Truth and Life

To be Continued

2009-10-15T04:29:00.000-04:00

This blog has ended here. To see the continuance of our journey, please go to Staying in the Overflow. See you there!

Homeschooling Reason # 1

2009-08-13T14:00:00.001-04:00

New Blog

2009-07-20T12:43:00.005-04:00

"Staying in the Overflow" is our new blog on how to live your life in Christ.

Truth and Life will remain as an editorial blog on current events which are pertinent to christian living. Truth and Life will also keep you abreast of any mission work as it occurs.

Perla and I look forward to seeing you in the overflow!

His Glory

2009-06-19T23:18:00.002-04:00

The proper motive for any and all of our actions should be to glorify God.

That, I guess is part of the reason why I stopped blogging. I was blogging about things that really had no eternal value to Him. And I grew weary of it fast.

... whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31b

His glory is the reason why God himself did what He did:
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Psalms 79:9

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
John 7:18

What are your pursuits? What are your goals? What are your dreams?

Do they have the right motive? Is your motive to glorify God?

If not, check your heart.

Teacher Applicant

2009-04-16T06:29:00.001-04:00

After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said "Let me see if I've got this right."

You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.

You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.

You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, cell phone, email, and report card.

You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.

You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . I CAN'T PRAY?

(swiped from facebook friend)

In Memoriam

2009-04-14T00:47:00.004-04:00

George P. Della Pia

1921 - 2009

George P. Della Pia, aged 87, a longtime Holy Family University friend and supporter, died on Tuesday, April 7, 2009.

At the time of his death, Mr. Della Pia served as a member of the executive committee of Parents & Friends of Holy Family University and chair of the group's Ways and Means Committee. He also served as a member of the Development and Public Relations Committee of the University's Board of Trustees.

He was the beloved husband of Dorothy M. Della Pia.

George was a devoted father to Marilyn DellaPia, Julia Sangillo (Bob), Anna Marie Senita (Gary) and the late George P. Jr. (Debbie).

He was brother to Gloria Forchetti and the late Mildred Zappile.

He was the grand-father of Jude (Margaret), Jeffrey, Curt, Doug, Vincent, Anthony, Marie, Julie, Michele, Nicole and Deanna.

He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Relatives, friends and members of Parents and Friends of Holy Family University and Our Lady of Calvary Ushers are invited to a Funeral Mass Tuesday evening 8 P.M., Our Lady of Calvary, 11024 Knights Rd., Philadelphia. PA 19154 where friends may call Tuesday evening 6 to 7:45 P.M. and Wednesday 8:30 to 9:30 A.M. Interment at Resurrection Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, mass cards or donations to Our Lady of Calvary Tree of Blessing in George's name would be appreciated. Arrangements by Visconto Funeral Home.

My Uncle George was always the great encourager and motivator. He would always ask, "What else are you doing?" He was one who could make you feel like you could do anything if you put your mind to it and maintained your integrity. It is his personality that we need in today's world. We will miss him very much.

Very Cool Link

2009-04-07T23:48:00.003-04:00

Be sure to check it out in the daytime.

BRB

2009-03-24T04:15:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around for a month now. Our business is having a growth spurt. Yeah! What recession? I have to tend to business - See you soon..

2e

2009-02-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

Exodus 12:49

Immigration

2009-02-28T14:44:00.003-05:00

This is one issue on which I differ greatly with my fellow Christian Conservatives.

For me, it is not a political matter. It is a matter of adherence to the Will and Character of God.

The current immigration laws of the USA are discriminatory in practice and not of a biblical worldview. Any true believer, once aware of the facts, would ever be able to stand against illegal immigration, but would fight to change the laws of this nation with regards to this issue.

Stay tuned.

Going Up or Down? You Should Know Already.

2009-02-28T14:43:00.000-05:00

Here is a video from a debate that took place during now-President Obama's Senate campaign. Watch particularly from :22 - :31.

Look, if you REALLY ARE A Christian; a believer in Jesus Christ and the atonement He provided for us on the cross, then you KNOW whether you are going up or down. You don't have to ask HIM about it. There are so many 'believers' who are NOT sure. They should stop calling themselves Christians. The church is responsible for this by the way. It has, for too long, preached a watered-down gospel. ( I will provide, in a future post some examples of this. Right now I am experiencing some technical difficulties with regards to videos.)

The President is not the only one like this, but he is the President, hence the high-profile standards. Don't tell me that we are on the same side because you believe like I do. You do NOT believe like I do if you do not know for a certainty whether you are going up or down. In all fairness, this video was a while ago, and it's possible that by sitting under the preaching of Jeremiah Wright, he learned of his true fate, but I doubt that. Heh.

Just my occasional political twist on matters of faith.

Living Life in the Overflow

2009-02-21T23:26:00.002-05:00

Our church has a new website. Pay us a visit...

A Good Laugh

2009-02-21T00:11:00.001-05:00

There's not too much at the Onion anymore that's all that good. They have gotten little too vulgar for my taste. But this one is alright:

My Award

2009-02-20T00:09:00.000-05:00

I want you to know that I have not forgotten about my award and my obligation. I am looking over some blogs and making decisions. Soon to follow.

2e

2009-02-20T00:08:00.000-05:00

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1

Focus Part Two - Yes, You Can.

2009-02-18T09:20:00.005-05:00

In the first part of this lesson, we talked about how when there is a work to be done, distractions will come. We talked about how one of those distractions is sin; represented in the story of Nehemiah by Sanballat.

Let's move on now to the next distraction that will come: Tobiah. It is found in the same passage; Nehemiah 4:1-3

From the Web Bible Encyclopedia:
Tobiah - pleasing to Jehovah, the “servant”

Tobiah is the believer; your co-laborer in Christ. Tobiah is the one that is supposed to be on your side. Tobiah is the one who says "Praise the Lord!" to your face, and talks about you behind your back. Tobiah is your fellow laborer sneaking around to get in the other door before you and then smiling at you once you're in the room together.

This is not to say that fellow believers should never be trusted. On the contrary, we are supposed to be of the same mind. (1Cor 2:16). But Tobiah-minded believers say that even though you are doing the work, it will fail. They wish you failure. I do not understand this at all. Why, if indeed they claim to have the same interests at heart, the same goals to achieve, would they wish failure upon you? I accept the fact that perhaps they may not agree with the method, or the plan, but to wish failure upon your co-laborer is plain wrong.

"Well, preacher", you say. "Tobiah wasn't a co-laborer." Yup. You're right. However, Mr. Pleasing-to-Jehovah was an Ammonite.

Ammonites were descendants of Ammon, the son of Lot. Along with the Moabites, this tribe hired Balaam to curse Israel. They were, through Lot, closely related to the Israelites through blood and language.

You see, it is their close relation that makes them a 'co-laborer'. Even though they were not working along side the Israelites in this task, they were originally from the same family, and that is how we draw the connection.

Let's move on.

So after Nehemiah prays, we see this verse:

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:6

Why is it that the wall was able to be built, halfway completed, even though there were these distractions and oppositions? Because the people had amind to work

You can get a lot done if you have a mind to work. You can get even more done if those that are with you have a mind to work. You can get people to do extraordinary things as long as you and they have a mind to work. You can beat the oppostion if you have a mind to work.

You can reach the unreachable.

You can do the impossible.

You can beat the enemy.

You can overcome every obstacle...

if you have the mind to work.

When the people have a mind to work, they can.

Brief Briefs

2009-02-18T05:44:00.001-05:00

"Brief Briefs" is my new recurring entry for our two cents on current and newsworthy events. I hope you enjoy.

13-Year Old Father

Clearly this kid lacked some sort of sex education. How is it that the first thing he decides to do with it, once he can do something with it, is exactly what he shouldn't be doing with it. Didn't his parents see this girl he was hanging with, and that she was clearly much more physically mature than him?

He was 12 at conception!

Great Britain started down this path a long time ago. What path? They started down the path of a godless nation. They formed their own god to suit their needs; in government and society. Now they are paying the price. If this continues, he could be a grandfather at 25! America should take heed now. This is what happens when you remove God. And yes, her parents are just as much to blame as are his.

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Jeremiah 7:23-24, 28

Evolving Christians

Either you are a Christian or you believe in evolution. You can NOT have both. The Word of God states clearly that God created all things:

Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.
Revelation 4:11 AMP

For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification], Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.
Romans 1:20-21 AMP

When you suggest that God did or didn't do something when His Word clearly states the opposite, you have broken the second commandment and created a god to suit yourself. This is what Adam & Eve did in the garden when tempted.

These preachers are preaching lies. We pray for their flock, that they not be led astray.

Transparency

2009-02-17T12:29:00.005-05:00

trans⋅par⋅ent

–adjective

Having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen.

In other words, if something is truly transparent, it can not be seen at all.

On Tough Love: The Octuplet Mama

2009-02-14T22:08:00.002-05:00

The following is from Mama. I had to censor a couple of words but she still said it better than I could have....

Boo hoo. Nadya Suleman was an only child and didn’t like it. So she did what any self-indulgent only child would do. She went on to fill the “need” she had by having scads of her own kids, no matter how this affected anyone else.

Am I saying that “only children” are destined to be selfish or over-indulged? Of course not. It’s all in how you raise them. But something clearly went wrong somewhere in Ms. Suleman’s life.

The woman is well-spoken, but is clearly delusional. She believes she can actually raise all of these children on her own, without government assistance. First of all, even without the octuplets, she had six very young children and no real job. Even if she had a job, she would have to make an astronomical amount of money to have to pay any Federal Income taxes. In fact, if she holds any kind of job at all, with all of her dependents, she will receive money from the IRS every year as Earned Income Credit. So taxpayers that are actually paying into the system will be providing for her fourteen children’s education, subsidized health care, food stamps, and daycare. We are probably already paying for Ms. Suleman’s education. How else can an unemployed woman with a houseful of kids afford to go to college?

The idiot doctor who ignored this woman’s apparent mental instability and implanted her with six more embryos (knowing full well she already had six tots and no husband to help) was clearly irresponsible. But her parents–what the h*** were they thinking?

In this age of entitlement, there are too many parents out there that believe being a good parent means indulging every whim of their offspring. Perhaps Nadya’s parents felt bad that they didn’t provide a sibling for their little girl to play with. She had to get this sense of entitlement from somewhere. Nadya is certainly getting back at her parents for any sins they committed.

Not only is Ms. Suleman depending on the village to help raise her clan, but these parents of hers have given up their home, their money, their retirement years and their lives to Ms. Suleman’s population explosion. They’ve allowed their daughter and her children to take up every inch of their small home and have actually had to file for bankruptcy. We watched a Dateline report showing grandma and grandpa running themselves ragged feeding and dressing and driving the little ones to school. Any parent would help out their child and their beautiful grandhildren, right?

Maybe. After the first one, or two, or even three. Maybe. If unavoidable circumstances led to rough times. But when a grown woman keeps forking over thousands of dollars to have babies she can’t afford to feed or provide housing for, mom and dad need to make her STOP. By putting her out while there is still a chance she can provide for her kids. By not allowing her to become so dependent upon them (and the public) so that now there is no way in h*** she can ever provide for the physical or emotional needs of all these kids. About 10 kids ago, it would have been rough for poor Nadya to make it on her own. But at least it would have been possible.

I feel sorry for Nadya’s parents. They look so tired. And now they’re stuck with raising a houseful of children pretty much until they die. The only other option would be to walk away from their beautiful grandchildren and allow them to be scattered amongst other relatives or the pathetic foster care system. Despite her protests, there is no way Ms. Nadya can care for these kids without them.

I love having my adult kids live here with us. But Oldest Son has started paying us rent. We are not obligated to provide for him until we die. And if he does something really stupid that he knows we don’t approve of, he knows he’ll be out paying a lot more rent to some stranger. Which is why today he took out two bags worth of trash from his bedroom. And why I don’t think I’ll be spending my golden years raising babies.

Life Lesson # 42

2009-02-13T00:22:00.000-05:00

Never sign anything that you have not read.

Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.
Proverbs 17:7

Parenting Guideline # 452

2009-02-12T05:27:00.002-05:00

Lawmaker Presses for Free Speech in Foul-mouthed Student's Blog Case.

OK.

1. This girl called her teacher a naughty word.
2. She did it on her blog, which she wrote on her own computer in her home.
3. The school found out and meted out punishment.
4. A senator proposes a bill prohibiting students from bad-mouthing teachers.

The mother says:

"...she wished her daughter "had used more sophisticated language," but said it was up to her, not the school board, to mete out the punishment. "It's for me to discipline her at home, not for the school."

My two cents:

1. The school has no jurisdiction in the home.
2. The mother's right, and shame on her if she doesn't do something about it.
3. The senator's bill should never go through.

Give me a break! You mean that every time a student curses out a teacher....? If this happened on school grounds, it would be one thing; on a school computer, alright. But really, at home? that's the parents' job. And there's certainly no bill needed! What a waste of time. Just type it up in the student handbook. That's what they always did when I was in school.

If a child even gets to this point, it's to the parents' shame.

I was playing with matches on the side of my house one day. My neighbor didn't call th epolice when he saw me. He didn't come out and give me some kind of speech. He walked over and knocked on our front door and told my parents what I was up to. I got a whoopin' and never played with matches again. Pretty simple really.

Alright here it is, and I know some of you are gonna protest. It's the Word of God.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 KJV

He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early.
Proverbs 13:24 AMP

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15 KJV

What's the Big Deal?

2009-02-11T05:26:00.003-05:00

Lawsuit: Florida Clinic Botched Abortion, Threw Out Live Baby

"Just before noon she began to feel ill. The clinic contacted Renelique (the 'doctor'). Two hours later, he still hadn't shown up. Williams went into labor and delivered the baby....one of the clinic owners, Belkis Gonzalez came in and cut the umbilical cord with scissors, then placed the baby in a plastic bag, and the bag in a trash can."

OK. So what's the problem?

Abortion is legal in this country. I do not agree with that, but it is.

The woman, Sycloria Williams, went to have an abortion, at 23 weeks. I do not agree with that.

Her plans were to terminate the life growing inside of her. Instead, the life was terminated outside of her. Why is she suing?

Why is there such outrage?

The best quote from this story is this one:

"She came face to face with a human being," Pennekamp said. "And that changed everything."

Huh? Wasn't 'it' a human being before 'it' came out of her?

Was it alright to kill a human being if you can't see them?

Are you kidding me?

I think this is one of the most tragic things I have heard of in a long time. But I am sure it has happened before. I just do not understand why...

"Even those who support abortion rights are concerned about the allegations."

Maybe because this will put a spotlight on their American holocaust and show it for what it really is: Murder of innocent people.

Reality Check: All aborted babies end up in plastic bags. Plastic bags do not decompose.

AHAZ WAS twenty years old when he began his sixteen-year reign in Jerusalem. He did not do right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father [forefather]. But he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made molten images for the Baals. And he burned incense in the Valley of Ben-hinnom [son of Hinnom] and burned his sons as an offering, after the abominable customs of the [heathen] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.
2 Chronicles 28:1-3 (emphasis mine)

You can read up on Hinnom at Easton's Bible Dictionary:

God wasn't happy with it then. He is not happy with it now.

Jubilee

2009-02-10T09:52:00.001-05:00

Jubilee is the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews. It lasted for a year. During this year the land was to be fallow, and the Israelites were only permitted to gather the spontaneous produce of the fields (Lev. 25:11-12). All landed property during that year reverted to its original owner (Lev. 25:13-34; Lev. 27:16-24), and all who were slaves were set free (Lev. 25:39-54), and all debts were remitted.

Sounds like God already knew man wasn't going to be a good steward of his finances.

"Focus" - Part One

2009-02-10T04:00:00.005-05:00

"SIN"

The story of Nehemiah is chock full of lessons for the believer. One of those many lessons is how to overcome the challenge of distraction.

In the book of Nehemiah, he has gone, with the blessing of the Persian king, to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

It is good if you read the whole story so you can get an idea of the whole scope of things. Some of it is a lot of names. If those names are a challenge for you, I think God will let you slide by if you call Jedaiah, 'Jed' and Harumaph, 'Harry'. Really, don't you think God would like you to get the message He has for you before you get discouraged because you can't read all the names. When you decide to do a full study on it, then you can go back and look up all the names. Until then...

Chapter 3 talks about where everyone was working on the wall. Let's look at 3:28

From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.
Nehemiah 3:28

Each person was working on the part of the wall that was near their house. This is how we should be in this world as well as in the church. There are a lot of walls that need to be rebuilt. There are walls of this nation that need repair.

There are all different sections of the wall. Those who 'live' on that part of the wall are responsible for its repair.

Your calling is your 'home'. If your calling is blogging on certain topics, then perhaps that is your part of the wall. If your 'home' is politics, start rebuilding. If your 'home' is ministry, start repairing the breaches.

If you are going to undertake this task with the rest of us, you must be aware of one thing: you can not do it without calling on God first. I will address that in a future post.

Repairing the wall requires going back to the original plan. Only someone who knows the original layout of that part of the wall is qualified to rebuild that part of the wall. It is the responsibility of people that live on that part of the wall to fix it. Wherever you call 'home', it is your responsibility to fix that part of the wall. You may be a preacher, a missionary, someone who shares their faith on the job or a pray-er. Your home is on that part of the wall. Your security in the city depends on that part of the wall. Walls enable you to see the enemy from afar. It's your responsibility to repair that part of the wall.

Part of the reason that I had such trouble blogging in the past is that during the election season, I was so drawn to the political realm and had so many opinions on the various goings-on from a godly perspective, but didn't know how to separate the two. So, here I am, on my part of the wall. And I am here to stay.

Rebuilding the part of the wall that is near your house is also a personal matter. Take care of the wall near your home; your personal life, your marriage, your children. If everyone saw to the repair of their own part of the wall, the wall would be fixed.

Some parts of the wall have too many people working on them. Stick to your own portion and leave others' alone.

OK. Let's move on to Chapter 4.

Nehemiah 4:1-3

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

Understand this: When you start doing a good work, someone will always oppose you. Don't ever think that you will get away with completing anything noble without some sort of opposition. We have seen this play out in our own nation. You've probably seen it in your own lives; if not, your own struggles. But stand firm because righteousness brings a righteous reward. Righteous action may attract opposition. So what?

Now you need some name research.

From Jewishencyclopedia.com: "Sanballat," according to Sayce (in Hastings, "Dict. Bible," s.v.), is connected with the Assyrian "Sinballidh," and means "Sin has vivified."

Sanballat means 'Sin has given life'. We are not talking about (a)sin, like cursing and the like. We are talking about (b)Sin, a Sumerian god. Now, (b)Sin was a false god because we know that there is only one God. That is the belief to which we ascribe here. Without getting into too much depth on this note, let's say that all (a)sin is some sort of false god or worshipping of some sort of false god. So, for our purposes, (a)sin and (b)Sin are one in the same, if not very closely related. Follow me?

Be assured that there are many things that will try to get in the way of your righteous endeavors. And as sure as that is, it is sure that one of them will be sin.

Sin seems to be able to distract you at any given time but especially when you are making some headway. It can be something as subtle as despising the actions of another or the person themselves, or as loud as some addiction.

Sin will creep up on you and do what Sanballat did. It will mock you. As soon as you get anything accomplished, sin is right there to mock you; to bring about feelings of worthlessness and doubt about yourself and your task at hand.

Tobiah was Sanballat's henchman: "Yeah, boss. What you said boss. Heh." Tobiah will further point out your failures and shortcomings.

Wait until you hear what Tobiah means!

Czech Law

2009-02-09T17:23:00.002-05:00

Chop, chop.

Personally, I think this law should be in effect for certain repeat offenders in the States.

To Encourage Our Friend

2009-02-09T01:36:00.003-05:00

I don't feel no ways tired.

I've come too far from where I started from.

Nobody told me

that the road would be easy.

I don't believe He brought me this far

to leave me.

How much is it?

2009-02-07T00:12:00.002-05:00

In the biblical standard of time, the world has been around for approximately 6000 years. At least that's how I understand it. I know, that puts all those million, billion years evolutionists on their heads. Frankly, I don't care. There's less proof for evolution (read: no proof) than the wind. Anyway, so, 6000 years.

For the sake of this post, let's say that the world has been around for 6,342 years. Stay with me.

That would be 2,314,830 days. (That's millions).

That would be 55,555,920 hours. (That's millions).

That would be 3,333,355,200 minutes. (That's billions).

That would be 200,001,312,000 seconds. (That's billions).

So, if you had $4.00 for every second that the earth has been in existence, you would have 800 billion dollars.

That's how much that is.

Tick - tock.

2e

2009-02-06T17:09:00.002-05:00

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

Why is it that in this world we have so much trouble dealing with events? If we were to look back over history, we would see that everything has been already. Yet, we act as if we are the first to encounter it. We are so self-absorbed that we can not even learn from our own successes and failures.

Even our country could learn from times past, both in its own history and the history of the world, of how to deal with our current struggles. Yet we forget the lessons learned by ourselves and others. We even re-write history at times to appease the masses. We will NOT succeed that way.

If we remember nothing else, can we please remember the words of the 'teacher' (and that, without misquoting him):

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

In Memoriam

2009-02-03T01:33:00.000-05:00

In memory of my Aunt Shirley. A truly great and accomplished woman.
SHIRLEY FARLEY BURD AGE: 81 WILMINGTON, N.C. Shirley Farley Burd, 81, died Friday (Jan. 2, 2009) at the Commons at Brightmore in Wilmington, N.C. She was born in Pluckemin on Aug. 27, 1927, a daughter of the late Raymond and Katherine Horton Farley. She had lived in Pluckemin until moving to Germantown, Tenn., in 1972 and had resided there until moving to Wilmington, N.C., in 2003. Shirley was a registered nurse, having received her nursing degree from Somerset Hospital School of Nursing in 1948. She obtained her bachelor's degree in 1956, her master's degree in 1957 and her doctorate degree in nursing education in 1966, all from Rutgers University. Mrs. Burd worked as a nurse at Somerset Medical Center, Somerville, from 1948 to 1950 and at Lyons Veterans Administration Medical Center in Lyons from 1950 to 1957. She then became a professor of nursing and taught at Rutgers University College of Nursing in Newark from 1957 to 1966; at Vanderbilt University College of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn., from 1966 to 1972 and finally at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing in Memphis, Tenn., from 1972 until retiring in 1990. She was a member of the American Nurses Association and the Academy of Nursing. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert L. Burd, who died Sept. 16, 2003. Shirley is survived by two sisters, Katherine F. Sweeney of Wilmington, N.C., and Annette F. Azud; a brother-in-law, Ernest Burd of Vass, N.C.; a sister-in-law, Karen Farley Wilkinson of Marathon, Fla., and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held Jan. 6, at the Layton Funeral Home, 475 Main St., Bedminster. Interment was at Pluckemin Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Rutgers University College of Nursing, 180 University Ave., Suite 102, Newark, NJ 07102 or the Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Co., P.O. Box 431, Far Hills, NJ 07931. Special thanks is extended to the staff of Brightmore for the compassionate care shown to Shirley.

Embracing What is Right

2009-01-26T06:25:00.003-05:00

First, let me say that this is not a political entry. This is a personal entry. I try very hard to steer away from the political realm, as difficult as that sometimes is. Also, I am not claiming anyone to be guilty by association, so don't even read into that here.

As I watched history unfold during the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, I was unimpressed. There wa no 'wow' moment for me. From Rick Warren's 'prayer' until the end of Joseph Lowery's 'bendiction' - nothing.

I wasn't surprised by the crowds. I expected them.

The music left no lasting impression except for the fact that they could keep stringed instruments in such great tune at such low temperatures. I hear that maybe it was pre-recorded; a Yo-Yo version of lip-synching? Yo-Yo Manilli. I couldn't resist.

