The Narrow Minded Christian

From Every Head Shall Bow and Every Knee Shall Bend

2008-10-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

to No Head Shall Bow

Video is about 3 minutes and cleverly done.

C~B~N thinks link has gone dead....sorry as it was VERY good!

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The Law Of The Garbage Truck

2008-10-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly

a black car jumped out of a parking space right

in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes,

skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head

around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just

smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean,

he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy

almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now

call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.

They run around full of garbage, full of frustration,

full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place

to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish

them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage

and spread it to other people at work, at home,

or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do

not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with

regrets, so..... "Love the people who treat you

right. Pray for the ones who don't."

~by David J. Pollay~

You can read more by him in "The Law of the Garbage Truck" or in "Beware of Garbage Trucks"

Also check out the video of people in New York City taking the No Garbage Trucks!™ Pledge: Beware of garbage trucks. It’s pretty cool.

THANK YOU to Chris for this information as it originally came to me as author unknown in an email!

C~B~N

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"Jaywalking" with Jay Leno

2008-07-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

Still Golden After All These Years
from Agape Press
by Jane Jimenez

I shudder {Me to. So badly, I can't watch these anymore.} with a mixture of dread and curiosity every time Jay takes to the street with his camera crew and a microphone in hand. In a regular feature "Jaywalking," Leno approaches people on a Hollywood street to survey their knowledge on current news or a particular topic.

One night it's history. Leno asks passersby how many judges there are on the Supreme Court. A young man laughs, shrugs his shoulders and tosses a number in the air. Thirty six? Leno laughs, too. So, he asks, did you go to college? Yeah, the man replies. I graduated last year.

The Golden Rule? It's a mathematical formula, isn't it?

In a variation on his regular theme, Leno one night lets people choose their questions from either a 4th-, 6th-, or 8th-grade text. Jen, a registered dental assistant, says the Grand Canyon is 3,200 miles long {try: 200 miles}, and an Alabama State student says Columbus discovered America in 1842. {Try: In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.....}

What country did we fight in the Revolutionary War, Jay asks Selena. Oh, my gosh. I don't know this stuff, she admits. I really don't know this stuff.

Keeping a straight face, Leno tells her, I believe you.

Another night, and another question ... laughter gives way to sadness as we witness the current state of affairs in modern American life.

What is the Golden Rule, Jay asks. One after another, each person stares at him with a blank face. You know, he persists. The Golden Rule ... do unto others…? That's enough to get them started ...

The Golden Rule? Do unto others ... before they do it to you. Yeah, that's it.

The ethic of reciprocity is a general moral principle found in virtually all religions, often as a fundamental rule. It is most commonly heard as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This traditional rule is so highly valued that it has been known in English for centuries as the "Golden Rule." {Want respect? Then GIVE RESPECT!}

How did we manage in America to lose sight of the Golden Rule? Why is it impossible for these regular people to immediately recite the simple statement for Jay? How can we possibly teach our children new attitudes of respect and love when we have lost sight of a common cultural law as basic as the Golden Rule?

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. [Mat 7:12 NIV] A nation that does not have this law written on its heart is a nation that has forgotten how to love.

As I would have them do unto me? Would I have them yell at me and trash me with vulgarity and accusations on Jerry Springer's show?

Certainly not.

Would I have a dear family member meet me center stage on a national television talk show to reveal a devastating "secret," entertaining the world as the expense of my humiliation?

Of course, I wouldn't.

What part of letting my friends get drunk on Spring Break is a measure of my love for them?

Not one bit of it.

Restoring a healthy expression of love to our nation is as simple as remembering one rule, golden in value:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' {Jesus did NOT say love thy white neighbor as yourself.....or your black neighbor as yourself....or your Muslim neighbor as yourself.....or your Indian neighbor as yourself.....or your Jewish neighbor as yourself.....

No, Jesus said LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. PERIOD. LOVE THEM ALL~~OR DON'T PROFESS TO BE A BELIEVER IN GOD AND A FOLLOWER OF JESUS!}

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." [Mat 22:36-40 NIV]

As we take up the great commandment and make it the watchword for our life, it is exceedingly clear how much of modern life encourages us to focus on what is good for ourselves regardless of how it impacts others. {Modern life encourages SELFISHNESS, SELF-CENTEREDNESS, "I AM GOD" HUMANISM. Has modern life improved? Or deteriorated? Most would say the latter [for you ignorant college graduates, latter means the last choice listed]!}

The Golden Rule is the narrow path. It is the touchstone, the measuring stick, the weight and measure for all we say, do and think. It is not merely a "good idea." It is the law. It is a commandment. It is the sight we must fix our eyes upon, the bandage for our spirit, and the balm for a hurting world.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Test Your Basic Knowledge and see if Jay could "FOOL" you!

Test Your Knowledge

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Gossip

2008-03-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

There is so much good in the
worst of us,and so much bad
in the best of us,that it hardly
becomes any one of us to talk
about the rest of us.
~Author Unknown~

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Two Pastors

2008-03-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

Two Pastors wives were visiting and sewing
their husbands pants. One wife said: My
husband is just beside himself, he does not
know what to do anymore and he is so tired
and depressed he said he is ready to just
give up and resign.

The other wife said: I am sorry to hear that
because my husband has never been happier.
Our membership is growing and we are out
of our financial burden, we have such a large
and loving congregation. Life could not
be any better than it is right now.

One woman was mending the seat of her
husbands pants, the other was mending
the knees.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

The crosses we bear are not supposed
to be heavy enough to crush us,...but
they are heavy enough to bend our knees.
~Author Unknown~

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Donating

2008-03-05T23:42:00.001-08:00

Donate your frequent flyer miles to soldiers and their families!

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Giving to Others

2008-03-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

I've been going to the breast cancer site
and clicking on their "click here to
give--it's free" button for over a year
now. You click the button, and sponsors
donate $ that will donate free
mammograms to low income women.

Recently they have added TABS to their site.

And now with one click, you can get
sponsors to donate to:

Hunger, Child Health, Literacy, Rain forest,
and Animal Rescue.

This is something that takes less than 5
minutes a day to complete. It doesn't cost
YOU anything but your time to click the buttons.

But it is a way to contribute back for
worthy causes through sponsorships.

So check it out and click, click, click!!!

Click to Give

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Quote from Crimes And Misdemeanors

2007-11-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

"If all your faith is wrong Saul?"

"Then I'll still have a better life
than all those who doubt."

AMEN! ~C~B~N

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

All of us have secrets. All of us
wander at times. All of us have faith
that wavers. All of us at times feel
inadequate.That's why all of us need
something more than us.
~Nathaniel Bronner Jr.~

Founder of "Wings Over The Mountains of Life"

To Subscribe and get your own DAILY bit of inspiration!

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The perspective of death

2007-11-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

I am standing upon the seashore.

A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.

I stand and watch her until at length she hangs
like a speck of white cloud just where the sea
and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she
is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my
side says: "There, she is gone!"

There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad
shout:

"Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

~Henry Scott Holland~
A MountainWings Moment #7291

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Funny Bone Ticklers.....

2007-11-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Want more? Then visit my Funny Bone Ticklers

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The Quarter...Are you selling too cheap?

2007-11-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

from MountainWings
A MountainWings Moment#7310

Several years ago a preacher moved to
Houston, Texas.

Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion
to ride the bus from his home to the downtown
area. When he sat down, he discovered that
the driver had accidentally given him a quarter
too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to
himself, you'd better give the quarter back.
It would be wrong to keep it.

Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a
quarter. Who would worry about this little
amount? Anyway the bus company already
gets too much fare; they will never miss it.
Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily
at the door then he handed the quarter to
the driver and said, "Here, you gave me
too much change."

The driver with a smile replied, "Aren't
you the new preacher in town? I have been
thinking lately about going to worship
somewhere. I just wanted to see what you
would do if I gave you too much change."

When the preacher stepped off the bus,
he literally grabbed the nearest light pole
and held on, and said,"Oh God!

I almost sold your Son
for a quarter".

Our lives may be the
only Bible some
people will ever
read.

~Author Unknown~

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Compassion and Courtesy In A Discourteous World

2007-11-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

This week's devotional from Ted Brabham comes to us from 1 Peter 3:8

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous."

As Christians, we are instructed to be courteous and compassionate. As believers, we are called to be gracious, humble, gentle, and kind.

But sometimes, we fall short. Sometimes, amid the busyness and confusion of everyday life, we may neglect to share a kind word or a kind deed.

This oversight hurts others, and it hurts us as well.

Today, slow yourself down and be alert for those who need your smile, your kind words, or your helping hand. Make kindness a centerpiece of your dealings with others.

They will be blessed, and you wil be, too. So make this promise to yourself and keep it: Honor Christ by obeying His Golden Rule. He deserves no less. And neither, for that matter, do they.

Thought for the Day: While great brilliance and intellect are to be admired, they cannot dry one tear or mend a broken spirit. Only kindness can accomplish this.

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From one pumpkin to another

2007-11-27T19:42:00.001-08:00

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like
to be a Christian?'

The coworker replied, 'It is like being a pumpkin.'

God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and
washes all the dirt off of you.

Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky
stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed..

Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts
His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

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Lord, prop us up!

2007-11-27T19:41:00.001-08:00

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old
deacon who always prayed, Lord, prop us up on
our leanin' side.'

After hearing him pray that prayer many times,
someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so
fervently.

He answered,

'Well sir, you see, it's like this....I got an old barn
out back. It's been there a long time, it's withstood a
lot of weather, it's gone through a lot of storms,
and it's stood for many years.

It's still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning
to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and
propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking 'bout that and how much I was
like that old barn.

I been around a long time, I've withstood a lot of life's
storms, I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life,
I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing
too.

But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time,
so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side,
'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times.'

Sometime we get to leaning toward anger, leaning
toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning
toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that
we shouldn't, so we need to pray,

'Lord, prop us up on our leaning

side,' so we will stand straight

and tall again, to glorify the

Lord.

~Author Unknown~

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Showing your Support

2007-11-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

No matter your "stance" on America's involvement around the world...these are men and women who are willing to die for your freedom. Most will not be able to come home for Christmas. The holidays are a time for family. This can bring about depression. Therefore, want to show your support?

Here are some ways to do so:

AAFES Gift Certificates
www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm

The Army and Air Force Exchange Services
is where most servicemen and women do
their shopping. You can purchase gift certificates
for those in Iraq and those hospitalized.

Adopt a Platoon
http://www.adoptaplatoon.org/

Adopt a Platoon has several ongoing projects to
ensure that no soldier overseas walks away
from mail call empty-handed.

AnySoldier
http://www.anysoldier.com/

Any Soldier is a non-profit organization that
helps people send care packages to members
of the armed services in Iraq.

Appreciate Our Troops
http://www.appreciateourtroops.org/

Purchase a Support Our Troops mug and a
free personalized mug will be given to a
current or former service member.

Blue Star Mothers
http://www.bluestarmothers.org/

The Blue Star Mothers was founded by service
members' moms during World War II. Any
mother with a son or daughter in the military
can join.

Books For Soldiers
www.booksforsoldiers.com/

Help the troops escape boredom by donating
some books. You can also donate DVDs and
CDs requested by soldiers.

Camp Doha
www.campdoha.org/

Camp Doha provides valuable information
for those about to deploy, their friends and
families and anyone who wants to support
the troops.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

Donated cell phones are recycled and turned into
cash. The cash is used to purchase calling cards
for soldiers in Iraq.

America Supports You

Thank any service member stationed throughout
the U.S. and the world with an e-mail.

Fisher House
http://www.fisherhouse.org/

The Fisher House Foundation donates comfort
homes, built on the grounds of major military
and VA medical centers. These homes enable
family members to be close to a loved one
during hospitalization for an unexpected
illness, disease, or injury.

Freedom Calls
http://www.freedomcalls.org/

The Freedom Calls Foundation is helping
families videoconference with their loved ones
in Iraq. You can donate money to help keep
this project going.

Groceries for Families
www.commissaries.com/certificheck

The men and women who lay down their lives
for us are terribly underpaid. Help a family by
purchasing gift certificates to the commissary.

Homes for Our Troops
http://www.homesforourtroops.org/

Homes for Our Troops assists injured veterans
and their immediate families by building new or
adapting existing homes with handicapped accessibility.

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
www.intrepidmuseum.org/pages/intrepidfoundation

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund provides grants to
the families of servicemen and women who died in Iraq.
You can donate online, through mail or by calling a
toll-free number.

Military Moms
http://www.militarymoms.net/

This site provides support to all of the moms out
there who has a son or daughter in the military.

MilitarySpace
http://www.military-space.org/

This social networking site focuses on
communications with deployed troops and family
members, support groups and pen-pals.

MarineParents
http://www.marineparents.com/

MarineParents is a place for parents of Marines
to meet up. You'll find advice, support and information.

Operation: A Bit of Home
http://www.operationabitofhome.com/

Operation: A Bit of Home supports over 150 different
soldiers per day by providing necessary and
hard-to-get toiletries.

Operation Air Conditioner
http://www.operationac.com/

Operation Air Conditioner provides not only air
conditioners but space heaters (the desert is cold
in the winter) for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Operation Dear Abby
anyservicemember.navy.mil

The U.S. Navy and Dear Abby have teamed
up. Their site allows you to send e-mail messages
of support to service members.

Operation Give
http://www.operationgive.org/

Operation Give provides toys, clothing and
school supplies primarily to the children of Iraq
and Afghanistan.

Operation Gratitude
http://www.opgratitude.com/

Operation Gratitude provides a way for you to
show your respect and appreciation for the troops.
It sends care packages and letters to troops stationed
overseas.

Operation Hero Miles
http://www.heromiles.org/

You can donate your unused frequent flier miles
to help soldiers travel on emergency leave.
They are also used to help families fly to hospitalized
soldiers.

Operation Interdependence
http://www.oidelivers.org/

Operation Interdependence supplies care packages
to deployed soldiers. You can help out by providing
goods, coordinating efforts or donating funds.

Operation Iraqi Children
http://www.operationiraqichildren.org/

Many soldiers are rebuilding schools in Iraq and
scrounging around for school supplies. Help by
donating a school supplies kit.

Operation Kids for Troops
http://www.kids4troops.com/

Write directly to men and women serving overseas
in combat areas. Or place the names of loved
ones serving overseas on the "OKFT Hero List"
to receive encouraging mail. [This is a GREAT ONE
for classrooms to participate in!]

Operation Top Knot
http://www.operationtopknot.com/

This group of Soldiers' Angels volunteers help support
the wives and children of U.S. soldiers. Volunteers
make baby blankets, booties and other handmade gifts.
Everything is handmade!

Operation Uplink
http://www.operationuplink.org/

Donate money to Operation Uplink. The money
is used to purchase phone cards so servicemen and
women can call home.

Packages From Home
http://www.packagesfromhome.org/

Packages From Home sends personal care and
comfort items to U.S. troops deployed overseas.
Find out how to donate time, money or items to
this non-profit organization.

Soldiers' Angels
www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/index.php

Become some soldier's angel by adopting a service
member.

Treats for Troops
http://www.treatsfortroops.com/

Treats for Troops helps get you provide packages to
your loved ones overseas. If you don't know anyone,
the Foster-A-Soldier Program matches you with a
registered soldier by branch of service, home state,
gender, or birthday - or you can choose to sponsor
a group of soldiers.

US Central Command
http://www.centcom.mil/

Find out what the Coalition is doing. U.S. Central
Command features up-to-date information on Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

USO Cares
http://www.usocares.org/

You can sponsor care packages provided by the USO
with a $25 donation.

Hire a Herohireahero.com

Is designed to help returning veterans find
employment making the transition back to civilian life
easier! Post your jobs here for them!

Merry Christmas!

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Death

2007-09-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Death was walking toward a city one morning
and a man asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take 100 people," Death replied.

"That's horrible," the man said.

"That's the way it is," Death said.
"That's what I do."

The man hurried to warn everyone
he could about Death's plan.

As evening fell, he met Death again.

"You told me you were going to take
100 people," the man said,
"Why did 1,000 die?"

"I kept my word," Death responded.
"I only took 100 people. Worry took the others."

Worry is, and always will be, a fatal
disease of the heart, for its beginning
signals the end of faith.

Worry intrudes on God's compassionate
ability to provide.

When we allow our problems to
overshadow God's promises, we
unknowingly, doom ourselves to defeat.

That was never part of God's eternal plans.

Release the regrets of yesterday, refuse
the fears of tomorrow and receive
instead, the peace of today.

REMEMBER: WORRYING DOESN'T
SOLVE ANYTHING, INSTEAD IT HURTS
EVERYTHING.

Simply let go and let God be God.

Live this, and be eternally blessed.

"For with God NOTHING shall be Impossible."
(Lk. 1:37)

If you're gonna pray, don't worry....
and if you're gonna worry, why pray?

Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps
if you are not willing to move your feet.

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The Da Vinci Code and the Jews

2007-08-13T20:57:00.002-07:00

by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

The controversial book highlights the
fundamental differences between
Judaism and Roman Catholicism.

{{{C~B~N's comments enclosed--
Theologically, we are VERY different
from the Catholic faith. But that
not withstanding, Evangelical
Christians do not support this book
or its premises. }}}
† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

It's commonly called "the runaway
best seller of the 21st century."
The numbers are staggering.
Forty million copies sold round
the world. Translated into 44
languages. Soon to be released
as a movie starring Tom Hanks.
Critics agree: There hasn't been
anything like Dan Brown's The
Da Vinci Code in publishing history.

And that, truth be told, hasn't made
the Catholic Church very happy.
This, after all, isn't just an exciting
mystery novel. Woven into a story
of the aftermath of a murder in
the Louvre Museum is a tale of
Christian conspiracies, high level
cover-ups, and ancient secret
societies that the author repeatedly
hints is more fact than fiction.

Written in breezy roman-a-clef style,
the reader is introduced to Catholic
orders that really exist, prominent
holy sites that can readily be visited,
and famous people of past and
present -- all of whom share in
what is presented as the greatest
theological falsification of history.

"Almost everything our fathers
taught us about Christ is false,"
laments one of Brown's characters.
"Faith," he has one of his heroes
tell us, "is based on fabrication."
{{{LIES OF SATAN}}}

Mingling fact with fiction in a
combustible mixture that leaves
readers perplexed by the boundaries
between one and the other, Brown
leads us to believe -- with more
than an author's wink -- that an
incredible hoax has been played
on millions of pious Christians
who've never been told the truth
about the Holy Grail.

