ย He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour:ย
Thereโs a lot of talk in the media lately about โlow information.โ This or that politician or pundit is excoriated for making overreaching statements about things they donโt know enough about. Well, the same thing happens in the Church family. How often do we gaze around at what our brothers and sisters are doing and make judgments about them? I sometimes bristle when people try to tell me about music, most often scolding me for not liking jazz. There is an assumption that those heavily involved in classical music are also jazz lovers. This assumption is based on low information.
In the same fashion, when we decide that someone is a โbadโ Christian because they donโt make it to church every Sunday, or donโt โpony-upโ for the offering โ we are als0 demonstratingย low information.ย It is a sad state of affairs, when the family of God turns on itself.
When a brother or sister is struggling with sin, we have compassion and care for them.ย When a brother or sister is embracing sin, then,ย and only then, do we judge righteously.ย ย to do otherwise โ is to be void of wisdom. . .
but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.ย ย
Wouldnโt you rather be a man or woman of understanding? There is no way, that we can know everything that is going on in the lives of our church family. Only God knows. Making petty statements about why this person is doing this or that, is gossip, and it is very harmful to the Church. If there is something serious going on, that is for the pastor and church elders to handle. If you notice someone struggling โ then go over and talk to them! Donโt talk to someone else! Be Jesusโ representative in church as well as in the world. Your title โ Christian โ means โof Christ, or follower of Christ.โ That is an important title to carry, with awesome responsibility.
Romans 11:33-36
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen.
This song, has a lot of โbounce,โ but it is not syncopated. The tempo is even, at a quick march beat, known as a โquick-step.โ A real โfoot stomper!โ The offering for today was inspired by Terry Dawsonโs testimony, wherein he was saved at โan old fashioned tent meeting.โ The words to this hymn are outstanding โ especially verses 3 and 4!
The Complete 1922 Lyrics to the song: The Old Fashioned Meeting, By Herbert Buffman
Verse 1: Oh how well I remember in the old fashioned days, When some old fashioned people had some old fashioned ways In the old fashioned meetings, as they tarried there In the old fashioned manner, how God answered their prayer.
Chorus: โTwas an old fashiomed meeting, In an old fashioned place Where some old fashioned people, had some old fashion grace As an old fashioned sinner, I began to pray, And God heard me and answered in the old fashioned way
Verse 2: There was singing, such singing, of those old fashioned airs! There was power, such power, in those old fashioned prayers An old fashioned conviction made the sinner pray And the Lord heard and saved him in the old fashioned way.
Repeat Chorus:
Verse 3: Well, They say it is better, โ Things have changed, donโt you know!โ And the people in general seem to think it is so And they call me old fashioned when I dare to say That I like it far better in the old fashioned way.
Repeat Chorus:
Verse 4: If the Lord never changes, as the fashion of men, If Heโs always the same, why, He is old fashioned then! As an old fashioned sinner saved through old time grace, Oh, Iโm sure He will take me to an old fashioned place.
Repeat Chorus:
Short Name: Herbert Buffum
Full Name: Buffum, Herbert, 1879-1939
Birth Year: 1879
Death Year: 1939
Born: November 13, 1879, Laยญfayยญette, Ilยญliยญnois. Died: Ocยญtoยญber 9, 1939, Los Anยญgeยญles, Calยญiยญforยญnia. Buried: Valยญhalยญla Meยญmorยญiยญal Park, Los Anยญgeยญles, Calยญiยญforยญnia. His epยญiยญtaph reads โI have fought a good fight.โ
Afยญter movยญing with his famยญiยญly to Calยญiยญforยญnia and beยญing conยญvertยญed to Christ at age 18, Bufยญfum felt a call to the minยญisยญtry. He held minยญisยญterยญiยญal creยญdenยญtials with the Church of the Nazarene, and was a Hoยญliยญness/Penยญteยญcostยญal evanยญgelยญist. He was alยญso a prolific song writยญer, with maยญny songs inยญspired by perยญsonยญal exยญperยญiยญence; He had 10,000 Songs to his credยญit, 1,000 acยญtuยญalยญly pubยญlished. Ripleyโs โBelieve It Or Notโ claimed He once wrote 12 songs in an hour. Though a talยญentยญed muยญsiยญcian, Bufยญfum reยญceived no muยญsicยญal trainยญing. He sold most of his songs for five dollars or less. When he died, the Los Anยญgeยญles Times called him โthe king of Gosยญpel song writยญers. http://www.hymnary.org/text/o_how_well_i_remember
Thus saithย theย Lord, Stand ye inย theย ways, and see, and ask forย theย oldย paths, where isย theย good way, and walkย therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
Such a sad, sad reality for the Laodicean church age. The Body of Christ is teeming with hypocrisy. You would be very hard pressed โ no โ letโs go further and say it would be impossible to find a New Testament church that was free of gossip . . .
Proverbs 11:9
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour:
This picture shows girls gabbing, but we all know that men are just as guilty of gossiping. What is most troubling about this activity, is the lack of church discipline for such a serious offense. Damage done by gossip is tangible and far-reaching.
Do you realize โ ladies and gentlemen โ that when you are disparaging your spouse to others in your church family, that you are guilty of this kind of hypocrisy? That when you confide everything that your teenager does to your neighbor, coworkers, โfriendsโ at Bible study โ you are gossiping? Yes โ Christians gossip about their families. Parents say terrible things about their spouses to their own children! And if your family is not your neighbor โ I donโt know who is! How utterly shameful.
WE ALL NEED TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT EVERY WORD
THAT COMES OUT OF OUR MOUTHS.
but through knowledge shall the just beย delivered.
Never fear beloveds. If you are being maligned by family members, church family, coworkers, neighbors . . .the truth will prevail if you are a child of God. His Truth is eternal, and completely just. As a child of God, you are covered by His righteousness, and are justified by your faith in His finished work on the cross. You will be delivered in truth, and justice.
1 Peter 4:16-19
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
I love you, Lord And I lift my voice To worship You Oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy my King In what You hear Let it be a sweet, sweet sound In Your ear
I love you, Lord (I love you, Lord) And I lift my voice (And I lift my voice) To worship You (To worship You) Oh, my soul, rejoice! (Oh, my soul)
Take joy my King (Take joy my King) In what You hear (In what You hear) Let it be a sweet, sweet sound (Let it be a sweet sound) In Your ear
I love you, Lord And I lift my voice To worship You Oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy my King In what You hear Let it be a sweet, sweet sound In Your ear
I love you, Lord (I love you, Lord) I love you, Lord (I love you, Lord) (And I lift my voice)
I love you, Lord (Take joy my King) (Take joy my King)
I love you, Lord (I love you, Lord) I love you, Lord (Let it be a sweet, sweet sound)
Words and music by Laurie B. Klein
My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; For Thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, โtis now.
I love Thee because Thou has first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvaryโs tree. I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, โtis now.
Iโll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath; And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow, If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, โtis now.
In mansions of glory and endless delight, Iโll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright; Iโll sing with the glittering crown on my brow; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, โtis now.