There was no historic 'quote' from th ePresident's speech that we will ever see etched in marble or written in history books. For such a charismatic and eloquent man, and after all of the campaign speeches, it was almost anti-climactic. We appear to be stuck with "Yes, we can."

The poem was, well, odd.

And then Rev. Lowery takes to the microphone to pronounce the benediction. Still not impressed, but it definitely sticks with me.

BENEDICTION - A benediction (Latin: bene, well + dicere, to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.

According to wikipedia, Dr Lowery has been in ministry since at least 1952. He should certainly know the purpose of a benediction. He got most of it right. He prayed for protection over the President and his family. He prayed for an end to war in this world. He prayed for the unity of the millions in attendance. Then he tried to add the rhyming and humor to his 'prayer'.

Here is the closing text of this benediction:

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen."

That is NOT a blessing! It is NOT, as the latin states, speaking well of anyone.

This is not an attack on the man of God. He has very many accomplishments, has served God many years and I would never discount any of that. But, I would think that after all of the trouble our new President has had in the past with preachers, he would make some safer choices.

In the following video, you can even see his regret in his face...watch closely...

There are some other things that I can say here regarding the struggle against racism in the United States, but they may start a riot in front of my home. Now, while SOME of my readers may want me to do that, I am not going to. There are many of my African American blogging friends who say it very well.

Suffice it to say, that the three main challenges facing us with regard to racism are these:

1. Old thoughts are still in play. That is to say that people of the older generation and even some out-of-touch, uneducated people of my own generation, have a certain mind-set regarding other races. they do not see anything wrong with their viewpoint, and feel free to speak their mind on the issue.

2. We still call racism a 'problem'. The more you call something a problem, the more of a problem it becomes. The Bible says that:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21

3. The victim mentality. A young man that I have really grown to admire says it best in the following video. And since he's black, he is allowed to say it. Whatever! This was posted pre-election. While I agreed with his views in the rest of the video at that time, some of it now falls out of line with our support of our current President. I know you're going to watch it all. This video was in response to someone else's blog entry, but watch around :54 through 1:34. A tip of the hat to an Ol' Broad for this video.

Finally, let me say this: When we start viewing ourselves as we are; a great, blessed, powerful country, we will be able to re-take our rightful place in this world as a leader. As long as we view ourselves as struggling within, we will always be a struggling nation. It is time for us, as a nation to renew our mind. The current President is in office because the left succeeded at getting some on the right to renew their minds about certain things. Unfortunately, the church is responsible for putting an ungodly man in office and America as a nation will pay the price.

Yes, it is time for white and every other color to embrace what is right.

God is right.

We made it!

2009-01-26T05:14:00.003-05:00

I received the following from a wonderful woman in my life through an email. I have made some adjustments and posted it here.

To Those of You Born

1925 - 1983

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's & 80's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, white rice, white pasta, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times,we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet, no Facebook, no MySpace and no chat rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

No one had ADD or ADHD. We were disciplined to pay attention and learned self-discipline. Some just needed more of the 'discipline' than others.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

Our generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, send a link to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?

My Newest Motivation

2009-01-19T23:47:00.004-05:00

For the two to three of you who actually read this blog, thanks! As you have noticed, I haven't been blogging lately. A few reasons:

1. The holidays are very active for our business and I really didn't have time.
2. The political rigormarole, while very interesting, is not really something I choose to blog on. Truth and Life is more about the real Messiah and His Word. (oops, there I go again).
3. My thoughts and convictions are a little strong for this world at-large. I know that shouldn't matter, but I try to avoid the conflict whenever possible. You should see some of the comments I get from some ridiculous people out there.
4. I haven't really had any inspiration.

Number four brings me to this:

Thank you to Mama and her rants for this kind award.

As I understand it, this award is given to blogs that show great attitude and/or gratitude.

I am now to bestow said award upon 10 other blogs that meet that criteria.

Give me some time to think about it, but thank you for the inspiration. Mama, you are, in fact, my favorite American sister-in-law. ;-)

I think I will, out of respect for the new incoming President, hold off until after his big day.

Please pray for him. Every President needs it.

Your J. O. B.

2009-01-19T22:50:00.007-05:00

The following post was taken from an Ol' Broad and edited for content:

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see us as free and self-employed. You’ve imagine us in a big house; dining out with our children. I’m sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about our life.

However, what you don’t see is the back story.

We started this company 10 years ago. At that time, We lived in a run down apartment, someone's basement where, as my 8 month pregnant wife and I laid on our mattress on the floor, we could hear the tinkle of everyone in the toilet over our heads, and an unkempt friend's rental for 5 years. More than half of our living room was converted into an office so we could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you at a wage of WELL OVER the minimum.

Our diet consisted of Macaroni and cheese on Monday, white rice on Tuesday, white rice with beef bullion on Wednesday, white rice with chicken bullion on Thursday, Spaghetti on Friday and leftovers on the weekends because every dollar we made went right back into this company. If we had any meat to eat, it came from the food pantry in town. We drove broken down, third hand cars with defective transmissions & may-pop tires. Our children sacrificed time with their parents. We didn’t have money to go out. Often times, we stayed home on weekends, while our friends went out to the movies and dinners. While everyone else was secure in their HMO coverage, we depended solely upon the Mercy of God and favor of man.

We lived our business - hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. You can not POSSIBLY tell us how difficult it is to make ends meet. Do not even try.

Meanwhile, our friends and relatives got jobs. They worked 40+ hours a week and made a modest $100K plus a year and spent every dime they earned. They enjoyed good health coverage. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, we were trolling through the clearance racks at Wal-Mart extracting any clothing item that would fit our children. Our own clothes we never bought, but depended on the kindness of wealthier clients to give us their hand-me-downs. Our friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. We, however, did not even own our own home until recently. We put a lot of time, money, and our life into a business with a vision so that eventually, some day, we too, would be able to afford these luxuries our friends supposedly enjoyed.

So, while you physically arrive at to work at 7am, mentally check in at about 11, and then leave at 2pm, we don’t. There is no “off” button for us. When you go home, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. We unfortunately do not have the freedom. We eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to our family like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden - the house, the cars, the trips … you never realize the back story and the sacrifices we’ve made. But we wouldn't have had it any other way. It was our dream; our vision for our family's future.

Now, the economy is falling apart and we, the couple that made all the right decisions and saved our money, have to bail-out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that we earned and sacrificed a decade of our life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price we’ve paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

We are being taxed to the brink and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. We have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. Sometime between now and April 15th, I will clench my teeth as I find out if I can even break even with our personal taxes or will we have to pay even more.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Us, the couple who has provided all of you good people with good paying jobs servicing homes and offices in 2 states and 9 counties with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? That’s nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don’t understand … to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to us that we didn’t need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing over $100,000 into the Washington black-hole, we would spend it, hiring more employees, start new business outlets and ventures and generate substantial economic growth. Our employees would enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don’t defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the new power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you you will get.

So where are we going with all of this? It’s quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on us, or our company, our reaction will be swift and simple. We will sell off our business assets. We will fire you. We will fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child’s future. Frankly, it isn’t our problem any more.

Then, we will close this company down, sell most of out possessions and move to another country, do mission work and eventually retire. You see, we're done. We're done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. Our motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, the dream we worked so hard to achieve.

So, if you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find us teaching some foreign children the Word of God, being appreciated simply because of what we have to offer and not the tax base we can provide, and with no employees to worry about …

Signed,
your employers.

Jason Upton

2009-01-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Marvia Providence

2008-12-29T22:27:00.001-05:00

So Glad!

2008-12-29T21:56:00.003-05:00

I am so glad that I know Jesus Christ. If not, I may have missed His Birthday!

Our business, a cleaning service, is soooo busy during the holiday season, Thanksgiving through New Year's, that we hardly have time to breathe. We work sometimes 13-14 hours a day.

This is the main reason why I haven't posted anything lately. Certain things have to take the back burner during this season. Truthfully, the celebration of the Baby Jesus is not the foundation of our faith. As our pastor says, Jesus grew up! It was the work completed on the cross of Calvary that changed my life.

But, see, He is with me every day. He healed my body, saved my soul and baptized me in the Holy Ghost.

If you do not know Him personally, then you need certain days to recognize Him. My personal prayer time did NOT take the back burner during the holidays, so I got to celebrate Him every day; He was with me all day.

We apologize if you didn't get the card or gift you were expecting. This post is your card; the gift is Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

John & Perla

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

2e

2008-12-10T12:12:00.000-05:00

My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

Proverbs 24:21-22

Forwarded Emails (Sowing and Reaping)

2008-12-03T15:20:00.008-05:00

I received the following text recently in a forwarded email. DISCLAIMER: I have not checked any of the facts, just posted it as I received it....

DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?

I SURE DIDNT TILL NOW

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!

Make a personal reflection about this.....

Very interesting, read until the end.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

or whatsoever a man sow,

that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women

who mocked God :

John Lennon (Singer):

Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: 'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him' (1966). Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):

During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.' He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.

With an ironic tone he said: 'Not even God can sink it'. The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress)

She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:

'I don't need your Jesus'. A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer)

The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: 'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend.....The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: 'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.' She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full ' Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer)
said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.

'Jesus'

PS: If it was a joke, you would have sent it to everyone.
So are you going to have courage to send this? I have done my part, Jesus said

'If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.'

You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way!

I'M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!!

Bishop T.D. Jakes '8 Second Prayer.' Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!

'Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen.' Pass this message to 8 people {EXCEPT YOU AND ME}.You will receive a miracle tomorrow. I Hope that you don't ignore and let God bless you.

Yes, God’s truth is that we will reap what we sow. This is as much a truth as it relates to a prosperous harvest as it does a cursed harvest.

OK, so I 'replied to all' on this one with a link to this blog entry with two intentions:

1. To provide the recipients with a true yet not exhaustive teaching of the Word of God on sowing and reaping & witchcraft.

2. To draw more regular readers to our blog.

So here we go...

The email quoted Galatians 6:7 correctly. However, the Word of God also states this:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

I highlighted the word ‘witchcraft’ in verse 20 because that is one thing I want to address here.

WITCHCRAFT

I receive many forwarded emails. I read most. I forward very few. A majority of the forwarded emails out there have a tag-line at the end similar to the one this had, i.e., “if you send this to x amount of people in y amount of time, something will happen”. This is witchcraft. It is not the law of sowing and reaping as God has set forth.

The concepts in this email are true. If you have forwarded it because you wanted to share the truth of God’s Word with someone, and believe that the Word of God has touched you in such a way that it has changed you or the way you think or the way you live your life, then take God's Word at its fullest and at least take the time to delete the crazy ‘spell’ at the end. To do otherwise, now that you know the truth, would be hypocritical. I challenge you all, knowing God's view of witchcraft, to delete the little encantations from here on with whatever emails you get, and then send them. If you send me one with a curse or a promise at the bottom, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I wasn’t the one who sowed witchcraft.

SOWING AND REAPING

God’s law of sowing and reaping is that, as this email stated,

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians 6:7-8

The email was unclear in that it appeared to say that if you mock God, you will reap a curse for it. That is not what the scripture says. When the Word of God says God is not mocked, it is refrring to this:

Look, God has set up order in this world, both natural and spiritual, that follows the law of sowing and reaping. This will NOT change. You will reap that which you have sown.

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Genesis 8:22

Whatever you sow, that’s what you will get!

Take a look at the Word...

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11-12

And again,

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Matthew 7:18

And yet again,

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Luke 6:43-44

God ordered that each grass, herb, & tree brought forth fruit ‘after his (its own) kind’. Have you ever seen oranges on a grape vine? Have you ever seen a snake birth a horse? That is how God set everything in order.

If you sow kindness, you'll reap kindness. If you sow hatred, you'll reap hatred. Anger=anger, spite=spite, love=love, money=money, violence=violence. Yes, I said money. And if you forward a lot of emails, what will you get? OK, I know that’s funny and all, but it’s true nonetheless.