For centuries, pious Christians
have been taught that the Holy
Grail is the cup from which Jesus
drank at the Last Supper. But for
Brown's all-knowing art critic and
alter-ego Robert Langdon, that isn't true.

"The Grail," Langdon tells us in
a scholarly voice that appears to
echo the author's personal
conviction, "is symbolic of the lost
goddess. When Christianity came
along, the old pagan religions did
not die easily.

{{{Yet die they did. And yet Christianity
has survived 2000 years. That
tells me right there that the Bible
and Christianity can and DO
survive the test of time
AND truth.
Mark 4:30-32 The Parable of the
Mustard seed. While the mustard
seed is one of the smallest seeds,
it grows into one of the largest
plants. Just as Christianity
started small...it has grown
world-wide. Within the first
generation of believers, it had
spread to Ethiopia, India and
Europe.}}}

Legends of chivalric quests for
the Holy Grail were in fact stories
of forbidden quests to find the
lost sacred feminine. Knights who
claimed to be 'searching for the
chalice' were speaking in code
as a way to protect themselves
from a Church that had subjugated
women, banished the Goddess,
burned non-believers, and forbidden
the pagan reverence for the sacred
feminine."
(The Da Vinci Code, pages 238-239)

{{{What a bunch of new age lies.
Satan is having a field day with this.}}}

And there is more. A woman's body
is symbolically a container, and the
most famous of these has a name
every Christian will immediately
recognize. Brown claims that the
Holy Grail was actually Mary
Magdalene. She was married to
Jesus and was the vessel that bore
his children.

The secret that could not be
revealed since the birth of
Christianity is that Jesus' bloodline
continues to flourish to this day.
The Grand Masters of the Priory
of Sion (an actual Christian
organization), among whom
Brown lists Leonardo Da Vinci,
Isaac Newton and Victor Hugo,
have -- according to the book's
premise -- kept to their oath
never to reveal any of this to the
public and the Roman Catholic
church is committed to suppressing
this information. Brown strongly
hints that only the fortunate
readers of this "documentary
disguised as fiction" may at
last share in this incredible
revelation.

Small wonder the Church is
profoundly disturbed. Brown's
book is for the Vatican blasphemy
masquerading as history. If the
Da Vinci Code premise is true --
and the entire book is replete with
suggestions that the reader is
permitted entree to secret truths
merely couched in a fictionalized
framework -- Rome needs to revise
its faith and its past, its beliefs as
well as the story of its beginnings.

Chilling Effects

But what strikes me, as a rabbi,
is the remarkable irony that the
very theories about Jesus presented
by Brown that make the book
blasphemous to Christians are
concepts that make Jesus far more
comprehensible to Jews.

So Jesus was married! Well why
shouldn't he have been? Reared
as a Jew, celibacy would have
almost certainly been an idea
totally foreign to him. "Be fruitful
and multiply" was the biblical
creed that all Jews considered
sacred. Celibacy as a Christian
ideal wouldn't become law until
the Council of Elvira (300-306)
decreed (Canon 33): It is decided
that marriage be altogether
prohibited to bishops, priests,
and deacons, or to all clerics placed
in the ministry, and that they keep
away from their wives and not
beget children; whoever does
this, shall be deprived of the
honor of the clerical office.
Christian scholars explain the
reason: The Church wanted to
insure that the wealth of its
leadership would not be dissipated
by way of family inheritance.
A non-married clergy would
always return their possessions
to Rome. {{{Protestants have always
thought this was nuts. A man is a
better preacher who can identify
with the troubles and temptations
of his parishioners.}}}

Historians have pointed out the
chilling effects of this doctrine.
The "best and the brightest" were
invariably encouraged to enter the
prestigious life of the priesthood.
That effectively condemned their
genes to hereditary oblivion. Jews,
on the other hand, turned those
with the greatest intellectual
potential to rabbinic lives of
learning and teaching combined
with an emphasis on large families.
That, claims Will Durant in his classic
The Lessons of History, is what in
all probability accounts for the
statistically unbelievable
preponderance of Jewish Nobel
Prize winners and achievements.
{{{In Support of Israel }}}

More troubling for Christians, a
married Jesus is far too much a
human figure instead of a god to
be worshipped. Christianity can't
conceive of their object of divine
reverance as a sexual being -- or
even as one conceived by the sexual
act.

{{{Most of us are NOT quite that
prudish. Envisioning Jesus as having
sex does not disturb me as much
as the fact that Jesus my Savior,
a Messiah who is going to die for
MY sins, so I can someday join God
in Heaven, cannot be a corrupted
Savior. Jesus and God both
knew/know that sex is one area
of human existence that is so easily
corrupted. Just look at all the
references that deal with this subject
and the many perversions that result
in this area, then tell me it is not
important! }}}

It is a troublesome relationship
with physical pleasure that turned
Christian teachings away from
their Jewish biblical source. But
Jews have no problem with a
married Moses.

{{{But Moses is not God, nor
the Messiah and never claimed to
be!}}}

It is the Torah that Moses brought
to us that not only commands
marriage but calls it Kiddushin
-- an ideal state of holiness.

Here is the crux of a crucial concept
that has separated Judaism from
Christianity throughout the centuries.
Jews spared no effort to insure that
their greatest leader never be
confused with God; Moses was always
to be viewed as human, mortal,
less than divine, even capable of sin
for which he was punished and denied
entry into the Promised Land.
His very burial site was to remain
hidden so that it not become revered
beyond measure. The greatness of
Moses rests precisely on his human
qualities. He represents mankind's
potential. In him we see what we fellow
human beings are capable of becoming.

Christians, on the other hand, insisted
that Jesus be viewed not as man but
as god; {{{Think it is GOD who has
insisted on this.....not Christians!}}}
his human form could never be allowed
to overshadow his divinity. Jesus was
not elevated man but a god descended
to earth. Physical frailties and human
weaknesses couldn't possibly be part of
his makeup.

And that is what Brown has breached
in revealing, albeit in an ostensibly
fictionalized account, a " human" truth
about Christianity's founder. A
married Jesus with children is,
for the Church, nothing less than
a diminished god.

That's why Jews shouldn't be upset
about the success of The Da Vinci
Code. After all, it's responsible for
making more than 40 million people
question what Jews have long
recognized about Christianity's
founder:

Jesus was not God; he was human.

{{{This is why having only
HALF of the inspired word of
God doesn't work:

Divinity of Jesus: Luke 5:21;
Colossians 1:15-16; 1 John 2:22-23}}}

And perhaps the day will come
when the world will acknowledge
what Judaism teaches: It isn't
God who became man, but man
who must strive to become more
like God.

{{{This philosophy is
dangerously close to secular
humanism--anathema to
GOD.

Jesus IS divine. Otherwise how can
a Jesus who is not divine, die for
MY sins if HE is sinful? It won't
work. What is not covered here
is the "sacrificial" aspect of Jesus.
To be the sacificial lamb, according
to the Torah, He had
to be without blemish or spot.
This rules out marriage.

As a Christian, we have to take
a lot of slaps from others: Muslims,
Buddhists, Agnostics, Athiests;
but now from our Jewish brethran
as well??????

I'm not easily offended. You can't be
and still be a Christian...at least in
this day and age. But this article
did offend.}}}

Top of Page

Money

2007-08-13T20:57:00.001-07:00

A man trying to understand the
nature of God asked him:
"God, how long is a million years
to you?"
God answered:
"A million years is like a minute."
Then the man asked:
"God, how much is a million
dollars to you?"
And God replied:
"A million dollars is like a penny."
Finally, the man asked:
"God, could you give me a penny?"
And God said, "In a minute."

Now that you have had a laugh...on to the
lesson!

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

The Issue of Money
===================

Shortage of money is the number one
common factor in the hundreds of prayer
requests that we receive each week at
Mountain Wings #3248

If money is not the central issue, a
money shortage is usually present in
both marriage difficulties and health
problems.

A sizable percentage of MountainWings'
readers deal with money shortage issues.

Some think it doesn't belong in an
inspirational email but let your money
get tight and get an unexpected check
and see if that doesn't inspire you.

I want to address the issue of money as
briefly as I can. For a few, my experience
may shed a new light on your situation.
Some may have a radically different
opinion, that is expected; but for many,
this will help change your view and
possibly your approach to your money
situation.

I deal with more money shortage
situations than most people simply
by virtue of being a Pastor of a church
and a businessman. People come to me,
both for advice and money in both the
church and business worlds.

Hopefully the eight principles below
will help someone reading Mountain
Wings.

Principle #1 - Hardly anyone has enough
money.
----------------------------------------------
At a recent meeting in my company,
some thought I was bragging when I said
that I had enough money. I was absolutely
serious.I have always had enough money,
but I have not always made a lot of money.

When I earned less than minimum wage,
I had enough money.When I earned minimum
wage, I had enough money. I have enough
money now.

Someone asked the multi-billionaire John
D. Rockefeller the question of "How much
money is enough?"

His answer was, "One more dollar than I have."
He therefore, would never have enough,
no matter how many billions he had.

I have seen people earn more than double
what they were earning in the previous year
and they still did not have enough money.

Money is one of those things where unless
the spirit gets right, you never have enough.
Having enough money is primarily a matter
of spirit, not amount, understand this.

Principle #2 - You are rich when you
have enough.
-------------------------------------------
Don't be like Rockefeller or else you
will forever be dissatisfied.

Often our change from poor to rich is
more spiritual than financial. It is why
Paul could say if you have food and
clothing then you should be content.

Perhaps we should realize that
instead of struggling so hard to get
more that we should simply want less.
The problem with wanting more is
that it never stops, and most find that
even when they get "the stuff," it's
not what they thought in terms of real
contentment.

Jesus said:
a. The Kingdom of God is within
b. It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of God.

Everyone wants the kingdom, yet
everyone also wants to be rich.

I preached a sermon called, "The
Roughest Verse in the Bible." It was
concerning this basic principle.
You can listen to it onWMA (best) Listen

Just maybe, for many of you, you have enough already.

Principle #3 - Neither The New
Testament of the Bible or any of the
teachings of Jesus promise nor
promote material wealth.
-------------------------------------
Some will argue against this to an extreme,
but I have looked for it over and over in
the New Testament of the Bible. It
simply is not there unless you take
a scripture and twist it to mean what
it really didn't say or you must make
speculations about things
that aren't written in scripture.

No words in the New Testament promote
wealth when looked at in context.

NONE!

"What about when Jesus told the
disciples where to fish and they had
the great haul of fish?" you ask.

Read what they did with the increase
after they got it. The disciples ate from
the fish then left the fish to follow Jesus.
When you read exactly what they did,
the pattern becomes clear.

We can sometimes be masters at making
scripture say what it never meant because
it is what people want to hear and it often
justifies our own agenda.

Jesus NEVER pointed us towards material
wealth; he did quite the opposite when
you read what he actually said.

Many passages plainly point you away
from riches but none plainly point you
towards it, not in the New Testament.

And no, the verse, "Beloved, I wish above
all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health," is not talking about riches.

Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:8, that if you
have food and clothing you should be
content. I thought about that verse as I
was alone one day. I had a BIG problem
with it then, and I still struggle to
fully understand and accept it.

"What about shelter?" I thought. How
in the world does God expect you to be
content with no house? That just didn't
make any sense to me.

So I asked God in a quiet moment, "How
can a person be content with no house?"
God answered me and though I didn't like the
answer, the minute I heard it, I recognized
the truth of it.

The answer was, "Did my son have a house?"
"Whoa!"

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds
of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has no place to lay his head."(Mat 8:20 NIV)

Not only are we NOT happy with food and
clothing, we often aren't happy even in
medium or large houses. We want mansions
and guess what? Given enough time,
we often aren't happy in those either.

Principle #4 - Rich and poor are relative
terms.
----------------------------------------
I went to the Amazon jungle. I wanted to
see the rain forest before man destroyed
it. The children in the jungle were
excited to see an ink pen.

We trekked through the jungle all
day with a native guide. He said our
hike would culminate by visiting the
rich man's house.

I was expecting a huge mansion
overlooking the river. When we got
to his house, it indeed sat on a hill,
but it was hardly a mansion.
It was more like a shack on a hill.

His house was distinguished by the
fact that it had a generator. The rich
man had electricity. When the rest of
the village was dark, he had light,
therefore everyone in the village
considered him"The Rich Man.

"I learned a great lesson from that.
He had no indoor plumbing, no air
conditioning, no marble counters or
carpeted floors. His house would not
even meet minimum building codes in
the poorest neighborhoods in America.
However, he had electricity when
everyone else was in the dark,
therefore he was rich.

In many parts of the world, what we
consider poverty is considered great
wealth. We have so much food in
America that eating too much causes
America's biggest health problems.

Principle #5 - Happiness is not dependent
on money.
------------------------------------------
The Amazon jungle was perhaps the poorest
area that I have ever visited. There was
no industry. The huts did not even have
doors. Yet, in the midst of what many
would consider extreme poverty by
American standards, again I saw something.

The people were quite happy.

The ability to sense spirit is something
God gave me long ago.When I sold
newspapers as a boy through many of the
neighborhoods in Atlanta, the minute
people opened the door, I could sense
whether the house was happy or sad.

I sold newspapers in the richest and
poorest of neighborhoods. Both had
their share of happy and sad homes.

The guide told us as we walked through
the village with the doorless huts, "We
marry around 13 or 14."

"13 or 14?" I repeated, amazed at
such a young marrying age.

"What is the divorce rate?" I asked.
"Less than 5%," he replied.

Again I saw that material possessions
don't guarantee happiness.We have
relatively huge wealth along with a relatively
huge divorce rate.

Principle #6 - One American family has
contributed to morefinancial disaster
than any other.
-----------------------------------------
The Joneses.

Because we often try to keep up with the
Joneses, it strains our finances to the
limit and beyond. My father, often quoted,
"If your outgo exceeds your income then
your upkeep will become your downfall.

"Too often we live way above our means.
I have always had enoughmoney because
I have always kept my expenses well below
my income. Whether you earn millions or
minimum wage, the principle applies.

Years ago my wife began selling a nutritional
system. The system had a cassette tape
explaining it. She went throughout several
Atlanta upper income neighborhoods
putting the tapes in mailboxes.

She only selected the fancy houses as
she only had a limited number of tapes.

Six people responded wanting the system.
The system cost $100.

Of the six people who responded, not ONE
had $100.

Each had a story of why they had to wait
until payday or could only pay a part now
but none had $100. "How could that be?"
my wife asked.

"I specifically only put these tapes in BIG
houses. They all had two fancy cars and
$200,000 plus houses. How could their
finances be so tight that they don't have $100?"
she kept asking me.

Because they lived next to The Joneses,
who lived next to The Joneses,
who lived next to The Joneses,who lived next to ...

Principle #7 - Lack of a budget.
--------------------------------------------------
At the church, I have a financial expert
teach a class each month. It is a six-part
series that we repeat each six months.
It teaches people how to manage their money.
We often tell people in the church to give
10% of their money to the church,
but we give them no knowledge on
how to manage the other 90%.

People came to me with testimonies
about how the class changed their financial
lives. The first thing the expert did was to
have everyone create a budget.

NO ONE had a budget. No one could
say exactly how much they were spending.
Sure, they all knew what the rent or mortgage
was, but it was often the "other" stuff
that sunk them. No onecould tell you
with any degree of accuracy exactly what
they were spending as a total.

The expert told the story of how one
lady had come to him for a loan.
She wanted to buy a car. She was going to
pay for the car by the week at one of those
"pay by the week" places.

She got angry at him when he would
not lend her the money. He had her to
do a budget. When she did, she was
shocked to see that the weekly
payments plus what she was spending
on other stuff added up to more than
what she was earning. If he had
loaned her the money for the down
payment on the car, it would
have been sure financial disaster.

WRITE IT DOWN exactly how much
you spend each month on EVERYTHING.
You may be surprised. Just something as
simple as a two pack a day cigarette habit
is $200.00 per month.

Principle #8 - Learn the principle of
giving.
-------------------------------------------------
I cannot logically explain this, but I
know it is true. It is no accident that
the U.S. is the most prosperous country on
the face of the earth, but we also give
more than any other country on earth.

Yes, I know the U.S. has flaws but that
doesn't change the principle or the result.
We benefit from our benevolence;
we suffer for our malice.

God spoke a Word of Wisdom to me
personally concerning money.

"Anything beyond sufficiency is insignificant."

It has taken me a long time to understand
that but the longer I live, the more
convinced I am of that truth.

Money is similar to food. You need it;
if you run short, it gets very uncomfortable
and even unhealthy. Yet excess consumption
has great dangers.

Having excess food is wonderful if you do
the right thing. The problem is not in
having the excess; the excess is a blessing.
The challenge is in doing the right thing
with the excess.

Even the Old Testament of the Bible
listed lack of both money and food as a
curse and its abundance a blessing.
The problem was that it wasn't long
after the abundance that the people became
corrupt. It is very hard to keep abundance
in balance.

That's why Jesus said it was HARD
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Money has always been and always will be
an issue. It traps most in this world;
it even traps most of us preachers.

"No servant can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and Money. "The Pharisees,
(ministers and priests) who loved
money, heard all this and were sneering
at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones
who justify yourselves in the eyes of men,
but God knows your hearts. What is
highly valued among men is detestable
in God's sight. (Luke 16:13-15 NIV)

The messages of this week have presented
you with the principles for abundance
and some guidance for using the abundance.

I wrote an issue on what God specifically
spoke to me concerning how to handle the
blessing of money.

Click here to Read it

Remember that a golden chain binds
just as tight as an iron one.

Top of Page

Which are you?

2007-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

A family had twin boys whose only
resemblance to each other was
their looks.

If one felt it was too hot, the other
thought it was too cold. If one said
the TV was too loud, the other
claimed the volume needed to
be turned up.

Opposite in every way, one was
an eternal optimist, the other a
doom & gloom pessimist.

Just to see what would happen,
on the twins' birthday their
father loaded the pessimist's
room with every imaginable
toy and game.

The optimist's room he loaded
with horse manure.

That night the father passed
by the pessimist's room and
found him sitting amid his
new gifts crying bitterly.

"Why are you crying?" the
father asked.

"Because my friends will be
jealous, I'll have to read all these
instructions before I can do
anything with this stuff.
I'll constantly need batteries,
and my toys will eventually get
broken." answered the
pessimist twin.

Passing the optimist twin's
room, the father found him
dancing for joy in the pile of
manure.

"What are you so happy
about?" he asked.

To which his optimist twin
replied,

"There's got to be a pony in here
somewhere!"