William Ralph Featherstone Writes a Legacy of Love that Becomes My Jesus I Love Thee
The lives of most people are not captured in the history books. Memories are left to the hearts and minds of family and friends, and then all too soon fade into the tapestry of times past. And so it was with William Ralph Featherstone. He was born without fanfare on July 24, 1846, in Montreal Canada, and he died in the same city, just before his 27th birthday. Little else is known of his short life except for the fact that some time during his 16th year of life William put pen to paper to record a love poem. The love he expressed was deep and true. The words of that poem have lasted more than a century beyond Featherstoneโs life and death.
In 1876, three years after Featherstoneโs passing, Adoniram Gordon put music to this love poem and added it to a hymnal which was published that same year. Featherstoneโs poem My Jesus I Love Thee has since been recorded in most evangelical hymnals of the past 130 years, and is loved and sung by millions of Christians yet today.
Psalm 116:1
I love theย Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Perhaps not many view the Proverbs and Psalms as being prophetic.ย After so many decades of Bible study, I see Prophecy in almost every line of the Bible.ย As is understood, the Lord reveals things to us in stages.ย Most often, Old Testament events and poetry, describe an actual event such as Passover โ which is a picture of something far more dramatic in the future.ย Such is the case with this Proverb.ย At face value, it does not seem to reveal much to the casual reader โ but we are here to see what it really says.
Proverbs 11:8
The righteous is delivered out of trouble,
Only those who are truly born-again of the Holy Spirit of God, will be delivered โ because only the truly born-again โ are considered righteous. When we repent, and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we obtain His righteousness โ which guarantees our deliverance. None of the troubles, trials and tribulations of this present life and time, can compare to the Great Tribulation, and the judgments that will befall everyone on earth at that time.
Please do not allow the recent crop ofย preteristsย to worm their way into your faith in the deliverance promised to you by God in His Holy Book.ย It is described over and over again โ even in this short Proverb.ย Every Word of the King James Bible is true โ and you can trust it implicitly.ย Read it literally, and with faith.
and the wicked cometh in his stead.
Thatโs right. As soon as the church is taken up โ The Wicked One will swoop in. Just as a vacuum needs to be filled โ this will happen in such a way โ that it will not be readily apparent to those who are not alert. Since mankind always seeks to worship something or someone they can see, it will happen all too easily. The Holy Spirit that is indwelling believers here on earth, will leave along with the righteous that are being delivered. Once this happens, the only thing that was restraining the power of anti-christ will be gone! It will happen, but, we will NOT BE HERE TO SEE IT!
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8
6ย And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7ย For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth will let, until He be taken out of the way.
8ย And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
The sky shall unfold Preparing His entrance The stars shall applaud Him With thunders of praise
The sweet light in His eyes Shall enhance those awaiting And we shall behold Him Then face to face
O, we shall behold Him We shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory
O, we shall behold Him Yes, we shall behold Him Face to face, our Savior and Lord
The angel shall sound The shout of His coming And the sleeping shall rise From their slumbering place
And those who remain Shall be changed in a moment And we shall behold Him Then face to face
We shall behold Him O yes we shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory
We shall behold Him Yes, we shall behold Him Face to face
Our Savior and Lord And we shall behold Him Our Savior and Lord Savior and Lord
Southern Gospel legend Dottie Rambo died on Motherโs Day, Sunday, May 11, 2008 when her tour bus ran off the highway and struck an embankment in Missouri. Dottie was on her way to North Richland Hills, Texas to perform a Motherโs Day show with Lulu Roman & Naomi Sego. Dottie was 74 at the time of her death and had spent 62 years of her life writing music and singing about her Savior.
Seven other people on the bus, including her manager Larry Ferguson and his wife and two children, were injured in the accident. They were hospitalized in Springfield, Missouri with moderate to severe injuries, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. Representatives from her recording label confirmed that Dottie was asleep at the time of the accident.
Dottie Rambo, born Joyce Reba Lutrell in Madison, Kentucky on March 2, 1934, started writing songs at the age of 8 while sitting by a creek near her family home. By age 10 she was playing guitar and singing on local country radio. Her father dreamed of the day that young Dottie become a singer on Nashvilleโs WSM Grand Ole Opry. When Dottie gave her life to Christ at the age of 12, changing her path from country music to gospel, her father did not agree with the decision, fearing that she would spend her life singing in backwood churches for little or no pay. He gave her an ultimatum; either stop the Christian singing or leave his house. Dottie chose the path that Christ had laid in front of her and was taken to the bus stop by her mother with all of her belongings in a cardboard suitcase and her name and address on a tag around her neck in case she got lost.
By the 1950s she had married Buck Rambo and had her daughter, Reba. Dottie and Buck traveled across the region singing her songs in small churches. Other gospel groups, like the Happy Goodman Family, heard her songs and started singing them. The then- governor of Louisiana, Jimmy Davis, heard her music and flew her and her family to the governorโs mansion so that she could sing her songs for him. Governor Davis paid Dottie to publish her songs and soon after, Warner Brothers Records signed Dottie and her group, The Gospel Echoes, to a two-record deal. When they wanted Dottie and her group to move to folk and start singing Rhythm and Blues, Dottie declined.
1 John 3:2
ย Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
ย The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them:
Hmm.ย Easier said than done โ right?ย Not really.ย Of course, it is nigh impossible if one relies on their own righteousness, but the Bible implicitly states in many places, that only God is righteous, and that we, miserable sinners that we are,ย may receive His righteousness through faith in the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.ย His perfect righteousness is given to us, by Grace.
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
We are delivered from death and judgment only by recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior.ย He saves us from eternal death in the Lake of Fire, and promises us an eternityย withย Him.
but transgressors shall be taken in theirย ownย naughtiness.
Just as naughty children never think they will be found out โ the sinner in rebellion refuses to acknowledge what needs to be done. They willfully choose the darkness of this world, and the Proverb states they will be taken in their own naughtiness. Not the misdeeds of another โ but their very own misdeeds. Sinners in rebellion will not be able to blame anyone (as is the popular trend today) because the Word says the blame will be squarely laid at their own feet.
In the universities and satanically controlled media, herculean effort is made to convince the lost that their condition is not sin and damnation, but that their misery is caused by others. Hence, the creation of the blame game. The evil one does not want man to repent, and he will do everything in his considerable power to cause the sinner to either kill themselves before they can get saved โ or contrive to bedazzle the sinner with psychology and fleshly enticements. But God, in His mercy, has given us a narrow pathway of escape. . .
2 Peter 1:3-4
3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; Though I may wonder, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
Singh was raised a member of the Sikh religion. Prior to his conversion, Sundar attended a primary school run by the American Presbyterian Mission where the New Testament was read daily as a โtextbook.โ Sundar โrefused to read the Bible at the daily lessonsโฆTo some extent the teaching of the Gospel on the love of God attracted me, but I still thought it was false.โ
In the midst of such confusion and while only fourteen years old, his mother died, and Sundar underwent a crisis of faith. His mother was a loving saintly woman and they were very close. In his anger, Sundar burned a copy of one of the Gospels in public. Within three days Sundar Singh could bear his misery no longer. Late one night in December 1903, he rose from bed and prayed that God reveal himself to him if he really existed. Otherwise โ โI planned to throw myself in front of the train which passed by our house.โ For seven hours Sundar Singh prayed. โO God, if there is a God, reveal thyself to me tonight.โ The next train was due at five oโclock in the morning. The hours passed. Suddenly the room filled with a glow. A man appeared before him. Sundar Singh heard a voice say, โHow long will you deny me? I died for you; I have given my life for you.โ He saw the manโs hands, pierced by nails.