Thanks for reading. If this is your first visit, please subscribe by pressing one of the 'subscribe' buttons on the top right.

We'd love to hear from you. You can click on 'comments' below and leave your 2 cents.

Someone Please Tell Them it's Not April Yet

2008-12-03T12:12:00.005-05:00

The atheists are at it again. They are trying to steal another holiday. Why is it that they are not happy with their own holiday? Why do they have to take ours too?

Nonbelievers' sign at Capitol counters Nativity

Does this mean there will be no egg roll at the White House next year? If you are reading this hungry then you may have read that last sentence wrong. Try again. Ooops, that will be the Obama administration, right? He's gonna have to do all that POTUS stuff! How funny, seeing as he is not even a christian.

OK, so some of you are probably trying to figure out when National Atheist Day is....

April 1st, every year.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Psalms 14:1

Obama is NOT a Christian

2008-12-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

Here's proof.

*clarification - that is his grade school registration, not his birth certificate. In order to register, he had to take on Indonesian citizenship. In order to take on Indonesian citizenship, he needed to be a muslim.

And if he is a christian now, then he is a converted christian. But Mr Obama has never once been able to pinpoint the moment of his conversion, as any true believer can.

And then there's this: If PE Obama has converted (muslim to christian), it would greatly affect his relationship with the muslim world.

From wikipedia:

"In most interpretations of Sharia, conversion by Muslims to other religions, is strictly forbidden and is termed apostasy. Muslim theology equates apostasy to treason, and in most interpretations of sharia, the penalty for apostasy is death."

So, not only now will the islam-extremists be out to get all of us, but particularly our exalted leader personally. The Secret Service better get ready.

2e

2008-12-02T00:04:00.002-05:00

Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? [You have withheld your] tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation. [Lev. 26:14-17.] Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. [Mal. 2:2.] And I will rebuke the devourer [insects and plagues] for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:8-12 AMP

Welcome Home...and Thank you!!!

2008-11-30T22:17:00.001-05:00

A BIG welcome home to mama's Soldier Son. He has just returned from Iraq. Your service is appreciated by our little family and, as I know, by many others.

We're glad to have you home.

In Memoriam

2008-11-26T14:48:00.003-05:00

Sister Gee from New Covenant Church in Mandeville passed away this morning at Mandeville Hospital.

She sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness" Sunday in church.

She will be missed by her family and the family of New Covenant.

She was a great woman of God, submitted to her church leadership.

Prayer in Topsham

2008-11-25T03:03:00.000-05:00

Worship at New Covenant

2008-11-25T00:51:00.000-05:00

Yup, Just Like That...

2008-11-24T23:56:00.002-05:00

PLEASE DON'T WAIT. RECEIVE HIM NOW. BELIEVE NOW.

Jamaica - Sunday - Wow!

2008-11-24T11:32:00.007-05:00

Hallelujah! Byron was the first person in the doors of New Covenant on Sunday morning!

He even got a new shirt for church from someone!

We ministered in their Sunday morning service, teaching and preaching on the importance of submitting to the vision of the house, the man and woman of God and how that is all connected to fulfilling your destiny.

After the message, as we prayed for the people of New Covenant,

Brother Smith

Sister G

and Sister Donna
all were healed of deafness or pain in their ears!

Byron recommitted himself to follow God and claimed Pastor White as his man of God!

Sunday night, we were back in Topsham.

Perla and Lee

The church in Wanstead joined us there. It was good to see Pastor and Mother Stevens again.

(Should I get a hat?)

New Covenant from Mandeville also came and all three churches joined together for a great time of worship.

God showed up and God showed off!

The people were encouraged by the Word of God. There was another man healed in his ears that night. As we prayed for the people, the presence and power of God fell and filled all the believers anew. Everyone was refreshed by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

The mission work of Revival Fires Fellowship International and Overflowing Life Christian Center is bearing much fruit in Jamaica.

When it is time to give to missions, we ask that you remember the faces and places we have shared with you today. Your giving facilitates these good works.

The churches in Jamaica are moving forward in God.

Come back this week for videos from our trip...

Jamaica - Saturday

2008-11-14T11:57:00.012-05:00

TOPSHAM, Jamaica

The view from the Topsham church.

We arrived on Friday afternoon, (without our carry-on). After the drive from Kingston to Mandeville, we checked and freshened up a bit. Then we went to Pastor Williams’ house in Topsham for dinner. We spent some time with him and his family.

During our time in Topsham, we had some time to see some of the work that has been done on the church building. They have installed beautiful new doors.

The floor has been completely tiled.

It was bare cement before. They have completed the new lettering over the pulpit area also.

The back room, for visiting ministers, is finished and fully furnished.

The bathroom also has been completed.

Pastor Williams also showed us some of the damage caused by this year’s hurricanes. He personally lost about 2/3 of his crops. The stones were washed away on the path to the church in certain places,

as well as under the various footbridges. Hurricane Gilbert was severe enough to uproot trees.

The pigs, however, survived.

They are reproducing.

This one is even currently, ‘with pig’, Pastor Williams said.

MANDEVILLE, Jamaica

On Saturday, we spent some time preparing for ministry on Sunday. We also got out and about in Mandeville waiting for our afternoon appointment with Pastor White.

We came across Byron.

Actually, he came across us. He appeared very concerned with whether or not we were enjoying our vacation. We shared with him why we were actually in Jamaica. After speaking with Byron for a bit, he started asking us for money for food. Since we were on our way to Juici Patti, the Jamaican equivalent of McDonald’s, we told Byron that we would buy him a beef patty.

The security guard at Juici Patti was none too pleased to have Byron there. Byron sells packets of seeds on the street and they did not want him selling his seeds inside. That was their verbal statement anyway. Byron put down his box of seed packets but they still were insisting that he leave. I assured the guard that Byron was with us; he would be eating with us and leaving with us. I got that all too familiar ‘you silly american’ knowing smile look from the guard as he walked away.

While we spent time in Juici Patti with Byron, the Spirit of God moved in the restaurant and gave us a word for Byron’s life. Many others were listening attentively as we shared the truth of God’s Word with this man. We could see people listening in and nodding in agreement to what was being said.

Byron had been speaking very negatively about people and the way he gets treated. We shared with Byron the truth of sowing and reaping and that the negative treatment that he regularly receives could be a direct result of the negative way he treats others. It is a biblical principle of sowing and reaping.

As we left Juici Patti, we encouraged Byron to come to church right there in Mandeville the next day where we would be ministering.

PASTOR ALANDO WHITE

Later that afternoon, we met with Pastor Alando White and his wife, as well as another member of their church. Pastor White was the one who had contacted Bishop McIver with a desire to come under his leadership and apostolic covering. Pastor White showed us around some different areas of town and told us about their various ministries there in Mandeville. It turns out that the main part of Pastor White’s vision for ministry is to minister to street people and rehabilitate them and place them back into society. I think we found Byron’s pastor.

After our time with the Whites, Perla and I had dinner at the hotel, continued preparing for Sunday and then rested up for a full day of ministry in Jamaica on Sunday.

Coming up...Jamaica - Sunday - Wow!

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-12T03:06:00.003-05:00

Today is our little girl's 15th birthday. She is growing up to be a fine young woman of God. She gets straight A's. She is a member of the National Honor Society. She is a Senator for her Freshman class. She loves God and walks the walk. We love you, Cecilia!

Jamaica 2008 - Part One - $15.00, for what?!

2008-11-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

We flew from Philadelphia through Montego Bay, (where USAir lost my ONLY bag I checked; yeah the one they charged me 15.00 to check), then on to Kingston.

So, this bag you see, was our only checked baggage. We had our full alotment of carry-ons. We could carry on everything we needed. I just didn't want to go through the whole little-plastic-bottle-for-everything-your-body-needs-in-a-ziploc-bag-please ordeal. So we shoved all those liquids, etc. into one bag and checked it.

The USAir lady said it was going through to Kingston. Since, I have traveled multiple times internationally, I knew better. So, I asked her to clarify it. She assured me that it would go through to Kingston. I asked her again if I needed to pick it up in Montego Bay to clear through customs and recheck it. She said once again that the bag would be in Kingston when I got there and showed me the tag on the bag to prove it.

Our flight into Montego Bay was delayed almost an hour. As we ran through the airport to make our connection, we passed the baggage claim. I actually thought of stopping to check if my bag was there, but we had NO TIME. As we ran past, I glanced over. I didn't see any small black bag with a blue ribbon tied to it on the carousel. Ok, I thought, maybe this was what I was now paying $15.00 for anyway. They'll put it through inspection and it will come out on the other end.

Off to immigration and customs.

I am a big man. If I have to run through the airport, I sweat. The whole security thing, taking off my shoes, my belt, watch, check your pockets, and don't lose your passport and boarding pass in the process! Some airports they want your passport through the x-ray, in others keep it with you.

Anyway, security and immigration officials are told to always be suspicious of anyone sweating profusely. HA! I almost always get pulled aside at security and I almost always get the extra questions at immigration. But this time I had my blood pressure under control. No sweating this trip.

We went through immigration and customs, barely made it to our plane. They actually were calling our names on the speaker to get to the gate.

Off to Kingston!

We arrived in 25 minutes, on time. We went to the baggage claim and found no bag. I knew at that moment what had happened. I went to the 'lost baggage' counter. I was so happy to be at my destination. Jamaica is so friendly. They quickly determined that my bag was in Montego Bay and they would have it delivered to me at our hotel, and charge US Air.

I should have it by morning; but this is Jamaica, where the ruling mentality still stands, "soon come".

We got our bag LATE the next night. We had already bought everything we needed. But it was good to have the bag.

Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

Philippians 4:11

Jamaica 2008 - Introduction

2008-11-07T15:41:00.004-05:00

This was not my first trip to Jamaica. It was my third. We have been working with Bishop Jim and Mary McIver for several years in Jamaica. When we are in Jamaica, we stay in Mandeville, the third largest city on the island. It is the closest city to the churches we work with. This was Perla's first trip to Jamaica.

Revival Fires Fellowship International has two churches in Jamaica in its fellowship; now three.

Pastor Williams' church is in Topsham*. He has been with us for several years now. Topsham is in the mountains. The roads to get there are very curvy. People beep when driving on them as they are coming to a curve. This is to let any oncoming traffic know you are coming. At night, the beep becomes a flash of the high beams. They also beep when they know someone, think they know someone, live in the same area as them, have seen them a lot or to say thanks for letting them pass. Needless to say there can be a lot of beeping. Where I would rush to the mechanic if my air conditioner wasn't working, I imagine they really need that horn.

Pastor Stevens' church is in Wanstead. Wanstead is even farther into the country. Pastor Stevens has been with RFFI for a couple years now also.

Pastor White of New Covenant Church in Mandeville contacted Bishop McIver with an interest to come under his leadership. The other churches were also desiring a visit from us. Bishop was not able to make the trip at this time due to prior obligations, so he sent Perla and I in his place.

It was a very fruitful trip!

*I discovered during this trip that it may actually be Topsand, but everyone there says and spells it as Topsham. I may never know. Neither one googles for Jamaica. However, there are cities in the US, Canada and the UK called Topsham, so I'm inclined to go with that one.

Kate Looks Good in Blue

2008-11-06T23:53:00.001-05:00

I know some of you are waiting for the low down on Jamaica. It's coming. I have over 200 photos to sort through and stuff to write etc. On top of all of that, I had a lot of catch up to play with the children's homeschooling and the business.

Homeschooling Reason # 452

2008-11-01T13:09:00.004-04:00

Kindergartners pledge

This woman should lose her job.

California needs Jesus.

"How do you teach a 5-year-old to sign a pledge card for lesbian, gay and transgender issues without explaining what transgender and bisexual is?" asked Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Protect Marriage California.

My question exactly.

The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high school students.

I wonder what would have happened if one of those middle or high school students decided to NOT sign the card.

California is voting on overturning the gay marriage law on Tuesday. Pray for them.

Jamaica

2008-10-28T14:09:00.001-04:00

We're back. What a successful trip!

I will bring you more details in the following days.