Top of Page

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe

2007-08-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

You cannot blame yourself, never mind
persecute yourself for how you feel.

But you can rejoice in the battle of
controlling and sublimating those
feelings.

Every small victory within yourself
is a major triumph over the darkness
of this world.

Indeed, this is why this darkness was
placed within you, in order that you
may transform it into great light.

A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the
Rebbe

-words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman
Menachem Av 24, 5767 * August 8, 2007

Top of Page

I Do

2007-08-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

My sister, went to the department store to check out the bridal registry of our niece whose wedding was coming up soon. When my sister returned from the store, she tossed the gift list on a table and declared, "I think she's too young to get married." "Why do you say that?" I asked. "Because," she said, "they registered for Nintendo games."

Now that you have laughed....here is the lesson.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

I stood at the altar in front of the couple.

I have witnessed many weddings.

The dresses, tuxedos, the church decorations,
and the food are what most focus on.

I was enamored by the word,...that one word.

The one word answer to the question,"...do
you take this woman to be your lawfully
wedded wife?

"I expected the typical, "I do."

Those two words made both famous and
infamous.

I was not expecting his answer.

A voice loud and clear rang out with one word.

It reverberated from the ceiling as his one
word, filled with resolve, carried his answer
throughout the church.

"Absolutely!"

It was A Mountain Wings Moment.

Far too often, "we do" but not absolutely.

Our commitment is filled with ifs, ands,
and buts.

We do as long as it's convenient.
We do as long as it benefits us.
We do as long as it's not painful.
We do as long as they remain beautiful
or handsome.
We do as long as they keep their figure.
We do as long as the bills are paid.
We do as long they stay healthy.
We do as long as no one more exciting
looks our way.
We do as long as it suits us.

What things or people in life are we
truly committed to?

To whom have we really said and meant,
"Absolutely."

Is this the way a man and a woman
should enter into marriage?

Should they feel that level of commitment?

Should they really believe that the only way
they would ever separate is by death?

Did Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Loney actually
believe that?

Absolutely!

Top of Page

Optional

2007-08-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Pain is inevitable.
Suffering is optional.

Change is inevitable.
Growth is optional.

Death is inevitable.
Eternal Life is optional.

Choose ye this day which way ye will go.

from #7200 Wings Over The Mountains of Life
Mountain Wings

Top of Page

RUSSIA'S NEW ARMS DEAL WITH IRAN

2007-08-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

By Joel C. Rosenberg
July 31, 2007
[C~B~N's comments enclosed]

Russia and Iran continue to strengthen their military ties, while Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to draw closer as strategic allies.

In December 2005, Russia sold Iran $1 billion worth of missiles, after years of selling submarines and other advanced weapons systems to the radical Islamic regime. The latest reports indicate that "Russia plans to sell 250 advanced long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter jets to Iran in an unprecedented billion-dollar deal."

What's more, the Jerusalem Post indicates that "in addition to the fighter jets, Teheran also plans to purchase a number of aerial fuel tankers that are compatible with the Sukhoi and capable of extending its range by thousands of kilometers." Israeli defense officials say the deal will give the radical Iranian regime enhanced "long-range offensive capabilities."

The U.S., meanwhile, has offered Israel some $30 billion in new weapons over the next ten years, an increase in military aid from $2.4 billion to $3 billion a year. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says the U.S. is also offering military aid packages to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and several Gulf states (the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) to "bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran" she said. [Not sure that Saudia Arabia, Egypt and others are AGAINST Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran!!!!]

Israeli officials, however, are concerned by the U.S. offer of $20 billion in weapons to the Saudis. They note that should there be an overthrow of the current Saudi regime, such advanced weaponry could fall into the hands of radical Islamic jihadists. [Uh, yeah.....]

Russia's arms sales to Iran should raise alarms inside the White House and among Congressional leaders. Russia under Putin's leadership has joined the "Axis of Evil," selling dangerous weapons systems not just to Iran but to North Korea in recent years as well. But is something else happening, too?

As we explain in the new Epicenter DVD, a growing number of evangelicals are concerned [Concerned? Not sure that is the correct description. More like wow, that's awesome!] that the intensifying military and political alliance between Russia and Iran could be a sign of the approaching fulfillment of the prophecies found in Ezekiel 38-39, what Bible scholars describe as the "War of Gog and Magog."

After all Ezekiel 36-37 foretold the rebirth of the State of Israel in the "last days," the Jewish people returning to the Holy Land after centuries of exile, and the rebuilding of the ancient ruins in the Promised Land. Sure enough, all of this has come true in the past six decades, thus raising the possibility that Ezekiel 38-39 could come true in our lifetime as well.

Let me be clear: I believe it is too soon to draw such a definitive conclusion that the fulfillment of these prophecies are immiment. Still, it is true that until now, Russia and Iran have not had an alliance of the sort the Bible foretold in the 2,500 years since Ezekiel wrote the prophecies.

It is also true that this alliance is heating up quite quickly now. It is not surprising, therefore, that interest in these prophecies are growing. It's a story worth watching closely.

[I can think of no other time in history as exciting as these OTHER than when Jesus actually walked the earth!

Rev. 22:20 ...Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

C~B~N]

Top of Page

It's not your mother's magazine anymore

2007-08-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Which magazine. Well, no doubt most of them. But for today, it is most definitely REDBOOK.

I remember it being a great magazine back in the seventies when I read mom's monthly mag. It had some wonderful short stories in it. In fact, I seem to remember that it was chocked full of short stories. I guess as a kid I thought that was its primary purpose.

But not anymore.......

Read Marcia Segelstein's article "Readers beware!"
C~B~N

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

from One News Now
August 7, 2007

(Before you read this column, be warned that it may contain material you find offensive. But what you might find truly shocking is that all the potentially offensive material comes straight from the pages of the July issue of Redbook magazine.)

I've referred in the past to modern-day women's magazines as a bellweather of cultural decline, but I think it's worth repeating. Sitting in a doctor's waiting room leafing through magazines, as I was recently, can end up being an eye-opening experience. And even if you can handle it ... or just decide to stop reading ... imagine your young teenage daughter picking up that innocent-looking women's magazine. What behavior will she end up believing society condones?

When I was a child, I remember looking through the magazines my mother had around the house. I don't think she ever gave a second thought to what I might come across, nor should she have. My, how things have changed.
But back to Redbook's July issue ...

In a section titled "Handbook: Your Sex Life," there are 56 suggestions for how to "feel sexy in a flash!" Here's the subheading: "Whether you've got a free hour and a hot partner in crime to share it with or just a precious few moments to yourself, it's a snap to unleash your inner vixen with these steamy to-do's."

Here are some samplings, categorized by how much time you have:

If you've got 10 seconds:
"Alone? Sneak a peak at yourself!"
"Make eye contact with a cute stranger."

If you've got 30 seconds:
"Clench your g___ muscles."
"Spray a dollop of whipped cream on your chest and ...."

Got ten minutes?
"Swap your coffee break for a visit with your v______r."

I don't know about you, but I find it all pretty crude and distasteful. This is a long way from health and beauty tips, or advice on child-rearing, or the cover story on Faith Hill. Considering that I picked up a women's magazine off the rack -- not a sex manual -- it's inappropriate, to put it mildly.

The next section is called "Handbook: The Hard Stuff." It's a Q&A with the magazine's "advice guru." The first question is from a woman having an affair with a married man. Should she wait patiently until he gets a divorce or give him an ultimatum?

The "advice guru" demonstrates the quintessence of our 21st century "who are we to judge" attitude in her response: "This is one of those excruciating situations that ensures someone will get his or her heart stomped on -- which is one reason why conventional wisdom says not to get involved with a married person."

Forget about marriage as the foundation of society and fidelity as foundational to marriage. Forget about the fact that this woman is helping this man cheat on his wife ... helping him break his promises. Forget what it says about his character. And hers. Forget about empathy and whether she'd like this done to her. Most of all, forget about right and wrong. The real -- new -- conventional wisdom is that there's no such thing as right and wrong.

Here's the advisor's "best solution": "Tell him you love him but need to get on with your life, and that if and when he leaves his wife, he knows where to find you." But the most outrageous line of all is what follows: "Of course, doing this requires the strength and fortitude of a 19th century heroine."

Somehow my image of 19th century heroines doesn't include their helping to break up marriages. I'm no literature expert, but I'm pretty sure those characters would be known as the villains. Of course, it's an easy mistake to make considering that our society doesn't have villains anymore -- only victims.

Not surprisingly, among the magazine's top 10 picks for summer reading is "The Infidelity Pact," described this way: "When four bored, privileged L.A. wives team up to cheat on their hubbies, the result is catty high drama." Sounds positively charming.

I contacted the PR person at Redbook asking whether they'd like to make any comment about my contention that women's magazines have shifted dramatically toward more graphic adult-oriented material, and that so much of it is non-kid-friendly.

After inquiring where this column would appear, she pulled up the website while I waited. I can honestly and without exaggeration say that her voice dripped with disdain when she asked if this were some kind of "Christian activist website."

I explained that it was, indeed, a Christian website ... and I was, indeed, a Christian. As of this writing, I haven't heard back.

Sex, titillation, and yawning at immoral behavior have always sold magazines. But they used to be the kind that came in brown wrappers, not the kind that sit on kitchen tables and in doctors' waiting rooms.

So beware of wolves in sheep's clothing -- or in this case, vulgarity and immorality all wrapped up as "great news and information you need," to quote Redbook's editor-in-chief.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

Visiting Redbook's website under their "Love life" tab is some pretty gruesome articles.

Having read the first page of their "What I learned in sex school" (& needing to go no further) I then read the reader's comments.

MOST were appalled at Redbook's demise and have opted to stop their subscription if they had one and to inform friends and families of this moral decline as well.

At any rate, if you want to contact Redbook and let them know how disappointed your are, go to AFA's site and sign their petition.

Note: these issues are time sensitive

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He is Coming Back!

2007-05-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important?

You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.
For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done".

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

He is Coming Back!

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The Art of Godly Acceptance

2007-05-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:9
"People may make plans in their minds, but the Lord decides what they will do."

Sometimes, we must accept life on its terms, not our own.

Life has a way of unfolding, not as we will, but as it will.

And sometimes, there is precious little we can do to change things.

When events transpire that are beyond our control, we have a choice: We can either learn the art of acceptance, or we can make ourselves miserable as we struggle to change the unchangable.

We must entrust the things we cannot change to God.

Once we have done so, we can prayerfully and faithfully tackle the important work that He has placed before us: the things we can change.

Our Lord never asks us to decide for Him; He asks us to yield to Him -- a very different matter!

From Ted Brabham's newsletter

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Signs of the End Times

2007-05-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

[C~B~Ns comments enclosed]

by Jack Kelly Rapture Ready

Sixth Annual Year End Update 12-30-06

There are seven major prophetic signs of the
Second Coming, and for the first time in history
all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As
in years past, I'll list the seven with their
primary biblical references and offer
commentary from current events.

1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8

After many days you will be called to arms. In future
years you will invade a land that has recovered from
war, whose people were gathered from many
nations to the mountains of Israel,
which had long been desolate. They had
been brought out from the nations, and now
all of them live in safety.

In 1948, when Israel took its place among
the nations of the world again for the first
time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy
recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign
that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had
said that the generation being born when
that happened would still be alive
when He returned (Matt. 24:34).

The fulfillment of this prophecy caused
another reaction as well. Satan reads
prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on
world leaders in his continuing effort to
thwart the plan of God.

As a result, Israel has fought six major
wars in the last 58 years, each of them an
attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from
the face of the Earth. And it's clear that
this effort will continue, with the biggest
battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold
by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel's enemies,
both physical and spiritual, won't let up until
they've either succeeded (their view) or been
destroyed (God's view).

But in abandoning their Gaza settlements
last year, and with their inconclusive performance
against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to
many as if the Israelis have become their own
worst enemy. In Gaza, the plan was to free
the military from having to protect the
settlements (a major commitment) while
maintaining control of their borders.
But turning part of their border security
over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting
the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of
weapons, ammunition and explosives from
the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and
fire more mortars and missiles into Israel
than ever before.

Although US and Israeli leaders promised
that abandoning Gaza would improve the
nation's security, the opposite has happened.
[Gee, DUH comes to my mind...]
And as those opposed to the abandonment
predicted, Gaza has become a major center
for terrorist activity. When Hamas won
the Palestinian elections they quickly turned
Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears
to be just as dangerous a threat as
Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught
between two forces powerful enough to make
defeat a distinct possibility.

But the God of Israel sees a different
outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people
Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and
live in them. They will plant vineyards and
drink their wine; they will make gardens and
eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own
land, never again to be uprooted from the land I
have given them," says the LORD your God.
(Amos 9:14-15)

2. Jerusalem Will Be In Jewish Hands...
Luke 21:24

They will fall by the sword and will be taken
as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will
be trampled on by the Gentiles until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Lord prophesied that the reunification
of Jerusalem as a Jewish City would be a
sign that foreign (gentile) influence over
His land, and indeed the world, was about
to end. When this happened in 1967, prophecy
experts saw it as another major sign fulfilled.
The almost world wide effort to take the city apart
again is in essence a battle of wills; the Will of
God vs. the will of man. Until recently every
Israeli politician has stood firmly on a
pledge to keep Jerusalem united forever as
Israel's capital.

But then former Prime Minister Sharon said
that if re-elected he'd consider abandoning
parts of the suburbs to achieve peace.
His stroke-induced coma ended his political
career, but his hand picked successor, Ehud
Olmert, has hinted at following through
on Sharon's proposals. Olmert's poor
performance in the war against Hezbollah
has robbed him of the political strength to follow
through for now.

And God said that when He re-gathered
His people in the land for the 2nd time (the
first was after Babylon) they'd never be
dispersed again, and so far it looks like
He meant it. (Amos 9:15)

The fulfillment of these two major prophecies
concerning Israel has caused confusion in
the minds of some commentators. It
centers around an incorrect interpretation
of Matt. 24:34, that all end times prophecies are to be
fulfilled within a generation, nominally 40 years,
of Israel's re-gathering in 1948.

That error made 1988 seem like the likely
time for the End. But when 1988 came and
went scholars focused on the Jerusalem date,
1967, and began adding 40 years to that,
advancing their predictions to 2007.

The rationale for this is that the timing of the
First Coming prophecies in Daniel 9:24-27
keyed off the rebuilt city, not off
the return to the Land.

But the Lord didn't promise that all end
times prophecies would be fulfilled within a
generation of their beginning, only
that the generation being born at the
time of the first of the signs would still be
alive to see their completion. According to
Psalm 90:10 a Biblical life span is 70
years, so predicting the approximate time of
the End requires the addition of 70 years
to either 1948 or 1967, not 40.

There are good arguments in favor of either
date, so the safest bet is to construct a window
of time opening in 2018 and
extending to 2037 [2037 from 1948 is 89
years--seems a bit long for the "generation"
thing; especially since most of us won't
live that long! c~b~n] for the fulfillment of all
End Time Prophecies. And remember, the
culmination of End Times prophecies is
the Second Coming, not the Rapture of
the Church, which precedes it by at least
7 years.

As the time draws nearer, the timing of the
2nd Coming will become more and more
obvious. Those people around when
a treaty is enforced permitting the Jews
to build their Temple in Israel will know that
it's seven years away. Those who
witness the anti Christ standing in
that Temple proclaiming himself to be
God will know there are only 1260 days left
until the end of the Great Tribulation, and
the 2nd Coming happens right after that.
As Paul so clearly put it, only those in darkness
will be taken by surprise. But at this point
in time, the 19-year range I've given above
offers a minimally speculative period
within which it could all come to pass.

3. A Moslem Coalition Armed And
Led By Russia Will Attack
The Holy Land... Ezek. 38:2-6

"Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land
of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;
prophesy against him. This is what the Sovereign
Lord says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put
hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your
whole army-- your horses, your horsemen fully
armed, and a great horde with large and small
shields, all of them brandishing their swords.
Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with
shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops,
and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its
troops--the many nations with you."

(For a more detailed explanation of the modern
equivalents to these biblical names, read "An In
Depth Look At The Modern Equivalent To Biblical
Names in Ezek.38)

Over 130 historical references make it plain that
Magog stands for modern Russia, and the other
countries named here form a coalition based on
their common religion, Islam. (Today Russia
is 30% Moslem and growing.) Among them are Iran,
several North African countries, Eastern European
countries along the Danube, and the Turkic nations
of Asia Minor. A quick look at a world map will
reveal that these areas are home to some of the
most violent Islamic terrorist groups.

The Russians are already a major supplier of
arms for the Moslem coalition, just as Ezekiel
prophesied, and will be drawn into joining
in this battle by God Himself. Russia's barely
disguised policy of becoming the major outside
force in the Middle East is playing right
into the Lord's hands. Iran and Russia are
well into the implementation of a $50 billion deal
to provide Iran with nuclear power.

The 10 reactors called for in the deal are
supposedly for electrical power generation, but
most western leaders suspect they'll be
used to build bombs, too. Iranian Pres.
Ahmadinejad says he'll proclaim Iran to be a
nuclear power right after the New Year,
but most experts think a bomb is still a
ways off. Israel has again vowed to prevent
that ever happening, but the US seems to be
backing off its similar promise.

Recently, to offset the loss of Iraq as their
primary mid-east asset, Russia has formed
commercial and military alliances with Turkey
and Syria, becoming Turkey's 2nd largest
trading partner after Germany. Turkey's
inability to resolve the issue they have with
Greece over Cypress will likely
torpedo their attempt to join the EU.
Recent polls also show a dramatic decrease
in public support among Turks for EU
membership. From an initial high of nearly
90%, less than half of all Turks now favor
joining. Russia is quickly moving to bring
Turkey under its influence, a shift that could
cause Turkey to abandon the West and line up
with the Moslem coalition as Ezekiel foretold.

Russia has also sold Damascus a state of
the art anti-air defense system along with
their latest generation missiles and
anti-tank rockets and plan to construct a
major military seaport in northern Syria,
moving components of their Black Sea fleet
there. As this is being written Syrian Pres.
Assad is in Russia with $500 million Iranian
dollars shopping for more weapons.

In Lebanon, Russian Military Intelligence has
just about taken over the town of Sidon,
spying on Israel for Iran and Syria. Iran has
taken delivery of a Russian air defense system
too, to protect its Bushier reactor site.