Amazed that his vision had taken the unexpected form of Jesus, Sundar was convinced in his heart that Jesus was the true Savior, and that He was alive. Sundar fell on his knees before Him and experienced an astonishing peacefulness which he had never felt before. The vision disappeared, but peace and joy lingered within him.
Despite his familyโs pleas, bribes, and threats, Sundar wanted to be baptized in the Christian faith. After his father spoke words of official rejection over him, Sundar became an outcast from his people. He cut off the hair he had worn long like every Sikh man. Against great opposition, he was baptized on his birthday in 1905, in an English church in Simla.
Conventional Indian churches were willing to grant him a pulpit, but their rules were foreign to his spirit. Indeed, he felt that a key reason the gospel was not accepted in India was because it came in a garb foreign to Indians. He decided to become a sadhu, so that he could dedicate himself to the Lord Jesus. He was convinced that this was the best way to introduce the Gospel to his people since it was the only way which his people were accustomed to. As a sadhu, he wore a yellow robe, lived on the charity of others, abandoned all possession and maintained celibacy. In this lifestyle, he was free to devote himself to the Lord. Dressed in his thin yellow robe, Sundar Singh took to the road and began a life of spreading the simple message of love and peace and rebirth through Jesus. He carried no money or other possessions, only a New Testament.
Sundar journeyed much. He traveled all over India and Ceylon. Between 1918-1919, he visited Malaysia, Japan and China. Between 1920-1922 he went to Western Europe, Australia and Israel. He preached in many cities; Jerusalem, Lima, Berlin and Amsterdam among others. Despite his growing fame, Sundar retained a modest nature, desiring only to follow Jesusโ example: to repay evil with kindness and to win over his enemies by love.
He was quite independent of outward Church authority in all his religious life, thought, and work. He dropped out of a Christian seminary that he briefly attended. Neither did he attach much importance to public worship because in his experience the heart prays better in solitude than in a congregation.
He traveled in India and Tibet, as well as the rest of the world, with the message that the modern interpretation of Jesus was sadly watered down. Sundar visited Tibet every summer and in 1929, he visited there and was never seen again.
The story of the song is covered in the Book by Dr. P.P. Job and Indian preacher in His book โWhy God Whyโ
An excerpt from the book is given below:About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A manโs strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This manโs faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years. He sang:
I have decided to follow Jesus. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, โWill you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.โ
But the man sang these words in reply:
Though no one joins me, still I will follow. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, โI will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.โ
In the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines:
The cross before me, the world behind me. (3 times) No turning back, no turning back.
He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, โWhy should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, and I too want that supernatural power.โ
In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, โI too belong to Jesus Christ!โ When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is the power of [God in] demonstration.
John 12:26
ย If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honour.
A great many articles are written about the underground bunkers of the elites and super-rich. These fortresses amount to vast underground cities, with every comfort known to man. Even the not-so-rich, have succumbed to the notion, that they can โride-outโ Armageddon. Bible believers should know, that those who are truly born again โ will not need to โhide out,โ because they wonโt be here. Not only that โ but it would be impossible to do so. This is not to say that you should not be prepared for natural disasters, and not so natural ones like losing your job. What is being discussed here is the Day of Wrath.
Revelation 6:16-17
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lordโs wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy: for He shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
butย righteousnessย delivereth from death.
It is of utmost importance to understand, that you have no righteousness of your own. ZERO. When you are born again โ you can possess His righteousness, and it is overflowing and enough! The good works and deeds you do after being saved, will gain you rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. And that is a wonderful thing to work for.
Philippians 3:9
And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Revelation 16:7
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.
James 5:1-8
5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33.
Thinking about a lot for things over this busy weekend. As Christians it’s very easy to get discouraged and bogged down with things and stresses in this life and with what’s going on in the world right now. However, no matter what happens, we got it made in the end either way, so don’t worry about a thing!
If Kamala gets elected, don’t get upset. We have our King in Jesus and I’m going to live joyfully in Him no matter who is elected President!
If Christ doesn’t rapture us out of here by 2033, don’t get upset. That just means we have our time and calendar all messed up and God’s clock is not going to be dictated by how we feel or how we think things should go or when they should happen. God never specifically said He was going to come at any specific date anywhere in the Bible, so the Lord cant be tied to any expected date. Don’t get upset. He will come when He comes!
Don’t have a good job? Don’t get upset. Sometimes the Lord makes us wait longer than we think we should because certain things have to happen first.
Don’t have a wife? Don’t get upset. Sometimes the Lord has to mature you first before you’re ready for a wife.
Family not saved? Don’t get upset. Pray through it and trust in the Lord!Too many bills? Don’t get upset. Pray the Lord will make them go away some way some how.
Won’t be a good Christmas this year? Don’t get upset. If you have Jesus, you have the Perfect Gift already!
Don’t have a car? Don’t get upset. Jesus walked everywhere. Pray through it.
Other problems? Don’t get upset! Pray and trust the Lord and everything works out in the end IF YOU TRUST HIM! Do you?
Then don’t get upset!
Pray through the pain, pray through the worry, pray through the stress, pray through the depression, pray through the trials. Pray through it! Praise through it! Read through it! Fast through it! Don’t get upset. Don’t give up! You got the Book, the Blood and the Spirit! You got this! God’s got this! Amen!
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.
Refrain
Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence With me doth continually dwell.
Refrain
I think of my blessรจd Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song.
Refrain
I know thereโs a crown that is waiting, In yonder bright mansion for me, And soon, with the spirits made perfect, At home with the Lord I shall be.
Refrain
“Oh, what a happy child I am,
although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world,
contented I will be!”
Fanny Crosby, (March 24, 1820 โ February 12, 1915)
1 Peter 1:18-19
18ย Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19ย But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Are you fortunate enough to live among trees? The Word of God is replete with references to trees โ in the histories and prophecies. I often think of the old adage โ โhe canโt see the forest for the trees,โ when faced with the obstinate refusal of sinners to see the sin that they are mired in. As they are in the midst of it โ they fail to see how immense sin truly is. The Lord made all trees and plants on the third day of creation โ and He made them very, very good. . . not just good for food, shelter, clothing, and outright beauty. . .but good for our souls.
Trees Really Are โPleasant to the Sightโ
by Brian Thomas, M.S. *
Genesis 2:9 records one of the Lordโs original intentions for creating trees, saying, โOut of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.โ A new study has quantified just how pleasant to the sight trees can be, inadvertently confirming the truthfulness of this ancient biblical passage.
