me wonder if ministers who overact just don’t trust that, a.) God made them perfect vessels for sharing the word as they are and b.) if they are spending time in the word, GOD will be with them. Whether the word actually touches someone’s heart is not within their power. It is His choice and responsibility to touch those hearts that need to be touched; it is in His power. We are, like it or not, just a mouth piece for sharing His love and Word. ********************************** And then it struck me, this form of performance art at the pulpit may be chasing people away. For mature Christians who need substance, it may work for a minute but it burns out quick and leaves people hungry. Mature Christians don’t usually feel the need for theatrics, but we know when we aren’t being fed enough. I am probably not the only one who questions why and turns to a more mature pastor for sermons. ************************ For the new Christian, it invokes excitement initially but after awhile, I suspect, as I once did, they either feel obligated to join in and over act, or they feel like they must be missing something. Or worse, maybe they feel as if they aren’t chosen because they don't feel the spirit move in that way for them. Maybe they feel like aren’t good enough. **************************************** People who are in the middle may or may not appreciate this kind of preaching for a while but I imagine it to grow old and stale and eventually, they would stop going and turn to something more filling in the world. ******************************************** I have watched preachers who skim over God’s word and talk about the niceties of life, the ‘feel good’ preachers who offer very little meat. It is great to catch people initially, but you fail to impart all of God's wisdom and love when you just give them the sugar. Would you just feed your kids sweets or would you nourish them with the full meal first? ******************************** I have heard preachers yell and scream because it worked for them once, and now they do it more than not. I find it disturbing because of my past history of abuse but I also wonder why anyone would want to sit through someone yelling and being theatrical all of the time. God is a God of love. There is so much wisdom and love and instruction in God's word, it is unnecessary to scream it out. ********************************* I have heard people from all parts of the world incorporate the southern voice and elongated speech to sound more dramatic at the pulpit… but it isn’t who they are. It isn't how we speak day to day when we want to reach others. We speak with love, wisdom and authority when we impart God's word. We don't have to pretend to be something that we are not. ******************************* No matter what, none of us want to run the risk chasing members away. It is a heavy responsibility. It is crucial that we understand that GOD will give us the words to say. God will touch the hearts that need to hear the message. Nothing is in our own power. ********************* When God told Moses to speak to the people, he assured Him that He would give Moses the words to say and be with him. He first gave him signs to show the people that he was speaking for God. But Moses was insecure. ********************************* Exodus 4:10-17: “10“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.” *********************************** 11And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.” ********************************* 13But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.” ********************************* 14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do. 16He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him. 17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.” ************************** TRUST God! Not in your own ability to perform. ***********************************