Iran seems to be preparing its people for
war with Israel and even the US, making the
most outlandish claims in an effort to
whip their people into a frenzy not seen
since the days of the US embassy kidnapping
of the 70's. This inflammatory ranting has
included a Holocaust denial seminar
attended by 30 countries, and a promise to
wipe Israel off the face of the map. Former
Israeli PM Netanyahu has said that it's like
1938 all over again. (He has also said that
Iran is only 1000 days from achieving its
goal of nuclear weaponry.)

The major obstacle to an early fulfillment
of this prophecy is the reference to its
occurrence at a time when Israel is "peaceful
and unsuspecting" (Ezekiel 38:11). I believe
that the removal of the US as Israel's
powerful ally is necessary to create this
condition. I don't think the Moslem coalition
will attack until they're sure the
US won't retaliate. It's no accident that
Iran has led a charge against the US dollar,
causing a major weakening in world markets
and setting the stage for an end to the
monopoly the dollar has enjoyed
in international oil markets. Iran is also
the primary force behind
the instability in Iraq.

The cost of this war is creating unsustainable
deficits for the US, and with the dollar weakening,
the US may be forced to vacate the Middle East
soon. The coming change in government
will be an interesting addition to this mix,
but the bottom line is that either the US or
some other entity (the UN?) has to make
a toothless agreement to protect Israel to
set them up for this
battle.

As we begin 2007, the Middle East is in the
most volatile situation of our generation. The
Palestinian Territories, Iraq and Lebanon could
all erupt into civil war this year. Syria and
Israel are at each other's throats with some
predicting a spring war, and both Hamas and
Hezbollah are itching to jump into the fray.
The US is building up forces off the coast of Iran,
and Israel has said it will not allow Iran to go
nuclear. Surely one of these powder kegs will
explode and could even start a chain reaction.

I believe that once these issues are resolved,
either by warfare or negotiation or both, a false
peace will come to Israel very suddenly
and unexpectedly, like the collapse of the
Soviet Union, and Israel will be set up for Ezekiel
38 by its supposed peace partners.

When the time is right, having recently taken
His church to Heaven, the Lord will use this battle
to orchestrate His reconciliation with Israel,
and on its heels the anti Christ will emerge
with a peace plan that includes a Jewish Temple.
So once this battle takes place, end
times prophecy will go on fast forward.

4. The Ancient Roman Empire Will
Re-Emerge As A Political
Force... Rev 17:9-10

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven
heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one
is, the other has not yet come; but when he does
come, he must remain for a little while."
(This one is a little obscure if you don't know
your history. When John was writing this, about
95AD, there had been five great world powers:
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece.
All were conquered and absorbed. The current
power was Rome, which was never really conquered
and will re-emerge at the end of the age,
according to Daniel 9:26.)

Daniel 2:36-45 describes Gentile Dominion
from Daniel's time forward (Egypt and Assyria
had already fallen) in the form of a giant statue.
Read it carefully and you'll find some interesting
things in the description of the feet of iron mixed
with clay, representing the revived Roman Empire
of our time. In the first place the two don't mix.
We can imagine sticky clay serving as glue
sticking pieces of iron together, but the language
describes a clay that's made of dust and already
baked... hard and brittle like shards of pottery. You
can't make random pieces of iron and
pottery adhere.

They'll keep falling apart.

In 2005 the EU constitution vote was defeated
as one more example of how the EU has
had trouble sticking together just as Daniel
prophesied. Half-hearted efforts to revive it
in 2006 bore no fruit. When Germany takes
over the EU Presidency in 2007, look for
another, more serious attempt to get the
constitution passed. Remember the common
currency issue a few years ago?

Each one of these controversial steps has nearly
driven the EU to its knees, but each time it has
recovered. One day soon the EU will assume its
destiny as the leading world power for the End
of the Age.

In the mean time the Western European
Union (WEU) a 10 nation confederacy of the only
permanent and fully vested members of the EU
has assumed responsibility for creating its
military arm, based on its Recommendation 666
[satan's special number!], passed earlier.

And in January 2007 the EU's European
Neighborhood Plan (ENP) takes effect. It's a
seven-year treaty that brings 12 Middle
Eastern countries including Israel and the
Palestinian Authority into economic cooperation
with the EU. The EU's Javier Solana
has been fighting to get this program off
the ground for years, and its coming
implementation has made him the current favorite
among those looking for the anti-Christ.

5. The World Will Embrace A Single
Religion... Rev 13:8

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the
beast--all whose names have not been written
in the book of life belonging to the
Lamb that was slain from the creation of the
world.

The one world religion idea has been around
for most of our generation, often under the
guise of ecumenism. As the liberal
denominations continue watering down
their theology [supporting homosexuality,
same-sex marriage, euthanasia, day-after pill,
lottery, virgin birth of Jesus etc.] there are
fewer things keeping them apart. Now some
Evangelical leaders are questioning whether
Jesus is really the only way to salvation.

The flirtation between certain Evangelical
groups and the Catholic Church is interesting,
as is the dialog between the Pope and Leaders
of Islam, and their common devotion to Mary.
The Catholic Church is one of the richest
organizations on the planet with over 1 billion
members on 6 continents, and clearly thinks
of itself as the world's dominant religious group.
It's no secret that the Catholic church is
posturing itself to be a major player in End
times events.

But make no mistake about it. The rise of
radical Islam is the chief threat to world peace
today and their goal is nothing less than
world domination.

Their god is not the God of the Bible, and
their fight with Jews and Christians actually
began in the 7th Century AD when the Jews
rejected Mohammed's offer of
consolidation.

Prior to that time he had counseled his followers
to respect and befriend the Jewish people,
but when they refused to join his religion, he
declared jihad (holy war) against
them. Christians were included 400 years
later as a result of the Crusades.
[Political correctness has re-written history
portraying the crusades as the Christian
aggression against the Muslim.WRONG.
Europe and the United States have become
the new Russia with this re-writing
of history. Something Russia has been guilty
of for over a hundred years......]

Currently nearly one out of five inhabitants of
the world is Moslem, and like most Christians
and Jews don't really know what they believe
or why. Ignorance and misinformation are
primary tools of the devil so I would urge
all thinking people to really study the origin
and goals of Islam. It will soon be the
world's most popular religion, and after
the removal of Evangelical Christians in the
Rapture could easily be the foundation on
which the one world religion is built.

In 2 Thes. 2:7 Paul wrote that the secret
power of lawlessness was already at work in the
world but that the One who holds it
back would continue to do so until He is
taken out of the way (out of the midst).
Understand that Paul wasn't referring to man's
disregard for the law here, but rather to his
refusal to accept the truth. In New Testament
Greek the word for unbelief is also translated
disobedience. God's view is that there's just
too much clear evidence of His existence for
anyone not to believe in Him. Therefore so-called
unbelievers are really disobeying by refusing
to believe.

In 1 Tim 4:1 Paul warned us of the doctrines
of demons and in 2 Tim 4:3-4 of the growing
popularity of mythology as being part
and parcel of this end times religion.

This is the lawlessness Paul was writing about.
Having rejected the truth, those left after the
Rapture will be ripe for the Great Lie of
2 Thes 2:9 to fill the need every man has
to believe in something greater than himself.
All it will take is for a charismatic religious
leader to emerge, a leader powerful enough
to bring all those who are left behind into one
counterfeit religion.

Much has been written this year about
al Mahdi, a manifestation of Moslem prophecy
that is strikingly similar to Christian prophecies
of the anti-Christ.

Both come on the scene during a time of great
turmoil on Earth, both come claiming a desire
to restore peace, both have a seven year reign,
both head a one world religion and one world
government, both claim supernatural origins, and both
reigns end in a battle between good and evil
that brings about Earth's final judgment.

Some students of prophecy remind us that
the Roman Empire had an Eastern component
composed of the very countries whose people are
the most militant advocates of Islam today, and
that the anti-Christ could easily come from there.
[Which makes since if Christ came through Sarah's
line from Abraham; then the Anti-Christ could/would
come through Hagar's line from Abraham]

Islam is the world's fastest growing religion
and is second only to Christianity in number
of adherents. But the true Church will soon
be gone in the Rapture. The remnant, with
its celebration of pluralism and its inclusive
view of the way to salvation will be ripe for
conversion. Add the widely held but incorrect
beliefs that God and Allah are the same,
and that Islam is a religion of peace, and
you can see how Islam could be the straw that
a world on the verge of chaos grasps for survival.

6. The World Will Accept A Single
Government... Rev 13:3

The whole world was astonished and
followed the beast.

Earlier, I stated my view that a decline
in US strength would be necessary to
permit the Battle of Ezekiel to take
place. This is also a necessary precursor
to the emergence of a one world government.

Last year I said that unless something
happened to fracture us again, Evangelicals
would become an increasingly powerful
voting block as viewpoints become more
polarized over conflicting moral values. I also
said that the voting power of Evangelicals
would, more than any other factor, keep
America strong and independent.

Well, something did happen. Partly because
of media distortion, and partly because of the
constant meddling by Iran and Syria, the
war in Iraq has become so unpopular
that it's driven public opinion to devastating
levels of dissatisfaction with the way the
current administration is running it. As a result
both houses of Congress have changed
hands and 2007 could very well see the
beginning of our departure from the Middle
East entirely.

And a successful attack on the strength of
the dollar could eventually sideline us from world
affairs entirely. This year the five year old Euro
became the most popular currency in circulation,
surpassing the dollar for the first time. It still has
a long way to go before it takes the lead as a
reserve currency, but breaking the dollar's monopoly
on oil transactions will provide a substantial boost.
Iran, China, Russia, and Venezuela
have teamed up with the intention of doing just that.

The Rapture of the Church would be the final
and fatal blow to US supremacy, paving the way
for the 10 Nation Confederacy of Bible prophecy
to consolidate its hold on
world affairs.

7. Babylon Will Re-Emerge As A
Prominent City In World
Affairs... Rev 18:2-3

With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen!
Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a
home for demons and a haunt for every evil
spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable
bird. For all the nations have drunk the
maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings
of the earth committed adultery with her, and
the merchants of the earth grew rich from her
excessive luxuries."

Babylon is still a ways away from accepting
its destiny as a city of power in the end times.
It's just a ceremonial city right now, but 15
years ago nobody even knew it existed at all. One
of the shocks of Gulf War 1 was the discovery of
Babylon standing there on the banks of the
Euphrates again.

You may think that being little more than a giant
museum is a far cry from being a center of world
power, but some of Iraq's new political leaders are
calling for their nation's capital to be moved to
Babylon. The logic behind this is that Baghdad was
Saddam's capital, and the new Iraq needs a new
capital, more consistent with its heritage.
Babylon fills the bill, and becoming the capital
of Iraq would be a giant first step toward
achieving its transformation into a center
of power.

Because of Babylon's current lack of
importance in the world, some students of
prophecy search for an allegorical fulfillment
of Rev. 18, and of course many see the USA
or some city therein as a logical candidate.

But remember, even though in Revelation 17:9
John describes "mystery Babylon" as seated
on seven hills (meaning Rome), a prophecy in
Zechariah 5:5-11 shows it being moved "to the
plains of Shinar" a reference to ancient
Mesopotamia called Iraq today. We can't switch
from literal to allegorical interpretations
of Scripture without clear direction, and
where Babylon is concerned no such direction exists.
In fact the opposite is true.

Other Signs

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,
but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such
things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be famines and
earthquakes in various places. All these are
the beginning of birth pains.

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted
and put to death, and you will be hated by all
nations because of me. At that time many will
turn away from the faith and will betray
and hate each other, and many false prophets
will appear and deceive many people. Because
of the increase of wickedness, the love of most
will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the
end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom
will be preached in the whole world as a testimony
to all nations, and then the end will come.
(Matt. 24:6-14)

Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There
will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences
in various places, and fearful events
and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21:10-11)

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive
of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly
bodies will be shaken. At that time they will
see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. When these things begin to
take place, stand up and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing near."
(Luke 21:25-28)

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS ... Depending
upon whose intelligence reports you read
somewhere between 30 and 50 wars are
currently being fought around the world,
with a substantial number of additional
disputes threatening to erupt into war at any
time.

THE INCREASE OF NATURAL DISASTERS ...
More frequent and more severe hurricanes,
more frequent and more intense earthquakes.
Killer storms and quakes continue
to dot the news, although 2006 didn't achieve
the record levels of devastation caused in 2005

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS ...
The magnetic polar reversal, predicted by
computer model for 2012 [read Larry Burkett's
fictionalized account in "Solar Flare"!] is gaining more
attention since its likelihood was first announced.
Having moved several hundred miles across
Canada the Magnetic North Pole is currently
headed for Siberia. While the effects of a
Magnetic Polar Reversal have never been
observed by mankind, it has apparently
happened in the distant past. What's unique
this time is that the Sun is due for a polar reversal
at the same time. I've speculated that the effects
of the polar reversal could fulfill Revelation 6
and if the projected time of 2012 is correct, it fits
nicely into the End Times prophecy window we
opened above.

PESTILENCE... Not only new diseases like
HIV and SARS but also the return of old ones
like Whooping cough. But the big news again
this year is the likely spread of Avian Influenza
(Bird Flu). A few cases among humans have
lead to fears that the virus has mutated to
thrive in a human host. Dire predictions
are placing possible deaths from this
pandemic in the millions

THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD ...
3500 people die every day in defense of the
Christian faith. Run away crime, children being
abused and murdered by their parents, children
killing children. Murder trials as public
entertainment soon to be followed by televised
executions [that polar reversal thing can't
come QUICK enough! Television has become gross
and the anesthetic of the common masses--time
for it to be destroyed.] Ethnic cleansing, rape
and forced pregnancy, pedophilia, random
shootings, the incidence of disrespect
is enough to make you sick.

THIS GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED IN
ALL NATIONS ...
Looking at the state of the world, it's
hard to be encouraged. But as world news
gets worse and worse, more people are turning
to the Lord for solace. According to some
reports as many as 175,000 new believers
are born again every day, mostly
in Africa, China, and India. Reports of
these conversions are accompanied by
accounts of miracles, people receiving
supernatural healings and even being
raised from the dead. Just as He did at the
beginning of the church Age the Holy
Spirit is moving mightily at its End.
I believe the Lord is issuing a giant "last
call" before He suddenly takes the
church out of here to begin the End
Times judgments.

The above are given as indicators in the
Olivet Discourse (Matt 24, Mark 13, Luke 21)
and we'll continue to bring you
periodic information on these as well.

As you know most of the signs in the Olivet
Discourse are progressive and all are described
as happening well before the end.

Their main interest to us is found in the phrase
"beginning of birth pangs." Natural disasters,
the tendency toward war as a tool of
diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000
children die each day of starvation and
related diseases) and pestilence are described
as being common to the era but increasing in
frequency and intensity as the end approaches.
This was certainly the case in 2005 and is
an indicator of how close we are to the end.

It's true that for over 100 years folks have
been saying, "how much worse can it get?"
Sadly, the answer now as it was then is,
"Much!" It seems man's depravity knows no
limits.

But take heart. Though we are in the world,
we are not of the world. We don't belong here,
being citizens of heaven. And one
day soon our long awaited King will return
to take us there.

Maranatha!

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God's Golden Rule

2007-05-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:12
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

These words remind us that, as believers in Christ, we are commanded to treat others as we wish to be treated.

This commandment is, indeed, the Golden Rule for Christians of every generation. When we weave the thread of kindness into the very fabric of our lives, we give glory to the One who gave His life for ours.

Because we are imperfect human beings, we are, on occasion, selfish, thoughtless, or cruel.

But God commands us to behave otherwise. He teaches us to rise above our own imperfections and to treat others with unselfishness and love.

When we observe God's Golden Rule, we help build His kingdom here on earth.

And, when we share the love of Christ, we share a priceless gift; may we share it today and every day that we live.

Thought for the Day: One of the greatest things a man can do for his heavenly Father is to be kind to some of his other children."

from Ted Brabham's newsletter

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Solving the Three Day Three Night Mystery

2007-05-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

by Jack Kelly Rapture Ready

In Matthew 12:38 Jesus is asked for a sign that He's the promised Messiah. The religious officials had just accused Him of using the power of Satan to perform His miracles, and so He described the only sign they would see. "Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish," He said, "So will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40)." By this He meant that because their hearts were hard they would only know for sure that He was their Messiah after they had killed Him, but His response resulted in a 2000 year controversy surrounding the time of His death.

What's a Sabbath?

Actually the controversy exists largely among gentile believers. Most Jews familiar with their religion figured it out long ago. But to a gentile ignorant of the Jewish calendar, the phrase in John 19:31 identifying the day after the Crucifixion as a special Sabbath meant that Jesus had to have been crucified on a Friday, because even gentiles know that the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday. Many otherwise competent resources (such as the Study Bible I use) make that mistake. And everyone agrees that He rose again on Sunday.

There isn't any way you can put three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Hence the controversy.

So let's get it straight. Sabbath means holy day. There is one every Saturday in Israel, but there are also several during the year that are date specific. That means they are always observed on a specific calendar date, regardless of the day. They're like our Christmas. It always comes on the 25th of December no matter what day of the week that happens to be.

The special Sabbath John referred to is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and it's a date specific holy day; always observed on the 15th of the month they call Nisan, which corresponds to March/April on our calendar. So the first thing we learn is that the special Sabbath mentioned in John 19:31 wasn't a Saturday.

In fact there are three special Sabbaths in the month of Nisan alone; Passover on the 14th, the Feast of Unleavened Bread which begins on the 15th and runs through the 22nd, and the Feast of First Fruits on the Sunday morning following Passover. All have both a historical and prophetic purpose and like all days in the Jewish calendar they begin at sundown, following the pattern of Genesis 1. (This also confuses Gentiles since our day begins at midnight.)

The Passover Lamb

But it gets still more complex. The next issue we have to address is the sequence of events in the week we call Holy Week. Jesus came to fulfill the prophecies of the Passover Lamb. Here's what that means. In Exodus 12 where the Passover was ordained, God told the Israelites to select a lamb on the 10th day of the month and inspect it for defects until the 14th. This means through the end of the 13th. Then at twilight they were to slaughter and roast it, eating it that same evening. Using some of its blood they were to paint their door posts red to protect them from the plague coming upon Egypt at midnight.

Following our calendar, these events would have all occurred on the night of the 13th but for the Jews the 14th began at twilight, when the sun set, and so it was already the 14th when they killed and consumed the Passover lamb.