Professor William Sullivan and lecturer Bin Jiang of the University of Illinoisโ department of landscape architecture measured stress levels in participants who watched six-minute-long 3D panoramic videos of neighborhoods. The amount of tree canopy coverage in the various neighborhoods ranged from 2 to 62 percent.1
The researchers used three tactics to gauge stress: measuring salivary cortisol levels, detecting skin conductance, and conducting self-reports. Adrenal glands secrete cortisol hormone in response to stress, and sweaty skinโanother response to stressโconducts electricity more efficiently than dry skin.
Their analysis revealed that those participants exposed to 62 percent tree coverage experienced a 60 percent reduction in stress.
Their results also showed that 41 percent of participants showed no change in stress levels when only a quarter or less of the neighborhood canopies had trees. However, according to University of Illinois news, โwhen the percentage of tree canopy increased to 36 percent, more than 90 percent of viewers reported feeling calm or relaxed while watching the videos.โ1
These findings support the idea that urban planners and landscape architects who incorporate green spaces into their plans could help foster a healthier, calmer populace.
How could the calming sense of pleasure that comes from looking at trees have evolved? Did it somehow help mankind out-compete some ancient and unfeeling animals from which we supposedly emerged?
Rather, God built trees to meet humanityโs God-given ability to appreciate them and thus their Maker. What better disposition from which to appreciate the Lord than one of simple pleasure? Viewed from a biblical perspective, the positive effect of merely looking at tree canopies confirms the words of Genesis that God made certain treesโnot just the tree of the knowledge of good and evilโto be pleasant to the eyes.
* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.
Deuteronomy 20:18-20
18ย That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against theย Lordย your God.
19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is manโs life) to employ them in the siege:
20ย Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.
Revelation 22:1-3
22ย And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2ย In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,ย wasย there the tree of life,ย which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3ย And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him
Please enjoy this lovely rendition of Joyce Kilmerโs/Oscar Rasbachโs โTrees,โ sung by Bob McGrath, in classical Irish tenor style...
The next time you are outside, stop and take a whiff of the oxygen and fragrance that trees provide. Really pause, and look up at their branches moving in the wind. Thank our Creator for giving us such beautiful, wonderful things, things that we so often overlook in our busy lives.
Verse1: Far dearer than all that the world can impart Was the message came to my heart. How that Jesus alone for my sin did atone, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 2: The stripes that He bore and the thorns that He wore Told His mercy and lover evermore And my heart bowed in shame as I called on His name, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 3: How matchless the grace, when I looked in the face Of this Jesus, my crucified Lord; My redemption complete I then found at His feet, And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Verse 4: How blessed the thought, that my soul by Him bought, Shall be His in the glory on high; Where with gladness and song, Iโll be one of the throng And Calvary covers it all.
Calvary covers it all, My past with its sin and stain; My guilt and despair Jesus took on Him there, And Calvary covers it all.
Note: There is little information available on this fine song, written in 1934, or its author, but itโs worthy of consideration both for how it came to be written, and for the aptness of its message. The full story is found in Al Smithโs Hymn Histories (pp. 125-127).
The song relates to a dancer named Walter โHappy Macโ MacDonald, whom comedian Eddie Cantor said had the fastest feet in the world. Mac was talented, but he was also in bondage to sin, and addicted to alcohol. One night in the early 1930โฒs he stumbled into a meeting in the Pacific Garden Mission, in Chicago. When an invitation was given for those present to trust in Christ as Saviour, Mac did not respond. But, as he returned, night after night, workers gradually came to know more about him.
Directing the mission in those days (1918-1936) were Walter Grand Taylor and his wife Ethelwyn, affectionately known as Pa and Ma Taylor. Ethel Taylor watched Mac, and her heart went out to him. She prayed, โDear Lord, please help us say and do the right things, so that we may win Mac to Thee.โ Finally, MacDonald did seek counseling, and Ma Taylor listened as he struggled with his past. โYou donโt understand,โ he prayed. โYou donโt know how bad I am, Lord. Really Iโm the worst man in the world. You canโt save me; Iโm too bad.โ
Mrs. Taylor recalled a message she had heard weeks before. Evangelist Percy Crawford had been a rebel in his youth. But one day he accepted Christ as his Saviour. The theme of Crawfordโs testimony was, โCalvary covers it all,โ and Ethel Taylor shared those words with MacDonald.
He asked her to repeat them, and suddenly the light dawned. โOh! Mrs. Taylor, Iโm so glad itโs true, and you told me. Calvary does cover it all! My whole past of sin and shame.โ The former entertainer trusted in the Saviour that night in 1934, and lived to become an outstanding servant of Christ.
This magnificent old hymn is pure praise from start to finish, and is chock full of solid doctrine. Turn up your speakers and see His glory. The chord progressions are spectacular.
All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice. Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell; Come ye before Him and rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed; Without our aid He did us make; We are His folk, He doth us feed, And for His sheep He doth us take.
O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto; Praise, laud, and bless His Name always, For it is seemly so to do.
For why? the Lord our God is good; His mercy is for ever sure; His truth at all times firmly stood, And shall from age to age endure.
To Father, Son and Holy Ghost, The God Whom Heaven and earth adore, From men and from the angel host Be praise and glory evermore.
Hymn Story
All People That on Earth Do Dwell
In the Reformation, there was a difference of opinion between Luther and Calvin concerning music for congregational singing. Luther advocated the use of hymns and carols, and even wrote a number of those. Calvin was concerned that hymns not clearly based on scripture might introduce false doctrine into the church, and so he advocated the singing of Psalms. He said that there were โno better songs nor more appropriate to the purpose (of congregational singing) than the Psalms of David which the Holy Spirit made and spoke through him.โ
Calvin, of course, was based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1551, a Psalter was published in Geneva that included a song based on Psalm 134 and set to a tune by Louis Bourgeois. In 1561, the Anglo-Genevan Psalter (an English-language Psalter) was published in Geneva that included โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ set to that earlier tune by Bourgeois.
The words to โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ were written by William Kethe, a Scottish clergyman who had fled the persecutions of Queen Mary. His exile took him first to Frankfurt, Germany and thence to Geneva. Kethe helped with the translation of the Geneva Bible in 1560 and contributed 25 psalms to the Anglo-Genevan Psalter.
Kethe left Geneva for England in 1561, and took a copy of the Anglo-Genevan Psalter with him โโ thereby introducing this music to the English. A number of his psalms found their way into the English Psalter of 1562, which was published by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins. All of his psalms were included in the Scottish Psalter two years later.
โAll People That on Earth Do Dwellโ is based on Psalm 100. That Psalm is five verses in length, and the song is four verses. The first verse of the song is based on verses 1 and 2 of the psalm, and each of the subsequent verses of the song is based on one verse of the psalm. It is probably the oldest hymn in common use today.
The tune by Bourgeois is known today as โOld Hundredth,โ and is one of the best-known tunes in modern hymnals โโ in large measure because it is also sung to the Doxology, โPraise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.โ
ย Make a joyful noise unto theย Lord, all ye lands.
2ย Serve theย Lordย with gladness: come before His presence with singing.