God showed up!

Too Little, Too Late

2008-10-17T14:51:00.002-04:00

Nigerian father takes son to court for idleness

LAGOS (Reuters) – A father took his 20-year old son to an Islamic court in northern Nigeria for idleness, asking that he be sent to prison for refusing to engage in productive activities, state news agency NAN said on Friday.

"He is not listening to words and he is bringing shame to my family. I am tired of his nefarious deeds. Please put this boy in prison so that I can be free," Sama'ila Tahir, a market trader in the northeastern town of Bauchi, was quoted as saying.

Tahir told the court that his son had refused to go to school and accused him of belonging to a criminal gang.

The court sentenced the son to six months in prison and 30 strokes of the cane -- which were immediately administered on the premises -- for being disobedient to his parents, NAN said.

I started to blog about this and then realized that I would really need to write a book in order to get to the fullest truth of the matter. Even then, I am not so sure that I would not get some of you up in arms over the whole matter.

So, I've posted the story. Please comment on it.

No, I'm not even posting a scripture here, because some people couldn't take that either.

New news

2008-10-14T23:38:00.005-04:00

Some time ago, we changed the look of our blog, explaining that we were heading in a new direction. We are now at liberty to reveal that direction.

We will be doing more mission work abroad. We will be operating out of Revival Fires Fellowship International / Overflowing Life Christian Center in Allentown, PA. This is our home church and missions is a large part of the vision of our leadership. We are committed to that vision.

We will be going to Jamaica at the end of this month. There are already two Revival Fires Fellowship churches in Jamaica with more on the way. We are impacting the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are excited to go and fellowship with the churches in Jamaica. We are believing that the Holy Spirit will move in the midst of His People. We are believing for signs and wonders, healing, deliverance and the Power of God. Please pray for us as we go. We are currently raising the funds for this trip and future mission work in Jamaica and Mexico. Any donations may be made to the address of RFFI which can be found in the link above.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

2e

2008-10-14T23:35:00.001-04:00

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.

John 4:34-38

Family Feeds Dogs, Starves Daughter, 14

2008-10-14T13:38:00.002-04:00

SEATTLE — A father and stepmother were charged with withholding their 14-year-old daughter's food and water so drastically that she weighed only 48 pounds, authorities said.

Jon Pomeroy, 43, and his wife, Rebecca Long, 44, could face as much as four years in prison if convicted of criminal mistreatment, prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe said. The couple were released on bail late Monday after the charges were brought.

The girl was removed from the family home near Carnation, about 40 miles east of Seattle, in August after a neighbor called child welfare authorities.

According to prosecutors, Long confirmed to a deputy that she considered the girl a behavior problem and restricted her water as discipline. The woman said she had been home-schooling the girl and her 12-year-old brother for four years.

The girl, who is 4 feet 7 inches tall, told authorities that she was given primarily toast to eat and only half a small cup of water per day. She said her stepmother even watched when she brushed her teeth to make sure she didn't drink extra water.

...

Even the family's two dogs were fed normally and had recently been taken to the vet, authorities said.

The part that upsets me the most is the poor girl. But the fact that they were homeschooled bothers me too. As if homeschooling didn't already have a stigma attached to it. We try and teach our children, believing that we are the best teachers for them, (Our Public School System has pretty poor statistics), and then this loon comes along and raises doubts again in the minds of all the PSS advocates; NEA etc. Ugh!

See last post for scripture. :-)

Bad Parenting & Poor Judgment

2008-10-14T12:33:00.005-04:00

SOLON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A toilet paper prank has led to the shooting of a 14-year-old by a southwestern Michigan man who believed strangers were trying to break into his home.

The Grand Rapids Press and WZZM-TV report the victim and four other teens were pulling the prank about 1 a.m. Sunday at a home in Solon Township, about 20 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.

Kent County sheriff's Lt. Jerry Miedema said the teens were intent on draping the house in toilet paper, while the homeowner's "intent was to come out shooting."

Police say three shots were fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, striking the 14-year-old in the chest, stomach and leg. He is recovering at a local hospital.

The homeowner was not arrested, but a prosecutor is looking into possible charges.

I really don't think charges are in order. The youth used poor judgment in TP-ing a house. The man used poor judgment in shooting first and asking question later. Where are these kids parents? My kids would never have done this.

We have taught them to make better choices than this.
They have too much of the fear of God and even more of the fear of Dad (or Mom) for that matter. Sorry, Dear.
What was a 14 year old doing out of their bed at 1 am? Nothing good happens at 1 am unless you are at a church all night youth event!

Yep, there's one for this too.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Huh?

2008-10-05T00:27:00.000-04:00

This news story makes me wonder.

Excerpt:

"Ashes of a dead relative were among the items stolen from cars in the parking lot."

"...and they stole my gun, two cameras, a cell phone and $800 in cash."

Is it a common practice of which I am not aware to carry dear old Dad around with you in your car?

As for the second one: Anyone dumb enough to leave all of that stuff in the vehicle does not get my sympathy. I hope his insurance carrier ups his rates.

And they knew that there was a rash of car break-ins?! HUH?!?

He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.

Proverbs 28:26

...In Jesus' Name!

2008-10-03T23:58:00.002-04:00

I try not to blog on political issues. First, it really gets my blood pressure up, and second, I think that most political issues are a waste of time as they relate to the more important things in life for us. However, this issue has the potential to affect me in the future if this kind of garbage spreads, especially if someone like the messiah gets into office.

The full story on this most ridiculous issue can be found here.

I am not sure if Gov. Kaine knows his own faith.

Excerpt:
Gov. Timothy Kaine of Virginia has affirmed his support for a new statewide policy under which state troopers serving as chaplains will not be allowed to pray "in Jesus name," explaining that he can pray "without mentioning Jesus."

Governor Kaine's personal; statement on the issue:
"I would never do anything to inhibit anybody's religious worship. It doesn't diminish my ability to worship my God, to pray to the Father or the Lord without mentioning Jesus Christ," he said.

Governor Kaine is reportedly a member of the Roman Catholic Church. I guess his catholic chaplain troopers would never be able to pray A Prayer for our National Elections in public. What a pity, he may need it. He has also banned them from praying for the human race, to end abortion and the prayers which invoke the Holy Name of Jesus or Christ the King. It is doubtful that the Governor prays any of those prayers himself. Some of them would not agree with his party's national platform.

Kaine: "It doesn't diminish my ability to worship my God." Well, no because you are not the one prohibited from praying in Jesus' Name.

However, let's certainly hope and pray that Governor Kaine never needs any of his chaplains to give him last rites. It would be forbidden. But it would be required by his catholic faith. That would diminish your ability to worship your God, wouldn't it Governor? He clearly has not thought this one out.

By the way, I think it's time the catholic church looked more closely at its adherents who are involved in politics. There seems to be an ever-increasing conflict of interest for some of them.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 14:13-14

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:18

Is it right for these troopers to obey the governor or God? Peter and John put the same query before their own government. They returned to the fellowship and prayed.

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:29-31, 33

May GREAT GRACE be upon all those troopers as they stand against this affront to their most basic of religious rights.

We should all pray for the fine state of Virginia and do it in Jesus' Name!

2e

2008-10-03T12:53:00.001-04:00

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

Matthew 9:35-38

What Happened?

2008-10-03T10:55:00.003-04:00

If you have been here before, then you just noticed that this place looks different.

Well, you did not click on the wrong bookmark. It's just that we are undergoing some changes.

The focus of our ministry is changing and this blog will be changing with it. The reason for that is that this blog will be a part of the new things going on.

While we can not reveal all the great things that God has for us at this time, we can share some.

We have released, and been released from, the fellowship here in Easton. After three summers of canvassing, street witnessing and preaching, and teaching the Word, we have seen little, if any fruit. It is time to move on.

There are other areas in which our efforts, we believe, would be of better use for the advancing of His Kingdom. We love Easton. We will still be here. It is our home. We will continue to be available here. But, there are new opportunities just around the corner.

For those of you who I know that read this blog, this post probably means very little. For those who will come, it will provide a history necessary for understanding.

'Stay tuned' for more information on our newest endeavors....

Pastor John & Perla

REV FUN

2008-10-03T06:10:00.002-04:00

2e

2008-09-23T13:46:00.002-04:00

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:6-10 KJV

The Latest Fashions

2008-09-20T00:54:00.001-04:00

I hear all this talk about how soooo many people are trying to get their hands on a pair of glasses like Gov. Palin wears.

I wonder if she has a pair of these?

I hear they are pretty abundant; not too much of a waiting list. If you don't realize what they are, go here.

2008-09-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

FROM THE AOG WEBSITE...

Washingtonpost.com goes too far

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 - 4:30 PM CST

Critically examining the faith of Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has become a favorite pasttime of the secular media, currently slamming her for a more literal-than-comfortable interpretation of the Bible and her Pentecostal background. But a recent political cartoon posted by washingtonpost.com went beyond the realms of thought-provoking journalism to a slanderous attack of Palin, Pentecostalism, Christianity and God.

Posted online on Wednesday, September 9, the political cartoon not only reveals the cartoonist's lack of understanding of Pentecostal beliefs, but of God. According to a Gallup Poll, most Americans believe God is the Creator, but the cartoonist paints Him to be cranky, befuddled, a user of profanity and far from omniscient.

"The cartoon is despicable," states AG General Superintendent George O. Wood. "Millions of Christians today follow the example of first century Christians who prayed in other tongues. The Washington Post would not think of printing a cartoon that mocked members of the Muslim or Jewish faiths. It should be ashamed. Furthermore, Sarah Palin has to my knowledge never said she prays in other tongues. Since God is multi-lingual, I'm sure He doesn't have problems understanding any prayers - whether they are articulated in a known or unknown language. He looks for prayers that come from the heart."

Deborah Howell, the readers' representative (ombudsman) for washingtonpost.com, stated, "Speaking of overdoing it, a political cartoon by Pat Oliphant that appeared on washingtonpost.com Wednesday prompted complaints from about 350 readers who said he lampooned their faith.

"Readers were right to complain," she added. "I will deal with political cartooning in another column."
In response to questioning, Howell says that Oliphant's cartoons are automatically posted on the washingtonpost.com site, with no one editing/reviewing the material prior to its posting.

While I do not agree with everything the Assemblies of God do or don't do, they are right with this one. I do not believe for one minute though that the Washington Post's 'dot com' arm doesn't review and edit. That would be irresponsible journalism at the very least. To portray the Almighty in this fashion is, well, is there a word for it? Oh yeah, blasphemous. Stand back everyone, "dangerous lightning zone". These people must have thought that the dig on Palin was good enough to warrant the dig on God. Stupid people. Just stupid.

As always, there's scripture for it:

For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him). The curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, and the afflicted.

Proverbs 3:32-34 AMP

For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].

1 Corinthians 14:2

First Corinthians 14 explains the gift of tongues in depth; the whys and hows, etc. I am not going to teach on it right now.

"No pockets, No store!"

2008-09-18T15:09:00.002-04:00

I went to the grocery store the other day. I only needed to pick up a couple things, so I knew I wouldn't be long. I had on some basketball shorts - no I don't play basketball - but they are comfortable and I usually only wear them around the house or gardening. So, since I knew I would only take a couple minutes, I decided not to change. These shorts have no pockets, I could just carry my wallet, phone and keys. I've done it before.

I am sure you think you can see it coming.

I got a cart going in, for two reasons; I needed to get spring water. We only use spring water for drinking and cooking. Our city's water tastes like potting soil. I like gardening, but not enough to drink it. The second reason was that I knew I could keep my wallet, keys and phone in the top section. I usually only use the top section because I do not like impaling myself on the handlebar at the register trying to get everything out of the main section. And from the end of the cart, you can't reach the top section. They make these things just too big. I like those mini ones they have now, but again the spring water... So, once I put a few things in the top, my valuables would be covered and secure, right?

I grabbed the first few items; bread, milk, eggs. Now my wallet, phone and keys are covered up. I keep shopping, stepping away from the cart only a couple times to grab some stuff off the shelves or whatever. I check on my personal hidden items periodically.