The only day Jesus ever allowed the people to hail Him as King was on the day we call Palm Sunday. He did this to fulfill the selection process for the Passover Lamb. When the officials told Him to quiet His disciples, He said that if they became quiet, the very stones would cry out (Luke 19:40). For this was the day ordained in history. It was the day He officially became the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. It was 483 years to the day from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet. (Daniel 9:25) A little while after the officials spoke with Him, He condemned Jerusalem to utter destruction because they did not recognize the day of His visitation (Luke 19:41-44) As we'll see it was the 10th day of the month.

The next three days were filled with the most aggressive debate and confrontation with the officials in His entire ministry, beginning with the Temple Cleansing. He was being inspected for any doctrinal spot or blemish that would disqualify Him as the Lamb of God. They found none.

Tradition, Tradition

Some years before the birth of Jesus the Passover celebration had been changed and in the Lord's time called for a brief ritual meal of lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs (horseradish) to begin the 14th followed by a great and leisurely festival meal on the 15th, when the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins. This tradition is still followed today.

The 14th became known as Preparation Day (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:31), because on it they made ready for the great feast day beginning at sundown. Matthew identifies the day after the Crucifixion as the day after Preparation Day (27:62) so all four Gospels agree. Jesus died on Preparation day, the 14th of their month Nisan, which is Passover. He ate the ritual meal with His disciples in the Upper Room, and then was arrested, tried, convicted, and put to death; all on Passover. He had to be, in order to fulfill the prophecies of the Passover Lamb.

So just like the Lord had commanded in Exodus 12, He was selected on the 10th, inspected on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, and executed on the 14th of Nisan.

How Do We Know This?

A little over 100 years ago a believer named Robert Anderson was head of Scotland Yard's investigative division. He became intrigued by the three days and three nights issue and enlisted the help of the London Royal Observatory to investigate the problem since astronomers can locate the exact position of the planets and stars on any date in history. Since Passover always falls on the 14th, and since the Jewish calendar is lunar (moon) rather than solar (sun) oriented, there is always a full moon on Passover. This fulfills Genesis 1:14.

Plotting the course of the Sun and Moon they documented the day and date of every full moon. The Royal Observatory discovered that the first Palm Sunday was the 10th of Nisan. Passover, the 14th, was therefore a Thursday and Resurrection Morning was also a Sunday, the 17th. From Thursday to Sunday there are three days and three nights. Here's how it works. It's a little confusing to our way of thinking but read carefully and you'll see that it makes sense.

As I've said, He had to die on Passover to fulfill the prophecy. Early that Thursday morning the Jewish leadership decided to kill Him. His fate was sealed. Matt. 27:1 By law He had to be off the cross and in the ground before sundown. (He actually died about 3 PM and was laid in the tomb immediately.)

So Thursday was day one. Because in Jewish reckoning the night precedes the day, at sundown it became Friday the 15th, night one, and the special Sabbath John mentioned began.

At sunrise it was Friday day, day two. The next sundown brought Saturday night the 16th, night two, and the regular Sabbath began.

As of sunrise it was Saturday day, day three. At sundown on Saturday it became Sunday night the 17th, night three, and before sunrise Jesus rose from the tomb. Three days and three nights. When the women arrived to anoint His body at sunrise, He was already gone.

So in the week Jesus died two Sabbaths that permitted no work were observed back to back: The Feast of Unleavened Bread on Friday the 15th, and the regular weekly Sabbath on Saturday the 16th. In Matthew 28:1 we read that at dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday the 17th) the women who were close to Jesus went to look at the tomb. Luke 24:1 tells us they were going to anoint His body for burial. The two Sabbaths had prevented them from doing so earlier. But He wasn't there. He had risen. Being the Sunday after Passover, at the Jewish Temple it was Feast of First Fruits. At the Empty Tomb it was Resurrection Morning.

Some argue that this view doesn't permit three full days and three full nights in the tomb but that's not what the Scripture says. It simply says three days and three nights. If you move his death up to Wednesday like some teach to get three full days you violate the Passover Lamb prophecies. The Thursday date is the only one that will accommodate both the Passover Lamb and the three day three night prophecies.

Selah 4/8/07

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Where in the World is the United States?

2007-05-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

During Prophecy that is.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Burnin' Down the House
Commentary on the News
Monday, March 26, 2007
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor

Iran has put together a senior defense delegation to discuss joint weapons development projects and related cooperative efforts with Bashar Assad's Ba'athist government in Syria.

Iran is cozying up to the Syrian regime as openly as it has been of late is noteworthy. Syria is a majority Sunni Ba'athist state, as was that of Saddam's Iraq.

The Iranians fought an eight year war against the Ba'athists that expended the cream of that generation on the battlefields. If one looks at Iran's population demographic, seventy percent is under thirty and the rest are over sixty.

There is a gaping hole in the middle. That entire generation was wiped out by the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988.

Politically, Bashar Assad is Saddam's ideological twin. If Iran wasn't planning war with the West, it would be planning war with Syria. But, Sunni or Shi'a, they share the same Islamic duty to first 'liberate' the Holy Land from the "Jewish Occupation."

It is important to understand the significance of that sense of 'duty'.

The Hamas Charter states, "[Peace] initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem all contradict the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement. Indeed, giving up any part of Palestine is tantamount to giving up part of its religion."

Any peace agreement with Israel that involves recognition of Israel's right to exist is an admission that Islam is a false religion. Islam can no more recognize Israel's right to Temple Mount than religious Jews can recognize Islam's possession of it.

All of historical Palestine—modern Israel (within the 1949 armistice borders), Gaza, Judea, Samaria, and modern Jordan—whose pre-Islamic inhabitants—Jews, Samaritans, and Christians—were conquered by jihad in the fourth decade of the 7th century—is considered “fay territory”.

It is a permanent part of the Dar al Islam, where Islamic Law must forever prevail. Israel, governed by a “usurper” infidel people, i.e., Jews, on such “fay territory”—no longer an appropriately oppressed dhimmi people living under the yoke of Islamic Law—must be destroyed in a collective jihad by the entire Muslim community.

That is the religious duty of all Muslims, both Arab and Persian.

That is the fatal flaw in the peace process. To the Islamic world, the peace process was exactly as Arafat always described it. A stalling tactic while the forces of Islam prepared for war. With Iran on board this time, they think they are ready.

So do most Western intelligence agencies.

The new head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, General Michael Maples, told Congress that the war between Israel and Hezbollah will likely break out again this summer.

General Maples told the Congress that "while Israel damaged Hezbollah's arsenal and many of its buildings, “Hezbollah’s leadership remains unscathed and probably has already replenished its weapons stockpiles with Iranian and Syrian assistance.”

He noted that, "Hezollah leaders claimed victory and grew more assertive in their political demands as demonstrated by opposition demonstrations in Beirut."

"Hezbollah is currently focused on asserting political dominance in Lebanon. Iran and Syria remain committed to Hezbollah's survival. Israeli defense officials have publicly opined that due to the fluid situation, the conflict could reignite during the summer of 2007,” he said.

Syria is helping Islamic terrorists from al-Qaeda, Fatah al Islam and Jund al-Sham infiltrate into Lebanon to bolster existing Hezbollah forces in Nah al-Barid refugee camps. There are reports that the terrorists then deploy throughout Beirut or scatter inside Palestinian 'refugee' camps.

In addition, Maples told Congress that, "Syria has had a chemical weapons program for many years and already has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin, which can be delivered by aircraft or ballistic missiles." He also reported Syria has gotten missile assistance from China, Iran and North Korea.

"The Syrian military has focused its limited defense procurement dollars on low-cost, high-impact weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles, advanced tactical surface-to-air missiles like the SA-24, and upgrades to existing platforms," Maples said.

So, with all this intelligence pointing towards an inevitable conflict in the Middle East, perhaps in a matter of weeks, one that will just as inevitably put US forces in the middle of an unconventional war involving gas, biological weapons, and maybe even nuclear weapons, what has the Democrat-controlled Congress occupied?

Investigating what is, by all accounts, the LEGAL firing of eight US attorneys by the White House. Issuing subpoenas for White House staff over a non-crime. Arguing about the best way to lose the war in Iraq. Demanding open hearings on sensitive intelligence matters, hoping to embarrass the White House.

This is no longer politics. It is an issue of national survival.

Where is America in Bible prophecy?

How is it that the Bible can accurately forecast the emergence of the four spheres of world power in the last days, precisely as they have emerged IN THIS GENERATION, while omitting mention of the greatest global super-power the world has ever known?

There are but two possible answers. The first, and most hopeful, is that the Rapture of the Church will so decimate and demoralize the nation that it will cease to play any meaningful role on the international stage during the Tribulation Period.

The second is that Congress will keep fiddling until Washington burns.

I wish I could say which comes first.

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Super Hero

2007-02-24T03:32:00.000-08:00

A MountainWings Moment#7044

Dr. Marilyn spoke at our staff meeting. She took us through
exercises as she worked to get our minds and spirits adjusted to
a more positive direction."

Close your eyes and think back to when you were small. What
did you want to be? What were your dreams? What did you want
to do? Close your eyes and think back." she instructed.

I closed my eyes and thought back. I remembered what
I wanted to be.

Dr. Marilyn then told of her early beginnings as a writer.
She told of the articles and the publishing successes that she
experienced but so many of them were punctuated by,"I
didn't get paid for that."

Her words struck me.

I worked in a corner drug store when I was very small. I was
below the age limit to work but the store made an exception.

My father owned the store, thus the exception. I worked
long and hard. I treasured my lunch breaks. Not so much for
the food or the rest, it was what I did during my lunch breaks
that I treasured. I read comic books. I read the action books,
not the romance or the comedies; action, pure action.

When I closed my eyes and thought back, I knew instantly
what I had aspired to be.

A Super Hero!

Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Ironman were some
of my heroes.

In all of the action comics that I read, there were two distinct
patterns. Those two patterns were in every action comic book
that I can recall.

First, there was always a battle between good and evil.
The battle was always tough. The battle was always a close
call. No matter how strong or how many powers the Super Hero
had, evil pushed him to the very limit and most times almost
defeated him.

Second, the Super Hero was never paid for his contribution to
society; he always earned his living in his alter ego.

Superman made money as Clark Kent, a newspaper reporter.
Batman made money as Bruce Wayne, a rich industrialist.
Spiderman made money as Peter Parker, a photographer.
Ironman made money as Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries.

None of them were paid for being a Super Hero and the
contributions they made as Super Heroes.

As I listened to Dr. Marilyn state how she had never been paid
for many things, a light popped on in my mind."

The real Super Heroes don't get paid for the Super Hero stuff!"

I pastor a church and have never accepted a salary or taken up
love offerings for myself. It's correct to be fairly
compensated but I, like Paul, simply choose not to.

I am the editor of Mountain Wings and the Air Jesus websites,
and I don’t get any money for that either.

I realized as my eyes were closed that it is Super Hero stuff and
my dream has been realized.

You've got Super Hero stuff too.

Parenting
Volunteering
Helping a stranger or friend in need
Doing anything beneficial

...that takes time, effort, energy or resources and where you
expect no monetary return is Super Herostuff.

Use your powers well.

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The Cold Glass of Water

2007-02-24T02:47:00.001-08:00

from A MountainWings Moment#7051
by Tim McGill, Director of Environmental Service, Walker
Baptist Medical Center, JasperAlabama and Pastor,
Junior High Students, Sumiton Church of God,
Sumiton, Alabama

About four years ago I was a missionary in Honduras. My wife
and three-year-old daughter were with me as we traveled to
remote areas building medical clinics. We accomplished most of
the work during the summer months when school was out in the
States.

At times we would have one group get on an airplane to leave
the country and have another group get off an airplane to start
back on a project. We would assist the new group getting into a
hotel to rest after the long trip and then while they rested, go
back to our little house and do laundry, cut the yard and load up
to head back to the mountains for the next one or two weeks.

It was during one of these between group prep times that I had a
MountainWings Moment.I was running on just a few hours of sleep,
and it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside. My grass was
almost knee high and all I had to cut it with was a line trimmer,
or as we call it, a “weed eater.” However difficult it was, I was
blessed to have the line trimmer. Most of my neighbors used
machetes and a crooked stick to cut their yards.

I had been cutting for some time when I noticed a small boy
leaning on my security fence. It was common for beggars to come
to my fence and even go through my trash looking for something
to eat. I must admit, I had a lot to do and I was ignoring the
little boy. He just kept standing there. He was dirty and wore
only a little pair of tattered shorts. I was covered with cut grass,
hot and had too much to do before getting back out in the field to
be bothered with giving handouts. The group would be waiting.

Finally, I had to take a break, and I walked over to the little
boy and sat down near him. He looked up at me with his dirty
little face and asked “Papa, (Spanish for Father/Priest) may I
have a cup of water.” Immediately Matthew 10:42 came to my
mind.

Here I was, so caught up in missions work, I had forgotten
the mission. I went in, got one of our best glasses (not one of the
usual paper cups reserved for such occasions), and filled it with
ice and water. I took it to the little boy and watched him as he
savored every last drop. He then handed me the glass; and with
a smile as big as his face, he said,“Thank you and God bless you
Father.”

No, I’m not a priest or even Catholic, but he gave me the
highest salutation he could think of.

We continued on with the group that had arrived that day and
numerous others who had come with a heart to help the Honduran
people, but I have never looked at things the same way since
that encounter with the cold glass of water.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †

Hebrews 13:2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some have
entertained angels unawares.

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Prayer: More Is Better

2007-02-24T02:47:00.000-08:00

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Genuine, heartfelt prayer changes things and it changes us.
When we lift our hearts to our Father in heaven, we open
ourselves to a never-ending source of divine wisdom and
infinite love.

Do you have questions that you simply can't answer?
Ask for the guidance of your Father in heaven.
Whatever your need, no matter how great or small,
pray about it.

Instead of waiting for mealtimes or bedtimes, follow
the instruction of your Savior: Pray always and never
lose heart.

And remember: God is not just near; He is here,
and He's ready to talk with you. Now!

from the Ted Brabham newsletter
sign up for it under links

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Billboards

2007-01-22T04:46:00.000-08:00

I know you've all seen them, the billboards that have God telling you something.

I saw this one on a state highway; it said:

"Need marriage counseling? I can help." -God.

Now I'm 18, I've never been engaged or anything like that. But that billboard stayed with me.

I don't need marriage counseling, but what about dating, friends, parents, financial planning? I never really thought about all the ways God and His word can counsel and help me until I saw that billboard; a billboard that on the surface had nothing to do with me.

So, when was the last time you sat down and asked God's help? Try it.

He's a free 24/7 helpline. Your pocketbook and your spirit will thank you for going to God.

Just remember, in all things God answers in His own time, but isn't all therapy like that?

~A Mountain Wings Original #7022

by Brittany Duffy, Norman, OK~

††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††

A VERY smart 18 year old!

C~B~N

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The Right Doctor

2007-01-14T04:46:00.000-08:00

"The doctor will hurt me!"

These were the plaintive words that my young son cried as mywife prepared to take him to the doctor.

It was just a routine checkup.

He remembered the last time. He got shots. The shots hurt.

I couldn't explain to him the benefits of seeing the doctor.He didn't understand bacteria and viruses.

He couldn't see them.

He could only feel the pain and did not see or know the threatof the unseen.

Life is often like that.

We endure painful things to make us stronger. The pain oftenprevents us from going through worse things in the future.

When things are sick in our lives, remember most, if not all,medicine is bitter. The cure usually tastes bad and feels bad,but it will make us better and stop the pain.

So it is with life.

Even the withdrawal from the old things and the people that madeus sick is bitter, but it will make us well.

The right doctor will not hurt you.

This is true in both the physical and the spiritual.

But neither can the doctor heal you, if you do not go.

This is also true in both the physical and the spiritual.

The right doctor will not hurt you, but has sacrificed to save you.

~~A Mountain Wings Original #2217 ~~

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Problems

2007-01-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.

Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention?

Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. Proverbs 20:30

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.

People are like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you?

When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith and this will give you patience. James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.

Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It's likely
that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something...health, money, a relationship... by losing it.

It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws. Psalm 119:71-72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good... Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders.
God is far more interested in your character than your comfort.
Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity.

We can rejoice when we run into problems... they help us learnto be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Romans 5:3-4

Here's the point: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way.

Want to share this? Go to : Mountain Wings

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Bible Prophecy

2007-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

Approximately 100 Million
American Church Members
Have Very Little to No
Understanding of Bible
Prophecy

-by Bill Koenig

Note from Bill:

Today there are approximately 100 million American church members who have very little to no understanding of Bible prophecy.

These church members are from replacement theology churches that don't teach Bible prophecy and who look at prophetic scriptures as allegorical and not literal. {President Bush was taught Replacement Theology}

Consequently, they do not understand the importance of Israel to the God of Israel or God's redemptive plan for Israel and the nations.

(To Read "The Error of Replacement Theology" - By Clarence H. Wagner Jr. Click Here

These church members also have no understanding of the biblical significance of what is transpiring today in Israel, Russia, China, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and in other Middle East nations. They are also not aware of the significance of the formation of the European Union, new ID technologies and much more.

I have shared the biblical significance of our times with some of these people and almost all of them can't process the information mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Many of these people, due to fear or unbelief, do not want to hear more. Sadly, they also have no biblical point of reference in which to start if they had interest.

The good news is those who understand Bible prophecy are fully aware of the significance of Israel, God's time clock, and are watching the times with great interest and expectancy.

Below is a list of the 25 largest churches in America. The churches that are highlighted in bold {C~B~N is adding COLOR since bold is defaulted on this blog} are confirmed replacement theology churches. We are still attempting to confirm a few of the smaller church positions.