3ย Know ye that theย Lordย He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4ย Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
5ย For theย Lordย is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.
sage
p.s. I post this as part of my continuous effort to point up the dangers of CCM, and hope and pray that Godโs people will wake up to the serpent in the singing. Can you see what is being lost as the old hymns are cast aside for simple lyrics and rhythmic melodies? CCM is now firmly in IFB churches everywhere.
The prevailing trend is to put animals on the same level as man – making continual referrals to our “closest relative” – the chimpanzee. We see many well produced, heart-tugging, and expensive commercials for the Humane Society, or the ASPCA. All the while, crisis pregnancy centers struggle to keep their doors open, and private property owners are forced to surrender everything to an endangered animal.
Man is not an animal, man is God’s jewel of Creation
God. . .breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Genesis 2: 7
Man is special to God
God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion . . .upon the earth. Genesis 1: 26
Man is positionally important to God
Thou wast precious in My sight. . .and I have loved thee. . .Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Isaiah 43: 4, 7
Our God is a Triune God
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord. . .Deuteronomy 6: 4
Man was created a triune being
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5: 23
The New Age Religion seeks to spread the blasphemy, that not only is man one with nature – but God is also one with everything.
“Swami Vivekkananda, a Hindu guru widely thought of in America, taught that because the Mother-Goddess Kali is all, all in one, and all is cyclical, God is both good and evil:
‘Who can say that God does not manifest Himself as Evil as well as Good? But only the Hindu dares to worship him in the evil. . .How few have dared to worship death, or Kali? Let us worship death!’
Likewise, Lucifer is said to be neither evil nor good. He simply is. Formerly a destroyer, Lucifer now becomes a god – perhaps the God – chosen to shepherd mankind into the brightness of a New Age.
He is the Shiva and Kali of the New Age.” (Dark Secrets of the New Age,p. 87, Texe Marrs)
When young boys and girls are told repeatedly in school that the human embryo is no different than a chicken embryo in the early days of development – this sets the stage for abortion later on. After all – we eat chickens – don’t we?
14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139: 14-16
If you – or someone you know – is faced with an unplanned pregnancy – think about this one thing. . .ending the life that is growing, will not solve anything. Please, choose the miracle of life. Choose God’s way, not Satan’s way. God loves you so much, and you are so precious to Him, that He gave His life, so that you could live – you and your unborn child.
There are lovely and caring women, just waiting to help you, at crisis pregnancy centers all over America. Just look in the yellow pages. You will not be judged, you will be loved. You – and your child.
The reward of heeding wisdom, is God Himself. He is our reward! This is in direct contrast to what the prosperity ministries teach. If we seek after Him with the same intensity as a carnal person would seek after buried treasure – He will reveal Himself to us.
We continue on the same theme. This time finding out exactly what happens when we receive this Godly wisdom.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
12 To deliver thee from the way of the
evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
This “evil man” can come in the guise of a co-worker, a friend, TV personality, a worldly book or magazine, employer, family member, class mate, neighbor, internet, or even a passing acquaintance.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
Of course, the “strange woman” could be any woman. She could be the neighbor that dresses immodestly in front of your husband, the girl at work, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, one of the female false prophets on TV, your hairstylist, or even your kid’s Bible study teacher!
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2: 10-22
And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19
The reasons to homeschool your kids becomes more and more evident each day. This time, multiple teachers at an elementary school in Texas are accused of giving young children “sleepy stickers.” Here is a link to an article: cbsaustin
Apparently, the mother of a 4-year-old only found out because her daughter snuck it home after school explaining to her mom that the “sticker makes her fall asleep.”
This isn’t the first time it has happened, and it probably isn’t the only place it’s happening. In fact, something like this was also found out to be happening last year as well! Teacher resigns after giving melatonin…
Yikes! Check in with your kiddies and make sure they aren’t being secretly medicated!
127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3ย Lo, children are an heritage of theย Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4ย As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5ย Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
ย And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. . .ย ye shall be as gods. . .
Genesis 3:4
James Hughes Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, is a bioethicist and sociologist at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut where he teaches health policy and serves as Director of Institutional Research and Planning. He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Chicago, where he also taught bioethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. Dr. Hughes is author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future , and is working on a second book tentatively titled Cyborg Buddha. Since 1999 he has produced a syndicated weekly radio program, Changesurfer Radio.
As transhuman possibilities increasingly develop, the compatibilities of metaphysics, theodicy, soteriology and eschatology between the transhumanist and religious worldviews will be built upon to create new โtrans-spiritualities.โ In this future religious landscape there will be bioconservative and transhumanist wings within all the worldโs faiths, and probably new religious traditions inspired by the transhumanist project. We will create new religious rituals and meanings around biotechnological and cybernetic and cybernetic capabilities, just as we did around fire, the wheel, healing plants, and the book.
James J. Hughes, The Compatibility of Religious and Transhumanism Views of Metaphysics, Suffering, Virtue, and Transcendence in an Enhanced Future
In the Caltech experiments, the researchers stripped an HIV virus of its disease-causing elements and used it to virally infect single-cell embryos of mice with a gene from a jellyfish.
Any number of different genes could have been selected. For the purpose of the studies, the researchers chose a specific jellyfish gene that could serve as a โmarkerโ to indicate whether the gene transfer was successful. The gene produces a protein that gives the jellyfish a green fluorescence.
When the mice were born, they carried the jellyfish gene in their own genes. Under fluorescent light, all their major tissues and organsโincluding skin, bones, muscles, lungs, liver, kidney, stomach, brain, and retinaโemitted a green glow.
The trait became a permanent feature of the mice genome and was passed along to many of their offspring. (National Geographic)
This has gone much, much farther than glow mice. This description of the fearsome locusts in Revelation 9: 6-12 does not sound all that incredible in light of this.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. Revelation 9:6-12
Anyone may see, how electronics (via the prince of the power of the air) have captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation. A well stocked home library can effectively stem that evil tide! And via garage sales and thrift stores, the home library can be filled to the brim with books for every member of the family. Truly, the warm pages of a book are far superior and more intimate than a Kindle or lap top.
Our local Salvation Army has paperback books at two for $.99. And absolutely free – children’s books and Bibles. Hardback books are $1.99, and some are truly nice. I also have picked up many sheet music books (barely used) at the same price they charge for paperbacks.
Findings published in the journal Social Science Researchshow that raising a child in a home filled with books positively impacts her future academic growth and job attainment. Specifically, asPacific Standard reported, the study found that when it comes to standardized tests, โRegardless of how many books the family already has, each addition to the home library helps children do better.โ That makes sense: A book-filled home encourages a culture of reading for enjoyment and talking about books.
A growing body of evidence shows that growing up with home libraries boosts adult literacy, adult numeracy (math skills), and adult technological competence, with the greatest returns to the growth in smaller home libraries. In other words, adding just a few books to your home library can make a big difference.
Going from no books at home to some books at home. Going from some books to a few more. This is doable! Thatโs what weโre doing at BookGive all the time.