Now, for those of you who think you know where this is going, you are wrong.

I get to the register, unload my stuff and see that my wallet, keys and phone are all secure in the top basket. I pay for my stuff and put my bags on top of them once again and proceed to the car. I had left the car unlocked. I do this on hot days; windows open and all. There is nothing in the car worth taking and neither is the car itself. As I am putting my stuff in the car, I note that my wallet, keys and phone are all in the top basket - they made it! - Not that I had any doubts.

I get in the car and drive off.

Hmmm.

I get about 1/4 mile from the store and look at the seat beside me. Did I put my wallet and phone under the bags?

They're not there. I am still driving. Maybe I put them on the floor with the spring water. Maybe I put them in the little pocket in the dashboard. Nope, not there. But there in the little pocket is my wife's phone! She apparently left it in the car when she got home from work, just before I darted out to the store. Oh no! My phone AND my wallet are in the cart!

I am one of those people who do not put the cart away. Sue me! I have a 6 year-old and when he was younger I got into that habit. He was just too valuable to have taken out of his car seat while I was doing something they pay people to do. I had heard of it happening and I was wise. Hee-hee. So the cart I had, is sitting alongside an empty parking space just waiting for the next shopper.

My quick prayer went something like this:

"Father, I'm sorry I was so dumb. Please let my stuff still be there when I get back."

I decided, as I was turning around, to use my wife's cell phone to call my phone, in case it was in the car somewhere. It rang, I could not hear it ringing in the car. Someone answers. OK, at this point I am trusting in the mercy of God to let this be one of the many honest people in the world.

"Perla?!", she says, seeing my wife's name pop up. "Do you know whose phone this is?!"

"Yes, it's mine." I replied, embarrassed.

"I am in the parking lot and I have your phone AND your wallet in a cart here!"

Thank you for pointing out my MULTIPLE losses, as if leaving one thing was not mortifying enough.

"I'll be right there."

I drive in and see these two ladies, looking around, standing by my cart - OK, their cart.

I stop the car and get out. I thank them. They point out how it was good that someone like them found it. We didn't know whether to take it inside or not, etc, etc. I show them my license to prove it's me. I thank them again. I point out that this is the last time I go shopping without pockets. I start walking back to my car.

One of them shouts out, "No pockets, no store!"

Good motto.

The next day, I spoke to a woman who was a prospective client for our cleaning business.

"Did you get your phone back?" she asks.

"Uh, yeah," I said, revisiting my mortification of the previous day.

"Yeah, some lady called me yesterday. I guess I was the last call you made before you went to the grocery store. She asked me if I knew whose phone it was. I said yes, but that the only other way I knew of to contact you was by email. As we were talking, she said, 'Someone named Perla is calling the phone'. Oh! that's his wife! Answer it! Answer it!"

That was me calling from my wife's phone.

We had a good laugh. I expressed my hope that this was not going to cast a shadow on us and our first impression.

Well, she is now a customer.
I have my phone and my wallet back.
All turned out well.
Trust in God in every thing.
And if any of you can learn from my mistakes, feel free - No pockets, no store!

And here's a scripture for you:

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Proverbs 30:5

2e

2008-09-18T10:18:00.002-04:00

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Hebrews 3:6

The 'hope' is salvation in Christ alone. Senator Obama used this scripture at the end of his acceptance speech referring to the hope of his candidacy. Huh?

Mass Transit - Part Three, That's my In-laws' House

2008-09-17T01:01:00.001-04:00

View Larger Map

My in-laws' house is somewhere in here.

After generously and in a VERY norteamericano sort of way, paying my taxi driver. I walked across the street to wait for what was probably the 'last-chance-bus' to home. Shortly, after I crossed, my taxi driver friend follows with some of his compañeros. He says they want to be sure that I get on the right bus. I am sure at this point that they all figure they will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

As the bus pulls up, they all mutter something in Guaraní. I say thank you and get on the bus. The taxi driver follows. He says he wants to be sure that I get off at the right stop. He talks to the driver in Guaraní. I imagine my whole saga being re-told, probably missing some parts and fabricating others.

I proceed to the third seat on the right, because my in-laws' house, when it passes will be on the right. I sit with my head and shoulders OUT THE WINDOW. I do NOT want to miss the stop this time.

I recognize each turn.

I finally see the half tires on the neighbor's property line. This is IT!. I pull the cord as he turns the corner.

On the road I see the silouette of my father-in-law. He is standing in the road in front of his house waiting for me. It was very prodigal son-like.

I get off the bus. He comes over to me. He looks very concerned.

I realize that the taxi driver gets off with me.

"How are you getting back?", I ask.
"You're going to drive me", he replies.

I look at him, puzzled. He laughs.

"No I'll walk", he says.

We all laugh.

I did NOT think that was funny.

He and my father-in-law talk a bit as I go inside. I think they ended up knowing each other - a friend of a friend of a friend etc sort of thing. Or at least that's what they SAID!

As I go inside, I am pleased to see my oblivious children. I am sure that any talk of my troubling MIA-ness was all in guaraní in the home, so they never realized that daddy was missing in the paraguayan campo. I could sense that my in-laws were worried.

As we lay in bed that night, my wife grabbed me. "I was worried for you Papi", she said, "I was praying the whole time."

"Aah!, What were you worried about? If I can do NY city subways, I can do Paraguayan colectivos!"

I am such a norteamericano.

There is a sequel. It happened 3 days later. I'll save it for another post.

Mass Transit - Part Two, Kilometro 21

2008-09-10T06:15:00.001-04:00

Please be strapped into your chair as you read this. I do not want anyone getting hurt as their laughter knocks them to the floor.

View Larger Map

This is Kilometro 21.

On the left, the large white building is the gas station with the tan building being a sort of 'convenience' store. On the right of the dirt road, you can barely make out some taxis parked on the corner, with some garages for repair/storage of those taxis just to their south on the dirt road.

I can't believe I was able to locate this place on Google maps!

So here I am standing at Kilometro 21, (not my in-laws house). It is just before 9 pm. The buses I am told, run until 10. I am waiting for the bus to come by. I know the bus I was on was "no longer operating for the evening", but there are multiple buses that run the same route. I know what it looks like. It always stops here. There are other people waiting.

Two words: Taxi driver.

Oh, he seemed so helpful. I knew when he approached me that he was just looking for a fare from the norteamericano. I explained my recent adventure to him. He asked about where my in-laws lived. I gave him the half-tire-my-property-line-Paraguay vs Germany-Vicente-Felipa-three-turns-in-from-the-church 'directions'. He ended up being the only Paraguayan who did not pretend to know everyone in town. He looked puzzled. He calls across the street to some other taxi drivers. About 4 of them now are all talking Guarani seeming as if they are attempting to figure out the great mystery of the ages. One of the younger ones says something and they ALL say, "Oh yes, yes. I know where that is!" "Oh, Great!" I felt more secure with his uncertainty. He assures me that he knows where this church is and that the young kid actually KNOWS my in-laws. Heh.

Two words: It rained.

As we get into the taxi and drive off, it starts raining; not a lot, but raining. This rain is only the manifestation of the humidity I had been 'enjoying' all evening. I am 6'1" and 280 pounds. I sweat. Humidity condenses on me. He was shorter, but just as stocky for his height. Perspiration? We were equal.

I am not so sure what kind of car this was. It seemed to be a mixture of several different cars all put together in one of those garages. I realized as we drove off that this vehicle was a stick shift with no first gear. We jerked violently to a start. We were off! As we drove along toward the church, which is on this same road, the rain really started coming down. He winds up his window, except for a crack at the top. I follow suit. He is not using his wipers. We make a turn. I tell him that the church is straight ahead. he assures me that my desired destination is that way.

The car stops. "Is that it?" he asks. I look out the window to see a church. Nice church. Not the church. "Oh, OK", he replies. "It must be the one that is that way. We jerk to a start. We're off again. The rain is really coming down now. He takes me to about 4 different churches. None of them are the right one. If you knew the make-up of this area or any back roads towns in rural Paraguay, you would understand my amazement at the fact that there were even so many churches and that he knew where so many were! I keep trying to explain to him that the church that I am referring to is back on the 'main' dirt road. He assures me again that Fernando and Felipa live that way, and he knows how to get there. Oh, Father! Please come to my aid. It's Vicente and Felipa! Who knows who this Fernando and Felipa are. I am sure they are very nice people and may even take in a lost norteamericano for the night. But my wife and children are at Vicente and Felipa's house.

Three words: Mechanic for hire.

So as we are driving in the manifested humidity, we too big sweaty men in this Toyo-nissa-onda-ford taxi, the windows are fogging up. Now, as I said, he is not using his wipers. Had he used them, he may have avoided the fogging up of his windshield. Now, he is not using the defroster either. Such the foreigner I am! The car stops; and stops in the most secluded, darkest spot on the planet.

He reaches under his steering wheel. Again, I am thinking 'easy prey'. He fiddles around with something.

The engine dies.
The lights go out.

He pulls out a wire from the dashboard and connects it to whatever he was fiddling with under the steering wheel.

The radio, the wipers and the defroster all come on.

We sit there a while, in the dark.

He says nothing.
I am praying.

The windshield clears up.

He disconnects the wires again; dead car, no wipers, no defrost, no radio, no engine, no lights

He reconnects the other wires. The car starts, the lights go on, we violently jump over first gear and we're off again!

After our late night local Capiata church tour, I finally convince him at 9:30 to take me back to Kilometro 21 (not my in-laws house) so that I can at least make one final attempt to get on the last bus. He obliges me. We finally both agree on one thing: Kilometro 21 is (say it with me); that way!

I can now see 'kilometro 21'. It is well lit, there is a gas station, some taxis, some people hanging around, loud music. That is not my in-laws' house. We arrive. He charges me the equivalent of $1.40 for my 45 minute church tour. I pay him the equivalent of $7.00.

It has been almost 3 hours since I last saw Julian.

To be continued....

2e

2008-09-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

Mass Transit - Part One

2008-09-08T17:24:00.004-04:00

I recently read a blog online and it reminded me of my own little experience with Mass Transit, albeit, in Paraguay. It was my first time in Paraguay and my first time venturing out alone. A great majority of Paraguayans depend on a 'transit system' of 'colectivos'. I found this picture of one online but it really does not do the whole experience any justice. They are more than a colorful bus. They are a crowded yet economical, hot yet convenient method of very public transportation. A good description of a ride on a colectivo can be found in the second paragraph of this post. I went to the Super Seis to buy some food for the family. I knew I could do it. I went with my wife's cousin Julian. I love Julian. He is one of the most energetic, positive people I met in Paraguay. He is really going places. From the moment we got on the colectivo, Julian was announcing the arrival of his friend (me), the norteamericano! Everyone was so impressed, or so Julian thought. I let him be. He was having a great time. When we got to the Super Seis in San Lorenzo, I bought Julian lunch. We sat and talked for a while. We hung out in San Lorenzo. I did my food shopping and we headed back. The sun was setting and Julian asked me if I knew where to get off for my in-laws house. If he got off earlier, he could catch another colectivo to his house and he would get home quicker. I told him no problem. The bus could stop at the corner of their property and I knew I would recognize that. You have to pull the cord to stop the bus as there are no set stops.

Four words. It got dark fast. I thought I recognized the silohuette of my father-in-law standing by what could have been his front entrance, near what was possibly the corner where I definitely wanted to stop. But I wasn't sure. I figured since these colectivos run back and forth all day, I would just wait until we came back this way again and get off then.

Two words. Last stop. When the colectivo got to the 'depot', or the owners oversized yard, the driver looked at me, his sole passneger and asked in Spanish, "Where are you going?" I responded with the only familiar address I knew: Kilometro 21.