The Church

U.S. Membership Denominational Ranking: Largest 25 Denominations/Communions --2004 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches

1. The Roman Catholic Church - 66,407,105
2. Southern Baptist Convention - 16, 427, 736
3. The United Methodist Church - 8,251,042
4. The Church of God in Christ - 5,499,875
5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints -
5,410,544
6. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - 5,038,006
7. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. - 5,000,000
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.-3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - 3,407,329
10. Assemblies of God - 2,687,366
11. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - 2,512,714
12. African Methodist Episcopal Church - 2,500,000
13. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
-2,500,000
14. Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.
-2,500,000
15. The Episcopal Church - 2,333,628
16. Churches of Christ, Corsicana, Texas - 1,500,000
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. - 1,500,000
19. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. - 1,484,291
20. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church - 1,430,795
21. United Church of Christ - 1,330,985
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International - 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, Joplin, Mo.
-1,071,616
24. Jehovah's Witnesses - 1,022,397
25. Church of God, Cleveland, Tenn., - 944,857

~~~~C~B~N's Thoughts~~~~

Baptists ain't perfect, but they at least understand Bible prophecy and don't think it is just an allegorical "thriller".

If you are through sticking your head in the sand and want to know about the "End Times" attend a Baptist church when they are doing one of their "end time" studies. They do them yearly. Especially since they believe we ARE LIVING in the END TIMES today.

Their reasoning for this?

Matthew 24: 32-35 or Mark 13: 28-31

The "fig tree" IS Israel. When she became a nation again, the millenium clock started its final countdown!

This is NOT something to be feared; UNLESS, you are unsaved!

And yes, C~B~N is Southern Baptist, born and raised!

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Is It Balanced?

2007-01-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

It was a simple question that I asked the head of an organization where I sit on the board.

The director called me and wanted to schedule time to go over the new budget for the next year. The association has faced some tough economic issues recently. Tough economic issues are a big fancy way of saying the association had more bills than money.

Do you have tough economic issues?

No matter what the big accountants said; I asked one question."Is it balanced?" That meant, did we plan to spend NO MORE money than we took in or did we plan to spend more money than we took in.

If we spend the same or less than we made, then it was a balanced budget. If we spend MORE than we made, the budget was unbalanced and we would sooner or later run into trouble.

My father put it this way:

"When your outgo exceeds your income
then your upkeep becomes your downfall."

He repeated it to me often so it sunk in.

"Is it balanced?"

I recently had to go over the church's budget and trim it.

The income of the church was up, but expenses were up more.

Cutting expenditures is always painful. It's easy to spend; it's hard to cut back.

Statistics were given at a recent church conference: Over 3,000 churches in America close their doors EACH WEEK mainly because of shortage of money.

"Is it balanced?"

Businesses, churches, governments, and yes YOU have to askyourself, "Is it balanced?"

Am I spending more than I am bringing home? The vast majority really don't know. They have never done a budget. They can't tell you where ALL of their money goes. They can only tell you THAT it goes.

If you answer "Don't Know" or "NO" to "Is it balanced?" then you need a budget that works.

Inspirational? Trust me, you'll feel better if you aren't mired in debt and can pay your bills.

Don't know how to make a budget? There is an excellent budget planning section and worksheets in the book, BedroomTALK at Hit Books

Why is it in "BedroomTALK"? Because money is the number one reason given for divorce and if the money isn't right, the bedroom won't be right.

"Is it balanced?"Make it so.

~A MountainWings Original~

Good advice for us all as we start out a new year!
C~B~N

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The EVE of New Year

2006-12-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

We will hear a barrage of gunfire at midnight tonight.

Clubs will be crowded and bars overloaded.

Times Square will be jammed as they wait for the crystal ball.

The EVE of New Year is an event, but it is also a title and a person.

It’s often said that how you exit one thing determines how you enter another.

The blare of noise and the blaze of fire and smoke, the haze of alcohol or the pop of partying, they are all ways to enter the New Year at midnight.

Some will just sit and watch it on the tube (or the flat screen) and some will be asleep.

I will preach two messages on New Year’s Eve. At 11am Sunday “The EVE of New Year” (it’s NOT what you think) and at approximately 11:30 PM “Get Up Out of The Dust.”

The 11:30PM message is a part of the evening New Year’s Eve service. The service begins at 10PM with singing and testimonies of the congregation from the year. You will hear some interesting stuff.

The sermon will begin at 11:30PM and last 27 minutes.

At 11:57 we will get down on our knees and begin praying as the New Year approaches.

The service will end at approximately 12:15 at which time I will return to the prayer team for the completion of the 3-Day Prayer Vigil.

Mountain Wings

The New Year will find us in church on our knees praying.

If you can’t be in church physically, you are welcome to join us live.

Simply go to Air Jesus and click Listen Live in the upper right hand corner.

11AM Sunday morning and 10PM Sunday night, New Year’s Eve.

The New Year will find us on our knees praying.

How you exit one thing determines how you enter another.

Where will it find you as you enter?

~A MountainWings Original~

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The KING is coming!

2006-11-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

For you "visual" learners out there......

The KING is coming

Thank the Lord for inspiring such creativity and talent!

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Need God?

2006-09-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Need God?

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The Master's Hands

2006-09-11T02:42:00.001-07:00

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to
begin, a mother who had gone to use the facilities returned
to her seat and discovered that her little boy was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the
impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her
little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out
"Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano
master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and
whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit." "Keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left
hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached
around to the other side of the child, and he added a running
obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what
could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully
creative experience.

The audience was so mes merized that they couldn't recall what
else the great master played. Only the classic, " Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star."

Perhaps that's the way it is with G-d. What we can accomplish
on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results
aren't always graceful flowing music. However, with the hand of
the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful. The next time
you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear
the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit.
Keep playing."

May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are
there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, G-d doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He
equips the 'called.'

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than
by the things you acquire, the job you possess, the money you
make, etc.

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Who YOU are

2006-09-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors
in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time.

First she told each of them how they had made a difference to
her and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue
ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am
Makes a Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what
kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave
each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go
out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to
follow up on the results, see who honored whom and report back to
the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby
company and honored him for helping him with his career planning.
He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him
two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project on
recognition, and we'd like you to go out find somebody to
honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue
ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this
acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to
me and tell me what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had
been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his
boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a
creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised.

The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the
blue ribbon and would he give him permis sion to put it on him. His
surprised boss said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue
ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he
gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you do me a favor?
Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring
somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons
is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition
ceremony going and find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him
down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I
was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told
me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative
genius.

Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue
ribbon that says: "Who I Am Makes a Difference," on my jacket
above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to
find somebody else to honor.

As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I
would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to
honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't
pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not
getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a
mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just
let you know that you do make a difference to me.

Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life.
You're a great kid and I love you!" The startled boy started to sob
and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook.
He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "Dad,
earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and
Mom explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to
forgive me.

I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just
didn't think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think
I need it after all." His father walked upstairs and found a
heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain. The envelope was
addressed, "Mom and Dad! ." The boss went back to work
a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to
let all his employees know that they made a difference.

The junior executive helped several other young people with career
planning and never forgot to let them know that they made a
difference in his life...one being the boss's son. And the
young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.

Who you are DOES make a difference.

You never know what kind of difference a
little encouragement can make to a person.

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The Cup of Coffee

2006-09-11T02:41:00.003-07:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together
to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned
into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and
returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups-
porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking,
some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help
themselves to the coffee.

When all the former students had a cup of coffee in hand,
the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking
expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain
and cheap ones.

While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves,
that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the
cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more
expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you
consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each
other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; and the jobs, money and
position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and
contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor
change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the
coffee God has provided us."

God brews the coffee, not the cups..........enjoy your coffee!

~~Author Unknown~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quit worrying about what the "Jones's" have and enjoy what
YOU have instead!

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THE U IN JESUS

2006-09-11T02:41:00.002-07:00

Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son.
And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.

You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.
And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?
The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.

When JesUs left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.
"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all - Just like I love U."

So many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?
It all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know,
But it all starts with U.

~~Author Unknown~~

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The Worry Tree

2006-09-11T02:41:00.001-07:00

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he went in with an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children...

So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is," he smiled," when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

~~Author Unknown~~

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Gathering Golf Balls

2006-09-11T02:41:00.000-07:00

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when
24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar
and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items
in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a
very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with
golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They
agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled
into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the
students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into
the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked
once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an
unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the
table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you
to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are
the important things---God, your family, your children, your health,
your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "
If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no
room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will
never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will
always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked.
"The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life
may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee
with a friend."

~~Author Unknown~~

Good philosophy!

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Hello God

2006-09-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

Hello God, I called tonight
To talk a little while
I need a friend who'll listen
To my anxiety and trial.

You see, I can't quite make it
Through a day just on my own...
I need your love to guide me,
So I'll never feel alone.

I want to ask you please to keep,
My family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
For whatever fate they're bound.

Give me faith, dear God, to face
Each hour throughout the day,
And not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.

I thank you God, for being home
And listening to my call,
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.

Your number, God, is the only one
That answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
Never had to pay a dime.

So thank you, God, for listening
To my troubles and my sorrow.
Good night, God, I love You, too,
And I'll call again tomorrow!

~~Author Unknown~~

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Scandal in the House

2006-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

I like a lot of the Mountain Wings moments that are emailed to me...this one just seemed apropos. Want your own Mountain Wings moments to come to you? Sign up from my link.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ministry has its share of attacks. Often ministers are unfairly and unjustly slandered, maligned and just downright lied upon. Often they are but far too often the accusations are not only true, they don’t even reveal the full depth of the wrongdoings.

We’ve had some major news coverage of ministers on the wrong side of the cloth. The areas of downfall usually fall into one or more of three areas: sex, money and pride.

Sexual misconduct is usually revealed when someone goes on a tell all spree. A simple audit often reveals what is called inpolitically correct terms, “misappropriation of funds.” Stealing is the more truthful word.

Pride is more hidden, can rarely be concretely proven but is just as insidious.

In the wake of a recent media blast someone asked me about a particular minister, “How can they know God and do such things?”

It was a good question. They had built a major ministry.The bigger you are the more accountable you should be because greater is the impact of any negative behavior, but wrongdoing is wrongdoing whether you are the leader of one or thousands.

“No one can know God and do such things,” they insisted.

It is hard to fathom how anyone can truly have a spiritual relationship with the Almighty Creator and yet fall to such depths that even the common man shakes his head in disgust wheneven the partial truth is told.

How indeed?

I simply replied, “Did David know God?”

They were stunted. (And probably stunned, if they knew the story of King David!)

For those who know the story, David, often hailed as the greatest King of Israel, conqueror of Goliath, writer of the book of Psalms, military leader extraordinaire, chosen of God and called by God in the Bible “a man after my own heart,” sinned big time.

He slept with another man’s wife. He then murdered by his command the woman’s honorable husband to hide the resulting pregnancy.

That relationship resulted in Solomon, the wisest king and rebuilder of the temple, Solomon had a woman problem. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (Where did he find the time?)

Sound like a modern day soap opera or movie?

Paul, the major writer of the New Testament said the evil things that he should not do, are the very things that he finds himself doing, and the good things that he should do are the things that he doesn’t do. (Romans 7:19)

What was Paul doing or not doing? He wisely doesn’t say, else we would use Paul’s specific weaknesses to justify ours.

So did David, Solomon and Paul know God?

Absolutely!

The point is we cannot judge. We do not know the true heart. Most of the atrocities of body, resources and spirit will never splash across headlines. They will only color hearts.

Much of the degradation in ministry will remain covered to human eyes and only God will know and can judge the truth.

So it is in ministry. So it is in our lives. When judgment day comes, the heart and actions that God will ask you about, are going to be your own, minister or not.

Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly,“I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”(Mat 7:22-23 NIV)

~A MountainWings Original~

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Them

2006-09-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is what God in his wisdom said about you:

I will send prophets and apostles to them, and they will kill some and persecute the others. And you of this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God's prophets from the creation of the world. (Luke 11:49-50 NLT)

The above verses are Jesus talking to the religious leaders of that day. He was saying that those whom God had sent were persecuted and killed by the established order, by them.

Some of you face the established order now.You have truth in your heart but you know that to speak it or act on it will result in unpleasant consequences. On your job, in your family, in your school or among your friends the truth can set you free but it can also get you fired, friendless, forsaken and frustrated.

It can get you persecuted and in many ways killed.

Some bring truth.

Some hide, suppress, distort and kill truth.

You are either a truth bearer and receiver

or them.

You either go along with things because it is simply easier to do so or you try to make things right.

From the creation of the world there has been truth and them.

I don't know the truth that you struggle with right now. It hides within you but cries out to be heard.

In your group drugs, alcohol, dishonesty, unscrupulous business practices, cheating, cursing, lying, hypocrisy, greed or a host of other things may be the established order.

I speak now to the prophet or apostle of the house.

It's time to let "them" know the truth.

~A MountainWings Original~

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Woman

2006-09-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time.

It says:

"Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because

God counts her tears.

The woman came out of a man's rib.

Not from his feet to be walked on.

Not from his head to be superior,

but from the side to be equal.

Under the arm to be protected,

and next to the heart to be loved."

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Showing Support for Our American Soldiers

2006-09-07T01:11:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool site where you can show your support of our troops.

It is sponsored by the Xerox corporation and they will print out the card of your design and mail it to an American soldier!

Let's say Thanks!

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Choosing your first job

2006-09-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

The Boss

We were discussing life-changing statements. You know, the type of statement that hits home so hard that it changes your thinking, forever steering you on a different path.

Some movies have that quality, some sermons, some people, some moments, and even some MountainWings. They literally drill their way into your spirit. You enter one person and exit another, forever influenced and changed by the encounter.

My mother and I were having dinner with a lawyer. It was not business but a friendly dinner with the lawyer, his wife, and two of their children. He told a personal story about a life-changing statement and its effect that I feel will change the life course of at least one person that reads MountainWings.

This lawyer is the kind of man about whom I would say,"I want my son to turn out like him."He is the kind of man that if I were forced to choose another father I would say, "I would like a father like this man." I have a great respect for this lawyer. He is the reason that I have never used a lawyer joke on MountainWings though lawyer jokes seem to be the most common kind on the net.

His character is one of the best that I have seen among men, and each time I read a lawyer joke, I could never imagine him as that lawyer. As I heard Attorney Bill Merritt speak, I knew that at least one MountainWings reader would be affected by what he said, possibly for life. Maybe it's you.

Attorney Merritt began to tell the tale:

I had a professor in business school that, like a marine drill
sergeant, constantly drilled one thing into us. I didn't think it was that significant at the time but the drilling was so constant that when I graduated I automatically followed his advice (or drilling, whichever you want to call it).

It's amazing what repetition will do. We were all eager students, ready to conquer the world, ambitious, motivated, smart, loaded with dreams, and impatient to make our mark in the world.

The instructor's constant repetition was, "When you leave this school and look for a job, don't choose your job based on the salary.

Don't choose your job based on the city.

Don't choose your job based on the benefits or the prestige of the company.

Choose your first job on one criterion and one criterion only.

Choose it based on the character of your boss.

"I thought that was a strange thing. Not only strange but also difficult to determine. I trusted my instructor and his voice wouldn't leave my head, so his advice ultimately guided my job search.

I ended up out in the middle of nowhere working for a diesel engine manufacturing company in the Midwest, Cummins Engine.
My boss was the CEO, Henry Schacht. I didn't realize it until years after I started my own law firm that how I handled my business was exactly the way Schacht handled things.

I related to my secretary, to the other partners, to the paralegals, even to the clean-up crew, in the exact way that Henry Schacht did. We called his quotes and ways, Shockisms.

I remember most vividly a meeting held by Schacht.
The CEO's of some major Fortune 500 companies were there.
Most had flown in on private jets. You've read about those types of jets.
Multi-million dollar chariots with private bathrooms, couches, bars, large screen TV's, stereos, bedrooms, telephones, gourmet meals, you name it and they have it. Most have never seen the inside of such luxury jets much less flown in them.

These were the air cars these men flew in on. There were eight or nine of some of the most powerful men in America around that table. Henry Schacht sat at the head. I was awed and somewhat humbled being in the presence of such power, success, and wealth. These companies were blue chip all the way and here I was in the midst of them.

In the middle of the meeting, Schacht suddenly looked at his watch and said, "it's 4 o'clock, it's time for my son's soccer game," and he got up, excused himself, and left.

I saw the jaws drop of every CEO at that table. I could hear them thinking-"The nerve of this man to leave such an important meeting because his son has a soccer game. Doesn't he realize how many thousands of dollars per hour it costs just for my plane to fly me here? Doesn't he know how much my time is worth? All for a soccer game?"

Henry Schacht never missed a game that his son played. Henry Schacht had his priorities in order.

I now understand the wisdom of my instructor. What seemed so silly at the time, as I look back at it, makes so much sense. My first boss influenced me to a degree that I would have never thought possible. I act so much like him, that I now see why the instructor insisted that we choose our first full-time job based on the character of the boss.