In this study, the researchers found that growing up with almost no books was associated with literacy levels at about 50% below average. Having at least 80 books raised the literacy levels to average. Once a home library hits the 300 range, the literary gains are not significant, although weโd never discourage folks from surrounding themselves with lots of books.
Our home library is significantly smaller now that our family has grown up and out, but we still feel that books are the gateway to knowledge. Some of my personal books are so well loved, they are more tape than paper… My sewing books are in the sewing room, cookbooks are in the kitchen, and and gardening books are all in a corner shelf near the piano. A full set of encyclopedias is stowed on a very high shelf in the linen closet. Because you never know!
The time you spend reading to and with your children, will be remembered with far greater clarity than any cartoons or games children play.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.
Often the secular world will accuse Christians of being exclusionary – “Jesus can’t be the only way.” (Oprah Winfrey) What about that? Is He the only way?
Yes !
In reality, there have always been two Books. The Bible, and Creation. Creation has been around for 2,500 years before the Bible was given.
The outdoor book speaks to man about God through natural revelation. Every person born on this earth, is witness to God’s eternal power and Godhead, through nature. Common sense tells man that there is beauty, order, intelligence, and design.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Isaiah 40:26
Are the heathen accountable? Yes.
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1: 19-21
If the individual responds positively to the truth that is revealed in nature, God, who knows our very thoughts, will raise up a missionary to give that person the truth in the written Word.
For example, when Paul and Silas wanted to go to a certain area in Asia, they were “forbidden of the Holy Ghost” – Acts 16:6,7.
Instead, God sent them to Western Europe, where He knew they were waiting to receive the Word. If people do not respond to the outdoor Book – they are still responsible for rejecting it – even if they never hear the Written Word.
Rejecting the truth of Creation will eventually cause individuals, as well as entire nations to become perverted. It makes no difference if the person is living in a hut in a third world country, or a penthouse in a fabulous city – it still applies.
1 O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee; I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.
2 O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee; my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshineโs blaze its day may brighter, fairer be.
3 O joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee; I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be.
4 O cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from thee; I lay in dust lifeโs glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red life that shall endless be.
Lyrics: George Matheson 1842-1906
Music: Albert L. Peace
โStabilizing lines, especially for those in darkness.
Do you know the story behind it?
At age 20 George Matheson (1842-1906) was engaged to be married but began going blind. When he broke the news to his fiancee, she decided she could not go through life with a blind husband. She left him. Before losing his sight he had written two books of theology and some feel that if he had retained his sight he could have been the greatest leader of the church of Scotland in his day.
A special providence was that Georgeโs sister offered to care for him. With her help, George left the world of academia for pastoral ministry and wound up preaching to 1500 each weekโblind.
The day came, however, in 1882, when his sister fell in love and prepared for marriage herself. The evening before the wedding, Georgeโs whole family had left to get ready for the next dayโs celebration. He was alone and facing the prospect of living the rest of his life without the one person who had come through for him. On top of this, he was doubtless reflecting on his own aborted wedding day twenty years earlier. It is not hard to imagine the fresh waves of grief washing over him that night.
In the darkness of that moment George Matheson wrote this hymn. He remarked afterward that it took him five minutes and that it was the only hymn he ever wrote that required no editing.
O love that will not let me go. Heartening hope for you and me.โ
One way researchers are finding out is by studying coprolites, or fossilized dinosaur dung. And as it turns out, some dinosaurs ate rice plants. But if flowering plants like rice did not evolve until millions of years after dinosaurs livedโas evolution maintainsโhow could dinosaurs have eaten them?
Some coprolites contain phytoliths, which are uniquely shaped microscopic crystals manufactured by various plant tissues. Most phytoliths are made of silicon dioxide, the same chemical that comprises sand. Scientists examining these tiny grains can often discern from which plant they came.
For example, in 2005, researchers found phytoliths from grass, palm trees, conifers, and other flowering plants in (probably sauropod) dinosaur coprolites from India.1 “It was very unexpectedโฆ.We will have to rewrite our understanding of its evolutionโฆ.We may have to add grass to the dioramas of dinosaurs we see in museums,” palaeobotanist Caroline Strรถmberg told Nature News at the time.2
Recently, Strรถmberg and two of her co-authors from the 2005 study described coprolite-encased phytoliths that are so similar to those made by certain modern rice plants that those found in dinosaur rocks “can be assigned to the rice tribe, Oryzeae, of grass subfamily Ehrhartoideae.”3 They collected these samples from the same Indian rock layers, the Lameta Formation, that contained their 2005 finds.
This find joins others that have shown that rice, grass, palm trees, and conifers from dinosaur rocks were essentially the same as their living counterparts. It’s as though millions of years of plant evolution never occurred.
The Lameta formation includes sedimentary layers interbedded with volcanic rock layers. It is huge, covering a large area of India.4 The Flood described in the book of Genesis is the best explanation for this scale of upheaval, showing that the fossils found there resulted from the Flood.
Thus, these coprolites show that rice plants existed before the Flood. Either rice had diversified from an originally created grass that was common to many other grasses, like wheat and bamboo, or God created rice grasses separately from other grass kinds. Studies show that rice grasses do not hybridize with other grasses.5 These dinosaur-eaten phytoliths add weight to the idea that rice was a distinct creation from the beginning.
According to Scripture, God created all the grasses, plants, and grazing mammals, along with any grazing dinosaurs like sauropods, by the sixth day of the creation week. As far as what the fossils have shown, Scripture is right.
15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 18 His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. 19 He is the chief of the ways of God: He that made him can make His sword to approach unto him. 20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. 21 He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. 22 The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. Job 40: 15-24
Oh โ those loud, attention seekers. They speak without thinking, and put their proverbial feet in their mouths at every opportunity. Well, as annoying as they may be โ the jabber mouths will not go on forever. The ones who take delight in mocking and ridiculing the Lord and His people will not get the last laugh!
Proverbs 10:31-32
31ย The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.
Recalling that only those who are under the Blood of Christ are considered โjustโ by God โ it does not bode well for those who have a froward tongue!
adjective: froward
(of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary.
In point of fact โ our blessed Redeemer made mention of this very thing, while He was here in the flesh:
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
32ย The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
How do we know what is โacceptable?โ By reading, studying, and memorizing the Word of God. Being a Christian does not automatically cause you to speak with wisdom! This kind of righteousness comes only with having the mind of Christ, and making His thoughts and Words a part of you. And to prove that our own words can not count as wisdom, we look to our Savior once again, and see how He responded to the Devil during the temptation.
Matthew 4:3-10
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Notice that the Lord ONLY used Scripture to respond to the Devil. This is especially important for those Christians who somehow think the Old Testament no longer has meaning or importance to the Church! If the Living Christ thought it was important enough to quote โ how are Christians confident in not doing so as well? Are we responding to temptation with our own logic and reason? Are we foolish enough to think that our own resources can outfox the Fox? The Devil? The Tempter? This one thing โ failing to use the Word of God against temptation โ is the greatest weakness of the Church.