OK, so kilometro 21 is NOT an address, per se. It is actually a point on the main (paved) road where the gas station is. This is where you turn into the miles of back-country, cobblestone or dirt roads which weave their way through the countryside. It apperently is NOT my in-laws address. Well, it's where we always mailed their letters and stuff. Come to find out that all the mail for all of these people living back here goes to one location; on the main road. They have to pick it up from there. If you are ever going to Paraguay, be sure and watch several early episodes of 'The Waltons' first. You will be better prepared.

So this kid (15?) gets on the bus. He and the driver speak to each other in Guarani. That's an indigenous langauge that I do not speak. I only speak castellano (spanish). He smiles at me knowingly. I have heard of the dangers of being out in these areas at night and I am not liking how things are panning out here. Another man gets on the bus. The kids speaks guarani to him. He laughs as he looks at me. Easy prey, I am thinking. I am really going to have to call on Jesus soon. A woman gets on the bus. Everyone speaking guarani. Everyone laughing. OK, so now I am the butt of some early evening guarani joke, which will probably become folklore in later generations. She looks at me with concern. They speak some more. The bus driver waits for 2 more guys. He starts the bus. "OK", I think, "we're off." I won't miss the stop this time!

The woman explains to me that this bus is no longer operating for the evening. The driver is taking some of the bus 'company' employees home for the night. One of the employees lives near kilometro 21 and he will be sure I get there safely. Whew!

I get off the bus with this guy and he asks me where my family lives. I tell him, kilometro 21. He looked very confused. We start walking. I explain to him where my familia lives the best I can AND as it should be explained to any respectable Paraguayan. You see, they don't give directions in Paraguay like we do in the states. Try to follow along. As I said, I explain where my in-laws live: On the corner where the man has his property line dilineated with the half tires sticking out of the ground so people won't drive on his dirt; around the corner where the lady has a tienda with a TV in the front of her house and the other night when Paraguay beat Germany, everyone was watching in front of her store; it's three turns in from the church where they have the banner out front announcing all of the activities for semana santa; their names are Vicente and Felipa Ayala. "OH! I know where that is!", he says. We keep walking. We pass the church that is three turns out from their house. Yep! walk right by it! I am pleading with him to recognize the church as I do. He insists that kilometro 21 is that way; past the church. Then we pass another place; a house to which my father-in-law and I walked so that I could check my email; they have internet, for a fee. "Wait!" I say. "I know this place." I explain my previous day's journey to him. He continues to insist that kilometro 21 is 'that way'.

We pass by several other familiar sights. I don't bother saying anything because I know that kilometro 21 is that way.

I can now see 'kilometro 21'. It is well lit, there is a gas staion, some taxis, some people hanging around, loud music. That is NOT my in-laws house! I thank him and walk the rest by myself.

It has been about 2 hours since I last saw Julian.

To be Continued...

2e

2008-09-08T15:27:00.001-04:00

How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed and keeping watch [on himself] according to Your word [conforming his life to it].

Psalms 119:9 AMP

2e

2008-09-06T22:32:00.002-04:00

I ALWAYS WIN!!!!

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.

2 Corinthians 2:14

2e

2008-09-05T16:12:00.002-04:00

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3 John 1:2

Yes, God wants His children to be wealthy.

2e

2008-09-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Introducing 2e

2008-09-04T12:33:00.002-04:00

'2e' stands for 'Two Edges'. It will be our scripture of the 'day' entry. I decided not to call it a 'scripture of the day' because I realize that some days we are too busy to post anything and I wanted to save myself from failure. Smart, huh? toot toot <-- My own horn.

So, 2e comes from Hebrews 4:12.

Verse of the Day

2008-09-04T12:30:00.002-04:00

H/T to Ol' Broad
I will now be posting a 'verse of the day' here also. And don't get on me if there isn't one every day. We are busy people!

OK I'll call it something else.

Children Part Two

2008-09-03T18:21:00.003-04:00

OK. I knew that that one bible verse was gonna get to somebody. I never imagined so many. It's the truth of the Word of God. But just to help you out, here's some clarification.

This is the verse I quoted:

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Proverbs 23:13

This is the verse that follows it:

Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. Proverbs 23:14

Keeping my child from hell (if God put it that way, so can I) sounds important enough for me. Some don't use the word beat, they call it a whoopin', or a spanking. It's all the same truth of scripture. The word 'beat' has been, well, beaten. Here is the truth of the matter.

What we refer to is this meaning from Webster's:

1. To strike repeatedly; to lay on repeated blows, with a stick, with the hand or fist, or with any instrument, and for any cause, just or unjust, or for punishment. (emphasis mine)

We are NOT referring to this Webster's definition:

3. To break, bruise, comminute, or pulverize by beating or pounding, as pepper or spices.

Obviously, there is quite a difference.

In the original Hebrew text, its literal meaning is as follows:

נכה
nâkâh
naw-kaw'
A primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively): - beat

The Hebrew definitions go further, but as I should have mentioned in the previous post; I don't think everyone can handle them. I was actually reluctant to post the one scripture, but in the interest of the Truth of the Word of God, I did anyway. I am posting this follow-up to clarify the original. I won't do this all the time. I know this can be a sensitive subject, so I chose to address it in case there were others who were confused.

Children

2008-09-03T14:45:00.003-04:00

I am not really sure how we got on the subject, but my teen daughter and I were discussing punishment and discipline. She had brought it up in our conversation. She mentioned that at a recent concert, she and some friends were discussing how they were disciplined and what kind they will dish out themselves to their own children. After recounting the humorous anecdotes of her friends' experiences, she goes on to list how they each decided to discipline their own.

She finishes with her plan..."I am just going to ground them."

OK, so when you stop laughing, realize this; in our home 'grounding' is staying in your room, not just not going out. Severe grounding means sitting on the edge of your bed with your hands folded; amount of time to be determined. It is still funny that she thinks this is all that will be necessary.

So I ask, "You're not going to spank your children?"

She replies, "Only if they deserve it, but I am going to start with grounding."

I say,"Two and three year-olds do not understand grounding, dear."

"Oh, well, I'll spank them."

Later in the day, as I recounted all of this to Mama, I thought of something else. I called daughter into the room.

"C", I said, "What will you do if your child does something wrong while grounded?"

"Well, they can't," she said, "They're grounded!"

"What happens when they are grounded and they write on the wall in their room while they're in there?"

ARE YOU SITTING DOWN DEAR READER?

She replies, "Oh, my kids won't be like that."

Mama and I laughed ourselves to sleep I think.

So, I have some scriptures for you here:

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Proverbs 23:13

Yes, the Bible says it.

And since we had such a good laugh today....

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

Why are you here?

2008-08-27T22:55:00.001-04:00

OK. So, I haven't been posting for a while. I wonder how many times THAT has been posted in the www. I couldn't even have told you why I wasn't posting, until now.

I had a dilemma. Who is my audience? I have been reading some other bloggers pages on a regular basis.

Mama appears to be talking to nobody, just ranting, but people (including me) are reading; that's one approach.

This broad appears to be talking to the whole world and is very good at it.

Mr. has a specific audience. That works for him and them.

And Dave seems to be talking to all the others.

I have garnered a wealth of knowledge from these faithful bloggers and continue to do so. But most of all, I have realized the need to choose an audience. Seems basic, I know. But give me a break, I'm new here.

So, why are you here?

If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and want solid biblical teaching on His Word and the promises of God for your life as a believer, and some other stuff too, then you are in the right place.

If you are a backslidden or border-line christian seeking to know what you are missing in your walk or how to get back to God, and some other stuff too, then you are in the right place.

If you are a non-believer, but sincerely want to know more about Jesus Christ, and some other stuff too, then you are in the right place.

You are my audience. Subscribe now.

If you are a non-believer so set in your ways that you only seek out blogs that you can ridicule and curse and fill the comment section with your atheistic foolish folly, and some other stuff too, then you are in the right place also! Maybe you will actually learn something. I pray that the power of the Word of God will change your heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh and you'll repent.

OK. So, thank you 'Mama', 'Ol' Broad', 'Mr.', 'Dave', and all the others for teaching me so much. And I hope at least the 4 of you will subscribe. I hope you'll enjoy mine as much as I enjoy your's.

Ohians, and Feifers and Mares, Oh My!

2008-08-14T13:42:00.002-04:00

If you remember a childhood that included "The Wizard of Oz", then please rent this movie. It's good for a few belly laughs and a good message to boot!

"Husbands, Love Your Wives" = Give up Your Life for Them

2008-08-14T12:27:00.006-04:00

This post is a response to this post.

Unfortunately, most men who boast the husband/submissive wife model are not worthy of being followed anyway.

First, this is a model for believing married couples, not the loser type that Mama referred to in her article. Second, it is a model of marriage that simply puts order into place. Third, while it is certainly no easy task to follow your husband 'no-matter-what', it is likewise not easy for him to be so in touch with Almighty God as to be completely certain that you and your family are following His will for your life.

Usually, however it is only the 'submissive wife' part that gets argued. The other part of that scripture states:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:25

Oh my! The husband is to love his wife so much that it is like giving up his life for her? I know I have done things for my marriage that seemed as though I was giving up a part of myself. Don't we all? We should. I would do it all over again.

And what about the third part of these admonitions? Should we rebuke this too?

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Colossians 3:20

My wife is submitted to my authority in Christ. She is not oppressed, suppressed, silenced, enslaved or in any way demeaned because of it. She is a free woman because of our godly marriage. But there is order in our marriage.

I know when it comes down to it, our original poster, Mama, would follow Big Daddy's decisions even if sometimes she thought he was wrong because she trusts him and knows that he loves and wants only the best for her. Maybe she is one of those submitted women after all. :-O

An Answer for Bad Parenting

2008-07-29T05:21:00.008-04:00

This entry is in response to a blog entry by "Mamaneeds2rant" on her blog. Her original entry is found here.

First let me say that 'Mama...' is a very special woman for many reasons. She holds a very dear place in the hearts of my wife and children and I. We are thankful for the part she plays in the life of 'Big Daddy'.

There are some things she said in this blog entry that I wanted to respond to and did not feel that the 'comments' section was the place to do it.

Let me attempt to offer another view on some of Mama's rants:

Mama's view:
"...On a human level, I can’t even understand how anything can take precedence over one’s children. It is embedded in our nature to want to care and protect our young. People that lack this are very sick individuals..."

My view:
It is not necessarily embedded in everyone's nature to do this. Certain factors that may come into play are a person's own parent's abilities or lack thereof as well as traumatic experiences during childhood. To call someone sick because of this may be accurate from a mental standpoint, but it seemed harsh to me.

Genesis 1:11
And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so.

Just as every tree bears fruit of the same kind, so it is with our actions. This is a foundational principle found in the Word of God.

Luke 6:43 -44
For there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush.

Good parents beget good parents. Bad parents produce bad parents.

Mama's view:
"...They don’t want to discipline their kids because they’re afraid their children won’t “like” them..."

My view:
My experience in ministry and my own household has revealed that these parents probably had parents that were too disciplinary, even maybe abusive.

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

An overly disciplinary parent may cause a person to rebel. That rebellion may take the form of 'anti-discipline' in their own home.

Mama's view:
"On the other end of the bad parenting spectrum, there is the actual child abuser. These people are truly sick individuals who should be behind bars in most cases. Evil has taken hold of their entire being until they are not even human anymore."

My view:
'Not even human'? Wow, that's harsh. They ARE human. Christ died for them just the same. They in fact are worth as much to him as you or I.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. (emphasis mine)

Most individuals that fall into this category were abused themselves. In most evangelical circles, it's referred to as a generational curse. That cycle MUST be changed in order for these people to ever have a successful life as a parent.

Exodus 34:6 - 7
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation.

Even those who crucified Christ understood this concept:

Matthew 27:25
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Generational cursing and blessing are also biblical principles. Many temptations and struggles against evil that we face in our own lives are results of the sins of our ancestors. These curses can and should be broken so that we do not have to deal with them and more importantly, our children will not. The breaking of this cycle is available through the shed blood of Jesus and this is testified to in this post.

Ephesians 1:7
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Mama's view:
"...The enabling parent has no soul..."