That was Attorney Bill Merritt's story. We were at his house because he wanted his children to meet my mother. My mother wanted his children to meet me. The point is we were there because Attorney Merritt wanted his children to meet someone that he felt would add positive influence in their lives. His children are doing great. Of the two present at the dinner, one had just graduated from Princeton and the other is a sophomore at Princeton, majoring in aerospace engineering.

Both had a peace and maturity of spirit that far exceeded youth of their age and most older adults.

Do you know what it felt like? It felt like the children of a father that hadn't missed any soccer games, no matter what the cost.

The first boss's influence went beyond the boardroom.

For the student or person that has yet to enter their first career full-time job, this MountainWings may be for you. It's not something that you are generally taught, especially with the tight job market.

Maybe you don't need to think of leaving school and getting the
first job that you can. Maybe you need to think of school as making you really ready to learn and be shaped, like soft putty.

Maybe your first boss is the main sculpturer.

Be careful whom you allow to shape you.

Henry Schacht is now Chairman of Lucent Technologies.

I am willing to bet that he still has his priorities in order.
I am willing to bet that he still knows the true cost of a
missed game and that it is too high of a price to pay.

~A MountainWings Original~

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Summertime

2006-07-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't added anything new recently. I'm in the process of getting ready to move at some point this summer....gasoline has just become to expensive! It is costing me nearly a third of my wages just to get to work and back each day!

I'm also enjoying the company of my son who graduated high school this year and is preparing for his next adventure in life.....without ME!!!

I promise to get busy again soon....thanks for checking in!

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For Paul , I like your site a lot and when I have the extra $moolah, I will get your book. It looks like an interesting read! For those who are interested in the strife in the Middle East and the end times check out Paul's site
and blog at: Land of Canaan and Land of Canaan blogspot

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The SIX Times The Devil Is Most Likely To Attack

2006-06-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

1. When you are physically tired.

2. Whenever you face a major decision regarding your assignment in life.

3. Whenever you are birthing a child that is destined to become a spiritual leader.

4. When a specific miracle is on its way to you.

5. When you make an effort to launch a new ministry for God.

6. When you are next in line for a promotion from God.

~A MountainWings Original as "Taught by Bishop Dale
C. Bronner from principles inspired by
Dr. Mike Murdock"

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I know we need to constantly be in prayer for our pastors who need that protective hedge around them; but I had never really given thought about other times when satan would step up his attacks.

It's kind of nice to know so you can better prepare and PRAY!

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Our Intentions are Important To God

2006-06-02T17:47:00.002-07:00

Proverbs 21:2
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."

The world sees you as you appear to be; God sees you as you really are. . .

He sees your heart and He understands your intentions.

The opinions that others may have of you are relatively unimportant; God's view of you, however, is vitally important.

Your challenge, of course, is to concern yourself with God's opinion of your thoughts, your motivations, and your actions.

Few things in life are more futile than "keeping up appearances" for the sake of our neighbors.

What is important, of course, is pleasing our Father in heaven.

We do so when our intentions are pure and our actions are just.

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"The Courage To Risk Failure"

Proverbs 29:25
"The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe."

As we consider the uncertainties of the future, we are confronted with a powerful temptation: The temptation to "play it safe."

Unwilling to move mountains, we fret over molehills. Unwilling to entertain great hopes for the tomorrow, we focus on the unfairness of the today. Unwilling to trust God completely, we take timid half-steps when God intends that we make giant leaps.

Today, ask God for the courage to step beyond the boundaries of your doubts. Ask Him to guide you to a place where you can realize your full potential -- a place where you are freed from the fear of failure.

Ask Him to do His part, and promise Him that you will do your part.

Don't ask Him to lead you to a "safe" place; ask Him to lead you to the "right" place. . . and remember: Those two places are seldom the same!
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Both are from Ted Brabham's newsletter. I just love Ted's devotionals. See his link and subscribe yourself! You won't regret it!

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Fear is the beginning of wisdom....

2006-06-02T17:47:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago, as assistant manager at a store, I was sent to the bank to deliver a deposit.On my route there I spotted a yard sale. To my surprise there sat something I had been looking for.

Against my better judgment, I decided to stop. After all, I could lock the bag up in the car and be safe. This I did. I got out, shut my door, then... I heard the buzzer still buzzing. Just as the door tightly shut I realized what that buzzing sound meant.

That's right; the keys were still in the ignition. Now what to do? This was not very responsible on my part. The sickly feeling turned my nervous stomach at the thought of having to call the manager and explain what had happened. The fear that engulfed me was awful. She would be so upset with me. I probably would lose my job.

Mostly it was the fear. I borrowed a phone, made the call to her and got someone on the way to open the door. Standing beside my car waiting, the Lord spoke something so clear to me that day.

He said,"Do you fear Me like you do man?"

from Mountain Wings #6153

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This one just spoke volumes to me. We don't fear the Lord, His power, His awesomeness like we should.

Mountain Wings have a lot of wonderful "stories" like this one. Be sure to visit!

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Sin and the Rainbow

2006-06-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

from Agape Press
by Rev. Mark H. Creech

John Daniel Jones, once the great minister of the Richmond Hill Congregational Church in Bournemouth, England, put it this way:

"[T]hat dark and gloomy and threatening cloud of sin is still in our sky -- a cloud full of lightnings and thunders and bodeful of storm and tempest. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none that doeth good, no not one. We are all of us shut up under the law of sin and death. But, thank God, I can see his bow in the cloud!

... When people tell us there is no cloud big with storm and tempest above our heads, when they try to persuade us that sin is a mere bogey -- it is at our peril we believe them. The cloud is there, sin exists. We have only to look in our own hearts to know that it exists. And sin is no light thing -- it is a terrible thing, an awful thing, a deadly thing.

All the world is guilty before God. And God hates sin and is sworn to punish it. But if I had to leave it there, it would be a heartbreaking tale I had to tell. For it would be a message of doom and woe. But I have not to leave it there.

God hates sin -- but he loves the sinner .... And his love falling on the black cloud of our sins creates the beautiful rainbow of mercy .... What God did in the wealth of His love in view of human sin was to give His only begotten Son, and as a result of what Jesus did on the Cross, mercy is made possible for every sinner.

Christ crucified is the rainbow.

The threatening and menacing cloud is in the sky of every one of us.

Have we all seen the rainbow?"

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Da 'Da Vinci Code' Illusion

2006-06-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

Both from Agape Press

by Bill Fancher

It has been learned that a Muslim provided most of the funding for the making of The Da Vinci Code {I'm sure this won't change anyone's mind however...}, which opens in U.S. theaters today (May 19). That revelation has added to the anger of some religious leaders who have criticized the movie for its anti-Christian content.

Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council was surprised when he was informed that a Muslim's financial support made the film possible. "It is enormously disappointing to know that a Muslim is behind the funding of this film," says Schenck.

According to the Christian activist, this demonstrates the double-standard by which Islam operates. "Islamic leaders would never tolerate in any form a Christian attack on Islam," {Remember the Danish cartoons? !!} he says, "and yet here we have a report now of Muslim financial backing for what is nothing more than a scurrilous attack on the faith of Christians." {This is because they fear Christianity....they know, this is one religion, through LOVE that can change the world.}

Schenck says studio producing the movie owes American an explanation. "Sony Pictures owes it to the public to come forward with that information and [explain{nation}] why they would accept a Muslim attack against Christianity when I am sure they would never do it the other way around," he says.

According to Internet Movie Database, the two-and-a-half-hour movie cost an estimated $125 million to make.

by Chad Groening

...A conservative media watchdog organization says the mainstream media have been using yet another double-standard in their coverage of a new film that defames Christianity.

Michael Chapman of the Media Research Center (MRC) says while the mainstream press have been virtually frothing at the mouth in anticipation of today's release of The Da Vinci Code -- director Ron Howard's new movie based on the eponymous novel by Dan Brown -- hardly anyone in the media has been asking Howard or any of the other people behind the film any hard questions, as many reporters did leading up to the release of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

But the MRC spokesman believes it is no secret why the media is giving The Da Vinci Code a pass. It is doubtful the media would tolerate a film that defames Islam, Chapman asserts, but apparently trashing Jesus Christ is okay.

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Truly, is ANYONE surprised by this???? We ought not be....mainstream media has not been objective on ANY subject for the last 40 years. They have an agenda and by satan they are sticking to it......

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Outreach to Homosexuals

2006-04-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

It is right for the church to take a stand for sexual morality. The church should be taking stands on all controversial things that go against the written word of God. This sinful world needs to hear the truth...no matter how "difficult" it is.

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Church Takes Stand for Sexual Morality
from Agape Press
by Randall Murphree

First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, is taking a pro-active step to reach the homosexual community with the truth of the gospel. On Saturday, May 6, the church is hosting a one-day conference titled "More Than Words" (MTW). The conference is an event that features Tim Wilkins, founder of Cross Ministry in 1996 and creator of the MTW conference.

Wilkins himself left the homosexual lifestyle more than 20 years ago, so he is able to empathize with those who are trapped in homosexuality and feel there is no hope. Wilkins, his wife and three daughters live in North Carolina where Cross Ministry is based in Wake Forest.

"No one has ever been argued out of homosexuality," said Wilkins. The focus of MTW is on building bridges to the homosexual community, offering hope and help for those who wish to leave the lifestyle. Wilkins said MTW wants to walk (versus talk) people out of homosexuality.

"People do not consciously choose to be attracted to the same sex," Wilkins said. "One of life's mysteries is that we don't get to choose what we are tempted by."

But Wilkins does make the distinction that acting on those attractions is a conscious choice and is sin, just as adultery is a sin.

LifeWay Christian Resources, an arm of the SBC, has created 'The Way Out', a highly-identifiable name for this area of ministry. Some Southern Baptist seminaries have begun to recognize the need to specifically address this issue in training its students.

"Homosexuality crosses denominational lines and so does Cross Ministry," Wilkins said.

Conference topics include: If a Friend Says "I'm gay"; Loving and Reaching the Gay Community; "What's a Parent to Do?"; Untwisting "Gay Theology"; "They didn't teach me this in Seminary!" and The Church: "Walking by Faith, not by Fright."

Don Schmierer, author of "An Ounce of Prevention: Preventing the Homosexual Condition in Today's Youth", will also speak at the Dallas event. His book is the first ever dealing specifically with prevention. Schmierer speaks extensively around the world and has been involved in interpersonal ministry for more than 20 years.

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Recycled Sunday School Literature

2006-04-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful idea! Our church does this but I had never really inquired why they did so....now I understand!
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Into Recycling? Don't Toss Those Old Sunday School Lessons
from Agape Press
By Allie Martin

An Alabama ministry is playing a pivotal role when it comes to spreading God's written Word worldwide.

More than ten years ago, Edwin Hodges -- a retired Southern Baptist pastor -- believed God was calling him to help Christians outside of the United States who needed Christian literature. He founded Edwin L. Hodges Ministries to provide Bibles and other Christian literature to churches, seminaries, and Bible schools worldwide. Since its founding, the ministry has shipped more than six-and-a-half-million pounds of Bibles, literature, books, tapes, and study materials to help pastors and laypeople teach and disciple fellow believers.

"Americans are a little bit on the strange side, in my opinion -- we put a date on something, the date passes, and we just automatically assume this is no good," he shares. "Now you wouldn't through away a Bible because it's old; so you shouldn't through away this because it's got an old date on it. The truth is still the truth."

Studies show that 80 percent of Christian believers outside of the U.S. have no Christian literature available to them. And that's where Edwin L. Hodges Ministries comes in.

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Public School Exit Strategy--A true "No Child Left Behind"

2006-04-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

SBC Urges the denomination to remove its children from public schools.
from Agape Press
by Rusty Pugh and Jenni Parker

The Southern Baptist Convention is again urging the denomination to devise a resolution calling for an "exit strategy" from public schools. This resolution is co-sponsored by Texas lawyer Bruce Shortt and SBC Executive Committee member Roger Moran.

The proposal asserts that recent federal court rulings have favored public schools "indoctrinating children with dogmatic Darwinism" and have limited parents' rights regarding what their children are taught, including what schools teach them on matters of sexuality.

Shortt asserts "As Christians, we are called to give our children a Christian education, not just some of the time but all of the time," he noted, "and the public schools have become, increasingly over the years, more and more antagonistic to Christianity."

Shortt believes it is naïve for Christians

to think of their children as

missionaries in public schools.

"The schools are aggressively

developing bad character,"

he told AP. "Contrary to what a lot

of the more 'Pollyanna-ish' parts

of our leadership would think,

our children are not evangelizing

in the schools; the schools are

evangelizing them out of

Christianity."

Dr. Rick Scarborough, Founder of Vision America and a leading SBC grassroots activist is among those who strongly endorse the resolution and see it as urgently needed, as is evangelist and Bible teacher Dr. Voddie Baucham.

Scarborough contends that public schools have long ceased to serve as a positive reinforcer of traditional values and today "are not even neutral on many crucial issues which are important to people of faith." He says public education has unfortunately been "hijacked by people who reject Biblical teachings on man's origin, the proper role of sex, and the acceptability of homosexuality."

And Dr. Voddie Baucham, another outspoken proponent of an exodus from public schools, says he endorses the Shortt-Moran resolution in part because he knows "what it's like to be a poor kid trapped in underperforming schools." As a child being raised by a single parent in the inner city, he says, "I had no choice but to accept the inferior education my schools offered -- not to mention the drugs, sex, and violence that were all part of the package."

Government schools have not only

failed children academically, the evangelist

points out, but they are also "destroying

our children spiritually and morally." That is why he maintains that the SBC must come up with a comprehensive plan to create a new system of Baptist education that is open to everyone.

...it also urges SBC agencies to assist churches as they develop workable public school exit strategies and to give particular attention to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged.

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I have expressed this in my Sunday School class over and over again; where many of us are educators. But I have yet to convince anyone of the seriousness of this issue.

Too many believe our Christian children and teachers are the only lights these non-believers will see.

They are wrong. These Christian lights will still be seen in and around the community. No Christians I know of completely isolate themselves from the activities of the world.

But it has been my contention that we render to caesar what is caesar's and render to God what is God's. My child belongs to God. Therefore, he needs to be nurtured and sheltered, yes, sheltered until he is strong enough with God's armour to go out into a hostile world and be an unflickering light.

I don't know any Kindergarteners who can do this.....I know very few High School Seniors who can yet do this. They are not ready; they are not mature enough in their reasoning to explain why homosexuality is a sin according to God's word. They sure are not ready to take on an authority figure such as a teacher or professor and contradict her/him!

With research proving our young people are being influenced by liberal educators in college to LEAVE their FAITH; then we need to step back and determine what WE can do to stop this.

"...by the end of their freshman year in college, between 75 and 88 percent have left the church." Agape Press

"After they graduate from high school or move away from home, just two out of five teens contend it is 'very likely' that they will attend a Christian church on a regular basis, and another two out of five say it is 'somewhat likely.'' Agape Press

"...the recent federal court decision to bar the teaching of theory of intelligent design in the Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania is yet another reason why parents should get their kids out of public schools. Columnist Cal Thomas says the ruling should awaken religious conservatives to the futility of trying to make a secular state reflect their beliefs."

"...many parents who would never send their kids to a Sunday school that teaches false doctrine are content to place those same kids in state schools five days a week where they are taught doctrines and ideas in conflict with their faith." Agape Press

"...One of the great tragedies of American Christianity has been the near universal failure of its leaders to boldly proclaim the inherent dangers lurking within America's government-owned and controlled schools..." Agape Press

"The mission field is not just overseas; it is right here. And this mission effort requires a more serious commitment than just handling out tracts or sharing a testimony.

God will, however, hold us accountable for our stewardship of our children."
Dr. Voddie Baucham

Educating our children in a Christian

environment for 12 years

is one thing WE CAN DO!

We need to do it before it is

too late.......

c~b~n

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Do Not Go Empty-Handed

2006-04-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

Ruth 3:17, "And she said, These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'"

Recently the Barna Research Group announced its findings that the evangelicals in the United States is only about 6 percent (decreasing from 12 percent in 1992). An earlier study indicated that as many as 40 percent of Americans have no religious affiliation and another 31 percent are Christians in name only. That means that at least 71 percent of the U.S. population are living in spiritual poverty.

It's obvious we have a vast mission field right in our own backyard. As we send and support missionaries overseas, are we overlooking those in spiritual need nearby?

Many people in Israel lived in physical poverty, and Boaz was known for his generosity. But in his concern for those elsewhere, he didn't overlook those in need in his own backyard. One of those was his own kinswoman, Naomi. As Ruth prepared to go home from her labors in the field, he gave her six ephahs (approximately five bushels) of barley to take home to her mother-in-law. Out of the compassion of his heart, he was burdened that the young Moabitess who gleaned in his fields not go home empty-handed.

Spiritually needy people are everywhere. The majority of Christians, however, are neither able nor called to leave their occupations and homes to serve on foreign mission fields. But that doesn't mean that our neighbors must go home empty-handed.

All around us are people living well below the "spiritual poverty line." Next door, around the corner or in the apartment across the hall are men, women and children who need to know about the Savior. The fields are there, and they're ready for harvest.

Make sure your friends and neighbors don't go home empty-handed. Be alert to opportunities to pass on the Bread of Life. Prayerfully ask God to lead you to someone with whom you can share your spiritual bounty.

And then be like Boaz: give away what your friends need most.

"IF YOU ARE CONTENT TO GO TO HEAVEN ALONE, YOU MAY NOT BE GOING AT ALL!"

Think about it!

May God bless each of you.

from the Ted Brabham newsletter. Sign up here: Ted Brabham Website

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Teen Age Rebellion

2006-04-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

from Agape Press

...Researchers are reporting a different kind of teen-age rebellion.

At a Washington news conference, Harvard University lecturer David King pointed to Gallup Polls that find today's high school students more likely to attend church than their parents.

He says that is the first time that has happened in nearly 70 years of polling. King says Gallup also has found that high school students are attending church services at the highest rate since the 1950s. But back then, he says, parents were making them go.

A new national poll by Harvard's Institute of Politics finds 70 percent of America's college students believe that religion is "somewhat important" or "very important" in their lives.

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"...I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions." Joel 2:28

To prepare the young people for this....they need to be in church learning God's Holy Word! It appears, they are!

"Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" Revelation 22:20

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Pro Football Team Promotes 'Faith Nights'

2006-04-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

Dons Bible Verses
from Agape Press
by Jim Brown and Jody Brown

{What a GREAT idea! I would attend this if it were offered in my area! I quit games awhile back because of the unfriendly, unfamily, language you cannot help overhearing.....}

An arena football team in Birmingham, Alabama, will be sporting Bible-themed jerseys in an upcoming game.

The Birmingham Steeldogs will be wearing Christian throwback jerseys during the May 5 game against the Louisville Fire. Both teams are members of the 23-team Arena Football League. The jerseys worn by Steeldogs players that evening will display the name "Samson" on the front -- a reference to the Bible hero with incredible physical strength. On the back, players' names will be replaced by a book of the Bible, and players' numbers will correspond with a specific chapter and verse of that book.

In addition, free Bibles will distributed at the gate, and the Christian rock group Audio Adrenaline will perform in a pre-game concert. It is all part of the first of three "Barber's Dairy Faith Nights." Steeldogs' managing partner Scott Myers helped come up with the promotion.

"There's a number of goals that are involved in it," Myers explains. "We wanted to do something that was a unique way to share with our fans, to reach out to the community, just to do something different as an opportunity to share and to be a part of a great event."

Myers believes the promotion is a unique way to share a Christian message with fans. "We're having new jerseys made under our exact specifications of our normal jerseys, so they'll look the same," he says -- except for the team name, player name, and number, of course. "They'll just read a little differently."

In an interview with WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Myers explained that the Steeldogs organization has a long history of reaching out to local churches and youth groups and getting them involved. "With our team wearing these jerseys," he said, "it will help us further those efforts as well as allow us to present an uplifting message of faith to our fans."

Myers says Steeldogs coaches fully supported the decision to wear Bible-themed jerseys even though it was made before the team's final roster was set. The jerseys are made by the Christian Throwback Jersey Company of Birmingham.

The Birmingham football organization will host two more "Barber's Dairy Faith Nights" this summer. Christian artist Aaron Shust will perform before their game with the Florida Firecats on June 24. And on July 29, Warren Barfield will kick off the festivities before the Steeldogs take the field against the Tennessee Valley Vipers. According to WSFA-TV, "VeggieTale" characters Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato will also make an appearance at the July game.

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In Rejecting Christianity

2006-04-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

Will Society Re-Define Marriage?
from Agape Press

In June, the U.S. Senate will be voting on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being only between one man and one woman. In November at least a half-dozen states will be voting to put into their constitutions that same definition -- marriage can only be between one man and one woman.