Donโt get bogged down in debate with the evil one and his minions โ you canโt possibly win against a supernatural intelligence like that using your own abilities. ย Use the Word of God as the sword of Truth!ย Memorize it, inhale it, study it, devour it.ย The wicked will flee. . .
Come, ye sinners, lost and hopeless, Jesusโ blood can make you free; For He saved the worst among you, When He saved a wretch like me.
Refrain:ย And I know, yes, I knowย Jesusโ blood can make the vilest sinner clean,ย And I know, yes, I knowย Jesusโ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.
To the faint He giveth power,ย Through the mountains makes a way;ย Findeth water in the desert,ย Turns the night to golden day.
In temptation He is near thee,ย Holds the powโrs of hell at bay;ย Guides you to the path of safety,ย Gives you grace for every day.
He will keep thee while the agesย Roll throughout eternity;ย Though earth hinders and hell rages,ย All must work for good to thee.
We only know that the wonderful words and music to this hymn were written by a lady name Anna W. Waterman, in 1920. . .
From a home with one brother and one sister, Charles Watermanโs urge was to see the country. This took him to hitchhiking on the railroad to California. He was influenced by the worldly crowd and gave himself to become an alcoholic. Even as such, he worked his way up to become an engineer on the steam locomotive. He married Anna, who had a Christian background and did what she could to keep the testimony before him. Anna was discouraged at the path her husband followed because it was causing him to miss work on some of his hangovers. So she asked a lady in her town in California to meet with her and help her pray for Charles to be saved. His wild life went on for three or more years and one night he became frightened while under the influence and when he finally arrived at home, he told Anna he wanted to be saved. She immediately called her friend who came over to their home and they led him to the Lord. He begged the Lord for forgiveness and to clean up his life, which the Lord did. The happiness that followed caused Anna to write this song. A book with over 30 other songs was collected and published. They visited in Lodi, Fountain County, Indiana, and at the Baptist Church, later named Waterman Baptist Church. http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/y/e/s/yesiknow.htm
Hebrews 7:25
ย Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.
So, you’ve done everything right. You’ve home-schooled for years, surrounded your kids with the love of Christ, and after years of careful tending – your semi-adult child rebels. And not a little rebellion – we’re talking major rebellion. I’m not referring to the sullen eight year old who refuses to finish his math paper – what is on the table here is the child who morally rebels, and may even leave home. Can this happen in a Christian home school? Yes. Rarely, but it does happen.
Every person born in the world has the potential for rebellion within them. One only needs to hear that first NO! out of a toddler’s mouth to believe it. This is natural rebellion as a result of the fall of man that every parent must quell in their child, or the infant terriblewill grow into an intolerable human being. But is teenage rebellion “natural?” Homeschool parents become defensive when overly helpful outsiders promise them, and none too kindly, that their teenagers are going to put them through hell. Is teenage rebellion inevitable?
To answer that question, we must address what causes it.
Attention starvation –Ok, you have three younger children that need 100% supervision. Your 15 year old doesn’t need that much from you – right? Wrong. The teenager that is “acting out” is actually “crying out for attention.”
Too much criticism from you– NEVER publicly chasten your teen. Bear in mind that teasing can be taken as mocking, and it is very, very painful. And please have a tender heart for other people’s teenagers.
Be informed – Always make every effort to be fully informed before you make a judgement on something. Often kids are so fearful of disappointing their parents they will compound what they have done by attempting to conceal it.
Making assumptions – Both teens and their parents make assumptions about each others’ motivations. And they are usually wrong!
The Golden Child – This is a toughie. It very frequently happens in multi-child households that one of them will seem “golden” to the other kids. They don’t seem to get disciplined, their grades are wondrous, they are talented, everyone loves them! Every person on this earth, including your “un-golden” child has something they can do well. Make it a priority to dig for that “gold.”
Alright, you did all that and you still have a rebel. What now? Cling to the Word of God like a life preserver in a stormy sea, and heed this promise:
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 (This Proverb does not guarantee that your children will be saved. Salvation is an individual choice that every person must make. The Proverb does, however, assure us that what we teach our children regarding character stays with them – even through rebellion.)
True story time –
A conservative family with seven children, all raised the in the same fashion, had one child that chose the world. After twelve years of homeschool and careful nurturing, the unsuspecting parents were greeted by a note and an empty bed one morning. Their 18 1/2 year old daughter had simply moved out in the middle of the night.
In her note she said she wanted to “see the world.” For these parents, it was almost like a death. For the first time in her life, the parents did not know where she was. They did not know who had helped transport her, either. All of her clothing had been taken, so it was clear she had moved out.
This experience was so terrifying for the parents, they called the prayer chain, and began fasting and praying with all of their being. Days passed, then weeks, then months. Then years. Not a word. The toll on the mother’s health was drastic. They acted hopeful around each other, but inwardly carried it like a ten ton weight.
The one day, out of the blue, the daughter returned home. She was a broken person. She no longer had that sparkle in her eye they all loved. She looked more like a hunted animal. And – she was four months pregnant. But – she was penitent! She came into the home, and in front of the entire family, got down on her knees and begged forgiveness from her parents, saying that she had already asked the Lord for forgiveness. And, those blessed, weary parents embraced that child with all the love they could muster, praising God and giving thanks for her safe return.
Did they reprimand her? No, because they could see that she had already “paid the piper” several times over, and bore scars that would last a life time. The purpose of this story, is to know that there is restoration for the rebel and their families. With God – all things are possible.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15: 7
If you are coping with a prodigal, try not to give way to consuming fear – it is not the Lord’s will that we live in fear – even for our children. I have counseled women who are completely overtaken with thinking and fretting about their children. Jesus must be our all-in-all, not our children.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6: 4
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24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Those that are unsaved and living for the world system, fear death to the point they will do almost anything to avoid it. Because they have no hope for the future, and no concept of an eternity โ they cling with fervor to this earthly realm. Being completely self centered, they think nothing of killing the unborn, or using their body parts to extend their own lives.
25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
As believers, we know that our future is already sealed. That is our hope โ something the wicked couldnโt possibly understand. With Jesus Christ as our Righteous and Everlasting foundation, we are known by name, are built onto โ and permanently attached to Him. Once we are in heaven with the Lord, the wicked will no more come to our minds. Or to the Lordโs mind! And how grateful we should be for that! Not to think about what the evil are up to anymore โ that sounds like heaven to me.
Isaiah 65:11-17
11 But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget My holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
12 Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before Mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, My servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.
15 And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen: for the Lord God shall slay thee, and call His servants by another name:
16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from Mine eyes.
17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Bible translations โ itโs a mess. If you are anything like me (logical, analytical, likes to read peer-reviewed research for *fun* on the weekends), the confusion surrounding Biblical translations seems to almost invalidate the Bible as a whole. To an external observer with a penchant towards experimental and evidence-based analysis, contradicting results invalidates the authority of the results. Due to the conflicting views on translations of Scripture, I am working to assemble my research to validate the authority of the Scripture in terms of the Authorized King James Version.