My view:
Aw, come on! That's not even possible! That must have been just a description of the person and not a statement of reality, right?

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Thanks for giving me something to blog about today, Mama.

You are loved out here in Easton!

Repentance - Part Two

2008-07-25T14:14:00.000-04:00

What does repentance provide for the believer?

Romans 3:20 - 26
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Repentance provides justification or right standing with God. Justification is a change in a person's standing or relation with God. It is an act of God that frees penitent sinners from the guilt and penalties of sin.

Justification is God's answer to repentance and faith.

In "Repentance - Part One", we looked at the plight of the Israelites, God's chosen people, after their disobedience and departure from God. We read how utterly disgusted God was with them and that He said He would not help them anymore. We saw their repentant hearts toward Him. Here is His answer...

Judges 11:21
And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

To justify is to declare righteous. When God justifies a person, he acquits them, not based on their innocence, but of His own love and grace.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Because men rebelled against God and entered into sin, there is a separation between man and God. All men are sinners by nature and are condemned by a holy and righteous God.

WE NEED JUSTIFICATION!

God transfers the guilt of the believer onto His account.

The death of Jesus made justification (righteousness) and forgiveness of sins possible.

2 Corinthains 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

How do we receive justification? How does it work?

1. By His Grace...

Titus 3:7
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

2. By His Blood...

Romans 5:9
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

3. By Faith...

Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

What does justification do?

1. Removal of the penalty of sin...

Romans 4:7
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

2. Condemnation is gone...

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

3. Peace with God...

Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

4. Christ's righteousness is ours...

Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

2Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Repentance is necessary.

God commanded that all repent. Repentance must be a conscious decision to turn from sin and follow God. It is necessary for salvation; necessary for a walk with God. God desires repentance for us that we no longer go our own way.

Repentance should LOOK LIKE REPENTANCE.

Repentance justifies the believer. It is received through faith, His Grace and His Blood.

Repentance and Faith in Christ remove sin and condemnation and provides righteousness and peace with God.

check the site - rffeaston.org

Pastor John

What is YOUR Cardboard Testimony?

2008-07-25T13:03:00.002-04:00

Repentance - Part One

2008-07-21T14:12:00.005-04:00

Hebrews 6:1 - 2
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Repentance from dead works and faith in God are two foundational issues in the life of a believer.

Repentance is the first step. It must be taken in order to even enter into a true relationship with God. It is taken in faith. Faith is the substance of the christian's whole life and walk.

Acts 17:30
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.

God commands us to repent. If we don't repent, then we are in sin. Then we have to repent! :-) There is no choice or option given here. We do not have the luxury of choosing NOT to repent. It is a command. We do not have any options to repenting. We can't just go make God some brownies instead. That's not repentance, that's making brownies. Confession is not repenting, it's confession. Being, or saying you're sorry is not repentance. It is being or saying you're sorry.

Both repentance and faith are gifts from God the Father to us - we turn from our ways to follow Him.

Both repentance and faith go beyond our initial experience of salvation and work actively throughout our walk of sanctification.

What does 'repent' mean?

From Webster's Dictionary:
REPENT', v.i. [L. re and paeniteo, from paena, pain. Gr. See Paint.]

1. To change the mind in consequence of the inconvenience or injury done by past conduct.

2. In theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonor to his character and government, and the foulest ingratitude to a Being of infinite benevolence.

There is an implication of conscious moral separation from God; a personal decision to forsake sin and enter fellowship with God.

It is a conscious decision to make a 180 degree turn and go the other way, forsaking all that we thought was good and right in our own way and choosing to go a different way.

Have you ever been lost while driving? I am usually pretty good as long as I can see the position of the sun and know what time it is, (thank you Boy Scouts). Well, I never let on to my family that I am lost unless it's completely hopeless. They usually hear something like, "Oh, don't you just love this dirt road, it's so beautiful out here today." But if the sun has set or there are serious clouds and we are on a road she has never seen before, and every curve is to the left, my wife knows we are probably lost. But she never says anything. Thank you, honey. I like to try new roads and find shortcuts. I know some of you are laughing right now because either you or your spouse or your parents do this too. But sometimes I get so lost, the only thing left to do is turn around. I was going in the wrong direction. I had gone astray. I had to turn around. Completely.

Why is repentance important?

Well, as we saw earlier, it is commanded. It is also essential for salvation:

Mar 1:15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luk 13:3
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Act 11:18
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Repentance is something that God himself desires for all of us. He is patient with us. OK, He's more than just patient. The Word says He is longsuffering! Sounds like a true father to me!

2Pe 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

If we do not repent before God of our ways, then we are choosing to go our own way. Our own way will lead us in the wrong direction. In fact, our own way goes against God's way or away from God Himself. Who wants that? A friend of mine likes to rap. I told him he should use this in one of his songs. If we go our own way, we will surely go astray.

Isa 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Our own way leads us astray. Because of this, we should indeed choose repentance and follow God.

Repentance calls for a renunciation of self confidence and will initiate a confidence in God.

Judges 10:15 - 16
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

Try reading the rest of this passage to get an idea of what the Israelites were going through. They had turned their backs on God. He told them that he wasn't going to help them anymore. They repented. They realized what they had done to God and told Him that He could do whatever He wanted with them, (duh) but just please save them from this current attack. We must confess that we have sinned, turn from it, put it aside and place our confidence in God.

It is key here that they got rid of all their idols. Repentance should look like repentance. There are times when our sin involves other people, directly or indirectly through actions. Sometimes it is only known between us and God, through our thoughts or feelings toward others. Either way, repentance should look like repentance. Something should look different. It should be a visible change; visible to God or others.

Act 26:20
But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

'Works meet for repentance' - Put away the idols.

1Thessalonians 1:7 -8
So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

The Thessalonian Church had a faith in God that was heard about in other places; so much so that Paul didn't even have to preach in some of those places. People were believing simply because of the repentance and faith of the believers in Thessalonica. Repentance should look like repentance. We must repent and turn to God.

Open Air Video

2008-07-14T10:55:00.001-04:00

We did another Open Air at Easton Heritage Days in Easton, PA.

We started with trivia for cash - that always draws a crowd. In today's economy, it worked VERY quickly. As soon as I said "Does anyone here need some money?", I had a crowd of 8 people in 1 second and that's no exaggeration. As I proceeded, the crowd quickly grew to over 30 people. Some people won some money, some did not. All of them heard the gospel. Some came and spoke to us afterward. It was a success. We had fun afterwards and got to talk to some other people also. The fire is spreading in Easton!

The sound is very poor (sorry), but you can get an idea of what we're doing and the crowd, location, etc. You can definitely hear me presenting the gospel at about the 4:30 mark in the video. We'll try some different techniques for recording next time.

My Church - Mi Iglesia

2008-07-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

There are many anointed Christian music artists. There are many anointed songs. I recently came accross a song by Rene Gonzalez.

His site is www.renegonzalez.org .

His MySpace is www.myspace.com/renegonzalezmyspace .

He is a pastor in Puerto Rico. This particular song was recorded in 1999. It appears on his CD, 'Decada'.

I believe this song is a prophetic word to the church; not only in 1999, but today. Below are the lyrics in Spanish and my best translation in English. Following that, you will find a link a video with the song. Please read the words. Please watch the video. Enjoy the anointing. Heed the Word.

"Mi Iglesia"

Hace tanto tiempo yo compre una iglesia,
A precio de sangre entre crudo dolor.
Hace tanto tiempo que envie a mi Hijo,
Para rescatar lo que se perdió.

Hace tanto tiempo que estoy deseando
esa humilde entrega, De un adorador.
Que solo se postra ante mi presencia,
Y no a las ofertas de una posición.

Hace tanto tiempo que estoy deseando que
muestren mi imagen, Que es la del Amor.
Que no se confunde entre tante gente
Que sea distinta solo como Yo
Que no divida como suele aveces
entrando en contiendas, Y en discusión.
Buscando alcanzar ser mas grande que el otro,
Si en el universo el grande soy Yo,
Yo quiero una iglesia que me de la gloria,

Y procure la unión.

(CORO)

Yo quiero una iglesia, Que sane al herido,
Que rompa cadenas, Liberte al cautivo,
Que aclare la mente al que esta confundido
Y que hable verdad.

Yo quiero una iglesia, Que con su mirada,
Le brinde esperanza al alma angustiada,
Yo quiero una iglesia que sane la herida,

De la humanidad.
Yo quiero un rebaño donde mis ovejas
Se sientan seguras, y llenas de paz.
Donde mi palabra sea su alimento

Alli Quiero morar.

Yo quiero una iglesia que con su alabanza,
Perfume mi trono me de ese lugar.
Una iglesia que sepa hacer diferencia,
Entre el bien y el mal.

Donde esta la iglesia que fue perdonada,
Y que fue librada del castigo atróz.
Aquella que al ver si alguno ha caido,
Le extiende la mano y perdona su error.

Iglesia despierta ya llegó el momento
De tu redención.

Yo quiero una iglesia, Que sane al herido,
Que rompa cadenas, Liberte al cautivo,
Que aclare la mente al que esta confundido
Y que hable verdad.

Yo quiero una iglesia, Que con su mirada,
Le brinde esperanza al alma angustiada,
Yo quiero una iglesia que sane la herida,

De la humanidad.
Yo quiero un rebaño donde mis ovejas
Se sientan seguras, y llenas de paz.
Donde mi palabra sea su alimento

Alli Quiero morar.

"My Church"

So long ago I purchased a church

At the price of blood and severe pain.

So long ago I sent my Son,

To rescue that which was lost.

For so long I have desired

The humble offering of a worshipper

To only bow before my presence

And not before the offerings of a title

For so long I have desired that

They show my Image, which is of Love.

Not being confused with all the others,

But distinct like Me.

Not being divided as she is accustomed

To entering into contention and fights.

Not looking to be greater than another

If in the universe, the greatest I AM.

I want a church that gives me the Glory

And produces unity.

CHORUS

I want a church that heals the hurting

That breaks the chains, sets the captive free.

That clears the mind that is confused

And speaks truth.

I want a church, that with one look

Shines hope to the anguished soul

I want a church that heals the hurts

Of humanity

I want a flock where my sheep

Feel secure, and flooded with peace

Where my Word is their food

There I want to dwell.

Verse 2

I want a church that with its praise

Perfumes my throne. Give me that place!

A church that knows how to tell the difference

Between good and evil

Where is the church that was forgiven?

And was freed from their horrible punishment?

That one that saw one that was fallen

And extended a hand and forgave his sin?

Awake oh church; the moment of your

Redemption has arrived!

I want a church that heals the hurting

That breaks the chains, sets the captive free.

That clears the mind that is confused

And speaks truth.

I want a church, that with one look

Shines hope to the anguished soul

I want a church that heals the hurts

Of humanity

I want a flock where my sheep

Feel secure, and flooded with peace

Where my Word is their food

There I want to dwell.

Now that you know the words in English, please watch the video.

Not our video, but real good !

2008-07-14T10:09:00.003-04:00

This is a great video. We should all be so bold.

Sammy in Concert :-)

2008-07-14T10:03:00.000-04:00

Here is a video of Sammy Hamlin playing in a concert to benefit his recent (2007) Missions trip to Paraguay. Go Sammy!

NOTE: You will need to turn your sound way UP.

Welcome

2008-07-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to our new blog. We hope you enjoy your visits. Please read the previous posts that were made prior to today's "Grand Opening" :-) Please subscribe (by clicking on the link on the right side of this page) for regular updates on the events in Easton, PA and around the world with the Fire of God. Please visit our website ( www.rffeaston.org ) for more information about the fellowship in Easton. We may also be posting some of the latest teachings in Easton here so you can get a feel for our part of the vineyard.

His richest blessings!

ShoutLife site

2008-07-09T13:10:00.000-04:00

Here's the new ShoutLife site:

www.shoutlife.com/JohnandPerla

The Spirit is moving here in Easton. Get excited!

Revival

2008-04-27T00:40:00.001-04:00

A revival of prayer has hit Allentown.