Believe it or not, there are actually high-level officials in many denominations who are supporting the change to allow two men or two women to be married. Have they not read the Bible? Of course they have read it. They simply don't believe it. They believe their way is better. By the way, it is the money supplied by the local church which keeps these officials supplied with funds to continue their efforts. Many church members would be horrified to learn that their offerings go to these leaders who want to destroy marriage as God has defined it.

Let us suppose for a moment that homosexual marriage does become legal. It is closer to becoming a reality than many believe. The world is changing around us, and we go merrily on our way pretending that such a change will not affect us or our children. "Doesn't affect me. I don't want to marry someone of my sex, but I don't care if someone else wants to marry a person of the same sex. If two people are in love, they should be allowed to marry." So goes the thinking. The problem is that that thinking doesn't go far enough.

If two people of the same sex can marry, then why can't three people of the same sex be legally married? Or four? Or two men and three women? Or any combination you desire to choose? Why can't a man who loves his daughter marry her? If you allow two men to be married, then you have no reason to forbid any couples or groups from being married.

All of this, of course, goes back to the standard on which a person (or a nation) chooses to base the concept of good and evil, right and wrong. There is truth, and there is relativism. Truth is constant. Relativism is something subject to change as the latest fad comes along.

Our society has a new definition of God and love. In the past we saw truth in the definition that God is love. For centuries we have operated on that basis. But now, not satisfied with the restrictions that old definition imposes on us, we have turned the wording around. No longer is God love, but now love is god.

There is a world of difference in those two definitions. Our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, depends on which we believe.

by Dr. Donald E. Wildmon

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The Brownies

2006-04-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

A Little Leaven...
by David Kirkwood

Some years ago when I was a pastor, I walked into my church office after a Sunday morning service to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous saint who knew my love for chocolate had placed them there, along with a piece of paper that had a short story written on it. I immediately sat down and began eating the first brownie as I read the following story:

Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen. After reading some reviews about the movie on the internet, he denied their request.

"Aw Dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!" Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality, which is something that God hates, as being normal and acceptable behavior."

"But Dad, those are just very small parts of the movie! That's what our friends who've seen it have told us. The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film! It's based on a true story, and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice. Even the Christian movie review websites say that!"

"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection. But you will not go and watch that film. End of discussion."

The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch. As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other, "Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies. Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all."

About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some connection to the brownies I was eating and the brownies in the story. I kept reading...

The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm brownies which he offered to his kids. They each took one.

Then their father said,
"Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much." The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances. Dad was softening. "That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic flour. The best free-range eggs. The best organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."

The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens began to become a little impatient with their dad's long speech. "But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies. The amount of the portion is practically insignificant. So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think."

"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery Ingredient is before we eat?"

"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a teaspoonful. You won't even taste it."

"Come on, Dad, just tell us what that ingredient is."

"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."

"Dad!"

"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is organic...dog poop."

I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk. I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that still remained.

Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. "DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by making us smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour, and now you tell us that you added dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"

"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"

"No, Dad...NEVER!"

"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies? We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it?

I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire untouched third brownie. What had been irresistible a minute ago had become detestable. And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely it wasn't...but I couldn't convince myself.)

What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from their homes. Sin is like leaven-a little bit leavens the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6).

Jesus, "our Passover" (1 Cor. 5:7), and sin, don't mix.

Help us, Lord, to "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).

Hate evil, you who love the Lord (Ps. 97:10).

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13).

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Read more of David's work at Shepherd Serve

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Smart teacher

2006-04-01T05:00:00.001-08:00

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class taught by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry in the past. Then he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, but was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat down, thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.

A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" (Matthew 25:40)

No other words were necessary...the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ.

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The Son

2006-04-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much.. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

JOHN 3:16 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...

THAT'S LOVE !

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Christian Chat Room for Teens

2006-03-28T00:24:00.000-08:00

Need a safe environment for your teenager to chat in? This is a Christian chatroom that is monitored. It was in a recent Agape Press newsletter.

Ditty Talk, Chatroom for Christian Teens

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God Works In The Ordinary

2006-03-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

by Ted Brabham

Hebrews 13:5
"He (God) Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.' "

A devout Christian heard an urgent news report on his radio that a flash flood was within minutes of entering the peaceful valley where he lived. Immediately he went to his knees and prayed for safety. The words were still on his lips when he became aware that water was gushing under his door. He retreated to the second floor and finally onto the roof of his house.

While he sat on the roof, a helicopter flew by and the pilot asked over the loudspeaker if they could lift him off. "It's not necessary since I have the Lord's protection," he replied.

Moments later the house began to break up and he found himself clinging to a tree. A police boat, braving the waters, approached him for rescue, but he assured them that the Lord would save him. Finally, the tree gave way and the man went to his death.

Standing before the Lord, he asked, "Lord, I'm glad to be here, but why didn't You answer my prayer for safety?"

The Lord responded, "Son, I told you over the radio to get out of there. . .then I sent you a helicopter and a motor boat!"

Nowhere in the Bible are we given the idea that God only works only in the extraordinary. Much of the time He supernaturally works through His created order. Many people think God is present only when there is a miracle and that He leads only through signs and wonders.

There are people who ALWAYS look for a sign. They walk by sight, not by faith. To them, God is only present in the miraculous. God was "really" at the church service if something unusual happened. Many desire and look for "visitations" from God.

But how does that square with God's omnipresence and the fact that He will never leave us or forsake us? Isn't God at EVERY church service? Since God created the fixed order of the universe, would you expect Him to work primarily within that fixed order or outside of it? If God gave us a watch, would we be honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?

PRAYER:

Lord, forgive me for looking for signs when I only need to trust Your Word and live by Your promises.

God bless you all!
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I just love Ted's weekly devotionals! I often receive a new perspective on the scripture.
Visit Ted's website at the provided link~~you can hear his beautiful music here.

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In today's world, is marriage still relevant?

2006-03-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

by Rabbi Aron Moss from Chabad.org
Rabbi Moss teaches Kabbalah, Talmud and practical Judaism in Sydney, Australia.

Unlike a hundred years ago, a couple today can live together without getting married. What are they missing?

Marriage is more relevant today than ever before in history. Marriage used to be a given. Now it is a choice. All the old arguments for marriage have fallen away, and we are left with only one true reason to get married. We can finally get married for the right reason.

What were once good reasons to get married are largely irrelevant today. Here are four classic reasons to get married:

1. So we can live together. As you pointed out in your question, this reason no longer applies to the many couples who live happily together without getting married.

2. So we can have children. Again, it is possible to have children and be wonderful parents without getting married.

3. To make a solid commitment. That's a charming one. We are getting married to make it harder to walk away from each other. How romantic.

4. To make our relationship official. You could achieve that by placing an announcement in the newspaper saying, "We are now official." You don't need a caterer to serve gazpacho soup in a ballroom just to make it official.

So what are we left with? If not to live together, to start a family, to make a commitment or to make it official, why get married?

There's only one reason.

Marriage makes a relationship divine. Getting married means that something bigger than both of you is bringing you together. A wedding achieves something that simply can't happen otherwise -- G-d is introduced into the relationship.

Until they are married, a couple's commitment to each other is a human commitment, with all the limitations of being human. We can't see the future, we can't know what may change and what may eventuate, and we make mistakes. The chuppah elevates the commitment beyond human limitations. The blessings made under the chuppah invoke G-d's name upon the couple, and bring G-d into the union as a partner. You are married not just because you chose to be, but because G-d has said so.

Without a chuppah you can have love, commitment and family -- but it isn't holy. Only by standing under a chuppah and marrying according to tradition does your union become sacred. Only after the wedding is your love blessed with the divine imprint of eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~More~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Social Scientist: Biblical Marriage Matters,

Freedom Depends on the Family
By Mary Rettig

from Agape Press

A sociologist and writer says America cannot afford to say no to traditional marriage. Brad Wilcox, co-author of The Meaning of Marriage: Family, State, Market, and Morals (Spence Publishing, 2006), believes how U.S. society defines marriage can affect everything from the nation's economy to its citizens' individual rights.

Wilcox, a sociologist from the University of Virginia, is encouraged to note that 19 U.S. states have adopted pro-traditional marriage amendments to their state constitutions, and nine more states will vote on similar issues this November. He says marriage relates to every aspect of a nation's life, whether social, economic, or political.

"We know that the success of marriage has a lot to do with how children turn out and has to do with things like criminal activity, teenage pregnancy and child poverty," Wilcox observes, "so if we're concerned about things like crime rates, teenage girls getting pregnant, and kids living in poverty, then we should be concerned about the health and the strength of marriage."

The sociology expert says strong families directly correspond to a strong economy, low crime, and low government interference. On the other hand, he asserts, weak families result in a weak economy, high crime, and other social problems that result in a welfare state and undermine a Republic form of government. Hence, failing to keep American families strong will be detrimental in several ways, he insists.

"Our liberties and our freedoms depend in a large part on our capacity to govern ourselves," Wilcox notes. "If people cannot govern themselves -- if families cannot govern themselves -- the government has to step in to take up the slack," he says.

"Our tradition in the United States has been to stress the limited character of government, the limited nature of government, and to really emphasize the importance of individual liberty and freedom," the author asserts. But as families break down, he continues, government grows and endangers America's representative form of government as well as the freedoms and opportunities that her citizens have come to associate with the American way of life.

That is why traditional marriage must be upheld, Wilcox insists. When marriages fail, the sociologist explains, people are more likely to fall into poverty, whether through divorce or illegitimacy. And when that happens, he says, the state often ends up having to pick up the tab through welfare programs, and American independence and liberty are undermined.

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Cheerful Christianity & Troubling God With The Small Stuff

2006-03-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

by Ted Brabham
{If you are not subscribe to Ted's newsletter but would like to: Ted Brabham's Music Ministry and Newsletter ~~your life will be blessed!

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"The cheerful heart has a continual feast"
Proverbs 15:15

Few things in life are more sad, or, for that matter, more absurd, than a grumpy Christian. Christ promises us lives of abundance and joy, but He does not force His joy upon us. We must claim His joy for ourselves, and when we do, Jesus, in turn, fills our spirits with His power and His love.

How can we receive from Christ the joy that is rightfully ours? By giving Him what is rightfully His: our hearts and our souls. When we earnestly commit ourselves to the Savior of mankind, when we place Jesus at the center of our lives and trust Him as our personal Savior, He transforms us, not just for today, but for all eternity. Then, we, as God's children, can share Christ's joy and His message with a world that desperately needs both.

The people I have seen succeed best in life have always been cheerful and hopeful people who went about their business with a smile on their faces.

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Troubling God With The Small Stuff

In the late 1990's, Richard Carlson, Ph.D., sought to sooth the nerves of an overworked, over stimulated, even overwhelmed society with his book, "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. . ." and it's all small stuff. An expert in happiness and stress-reduction, Carlson's sage advice was well timed. His book became the number one best-seller in America for two consecutive years, a feat never before achieved in publishing.

Carlson went on to create a series of "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff. . . " resources -- something for pretty much everybody: men, women, couples, families, teens, people at work. (As of January 2006, I see there's even a day to day calendar for the new year.)

NO PROJECT TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL

With chapter titles such as "Develop Your Compassion," "Practice Humility," and "Remember that Everything Has God's Fingerprints on It," it's easy to find similarities between Carlson's "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" advice and biblical principles.

That got me thinking: How often do I pray to God about "the small stuff"?

I know the Bible tells us to cast all our cares, all our anxieties on God, (1 Peter 5:7) but do I really need to trouble Him with a minor disagreement I had with a friend, or when I'm a little stressed during a hectic day? I can handle that just fine. God's got more important matters to attend to -- doesn't He?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6)

As humans go, it's easy to forget that God isn't limited intellectually or constrained by time and space as we are. Put another way, our earthly minds are not able to fully comprehend God's power, grace and wisdom.

The truth is God wants us to "trouble" Him -- trust Him -- with every aspect of our daily lives. Nothing is too big or too small. Just as a loving parent wants to get involved when his children ask for help, so does God. It's no trouble at all.

Solomon explains that we must acknowledge God in all our ways so we can receive His guidance. That means turning every area of life over to God. Make Him a vital part of everything you do!

WHAT'S THE CATCH?

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. (Jesus in John 16:23)

No doubt, there are times when God helps you without your needing to ask, but He wants to be invited in. He wants your fellowship. And no area of your life is trivial to God. He wants to bless your work and all the routine tasks and issues you deal with day to day.

Through Jesus we are able to seek God's grace. However, it's important to understand that asking for help in Jesus' name means that the request agrees with God's character and will. We're not granted endless wishes to fulfill selfish desires. In fact, if we truly follow God and seek to do His will, then our requests for help will be in line with what He wants for us.

YOUR MOST IMPORTANT HABIT

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. (David in Psalm 28:7)

Prayer keeps us in communion with God. It's also the most powerful resource we have, whether we're facing adversity, or just taking care of the small stuff.

Does pride keep you from asking God for help? Or do your daily tasks seem too insignificant to warrant the request? Maybe it simply didn't occur to you that you could and should ask God for help! Whatever the case, I encourage you to make a habit of taking prayer breaks throughout the day and inviting God to help.

Think about it!

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Christian T-shirt company

2006-02-27T01:30:00.000-08:00

from Agape Press
by Jody Brown

..."We're not just another Christian T-shirt company."

Those are the words of Rick Wade, CEO of the Second Coming Clothing Co. in Lake Park, Florida.

Wade explains the company was started as a way for believers to "wear the mission" of preaching the gospel. In fact, the firm's trademarked slogan is: "Take Your Faith Out of the Closet, and Put Our Clothes Back In."

Wade, who has a heart for evangelism, says believers' faith in Christ "needs to be taken out of our hearts and worn on the sleeves of our daily walk in life as we witness to others and take an affirmative stand in controversial issues before it is too late."

And the Lord, he claims, has inspired him with more than 300 messages for T-shirts. Among the latest designs in the company's inventory is one that targets the controversial Oscar-nominated film Brokeback Mountain.

According to Wade, 100 percent of the company's net profits are distributed worldwide to ministries delivering humanitarian aid. To further extend its evangelistic outreach, Second Coming Clothing includes a three-month devotional guide with every order.

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Trusting The Future To God

2006-02-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

from Ted Brabham's Newsletter
This is a lesson, I constantly need to reaffirm! Thought some of you might benefit from it as well.
c~b~n
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Jeremiah 29:11

"I say this because I know what I am planning for you. I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future."

Because we are saved by a risen Christ, we can have hope for the future, no matter how troublesome our present circumstances may seem. After all, God has promised that we are His throughout eternity. And, He has told us that we must place our hopes in Him.

Are you willing to place your future in the hands of a loving and all-knowing God? Do you trust in the ultimate goodness of His plan for your life? Will you face today's challenges with optimism and hope? You should. After all, God created you for a very important purpose: His purpose. And you still have important work to do: His work.

Today, as you live in the present and look to the future, remember that God has a plan for you. Act--and believe--accordingly.

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God!

Ted Brabham

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Charles Robert Darwin

2006-02-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

English naturalist
(1809-1882)

False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence {gee, like the theory of evolution perhaps?????}, do little harm {I would respectfully disagree....}, for every one takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.

In the survival of favoured individuals and races, during the constantly-recurring struggle for existence, we see a powerful and ever-acting form of selection. {~~~A philosophy that would make Hitler PROUD.}

It has been a bitter moritification for me to digest the conclusion that the 'race is for the strong' and that I shall probably do little more but be content to admire the strides others made in science. {No one likes a hypocrite or false modesty~~even in non-believers.}

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Spiritual Nourishment

2006-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

Why Go To Church?

A Church attendee wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this...

They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.

Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something!

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

"When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?!!"

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The salvation of J.P. Morgan

2006-01-28T00:42:00.000-08:00

This week's devotional is entitled, "His Most Precious Blood," and comes to us from Revelation 1:5,

"Jesus Christ. . .loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

When J.P. Morgan, the multimillionaire, died, it was found that his will consisted of about 10,000 words and 37 articles. He made many transactions, some involving large sums of money.

But we are left in no doubt as to what he considered his most important transaction:

"I commit my soul into the hands of my Savior, in full confidence that, having redeemed and washed it in His most precious blood, He will present it faultless before my heavenly Father; and I entreat my children to maintain and defend, at all hazard and at any cost of personal sacrifice, the blessed doctrine of the complete atonement for sin through the blood of Jesus Christ, once offered, and through that alone."

In the matter of his soul's eternal blessing, J.P. Morgan's vast wealth was powerless. He was just as dependent on God's mercy as was the dying theif at Calvary.

No matter who you are or what you have done, only Christ can save you, for only "the blood of Jesus Christ. . . cleanses. . . from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

May God bless each of you.
Ted Brabham ~~ Newsletter

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Possible WAR?

2006-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

from Agape Press
by Chad Groening

A national defense expert and former Defense Department official under the Reagan administration believes the Israeli defense minister was serious when he hinted over the weekend that the Jewish nation could take military action to deal with Iran's nuclear threat.

Frank Gaffney is the president of the Washington, DC-based Center for Security Policy. The former assistant undersecretary of defense believes if forced, Israel will act in its own defense.

"I believe that Israel would do what it can to disrupt the Iranian nuclear weapons program if it feels that its very existence is at stake," says Gaffney. "How well they can do it -- how long the effect would be -- what the repercussions of it might be, we can only speculate about." (Christians know)

Gaffney says Israel will act unless something else is done to prevent the Iranian regime from being able to do what the Iranian leader promised recently; namely, wiping Israel off the map.

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For most Christians, what we see playing out in the Middle East is prophecy coming true. We will see the miraculous protection of Israel and the massive destruction of her enemies.

This, in a weird way is exciting! This time period in history equates with the one where Jesus walked the earth and started His teachings and brought salvation to all the world through His sacrificial death.

I cannot imagine another time period as exciting as this one since that first one. Because, Christians know, that Jesus is coming again very soon. This time, He IS coming to, as the world says, "kick butt". What Judas tried to force Jesus to do the first time, is now God's perfect timing to accomplish THIS time.

Therefore many of us ARE following the Middle East news very closely. Ultimately, what our U.S. government decides to do will affect the American people. Many "evangelicals" feel our government will choose the wrong course and suffer the consequences for it.

Just remember, whatever befalls this nation, YOUR redemption is still possible~~until you take the mark of the beast. (Read previous blog on RFID technology).

Watch the news and watch God preserve Israel~~then know that Israel is and always has been precious to the Lord. He has never forsaken them. If He had, then they would not have survived WWII. Hitler was superb at what he did....namely, killing others. But Hitler didn't succeed. God had already promised that there would ALWAYS be a remnant of His people on this earth. What God promises, God keeps.

Ultimately, Israel will NOT need the United States.

But the United States may ultimately need Israel.

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