When Emperor Constantine took over the Roman Empire thanks to strong connections that were enabled by his father Caesar Constantius of the First Tetrarchy (AD 293 โ 305), he sought to unify paganism and Christianity. By unifying them, he would be able to manipulate himself into a position of absolute divine authority and unanimous approval from all classes through an imperial cult, a state religion wherein an emperor or group of emperors are worshipped as demigods or deities. When Emperor Constantine did this, he:
Increased tolerance of Christianity while limiting regulations against Roman polytheism.
Mingled pagan holidays with Christian beliefs.
Called for the Council of Nicaea, establishing the Nicene Creed and deity of Christ.
All of the unified religions established as the official religion of the Roman Empire were called, as a unit, Roman Catholicism. In an effort to unify Christianity and people who had pantheistic views for peace under his โdivine leadership,โ Constantine played his role carefully after analyzing that the Christians would not be so easily eliminated with simple persecution and massacre as was attempted during the reign of prior Emperor Diocletian and his Tetrarchy. Roman Catholicism embellished Christianity with ritualistic ceremonies, focusing on the value and authority of paganist rituals and ceremony as opposed to the authority of Scripture. Thus, any Scripture which was derived from the influence of that intermingling of Gnosticism, paganism and Arianism that was the result of Constantineโs efforts for a unified religion (Roman Catholicism) andany translation of Scripture which stemmed from that unification and desperate attempt to unite the pagans of the world with Christians uses a translation that:
1.) is anti-Trinitarian
2.) denies the authority of Scripture.
Most English Translations of Scripture come from copies of Greek codices of questionable translational authenticity kept in โthe holy city of Catholicsโ โ Vatican City.
Please note the following illustration:
I will be providing more information on this topic as time permits.
Matthew 5:18
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
This research, recently published (July 2024), entitled โReal-Time Self-Assembly of Stereo microscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study,โ indicates that everyone who was coerced into taking that Pfizer or Moderna vaccine could very well be infected with some strange unidentifiable nanotech.
Just Read the Highlighted Text:
As we reported here, we have isolated numerous and various unidentified materials โ a few ฮผm in size โ beyond the nanoparticles described in FDA reports for the mRNA injectables, in the Pfizer and even more so in the Moderna products.
Having concluded various experiments and careful observational studies, we infer that the materials and their observed stages of development are not natural. They are synthetic, and elemental seeming to govern a well-programmed process of structural self-assembly. That their provisional final production could be described as artificial has already been suggested in the numerous articles referenced so far…
โฆSasha Latypova, an executive and researcher for the pharmaceutical industry, discovered an extreme deviation in side effects among the batch-to-batch vials of mRNA COVID-19 injectables. In a normal world, this sort of wildly uneven deviation would be intolerable in ordinary pharmaceutical products receiving routine oversight by regulatory bodies adhering strictly to established protocols and safety guidelines. Nevertheless, as the public has been reminded continually, we are living in a โnew normalโ. How, therefore, might we understand more generally this obvious deviation from the old normal? One way is to consider intentionality. These products were meant to serve foremost as experimental injections for the whole of humanity โ including all ethnicities, sexes, and age groups.
This depiction squares with the FDA approval letter of the Comirnaty (Pfizer product; FDA, 2021), the post-marketing requirement, in infants under 6 months of age, the study completion of July 31, 2024, and the final report which is to be submitted by October 31, 2024. Worth nothing is that in the accompanying documents for the injectable products all details referring to the factories where they were manufactured were conspicuously redacted, which begs larger questions about secrecy undermining informed consent.
Broudy, Daniel & Lee, Young. (2024). Real-Time Self-Assembly of Stereomicroscopically Visible Artificial Constructions in Incubated Specimens of mRNA Products Mainly from Pfizer and Moderna: A Comprehensive Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research. 3. 1180-1244. 10.56098/586k0043.
…
2 Timothy 3:1-9
3ย This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2ย For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3ย Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4ย Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;5ย Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.6ย For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,7ย Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8ย Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.9ย But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
Like a chameleon, John Kerry, our Secretary of State, has now interpreted Scripture โ first for a Muslim audience at the State Departmentโs โIftarโ dinner, where he said:
โFor many of us, respect for Godโs creation in almost every scripture really demands and translates into a duty to protect and sustain Godโs first creation,โ said Kerry. โOur response to climate change ought to be rooted in a fundamental sense of shared stewardship of the earth that emerges from that tradition.โ
Mr. Kerry/Kohen โ when you say โGodโ โ to whom are you referring? Allah is not YHWH! Allah=Baal. And you dare to place the Word of God โ the Holy Bible, on the same footing as the Koran?
And for the pseudo Christians at the State Departmentโs Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives (code for Agenda 21) he offered this meandering tripe:
โIโm convinced that all of you will agree,โ said Kerry, โthat one of the toughest challenges that we face in terms of global diplomacy and relationships around the world between peoples nowadays, from sectarian strife to the challenges of many intractable, frozen conflicts, to the challenges of simply understanding peopleโone people to anotherโor even monumental challenges like the sectarian strife that we see tearing countries and regions apart, as well as the enormous challenges of things like global climate change, which really is a challenge to our responsibilities as the guardiansโsafe guarders of Godโs creation.โ
If youโre old enough to remember when fear of Communism was the proferred method of intimidating and controlling the masses, you should be able to recognize the latest instruments of โcorrection.โ Since the Berlin wall came down in 1989, the PTB were forced to come up with an all new mechanism for mastery. Or is it new?
Now the yoke of โclimate control,โ is placed on our proverbial necks, headed up by luminaries from every Christian denomination โ http://christiansandclimate.org/signatories/and I suggest to you โ that it is not different โ Communism and Climate Control are ideologically the same. Ingenious, really, but considering who (his name starts with L.) is behind it, one could hardly be surprised. It truly is the perfect crime โ wherein the victims (us) are led to believe that the perpetrators are doing us a favor, through the wholesale destruction of industrialization and capitalism under the glossy, plumped-up image of saving the environment. Lovely.
Guess who is public enemy #1 now? Humanity. In the view of the elites, the useless eaters are destroying their beautiful world. How Mr. Kerry must tingle inside when he speaks of caring for โGodโs creation.โ In his view, God only created trees and oceans, etc. God did not create the unborn that are being sacrificed on the altar of Baal as I write this.
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If you are feeling anxious about things that are happening in the world today, the Lord wants you to know, that all these things are a sign of His soon return. Those that have trusted their futures to Him, do not have any of those kinds of worries, because He has promised them a better, brighter future. A future where there is no war, poverty, or strife.
Jesus said, โI tell you. . .except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.โ Luke 13:3,5 Repentance is an act of deep sorrow for oneโs sins, of turning from your sin โ towards Jesus.
From your heart, call out to Him. Tell him โ โI know Iโm a sinner. Please, please forgive me. I believe, Jesus, that You took all the punishment for everything Iโve done, everything. I believe that You died for me. Please, Jesus, please come into my heart. I thank You and praise You for this wonderful gift of salvation. Thank You. Amen.โ
The words themselves are not a magical formula. If you are truly repentant, and with all sincerity, from the bottom of your soul, you desire Jesus, God will save you today!
The Vine Vigil 
